Omicron variant: New rules for travellers entering the UK

Omicron variant: New rules for travellers entering the UK. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced changes for travellers amid concerns over the new super mutant omicron strain.

Travellers heading into the UK will be required to follow new rules, as announced by Boris Johnson. Travellers will need to take a PCR test on day two and remain in self-isolation until the test returns a negative result.

Two cases of the super mutant omicron strain have been discovered in the UK. Anyone who is thought to have the omicron strain of the virus will need to isolate for 10 days no matter whether they are vaccinated or not.

Johnson stated: “We’re not going to stop people travelling, I want to stress that, we’re not going to stop people travelling, but we will require anyone who enters the UK to take a PCR test by the end of the second day after their arrival and to self-isolate until they have a negative result.

“Second, we need to slow down the spread of this variant here in the UK, because measures at the border can only ever minimise and delay the arrival of a new variant rather than stop it all together.

“We will require all contacts of those who test positive with a suspected case of Omicron to self-isolate for 10 days regardless of your vaccination status.

“We will also go further in asking all of you to help contain the spread of this variant by tightening up the rules on face coverings in shops and on public transport.”

The new measures will be reviewed in December. Johnson went on to add: “We need to protect gains we have made so far,”

“This is the responsible course of action to slow down the seeding and the spread of this variant.”

The UK and the rest of the globe are concerned over the omicron variant. Health Secretary Sajid Javid commented: “this is a real reminder that this pandemic is far from over.

“We were concerned from the moment we first identified this new variant,

“It’s a deeply concerning new variant and we do need to learn more about it but the fact that we now have these two cases in the United Kingdom does mean we need to take further measures and that’s why I’ve set this out today.”


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Alex
Written by

Alex Glenn

Originally from the UK, Alex is based in Almeria and is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com.

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