The United Kingdom is set to do away with their infamous ‘Red List.’ The government has recently announced that all 11 countries will be removed from the dreaded travel list from 4am on Wednesday, reports the BBC.
Countries include Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe which are all on the list.
The UK’s Red List was initially introduced in order to slow the spread of COVID-19 and was reintroduced in late November as a precaution against the spread of the Omicron variant. However, COVID cases within the UK have doubled despite the travel precaution with Health Secretary Sajid Javid stating that it had spread so widely that the rules no longer had much purpose.
“Now that there is community transmission of Omicron in the UK and Omicron has spread so widely across the world, the travel red list is now less effective in slowing the incursion of Omicron from abroad,” he told parliament.
“Whilst we will maintain our temporary testing measures for international travel we will be removing all 11 countries from the travel red list effective from 4am tomorrow morning.”
As it stands, all UK arrivals from red list countries need to pay for and self-isolate in a pre-booked, government-approved hotel for 10 days. Travellers also need to ensure that they have taken a COVID test within 48 hours of jetting off to the UK and PCR tests within two days of arriving.
Unfortunately, some travellers have already forked out thousands of pounds (around R50 500 per person or R67 200 per couple) to stay in these government-approved quarantine hotels with many complaining of chaotic organisation and inedible food, reports News24.
The Health Secretary has asked for urgent advice regarding whether those currently in quarantine would be able to leave early.
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Red list: UK could scrap hotel quarantines and ease travel restrictions
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