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Summary
- International arrivals are now required to take a pre-departure Covid test, and self-isolate for 10 days
- The travel corridors were introduced since July 2020, which allowed travellers from selected nations with lower infection rates to come to the UK without a need to quarantine
All the travel corridors in Britain, which allowed arrivals from various nations to avoid the quarantine requirements, have been closed from 04:00 am today in a bid to protect the nation against the risk of rapidly spreading new strain of the Covid-19 virus. The UK government will follow these travel corridor closure guidelines until 15 February as several new virus strains have been discovered across the globe.
All the passengers should have a negative coronavirus test conducted recently and will have to quarantine for a maximum of 10 days on arrival. The isolation period can be reduced after five days, in case a negative test report is provided, as per the new rules.
People coming to the UK, by plane, train, or boat shall have to produce documents of a negative Covid test to get an entry. The test should have been taken 72 hours prior to travelling. People arriving without the test would have to pay for a fine up to £500.
Passengers would be made to quarantine at the designated hotels and would be using the necessary technology so that they can self-isolate.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said the government was strengthening the checks at the border, which will ensure that people have got their negative test reports ready before they fill up their passenger form and board the flight. The government is also strengthening its capacity to make sure that the new set of rules are well implemented, Raab added.
Travel corridors
The travel corridors were introduced since July 2020, which allowed travellers from selected nations with lower infection rates to come in the UK without following the quarantine rule.
British PM Boris Johnson said that it was vital to take measures to protect the citizens as there was a risk of the new strain coming from foreign countries. Especially with the recent success of the vaccination drive, it was pertinent to stop any new infection from entering the nation, he clarified.
Airlines UK, the trade association for the aviation sector, said that it supported the new rules on the presumption that the PM would remove them when the situation turns safer.
At the same time, Tim Alderslade, the industry body’s chief executive, admitted that these corridors had been a lifeline for the sector since the last summers when they first came into force.
Meanwhile, the aviation chiefs have asked for additional support to the industry as it was facing a difficult period as travel has been impacted for more than 10 months by now. The government should engage with the industry on an urgent basis to protect the jobs and businesses at risk in the industry, said the leaders.
Besides the new rules for the travel corridors, national restrictions which were implemented on 6 January will remain in place, forcing most to stay at home and travel for a very limited set of reasons.
