COVID-19: UK’s Crisis Worsens, Places Travel Ban on Angola, 10 Others

Following worsening situation in the United Kingdom over Covid-19 pandemic, the country has extended its ban on travellers entering the UK to include Angola, Botswana, Malawi, and eight other African countries.

The move according to the UK is to help curb the escalating spread of  COVID-19 and its latest variant  which has been noticed in South Africa.

In a press statement entitled  ‘‘Travel restrictions update: South Africa ban extended, Israel (and Jerusalem)’’, the UK said the ban would last for two weeks with effect from Saturday:

“Entry into England will be banned to those who have travelled from or through any southern African country in the last 10 days, including Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho, Mozambique and Angola – as well as Seychelles and Mauritius.

“This does not include British and Irish Nationals, longer-term visa holders and permanent residents, who will be able to enter but are required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival along with their household.

“The government has therefore also removed Botswana, Seychelles and Mauritius from the travel corridor list, with the changes coming into place from 4am on Saturday 9 January 2021.

“Any exemptions usually in place – including for those related to employment – will not apply and those British nationals arriving into England from the other southern African countries, Seychelles and Mauritius after 4am on Saturday 9 January cannot be released from self-isolation through Test to Release. People sharing a household with anyone self-isolating from these countries will also have to self-isolate for 10 days.

“Ministers have also removed Israel (and Jerusalem) from the government’s travel corridor list, as data from the Joint Biosecurity Centre and Public Health England has indicated a significant change in both the level and pace of confirmed cases of coronavirus. The decision to remove Israel (and Jerusalem) has been made following a sustained and accelerating increase in COVID-19 cases per 100,000 of the population, similar in trajectory to the UK.”