Pre-Departure Covid Test Rules Delayed

Rules on pre-departure Covid tests have been delayed until Monday (January 18)

New rules requiring international travellers to take a pre-departure Covid test before arriving in England have been delayed until Monday (January 18) to allow passengers more time to prepare.

The rules were originally due to be introduced at 4am tomorrow.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said via his twitter account: “To give international arrivals more 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.

“Passengers must remember to complete a Passenger Locator Form before arriving back into England. Anyone without proof of a negative test face fines of £500.”

People returning from St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda will be exempt from the new rules until January 21 due to a lack of testing facilities on the Caribbean islands.

The regulations also apply to returning UK nationals, but not to those entering from Ireland, any other part of the UK (including Northern Ireland), the Falkland Islands, Ascension and St Helena.

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