The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Operator Liability and Public Health Information to Travellers) (Wales) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 3) Regulations 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/574 (W. 132)) (“the International Travel Regulations”), the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Pre-Departure Testing and Operator Liability) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 (S.I. 2021/40 (W. 11)) (“the Operator Liability Regulations”) and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Information for Persons Travelling to Wales etc.) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/574 (W. 132)) (“the Public Health Information Regulations”).

Part 2 of these Regulations amend the International Travel Regulations. The International Travel Regulations impose requirements on persons entering Wales after having been abroad.

Regulations 3, 6 and 8 make provision to remove Schedule 3 (exempt countries and territories outside the common travel area), containing what are commonly referred to as ‘green list’ countries, and references to that Schedule from the International Travel Regulations.

Regulation 4 makes amendments to regulation 2A (exemptions for vaccinated travellers and others) of the International Travel Regulations, including an expansion of the list of relevant countries at paragraph (11) and introduction of further relevant countries and territories in a new paragraph (12).

Regulation 5 amends regulation 6A (requirement to possess notification of a negative test result) of the International Travel Regulations so as to exempt a regulation 2A traveller from the requirements of that regulation.

Regulation 7 makes amendments to the requirements that apply to private test providers at paragraphs 1ZA and 2ZA of Schedule 1C.

Regulation 9 amends Schedule 4 to the International Travel Regulations to update the list of specified sporting events. An individual is able to leave isolation to compete or train in, or provide coaching or other support to a person competing in a sporting event specified in Schedule 4.

The Operator Liability Regulations impose requirements on persons operating international passenger services (“operators”) arriving into Wales from outside the common travel area. In consequence of the amendments made to the International Travel Regulations by these Regulations, Part 3 of these Regulations makes minor amendments to the Operator Liability Regulations to reflect the changes to the restrictions on international travel.

The Public Health Information Regulations impose requirements on operators of international passenger services coming from outside the common travel area to an airport, heliport or seaport in Wales to provide passengers with specified public health information. In consequence of the amendments made to the International Travel Regulations by these Regulations, Part 4 of these Regulations amends the specified public health information that operators must provide to passengers prior to and during travel into Wales.

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, it was not considered necessary to carry out a regulatory impact assessment as to the likely costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.