The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel etc.) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) (No. 5) Regulations 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (International Travel) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 (“the International Travel Regulations”), the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Pre-Departure Testing and Operator Liability) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (“the Operator Liability Regulations”) and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Information for Passengers Travelling to Scotland) Regulations 2020 (“the Passenger Information Regulations”).

Regulation 4 inserts a new regulation 2A into the International Travel Regulations to define an eligible vaccinated arrival. An eligible vaccinated arrival as someone who arrives in Scotland, having departed from or transited through a non-exempt but not acute risk country or territory, who—

• has completed a course of doses of an authorised coronavirus vaccine more than 14 days prior to arrival in Scotland,

• has participated in, or is participating in, a clinical trial for a coronavirus vaccine,

• is a child who is ordinarily resident in the UK,

• has completed a course of doses of a vaccine under the United Kingdom overseas vaccine roll-out, or who is a dependent under the age of 18 of such a person.

Regulations 5 and 7 amend regulations 5C and 7 of the International Travel Regulations respectively so that eligible vaccinated arrivals within the meaning of the new regulation 2A are not required to take a test for coronavirus on day 8 following their arrival in Scotland, or to quarantine for 10 days in specified premises on arrival in Scotland.

Regulation 6 makes a minor amendment to correct the formatting of regulation 6(1)(e) of the International Travel Regulations.

Regulation 8 makes amendments to the list of exempt countries and territories in schedule A1 of the International Travel Regulations. Antarctica, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hong Kong and Taiwan are added to the list of exempt countries and territories specified in schedule A1, and the Balearic Islands and the British Virgin Islands are removed from that list. As of 4.00 a.m. on 19 July 2021, passengers arriving to Scotland from Antarctica, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hong Kong and Taiwan will no longer be required to quarantine in accordance with regulation 6 of the International Travel Regulations, nor will they be required to take a test for coronavirus on day 8 following their arrival in Scotland. Travellers arriving from the Balearic Islands and the British Virgin Islands after 4.00 a.m. on 19 July 2021 will, unless they are eligible vaccinated arrivals within the meaning of new regulation 2A, be required to quarantine at specified premises in accordance with regulation 6 of the International Travel Regulations, and take a coronavirus test on days 2 and 8 following their arrival in Scotland.

Regulation 9 amends the list of acute risk countries and territories in schedule A2 of the International Travel Regulations. As of 4.00 a.m. on 19 July 2021, Cuba, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sierra Leone are added to the list of acute risk countries and territories in that schedule, meaning that passengers from those countries must enter Scotland at a designated port and book a managed isolation package in accordance with regulations 6A and 6B of the International Travel Regulations.

Regulation 10 amends the passenger information specified in schedule 1 of the International Travel Regulations so that a person must declare on the passenger locator form whether they are an eligible vaccinated arrival within the meaning of new regulation 2A.

Regulation 11 amends the Operator Liability Regulations to place a duty on operators of relevant transport services to check that a person who has declared that they are an eligible vaccinated arrival within the meaning of regulation 2A of the International Travel Regulations has the evidence required to support that declaration.

Regulation 12 makes amendments to the Passenger Information Regulations that are consequential upon the changes made to the International Travel Regulations.

Impact assessments covering the changes made to the International Travel Regulations by regulations 8 and 9 and the changes made regarding eligible vaccinated arrivals are being prepared and will be published online at www.legislation.gov.uk .