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Dave

UK Government confirms mandatory hotel quarantine

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From 15 February 2021 anyone travelling to the UK from a country on the UK’s travel ban list will be required to quarantine in a government-approved facility for ten days.

The UK Government has announced the introduction of hotel-based quarantine. The notification states:

From 15 February anyone travelling to the UK from a country on the UK’s travel ban list will be required to quarantine in a government-approved facility for a period of ten days.

General Sir Gordon Messenger will play an important role in advising the government on the delivery of the programme

On the evening of 4 February, the Department of Health and Social Care issued a commercial specification to hotels near ports and airports, asking for proposals on how they can support the delivery of Managed Quarantine Facilities ahead of formal contracts being awarded.

The government has met with stakeholders from across the aviation, maritime, hotel and hospitality industries, and will now continue to finalise plans to enable implementation from 15 February.

The Government notification continued:

The Health Secretary [Matt Hancock] held discussions with his Australian counterpart on Thursday [4 February], and officials will speak with New Zealand officials to share expertise. DHSC has also held a series of roundtables with over 60 companies and industry representatives as the public and private sector work together.

Dave

High value business travel exempt from quarantine in England

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The UK Government has announced a new “business travel” exemption from the normal quarantine rules.  From tomorrow morning, certain passengers travelling to or through countries which are not on the safe travel corridor list will no longer be required to self-isolate on return to England. 

The Department for Transport explained:

Individuals undertaking specific business activity which would deliver a significant benefit to the UK economy – including activity that creates or preserves 50+ UK jobs – will no longer need to self-isolate when travelling or returning from non-exempt countries. Individuals will only be exempt when undertaking the specific business activity and will only be able to meet with others as required by that specific activity.

We understand that the exemption will apply to senior company executives, such as directors or their equivalents, either returning or travelling to England who can deliver ‘significant’ economic benefit (e.g. work that creates or preserves 50 or more jobs for either an existing UK-based business or a new UK business, within one year of the passenger’s arrival). They will only qualify for the exemption if their work requires them to be there in person.

The DfT added

Exemptions will also come into force at the same time for domestic and international performing arts professionals, TV production staff, journalists and recently signed elite sportspersons, ensuring that industries which require specific, high-talent individuals who rely on international connections can continue to complete their work.

If you are planning overseas trips and have any questions with regards to this exemption, or the self-isolation process in general, please contact me or my team.  We will be happy to help.

Dave

Government publishes England’s list of quarantine-free countries

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The Government has, today, published the list of countries considered “safe”, from which travellers arriving in the UK from 10 July 2020 onwards will no longer be required to quarantine.

The quarantine-free list includes Belgium, Greece and Spain, but excludes Portugal, the United States and Russia.

The quarantine requirement was introduced by HM Government on 8 June.

From 10 July 2020, unless they have visited or stopped in any other country or territory in the preceding 14 days, passengers arriving from the following countries and territories will not be required to self-isolate on arrival into England:

  • Andorra
  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Aruba
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belgium
  • Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba
  • Croatia
  • Curaçao
  • Cyprus
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Dominica
  • Faroe Islands
  • Fiji
  • Finland
  • France
  • French Polynesia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Greenland
  • Grenada
  • Guadeloupe
  • Hong Kong
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Italy
  • Jamaica
  • Japan
  • Liechtenstein
  • Lithuania
  • Luxembourg
  • Macau
  • Malta
  • Mauritius
  • Monaco
  • Netherlands
  • New Caledonia
  • New Zealand
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Réunion
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Seychelles
  • South Korea
  • Spain
  • St Barthélemy
  • St Kitts and Nevis
  • St Lucia
  • St Pierre and Miquelon
  • Switzerland
  • Taiwan
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Turkey
  • Vatican City
  • Vietnam

A four-nation approach has not been agreed, so the suspension of quarantine measures only takes place for travel to England. The administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not yet adopted this measure.

Dave

Quarantine lifted, air bridges introduced and Foreign Office travel warnings changed

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Update – Friday 3 July

Passengers returning or visiting from certain destinations which pose a reduced risk to the public health of UK citizens, including Spain and Italy, will no longer need to self-isolate when arriving in England, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has set out.


Transport Secretary Grant Shapps

The new measures will come into force from 10 July 2020, meaning that people arriving from selected destinations will be able to enter England without needing to self-isolate, unless they have been in or transited through non-exempt countries in the preceding 14 days.

A risk assessment has been conducted by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, in close consultation with Public Health England and the Chief Medical Officer. The assessment draws on a range of factors including the prevalence of coronavirus, the numbers of new cases and potential trajectory of the disease in that destination.

The list of countries will be published later today. 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:

Today marks the next step in carefully reopening our great nation. Whether you are a holidaymaker or a business eager to open your doors again, this is good news for British people and great news for British businesses.

The entire nation has worked tirelessly to get to this stage, therefore safety must remain our watch word and we will not hesitate to move quickly to protect ourselves if infection rates rise in countries we are reconnecting with.


International business travel has been given a boost with the news that the UK Government is to suspend the 14-day quarantine requirement for a series of countries, introducing instead “air-bridge” arrangements while the Foreign Office warning against all but essential international travel will be lifted for countries deemed safe.

The full list of countries is still to be confirmed. People will be allowed to travel to the named countries, without having to quarantine on return, from 6 July.

The list of “safe” countries is being finalised by the UK’s Joint Biosecurity Centre, working with Public Health England. Countries will be ranked as green, amber or red based on an assessment of risk from Covid-19.

Business travellers will be able to travel freely to both green and amber countries.

The decision to relax quarantine requirements follows pressure from Focus Travel Partnership members, the Business Travel Association as well as airlines and other industry stakeholders.

A 14-day quarantine will stay in place for anyone arriving in the UK from countries not rated green or amber, with passengers required to self-isolate at a declared address, potentially enforceable with a £1,000 fine.

Clive Wratten, Chief Executive of the Business Travel Association and Abby Penston, Chief Executive of the Focus Travel Partnership gave us their reactions to the latest information, and called for further clarity as soon as possible:

Dave

You must provide your journey and contact details before you travel to the UK

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The government has issued new instructions for passengers arriving in the United Kingdom from Monday 8 June.

The advice states:

If you arrive in the UK from 8 June onwards, you must complete the Public Health Passenger Locator Form before you travel. You cannot submit the form until 48 hours before you’re due to arrive in the UK.

You’ll need to show your completed form when you arrive at the UK border, either by printing a copy, or showing it on your phone.

The government will use this information to contact you if you or someone you’ve travelled with develops coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms, and to check that you’re self-isolating for the first 14 days after you arrive in the UK.

Each passenger travelling in a group must complete a separate form. If you are travelling with someone under 18 years old, they do not need their own form, provided you:

  • will arrive and leave together
  • will stay at the same UK address
  • add their details into your form

Important links

The Public Health Passenger Locator Form and instructions for completing it is available here: https://www.gov.uk/provide-journey-contact-details-before-travel-uk.

The guidance explaining who will be exempt from new border rules in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-travellers-exempt-from-uk-border-rules.

If you need to contact the form and isolation helpline, you can do so from Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 5:00pm on 0800 6781767.