The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) (Amendment) (No. 7) Regulations 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend various instruments containing measures for the protection of health in respect of the SARS-CoV-2 response.

Regulations 3 to 19 amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020 (“the International Travel Regulations”) so as to—

(a) impose a requirement for travellers from countries listed in Schedule B1 to obtain a package comprising a booking for 10 days in accommodation designated by the Secretary of State, transportation to the accommodation and for tests for the coronavirus on day 2 and day 8 after the traveller’s arrival in England. Paragraph 2 of the Schedule to be inserted as Schedule B1A to the International Travel Regulations sets out exceptions to the obligation to obtain the package, and

(b) impose requirements on travellers from outside the common travel area to obtain a testing package comprising a booking for two tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The first test is to be taken within two days of a traveller’s arrival in England and it is to be capable of permitting genomic sequencing of any sample. The second test is to be taken after seven days of the traveller’s arrival in England.

Regulation 20 amends the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010 to impose a requirement on diagnostic laboratories to report additional information where they process tests in accordance with the International Travel Regulations.

Regulation 21 amends the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Information for Passengers Travelling to England) Regulations 2020 to update the information that operators are required to provide to passengers who arrive in England.

Regulation 22 makes amendments to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Pre-Departure Testing and Operator Liability) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 in consequence of the amendments made to the International Travel Regulations so as to—

(a) require persons operating commercial transport services (“operators”) for passengers travelling to England from outside the common travel area to ensure that passengers who arrive in England on such services have included in their Passenger Locator From details of the test booking arrangements and managed self-isolation package,

(b) require persons operating travel services (including those providing flights by means of private aircraft) for passengers travelling to England from outside the common travel area to take reasonable steps to ensure that passengers to whom Schedule B1 to the International Travel Regulations applies arrive in England only at designated ports (see new regulation 7A),

(c) create offences for the breach of those requirements, and

(d) make consequential amendments.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument. An explanatory memorandum has been published alongside this instrument at www.legislation.gov.uk.