The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (No. 3) (Wales) Regulations 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations make amendments to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/574 (W. 132)) (the “International Travel Regulations”) and the Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No. 4) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1219 (W. 276)) (the “No. 4 Regulations”).

The International Travel Regulations impose requirements on persons entering Wales after having been abroad. They include a requirement for persons arriving in Wales to isolate for a period determined in accordance with the Regulations. The requirements imposed by the International Travel Regulations are subject to exceptions, and certain categories of person are exempt from having to comply. Persons entering Wales after being in one or more of the countries and territories listed in Schedule 3 to the International Travel Regulations are not required to isolate.

Regulation 2 amends the International Travel Regulations to reduce the period for which a person is required to isolate from 14 days to 10 days.

Regulation 3 makes transitional provision with the effect that a person who is subject to an isolation requirement under the International Travel Regulations when the amendments in regulation 2 come into force will only be required to isolate for a period of 10 days. If the person is already beyond the 10^th day of their isolation period at that point, they may immediately stop isolating.

Regulation 4 amends the No. 4 Regulations to—

(a) provide that a person’s period of isolation begins on the day after the event which triggers the requirement (for example – a positive test, the first day that symptoms are experienced, or the day when close contact with a person who has tested positive occurred);

(b) provide that a person subject to a requirement under regulation 13 or 14 of the No. 4 Regulations to isolate as a result of having had close contact with a person who has tested positive for coronavirus must isolate for 10 days instead of 14;

(c) permit a child who is required to isolate under regulation 12 or 14 of the No. 4 Regulations to move between parental households during the period of isolation if this is in line with existing arrangements relating to custody and contact with the child’s parents;

(d) remove the ability for a contact tracer to disclose information about fixed penalties issued or criminal proceedings brought in relation to the commission of an offence of contravening the requirements imposed by the provisions of the No. 4 Regulations relating to isolation requirements (contact tracers do not have access to that information so this provision was redundant).

Regulation 5 provides that when the amendments in regulation 4(2) come into force is subject to an isolation requirement under the No. 4 Regulations is subject to those requirements as amended by regulation 4(2). For example, if the person is isolating for a period of 14 days that period is reduced to 10 days when the amendments come into force. If the person is already beyond the 10^th day of their isolation period at that point, they may immediately stop isolating.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has not been prepared as to the likely cost and benefit of complying with these Regulations.