The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (“the Passenger Information Regulations”) to remove an operator’s liability for bringing a passenger who has not completed a Passenger Locator Form or is not in possession of a negative pre-departure test result to Northern Ireland if that passenger is being lawfully compelled to travel to the United Kingdom in the course of an extradition, prisoner transfer or deportation.

An amendment is also made to revise the onboard public health announcement on commercial passenger conveyances arriving in Northern Ireland.

These Regulations also amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (“the International Travel Regulations”).

Schedule 1 (Red list countries) is amended to include Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Haiti, Mongolia, Tunisia and Uganda.

Schedule 2 (Green list countries – exempt countries, territories and parts of countries or territories) is amended to include Anguilla, Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory, Antigua and Barbuda, Balearic Islands, Barbados, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Madeira, Malta, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Schedule 4 (Persons who are exempt) is amended to include an exemption for passengers transiting to Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man via Northern Ireland from the requirement to possess a day 2/8 testing package on arrival;

Schedule 4 is also amended to remove the residency exemption for specialist aerospace engineers or workers so that they are only exempt from self-isolation when undertaking exempt activity.

Schedule 8 is amended to remove the aircraft ban from Argentina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Ethiopia, The Maldives, Oman, Qatar, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.

No impact assessment has been prepared for these Regulations.