With over 30 million vaccinations delivered in the
UK so far, the
additional restrictions will help to reduce the risk of
new variants – such as those first identified in South
Africa (SA) and
Brazil – entering England. So far, surveillance has
found that few cases of the SA variant have been identified
as being imported from Europe, with most coming from
other parts of the world.
From 4am on Friday 9 April, international visitors who
have departed from or transited through Philippines,
Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh in the previous 10 days
will be refused entry into England. Only British and
Irish citizens, or those with residence rights in the
UK (including
long-term visa holders), will be allowed to enter and
they must stay in a
government-approved quarantine facility for 10
days. They will also be required to arrive into a
designated port. No direct flight bans from these
countries will be put in place, but passengers are
advised to check their travel plans before departing
for England.
During their stay, passengers will be required to
take a
coronavirus test on or before day 2 and on or after day
8, and they will not be allowed to shorten their
quarantine period on receipt of a negative test result.
They will also not be able to end their managed
quarantine early through the Test to Release scheme.
The Joint
Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk
assessments of the spread of variants of concern
internationally. These risk assessments cover a range
of factors for each country including:
- assessment of surveillance and sequencing
capability
- available surveillance and genome sequencing data
- evidence of in-country community transmission of
COVID-19 variants
- evidence of exportation of new variants to the
UK or other
countries
- travel connectivity with the UK
The government has made it consistently clear it will
take decisive action if necessary to contain the virus
and has added these destinations to the red list to
protect public health.
The government continues to work with the hospitality
sector to ensure it is ready to meet any increased
demand.
British nationals currently in the countries on the red
list should make use of the commercial options
available if they wish to return to England. Commercial
routes that will enable British and Irish nationals and
residents to return to England continue to operate.
British nationals in these countries should check
Foreign, Commonwealth
and Development Office (FCDO)
travel advice and follow local guidance. The
FCDO
will continue to offer tailored consular assistance to
British nationals in need of support overseas on a 24/7
basis.
