Travelers entering the UK, no matter via boat, train, or aircraft are only permitted to enter after showing proof of a negative Covid-19 test, the test should be not older than 72 hours before traveling and anyone arriving without that have to face a fine of as much as £500.
All passengers will still be required to quarantine for up to 10 days, the isolation interval will be cut short with a negative test after 5 days.
The government mentioned the travel corridor closure shall be in force till at least 15 February to curb the covid, under the new guidelines, travelers arriving from the Falklands, St Helena, and Ascension Islands are exempt.
Those arriving from some Caribbean islands are exempt till 04.00 GMT on Thursday 21 January.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab mentioned enforcement checks at borders would even be “build-up” and added that asking all arrivals to self-isolate in lodges was a “potential measure” the government was keeping under review.
Earlier, the government said to provide financial aid scheme for airports in England would open this month in response to the new travel curbs.
Aviation minister Robert Courts mentioned the purpose was to provide grants of as much as £8m per applicant by the end of this financial yr.
Industry groups have warned there was only so long airports could “run on fumes”, following the announcement of the new quarantine guidelines.
In a tweet: Mr. Courts mentioned the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme “will assist airports to reduce” additional costs faced because of the pandemic and that further details would follow soon.
The scheme was first introduced in November however without a start date, In an announcement at the time, the Airport Operators Association mentioned the scheme would be an aid. However, it mentioned that assist equally to business rates would only go so far and with the pandemic disaster deepening, a broader package of assist was wanted for all 4 nations, to see the sector via the next few months.
AOA chief executive Karen Dee mentioned the measures would “provide much-needed assistance to many embattled airports, serving to them via the difficult months ahead”.
A ban on travelers from South America, Portugal, and Cape Verde also came into force on Friday, having been imposed over concerns about new variants identified in Brazil.
New variants causing concern have previously been identified in the UK and South Africa, with many nations imposing restrictions on arrivals from each nation.
Scientists worry the variants seen in South Africa and Brazil might interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines and evade parts of the immune system.
