From 4am on Monday 1 November, the
remaining 7 destinations on the red
list; Colombia,
the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Haiti, Panama,
Peru and Venezuela will be removed.
Passengers returning to the UK from these destinations will no
longer be required to enter hotel quarantine. The red list
and quarantine hotel policy remains in place and
will continue to act as a crucial line
of defence against the importation of variants of
concern (VOCs). We will review the red
list every 3 weeks and will impose restrictions should there
be a need to do so to protect public health.
Delta is now the dominant variant in most countries around the
world. This means the risk of known variants entering the UK has
reduced and the Government can confidently remove these
seven destinations from the red list, with
decisions informed by UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA)
assessment. The data for all countries and territories will
be kept under review, including the emergence of new
variants, and the government will not hesitate to take
action where the epidemiological picture changes.
From Monday eligible travellers with appropriate proof
of vaccination from over 30 further countries and territories,
including Argentina, Tanzania and Cambodia, will also qualify
under the fully vaccinated rules for travel to the UK. This
brings the total number of countries and territories covered by
the inbound vaccination policy to over 135.
Transport Secretary
Grant Shapps said:
“This is another step in the right direction for international
travel with more good news today for passengers, businesses and
the travel sector. We’re continuing to make great progress as we
recover from the pandemic and today is another example of how far
we have come.
“Whether it’s reuniting family members or making it easier for
businesses to trade, the success of the vaccine rollout both
at home and abroad has allowed us to reach this milestone.
However, we must not be complacent and remain ready to spring
into action and defend our hard-won gains if needed.”
Health and Social Care Secretary said:
“I am glad we are able to reduce the travel list even further,
giving a huge boost to businesses, families and friends wanting
to travel.
“The red list and quarantine remain vital in protecting our
borders - we are keeping a small number of quarantine rooms on
standby and will not hesitate to take swift action by adding
countries to the red list if the risk increases again.”
With the number of destinations on the red list decreasing over
the past few months, the Government has reduced the amount of
quarantine hotel rooms it requires, to reflect lower demand from
passengers and deliver better value for the taxpayer. A number of
hotel rooms remain on standby should the Government need to
quickly respond to an increased risk from another country or
territory and reintroduce Managed Quarantine Service for red
list passengers.
Government scientists will continue to closely monitor variants
of concern in order to ensure the UK’s approach remains
proportionate. The government will continue to maintain
surveillance through testing. Eligible fully vaccinated
passengers and most under 18s arriving into England
from non-red list countries have since 24 October been able to
use a cheaper lateral flow test post arrival, with a free
confirmatory PCR test if they receive a positive result. Such
passengers arriving into Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland will from 31 October also be able to choose to take a
lateral flow test instead of a PCR test.
All arrivals will still need to fill in a passenger locator form
ahead of travel unless exempt. Travellers should continue to
check GOV.UK travel
guidance including Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
(FCDO) travel advice before, during and after travel to keep up
to date with entry requirements. Passengers are
also encouraged to carefully check booking conditions prior
to buying tickets.
Contact Information
Maggie Sheldon
Department for Transport
maggie.sheldon@dft.gov.uk
Notes to editors
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Eligible fully vaccinated passengers and eligible under 18s
returning to England from countries and territories not on the
red list have, since 4am 24 October, been able to take just
a lateral flow test by the end of day 2 (with a free PCR test
required in case of a positive test result). https://www.gov.uk/find-travel-test-provider
- Other passengers who are not fully vaccinated with
an authorised vaccine returning from non-red list
destinations must still take a pre-departure test, a day 2 and
day 8 PCR test and complete 10 days self-isolation (with the
option of Test to Release on day 5).
- We will outline any further changes to our approach in
mitigating the risk of VOCs entering the country as part of the
wider travel review that will take place in the new
year.
