LONDON: The United Kingdom has added Pakistan among other countries to the ‘red list’ and imposed travel bans for visitors to protect against the variants of the coronavirus.
According a statement by British Foreign Office, Pakistan, Philippines, Kenya and Bangladesh have been added to England’s red list to protect the country against new variants of coronavirus (COVID-19).
It said the additional restrictions will help to reduce the risk of new variants such as those first identified in South Africa (SA) and Brazil from entering England. So far, surveillance has found that few cases of the SA variant have been identified as being imported from Europe, with most coming from other parts of the world.
All international visitors who have departed from or transited through Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh in the previous 10 days will be refused entry into England from 4am (GMT) on Friday, April 9.
Only British and Irish citizens, or those with residence rights in the UK (including long-term visa holders), will be allowed to enter and they must stay in a government-approved quarantine facility for 10 days.
They will also be required to arrive into a designated port. There are no direct flight bans from these countries in place, but passengers have been advised to check their travel plans before departing for England.
During their stay, passengers will be required to take a coronavirus test on or before the second and eighth day and they will not be allowed to shorten their quarantine period on receipt of a negative test result.
The UK government said it has made it clear it will take decisive action if necessary to contain the virus and has added these destinations to the red list to protect public health. It said the UK government continues to work with the hospitality sector to ensure it is ready to meet any increased demand.
It instructed British nationals currently in the countries on the red list to make use of the commercial options available if they wish to return to England. Commercial routes that will enable British and Irish nationals and residents to return to England continue to operate.
