The mandate that requires all international travelers arriving in the UK to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test on arrival has been extended to at least February 15, officials said.
All travelers flying to the UK must have a coronavirus test 72 hours before arrival. The news comes as more countries are tightening travel restrictions as COVID cases continue to rise with a new contagious strain that has been traced back to England.
The UK is extending its travel ban without proof of negative COVID tests to February 15. (AP Photo / Max Duncan)
(AP)
“This urgent action is a response to the growing concern about the transmissibility and virulence of new strains in international evolution. It will also ensure that the government is able to protect the progress being made in the country’s vaccination program,” said the Department of Transport. UK in a statement on its website.
“This move will be supported by increased surveillance, both at the border and across the UK, with Border Force increasing the number of one-off checks for passengers entering the country,” the statement continued.
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Travelers will be screened for a negative COVID test upon arrival in the UK and could be punished with fines of more than $ 600, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said at a news conference, as reported by the BBC. Passengers should still be quarantined for 10 days.
UK-LIMITED TRAVELERS SHOULD SHOW COVID-19 NEGATIVE TEST ON THE BORDER
England has also banned people from more than a dozen countries, including several South American countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, as well as Portugal and Cape Verde, following a new variant of the virus found in Brazil. Travelers who leave the listed countries in the past 10 days will not have access to the UK, officials said.
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The news comes when major airlines start testing global health “passports”, allowing international travelers to load negative COVID-19 tests into an app. American Airlines on Thursday announced its own mobile health passport on its VeriFly app to help support the new U.S. government order by requiring all travelers flying to the U.S. to present negative COVID-19 test evidence.