UK CLOSES COVID-19 TRAVEL CORRIDORS UNTIL AT LEAST 15 FEB 2021

All UK travel corridors, which allow arrivals from some countries to avoid having to quarantine, have now closed.

Travellers arriving in the UK, whether by boat, train or plane, also have to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry.

The test must be taken in the 72 hours before travelling and anyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to £500. All passengers will still be required to quarantine for up to 10 days.
The isolation period can be cut short with a negative test after five days in England, but it does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Island.

The government has said the travel corridor closure will be in force until at least 15 February.

Under the new rules, travellers arriving from the Falklands, St Helena and Ascension Islands are exempt. Those arriving from some Caribbean islands are exempt until 04:00 GMT on Thursday 21 January.

A ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde also came into force on Friday, having been imposed over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil.
New variants causing concern have previously been identified in the UK and South Africa, with many countries imposing restrictions on arrivals from both nations.

Scientists fear the variants seen in South Africa and Brazil may interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines and evade parts of the immune system.With all parts of the UK under strict virus rules amid high levels of infection, only essential travel is permitted.