COVID-19 Update 4th August 2021

Changes to Test And Trace App To

In response to the “pingdemic” the Test & Trace app has been modified so that few people will be pinged for being in close contact with someone who has a positive test.

Up until today, if people who were asymptomatic entered a positive test into the app, the app pinged all close contacts the person had for five days prior to the test. This has now been dialled back so that only those close contacts the person had within two days prior to the test will be pinged.

Let me know whether your members notice any difference in employee self-isolation rates as a result of this change and I’ll feed this through to DCMS.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-covid-19-app-updated-to-notify-fewer-contacts-to-isolate

Guidance for Business Travellers, Au Pairs And Students

Not a coronavirus item but important nevertheless, UK Visas and Immigration has published a series of new guidance documents related to post-Brexit travel to the UK by:

• • Business travellers
  • Au Pairs
  • Students

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-uks-points-based-immigration-system-information-for-eu-citizens

Guidance For Visa Applicants And Temporary Residents

This guidance has been updated again. This time it’s the guidance for students whose 90 day student visa vignette has expired

The new guidance is that if their 90 day visa vignette has expired and they either:

• • have been unable to travel due to coronavirus, but have been undertaking your studies remotely from overseas and intend to travel to study the same course in the UK
  • have completed an eligible course by distance learning under coronavirus concessions and are coming to the UK by the relevant date to apply under the Graduate route. Read the guidance for further information

Then they will need to make a paid application for a vignette transfer at a cost of £154 and make an appointment to resubmit their biometric information.

However, if their 90 day visa vignette has expired and they either:

• • have deferred your course start date due to coronavirus but have been unable to undertake your studies remotely, meaning that your course cannot be completed during your existing visa period, and you now intend to travel to the UK
  • can still complete your course within the dates covered by your existing visa period, but your course end date has changed, and you would like a new visa with a revised end date

Then they will need to submit a new paid student visa application with a new Certificate of Acceptance of Study (CAS) to cover the revised dates of their course. They will also need to make an appointment to resubmit their biometric information.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-advice-for-uk-visa-applicants-and-temporary-uk-residents

Daily Workplace Testing

The Government has produced new guidance on daily workplace testing, which is an alternative to self-isolation for essential sectors of the economy. While this doesn’t apply to tourism and hospitality businesses because they are not deemed to be essential businesses, it is worth noting now the scheme works just in case there is a change in the guidance which allows tourism businesses to use this scheme before the 16^th August.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-workplace-guidance#daily-contact-testing