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| Covid-19: New test rule for UK arrivals pushed back to Monday | Covid-19: New test rule for UK arrivals pushed back to Monday |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Pre-departure Covid-19 testing will now be required for everyone travelling to the UK from 04:00 GMT on Monday. | Pre-departure Covid-19 testing will now be required for everyone travelling to the UK from 04:00 GMT on Monday. |
| The rules had been due to come into force early on Friday morning. | |
| But Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said via Twitter that the government wanted to give people time "to prepare". | |
| People arriving by plane, train or boat, including UK nationals, will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in. | People arriving by plane, train or boat, including UK nationals, will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in. |
| All those arriving from places not on the government's travel corridor list must still self-isolate for 10 days. | All those arriving from places not on the government's travel corridor list must still self-isolate for 10 days. |
| Why is the UK bringing in travel testing? | |
| PM: 24-7 vaccine hubs as soon as supply allows | |
| Lockdown impact 'starting to show' | |
| Problems with testing availability and capacity mean some countries will initially be exempt. | Problems with testing availability and capacity mean some countries will initially be exempt. |
| For instance, the requirement will not apply to travellers from St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda until 04:00 GMT on 21 January. | For instance, the requirement will not apply to travellers from St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda until 04:00 GMT on 21 January. |
| Travellers from Falkland Islands, Ascension Islands and St Helena are exempted permanently. | Travellers from Falkland Islands, Ascension Islands and St Helena are exempted permanently. |
| Hauliers are exempt to allow the free flow of freight, as are air, international rail and maritime crew. | Hauliers are exempt to allow the free flow of freight, as are air, international rail and maritime crew. |
| The government has said all forms of PCR test will be accepted, as will other forms of test with "97% specificity, 80% sensitivity". | |
| Announcing the change, Mr Shapps said: "To give international arrivals time to prepare, passengers will be required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test before departure to England from Monday 18 January at 4am." | |
| He also reminded travellers to fill out the Passenger Locator Form used in track and trace, and added that those without proof of a negative test faced a fine of £500. | |
| New strain in Brazil | |
| The move comes as a further 1,564 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began. | |
| Wednesday's figure brings the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767. | |
| Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said there had now been more deaths in the second wave than the first. | |
| Meanwhile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "concerned" about a new coronavirus variant that is believed to have emerged in Brazil. | |
| He acknowledged it was not yet clear how effective existing vaccines would be against the latest new variant. | |
| Mr Johnson said the UK was taking steps to make sure it was not brought into the country. | |
| A government Covid committee is meeting on Thursday to discuss the possibility of stopping flights from Brazil. | |
| Arrivals from Brazil already have to self-isolate for 10 days. |