Travellers who fail to test for Covid before coming to England face £500 fines

Credit: FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock 

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

British and Irish Nationals, longer-term visa holders and permanent residents will be excluded from the ban but they will be required to self-isolate for 10 days on arrival along with their household.

As a result of the extended ban, the Government scrapped travel corridors for Botswana, Seychelles and Mauritius, with the changes coming into place from 4am on Saturday January 9. Quarantine has also been reimposed on travel to and from Israel despite its mass vaccination attempts.

It came as French Prime Minister Jean Castex said border restrictions with Britain would remain in place "until further notice" to prevent the spread of a new variant of the coronavirus which is thought to be more infectious.

France closed its border with Britain on December 20 after the emergence of a new UK strain of the disease and said "this will be extended until further notice".

Only certain categories of people, including truck drivers, are allowed through the border providing they have had a negative PCR test during the three preceding days.