COVID-19 Update 11th February 2021

• People Arriving From a Non-Red List Country

This applies to everyone entering the England (with minor exceptions) from a destination outside the Common Travel Area that is not a Banned or Red List country

Before travelling, all people entering the country must:

• • take a coronavirus (COVID-19) test and get a negative result during the 3 days before travel
  • book and pay for a travel test package, which will include COVID-19 tests to be taken on or before Day 2 and on or after Day 8 of quarantine
  • complete a passenger locator form with details of where they will quarantine and the travel test package booking reference number

People entering the country who have not been in a banned (red list) country within 10 days of arrival can quarantine:

• • in their home
  • with friends or family
  • in temporary accommodation that is not a managed quarantine hotel

The place of quarantine must be the one they list on the passenger locator form and the person must stay there for the entire 10 days. People must travel directly from the port of entry to the place of quarantine, and only using public transport or stay somewhere along the way if absolutely necessary.

During the 10 day quarantine period:

• • no visitors are allowed outside medical and other emergency assistance
  • no leaving the property is allowed, not even for shopping, exercise or walking a dog

Other people living in the property do not need to quarantine, unless:

• • they also travelled overseas
  • someone living in the property develops coronavirus symptoms

The 10 day quarantine can be ended after 5 days if a person:

• • takes the test for variant surveillance on or before Day 2
  • takes a test on the 5th full day of quarantine under the “Test to Release” scheme and the result is negative
  • takes the test for variant surveillance on or after Day 8

People traveling to the UK in the next 7 days and facing a set of circumstances that are not covered by the guidance are asked to contact the NHS using the following address dhsctesttrace.customerfeedbackteam@nhs.net

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-quarantine-when-you-arrive-in-england

 

• How to Test at Home

To tie-in with the need to undertake home testing if returning from overseas, the Government has updated and expanding the guidance for the public on how to conduct testing at home. This includes a step by step guidance, a guidance on how to test children and a guide for use in Wales.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/testing-for-coronavirus-at-home

 

• People Arriving from Banned or Red List Countries

People arriving into the UK who have been in, or passed through, a banned or red list country within 10 days of arrival are only allowed to arrive into England at:

• • Heathrow Airport
  • Gatwick Airport
  • London City Airport
  • Birmingham Airport
  • Farnborough Airfield

(others will be added to this list)

People with a pre-existing booking to a different port of entry on or after the 15 February have to change it to one of the ports of entry specified above.

Before travelling, all people entering England from a Red List country must:

• • take a coronavirus (COVID-19) test and get a negative result during the 3 days before travel
  • book a managed quarantine hotel package which includes the hotel accommodation, quarantine transport and a travel test package for COVID-19 tests on day 2 and day 8 of quarantine
  • complete a passenger locator form with details of where they will quarantine with the quarantine package booking reference number

The cost of a package is

• • Rate for 1 adult in 1 room for 10 days (11 nights)               £1750
  • Additional rate for 1 adult (or child over 12)                         £650
  • Additional rate for a child aged 5–12                                        £325

 

People staying in a Quarantine Hotel are not allowed visitors are can only  leave their room in very limited circumstances including:

• • to travel directly to leave the Common Travel Area
  • to fulfil a legal obligation including attending court or satisfying bail conditions or to participate in legal proceedings
  • to exercise but only with special permission from hotel staff or security. This is not guaranteed
  • in exceptional circumstances

People staying in a quarantine hotel will be tested on Day 2 and Day 8

• A person with a positive test result on Day 2, and anyone they travelled with, must quarantine until day 12
• A person with a positive test result on Day 8, and anyone they travelled with, must quarantine until day 18
• There is no option of undertaking a “Test to Release” test on Day 5 to shorten a stay

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/booking-and-staying-in-a-quarantine-hotel-when-you-arrive-in-england

 

• Red List Countries

Here is a link to the current Red List countries. Talking to DCMS officials earlier, they envisaged the list would be review approx. every two weeks but that changes to countries on the list will be driven by the spread of variants that are of concern rather than specific dates.

There is also more detail coming on what constitutes arriving from a red list country but working assumption is that it includes passenger who remain airside when transiting through a red list country. This includes situations where they remain on the plane while other passengers board.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19#travel-bans-to-the-uk—banned-countries

 

• Restaurants, Pubs and Cafes Guidance Updated

The primary guidance for restaurants, pubs and cafes has been updated to include a section on Workplace testing which states that it’s important to continue to follow the working safely measures, even if employees have:

• • received a recent negative test result
  • had the vaccine (either 1 or 2 doses)

Also that employers can order rapid lateral flow tests, to test employees with no coronavirus symptoms if:

• • the business is registered in England
  • the business employs 50 people or more
  • employees cannot work from home

There is also a requirement that the businesses have to be operating at the moment so many businesses in these sectors will probably have to wait until they reopen in order to be able to order tests.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19/restaurants-offering-takeaway-or-delivery#tests-and-vaccinations

 

• Test And Trace Payment Privacy Notice

The Government has updated the Private Notice to inform people that local authorities can use Test and Trace Payment Support data for wider benefit accuracy checks.  Local authorities will also validate bank account details before making payments to ensure they align with the applicant, for anti-fraud purposes.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/test-and-trace-support-payment-scheme-privacy-notice