A two-week quarantine period for anyone arriving in the UK will be enforced from today.
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel. GOV.UK have compiled advice for essential travel which includes:
- Checklist before you travel
- Getting travel insurance
- Entry restrictions
- International freight transport
This page also provides additional Foreign Travel advice.
Source: BBC News
More than 200 travel companies have asked for the new rules to be scrapped and some MPs have also voiced concerns.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said the move would protect public health, now that imported coronavirus cases ”pose a more significant threat”.
What are the new quarantine rules?
Passengers arriving in the UK by plane, ferry or train – including UK nationals – will be asked to provide an address where they will self-isolate for 14 days. Travellers can be fined £100 for failing to fill in a form with these details.
Surprise visits will be used to check they are following the rules. Those in England could be fined up to £1,000 if they fail to self-isolate.
Passengers should drive their own car to their destination, where possible. If they don’t provide an address, the government will arrange accommodation at the traveller’s expense.
Once at their destination they must not use public transport or taxis. They must not go to work, school, or public areas, or have visitors except for essential support.
They are also not allowed to go out to buy food, or other essentials, where they can rely on others.
Employers should agree future working arrangements with staff before they travel overseas.
Employees who can’t work from home are eligible for statutory sick pay if they meet the required conditions.
Is anywhere exempt from quarantine?
Anyone arriving from the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man does not have to enter quarantine.
The government has also said it is looking into ”international travel corridors” between the UK and countries with low infection rates and strong healthcare systems. It hopes this could avoid the need for quarantine for travellers between the two.
Portugal’s foreign minister told the BBC he hoped an agreement between the UK and Portugal could be secured by the end of June.
However, the government is currently advising against all non-essential travel, and hasn’t given a date for when quarantine will end.
The measures will be reviewed in late June, three weeks after their introduction, to check they remain ”effective and necessary”.
Who is exempt from quarantine?
There are a number of groups who are exempt, including:
- Road haulage and freight workers
- Medical and care professionals providing essential healthcare
- Those arriving for pre-arranged medical treatment
- Passengers in transit , if they do not pass through border control
- Seasonal agricultural workers if they self-isolate where they are working
- UK residents who ordinarily travel overseas at least once a week for work
Do other countries have quarantine rules?
Travellers could find they also have to enter quarantine when they arrive in another country.
Fourteen-day quarantine rules apply in destinations including Italy, Greece, Canada, the UAE, Australia and New Zealand. Many have introduced screening measures such as temperature checks, and entry restrictions.
In Spain, only UK citizens with permanent resident status can enter. From 1 July, Spain will allow some travellers in without quarantining, but this doesn’t include the UK.
- Some arrivals in Italy must carry a form explaining their reason for travel
- France has announced quarantine plans for UK arrivals
- The US only has 13 airports open for international flights
- Canada has barred most foreign nationals, and airlines must carry out health assessments
- The United Arab Emirates has strict entry rulesfor foreign residents
- UK citizens need a special exemption visato travel to Australia
- The New Zealand border is closed to almost all arrivals
What has the response been?
Airlines UK, which represents various airlines, said quarantine “would effectively kill off air travel”.
The British Ports Association, which represents ferry companies, has also spoken out against the measures – calling them “overzealous”.
Will airlines still be flying?
Virgin Atlantic will restart a handful of routes from 20th July, with more to follow in August.
EasyJet will restart a ”small number” of flights on 15 June, with all passengers and cabin crew told to wear face masks.
Ryanair plans to reintroduce 40% of its flights from 1 July, subject to travel restrictions being lifted and safety measures being brought in at airports.
British Airways is reviewing its plans to run 50% of its schedule from July, because of the new quarantine rules.
Source: BBC News
You can download an Exemption Letter Template for your business here
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office advises against all but essential travel. GOV.UK have compiled advice for essential travel which includes:
- Checklist before you travel
- Getting travel insurance
- Entry restrictions
- International freight transport
This page also provides additional Foreign Travel advice.