11 countries from UK’s travel red list will be removed by the government from 4am on Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The countries on the list are Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The travel red list was reintroduced in late November after the Omicron variant emerged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the Omicron variant had spread so widely. Since there is community transmission of Omicron in the UK and Omicron has spread so widely across the world, the UK travel restriction is now less effective in slowing the incursion of Omicron from abroad. He also added that they would maintain temporary testing measures for international travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All UK arrivals from red list countries must pay for and self-isolate in a pre-booked, government-approved hotel for 10 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, with all 11 countries being removed from that list, it was confirmed that those currently in managed quarantine would be allowed to leave early and follow the regulations as if they had arrived from a non-red list country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Stephen Barclay, told the House of Commons that anyone who tested positive would remain in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The point of putting countries on the travel red list was to act quickly to slow the spread of Omicron.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now that the Omicron variant has spread in the community, the government doesn’t think putting people from a limited list of countries in hotels is useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It will be welcome news to people with plans to come to the UK from countries like South Africa and Nigeria or delay their return from those countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But it will be frustrating for those who did get caught up in the renewal of the travel red list, which only started about a fortnight ago. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UK travel industry wants all restrictions slashed as businesses see testing measures to halt their recovery. <\/p>\n\n\n\n