Covid-19: Pakistan, Kenya, Bangladesh and the Philippines added to England’s travel ban list
Author: Aishah Rahman | Friday 2nd April 2021
Travel from the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya, and Bangladesh is to be banned next week, the government says. These countries are being added to England’s ‘red list’ amid concerns about the spread of new Covid-19 variants. Travellers from the ‘red list’ countries will be unable to enter England from 9 April.
International visitors who have travelled from or through those countries in the previous 10 days will be refused entry. An exception is made for British or Irish passport holders or UK residents, but they must pay to quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days.
The coronavirus reproductive number or R-value in England is between 0.8 and 1 according to the latest figures.
The travel ban is intended to reduce the risk of coronavirus variants like the South Africa strain. Data has shown that most cases of the variant found in the UK have been linked to international travel.
Nearly 40 counties are currently on the UK government’s red list.
