All remaining countries on England’s coronavirus travel “red list” have been removed, the Department for Transport announced Thursday.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed that Peru, Panama, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Haiti and Venezuela have been taken off the list, which imposed strict infection control measures on those arriving in England.
The change — which comes into force Monday, November 1 at 4 a.m. — means passengers from those countries will no longer have to foot the bill for quarantine in a hotel.
Although there are now no countries left on the red list, the DfT is keeping the system in place should it be needed to control new variants of the virus. Shapps tweeted that retaining the list would act “as a precautionary measure to protect public health” and said ministers are “prepared to add countries and territories back if needed.”
Fully-vaccinated people traveling to England will still be required to book and pay for a COVID-19 test to be taken once they arrive and complete a passenger locator form, while anyone testing positive for the virus must self-isolate for 10 days upon arrival.
Those who are not fully vaccinated — or whose proof of vaccination is not currently recognized by the U.K. government — must also quarantine at home or the place they are staying for 10 days. Shapps announced England is adding 30 more countries — including Peru and Uganda — to the list of places whose proof of vaccination it will now accept.
Other U.K. nations are able to set their own travel rules, meaning the changes apply in England only.
