Fully vaccinated travellers arriving in England from 0400 on
30 November will once again be required to take a PCR Covid-19 test and
self-isolate until they receive a negative result as more cases of the Omicron
variant first identified in South Africa have been found in the UK.
Over the weekend, the government announced that from
Tuesday, fully vaccinated travellers must enter self-isolation and arrange to
take a PCR test before the end of day two after arrival. If the test result is
negative, they will be allowed to leave quarantine. Lateral flow tests will no
longer be accepted from 0400 on 30 November, so even travellers who booked that
type of test must now book a PCR test instead.
The government has also added Angola, Malawi, Mozambique and
Zambia to the travel red list as three cases of the new Covid-19 variant, which
is thought to be more transmissible, were found in England and six in Scotland. It comes after
South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe and Namibia were added to
the red list last week.
Only British or Irish citizens and residents will be allowed
to enter the UK from red list countries, and the government has advised
citizens and residents not to travel to those countries. Even fully vaccinated
passengers must take a PCR test within three days of departure from a red list
country, book a 10-day hotel quarantine package and arrange PCR tests on days
two and eight after arrival.
The government said it will review its travel rules again
before Christmas.
Elsewhere in the world, countries such as Japan, Israel and Morocco have announced they will ban foreign nationals from entering over fears of the new variant.
Commenting on the re-emergence of global travel restrictions, Business Travel Association CEO Clive Wratten said: "Public health must be a priority. However, governments from around the world are acting without taking lessons from the last two years.
"Business travellers delivering vital aid, boosting the UK economy and helping the reputation of global Britain are being left abroad due to the speed of these restrictions.
"The introduction of costly PCR tests for all travellers and mandatory self-isolation for all travellers until results are returned will have a significant impact on business travel. It's urgent that international protocols are introduced without delay to save lives, save economies and save our futures."
A spokesperson for ABTA said: “While ABTA understands that this is a rapidly evolving situation and public health must come first, the decision to require all arrivals to take a PCR test and self-isolate until a negative result is returned is a huge blow for travel businesses, many of whom were only just starting to get back on their feet after 20 months of severe restrictions. These changes will add cost to people’s holidays which will undoubtedly impact consumer demand and hold back the industry’s recovery, so it’s vital that this decision is kept under careful review and restrictions are lifted promptly if it becomes clear there is not a risk to the UK vaccination programme. The government must also now consider offering tailored support for travel businesses, which have been amongst the hardest hit during the pandemic.”