PAKISTAN and Bangladesh are two of the four countries set to be added to the 'red list' of international travel later this week.
Here is a guide to what you need to know ahead of the changes:
Which countries will be placed on the red list and why?
The Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh have been added to England's so-called red list.
These countries have been added after concerns about new Covid variants, such as those earlier identified in South Africa and Brazil.
These new four mean a total of 39 countries are currently on the UK's red list for travel.
When will the changes be brought in?
From 4am this Friday (April 9) international visitors form the four new red listed countries, or people whop travelled through them, in the previous 10 days will be refused entry into England.
Important travel update: 🇵🇰 will be added to the 🇬🇧’s red list of travel ban countries from 9 April👇 pic.twitter.com/HVRyp9xEzp
— Christian Turner (@CTurnerFCDO) April 2, 2021
Who can still enter England from these countries?
The Government website, gov.uk, says only British and Irish citizens, or those with residence rights in the UK (including long-term visa holders), will be allowed to enter.
What are the details about going into quarantine hotels?
They will only be allowed to stay in a government-approved quarantine site for 10 days. They must also arrive in a designated port of entry. These are: Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport and Farnborough Airport.
People allowed to enter England who has visited or passed through a country where travel to the UK is banned in the last 10 days must also take a Covid test on or before day two and on, or after the eighth day of their 10 days quarantining.
A quarantine hotel must be booked before you arrive in England. A person's quarantine package will include their managed quarantine hotel, quarantine transport and test packages.
People must complete a passenger locator form with details of where they will quarantine when you arrive. They must provide a quarantine package booking reference number to complete your passenger locator form.
The package includes the costs of transport from the port of arrival to the designated hotel and other things including food and accommodation.
How much the quarantine hotel in England will cost passengers?
The hotel room rate will cost one adult for 10 days (or 11 nights) a total of £1,750. For more than 10 days it will cost an extra £152 per day.
The extra rate for one adult, or child over 12, is a total of £650 and for more than 10 days it will be an extra £41 per day.
The extra room rate for a child aged between five and 12 years is £325 for their stay. This will rise by an extra £12 per day over a 10-day stay duration.
Who can get financial help for quarantine hotel room rate charges?
People who face 'significant financial hardship' due to these charges can apply for a deferred repayment plan when booking.
This is only available to those who receive income-related benefits. These will be paid back in 12 monthly instalments.
What happens if you break quarantine rules?
Travellers who do this can be fined up to £10,000, jailed for up to 10 years, or both, if they do not provide accurate details about the countries they have visited in the 10 days before they arrived in the UK.
Anyone who breaks the quarantine rules may also face a penalty of up to £10,000.
Reaction to red list travel bans
Bradford West MP Naz Shah wrote to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab after the announcement questioning why France has not been included on the red list as well, as she claims it has 10 times more infections per 100,000 than Pakistan, which has been included. She tweeted:
Why aren’t countries which have significant more cases, including the South African variant, not on the red list too? Why #Pakistan and not France which has 10 times more cases. I’ve been raising this for weeks and still no answers from @MattHancock or @DominicRaab ? https://t.co/jsq8VsBfU1 pic.twitter.com/fn39l3V6Z1
— Naz Shah MP 💙 (@NazShahBfd) April 2, 2021
No direct flight bans are in place between England and the four red listed countries, but officials have advised with people to check with their travel providers before travelling.
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