· The UK government has relaxed the COVID 19 travel restrictions imposed to ward off the spread of the virus.
· From October 11, 2021, 47 countries and territories have been removed from its Red List that barred citizens from entering the UK.
· The travel ban had hit the tourism industry of several African countries.
The UK government has relaxed the COVID 19 travel restrictions imposed to ward off the spread of the virus. From October 11, 2021, 47 countries and territories have been removed from its Red List that barred citizens from entering the UK. UK from Oct 11 will allow fully vaccinated citizens to travel to the UK.
The travel ban had hit the tourism industry of several African countries. Among the African countries removed from the list, are South Africa, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Nigeria. South Africa had made several representations to the UK government to lift the ban.
The lifting from the red list will mean primarily that travelers will no longer be required to undergo ten-day approved hotel quarantine on arrival in the UK, at their cost as required earlier. Similarly, British travellers will no longer be required to undergo quarantine in hotels when they return from visiting these countries. The development is a big relief to the tourism sector of Africa which is a major employer and a critical contributor to the economy of African countries.
