- passengers returning to or visiting England from certain
destinations including Germany, France, Spain and Italy, will no
longer need to self-isolate on arrival from 10 July 2020
-
FCO will set out
exemptions for a number of destinations from its global
advisory against ‘all but essential’ international travel, with
changes coming into effect on 4 July 2020
- all passengers, except those on a small list of exemptions,
will still be required to provide contact information on arrival
in the UK
Passengers returning or visiting from certain destinations which
pose a reduced risk to the public health of UK citizens, including Spain and
Italy, will no longer need to self-isolate when arriving in
England, Transport Secretary will set out today (3 July
2020).
The new measures will come into force from 10 July 2020, meaning
that people arriving from selected destinations will be able to
enter England without needing to self-isolate, unless they have
been in or transited through non-exempt countries in the
preceding 14 days.
A risk assessment has been conducted by the Joint Biosecurity
Centre, in close consultation with Public Health England and the
Chief Medical Officer. The assessment draws on a range of factors
including the prevalence of coronavirus, the numbers of new cases
and potential trajectory of the disease in that destination.
The list of countries will be published later today. A number of
countries will be exempted from the requirement for passengers
arriving into England to self-isolate for 14 days. All
passengers, except those on a small list of
exemptions, will still be required to provide contact
information on arrival in the UK.
The government’s expectation is that a number of the exempted
countries will also not require arrivals from
the UK to
self-isolate. This will mean that holidaymakers travelling to and
from certain destinations will not need to self-isolate on either
leg of their journey.
The exempted countries and territories will be kept under
constant review, so that if the health risks increase
self-isolation measures can be re-introduced to help stop the
spread of the disease into England.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has also updated
its global advisory against ‘all but essential’ international
travel to exempt certain destinations that no longer pose an
unacceptably high risk of COVID-19.
When planning holidays or overseas travel, people should
therefore check the latest FCO travel
advice on GOV.UK,
including whether there are any self-isolation measures in place
for their outbound or return journey.
If the country or territory they are visiting is exempt, they
will not have to self-isolate on their return to England.
Passengers should also stay alert to any changes to local public
health measures while they are travelling, including by
subscribing to FCO travel advice
updates.
The government continues to work closely with international
partners around the world to discuss arrangements for travellers
arriving from the UK and will continue this engagement
ahead of the changes coming into force.
Transport Secretary said:
Today marks the next step in carefully reopening our great
nation. Whether you are a holidaymaker ready to travel abroad
or a business eager to open your doors again, this is good news
for British people and great news for British businesses.
The entire nation has worked tirelessly to get to this stage,
therefore safety must remain our watch word and we will not
hesitate to move quickly to protect ourselves if infection
rates rise in countries we are reconnecting with.
The FCO’s travel advice is
based on an assessment of a range of factors that could present
risks to British nationals when abroad, using different criteria
to the list of countries exempted from self-isolation measures.
It is based on a range of factors including epidemiological
risks, capacity of local healthcare systems, transport options
and law and order. These FCO travel advice
exemptions will come into effect on 4 July 2020 and will be kept
under review.
All passengers, except those on a small list of
exemptions, will still be required to provide contact
information on arrival in the UK, including details of countries or
territories they have been in or through during the previous 14
days. Existing public health advice on
hand hygiene, face coverings, and social distancing must
also be followed.
The exemptions from self-isolation apply to all modes of
international transport, including sea and international rail
routes as well as flights.
The Devolved Administrations will set out their own approach to
exemptions, and so passengers returning to Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland should ensure they follow the laws and guidance
which applies there.
