UK shuts all travel corridors from Monday in effort to stop spread of variant strains
The UK will shut down all travel corridors from 4am GMT tomorrow in response to the spread of the coronavirus.
Travellers entering the country after that time must provide proof of a negative coronavirus test before taking off, the British government said on Friday.
They must quarantine for 10 days unless they test negative after five days.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was hopeful that the blanket suspension of all travel corridors will complement Thursday’s ban on flights arriving from Portugal and South America and keep new variants of the virus at bay.
He said the extra measures were vital in stopping those strains from entering the UK and derailing the vaccination programme, in which 3.2 million so far have receive a first dose.
One of two Brazilian strains of the coronavirus was recently detected in the UK.
Mr Johnson responded to criticism of a lack of supplies and regional disparities in administration of the programme.
“Yesterday alone, we vaccinated around a quarter of a million people in England, and that is still far more than any other country in Europe,” he said.
Speedy and successful distribution of vaccines has become the UK’s focus in alleviating an out-of-control pandemic.
Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty offered a crumb of comfort, saying that while the infection rate in the UK was “just shy of one in 50 people”, there was a levelling-off of cases.
Tighter restrictions in the UK were announced as the EU said it was looking at a common vaccine certificate to help let travellers go on holiday and prevent tourism from suffering another disastrous year.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the certificates for persons who have been vaccinated could be combined with coronavirus tests for those awaiting jabs to allow as many people as possible to travel during the peak summer period.
The issue is likely to be discussed during a video meeting of EU leaders this week. Europeans have been concerned residents might be split into two camps – those with vaccine certificates permitting them to travel and others who remain limited in where they can go.
Ms von der Leyen said such discrimination was unnecessary because “you can always combine either a certificate or a negative Covid test, if you did not have access to a vaccination so far”.
“So there are possibilities to find a fair and equal balance,” she said during a visit to Portugal’s capital, Lisbon, on Friday.
On January 12, the UK removed the UAE from its travel corridor, so people travelling from the UAE now need to isolate for 10 days upon arriving in the UK, unless they have an exemption, such as diplomatic status.
As of yesterday, visitors travelling from or through the UK and arriving in Dubai must have a negative coronavirus PCR test taken no more than 96 hours prior to departure.
A certificate showing their result must be shown at check-in.
Dubai residents travelling to Dubai from or through the UK still have the option to either present a negative PCR test when leaving the UK, taken a maximum of 96 hours before departure, or to take a coronavirus test on arrival in Dubai.
Those tested on arrival will have to isolate until the results are released.
All travellers may also be required to take a PCR test on arrival in Dubai, regardless of whether they were tested before departure.
The regulations said those travelling to Abu Dhabi from the UK must have undertaken a PCR test within 72 hours of departure and received a negative result.
They will also be required to undertake a PCR test on arrival, wear a government-provided wristband, complete a minimum 10-day period of self-isolation or quarantine and, depending on the length of their stay, have two further tests, on day six and 12 of their stay.