'Robust border regime': UK issues new COVID-19 travel advisory for 'red list' countries

Boris Johnson administration on Monday rolled out a new travel restriction that requires British, Irish and the UK returnees to mandatorily quarantine at a hotel if they arrive from one of the 33 ‘red list’ countries, which includes Portugal, Brazil and South Africa. The government, under its robust border regime, will impose  £10,000 fine or prosecution up to 10 years in prison for those trying to conceal the country they travelled. Any UK, or Irish tourist entering England, who travelled to one of the high risks countries as listed by the UK in past 10 days, will now be required to adhere to the government’s new travel rules, the UK government said in a release issued by 10 Downing Street. In a press briefing Monday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that the travellers from 33 countries restricted by the UK, will enter isolation at a government-approved hotel for 10 days, meanwhile, the cost of stay, transport and testing will be covered by the government. 

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Ireland bans travel to all nations

UK introduced the new travel measures in consultation with Australia to mitigate the import of new COVID variants into the country. This was also flared by the concerns that the new ‘more contagious’ variants were resistant to vaccines. UK’s Health Secretary Matt Hancock described the travel restriction as “mission-critical to protect ourselves for the long term”. Under the UK’s travel COVID-19 restrictions, citizens are prohibited to travel abroad unless they have a legally permitted reason, and are required to produce a negative COVID-19 test.

“Before you enter the UK you must provide your journey and contact details. You must self-isolate (or quarantine) immediately,” the government said in an advisory, Monday.  Meanwhile, in Ireland travel is banned across all nations of the world, and all returnees were asked to isolate upon return. Those in the UK, returning from any nation that did not fall under ‘red list’ were also advised to quarantine at home for up to 10 days. Meanwhile, the returnees will have to produce two mandatory PCR tests, one on day 2 and second on day 8 from their 10 day quarantine period. 

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