The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Operator Liability and Public Health Information to Travellers) (Wales) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) 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. 2021/48 (W. 11)) (the “Operator Liability Regulations”) and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Information for Persons Travelling to Wales etc.) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/595 (W. 136) (the “Public Health Information Regulations”).

The International Travel Regulations impose requirements on persons entering Wales after having been abroad. They include a requirement for persons arriving in Wales from non-exempt countries or territories to isolate for a period determined in accordance with those Regulations.

Regulation 12E of the International Travel Regulations prohibits persons from entering Wales where they have been in country or territory listed in Schedule 3A to those Regulations in the past 10 days. Regulation 2 of these Regulations amends the International Travel Regulations so as to exclude seafarers and inspectors and surveyors of ships who work on cruise ships from the exemptions for such roles from the requirements of regulation 12E.

Regulation 2 also amends the date on which the International Travel Regulations expire.

The Operator Liability Regulations impose requirements on persons operating international passenger services (“operators”) arriving into Wales from outside the common travel area. In accordance with those requirements operators must, for example, ensure that passengers travelling on such services possess notification of a negative test result and have made arrangements to take further tests following their arrival.

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.

Regulations 3 and 4 amend the dates on which the Operator Liability Regulations and Public Health Information Regulations respectively expire.

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 costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.