The British government will remove all 11 countries from its COVID-19 travel red list as of Wednesday, as there is now community transmission of omicron in the United Kingdom, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said.
The omicron variant was first detected in southern Africa and Hong Kong. The British government has added 11 African countries to its red list since late November, meaning that only UK citizens or residents from those nations are allowed entry and must be quarantined in a hotel.
“Now that there is community transmission of omicron in the UK and that omicron has spread so widely around the world, the travel red list is less effective in curbing the incursion of omicrons from abroad,” said Javid. “We will remove the 11 countries from the travel red list starting at 4 am tomorrow.”
The 11 countries to be eliminated are Angola, Botswana, Esuantini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The UK will continue to require all incoming travelers to undergo a PCR test or antigen test up to 48 hours before departure, a measure that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said would be reviewed in the first week. from January.
Arrivals from the countries on the red list have had to pay thousands of pounds to pass the quarantine in hotels authorized by the Government. Many have complained on social media about the costs and conditions of their stay.
The lack of available rooms has also left some people stuck abroad waiting for available space in hotels.
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