The government will soon set out the full details of the new rules for travellers entering the UK from China, Downing Street said.
From Thursday (January 5), travellers from China into England will be required to show a negative Covid-19 test before departing. Downing Street indicated that details for travellers from Hong Kong would also be set out soon.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We’re working on the final details of the implementation of the policy, and that includes on Hong Kong, and we will update in due course.” He said that the government was in discussions with Chinese officials regarding the new policy, but that he was not yet aware of any “significant improvement” in Chinese information-sharing at this point.
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Downing Street rejected any suggestion that the new rules for Chinese travellers could signal a wider change for visitors travelling to the UK from countries with high rates of Covid-19. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “A part of the reason for this was because of a lack of comprehensive health information being shared.
“We’re working with the Chinese government to encourage them – we’re not alone in this – to get more information from them.”
Meanwhile a Cabinet minister has said travellers testing positive for Covid after arriving in the UK from China will not be forced to quarantine. Transport Secretary Mark Harper said the move to test those coming into the country on flights from China is about “collecting information” due to the Beijing government refusing to share its own coronavirus data.
The senior Conservative MP’s comments confirmed details reported by The Independent. Testing will be voluntary for those arriving at Heathrow – the only UK airport with direct flights from China reportedly offering tests, the news site also said.
Mr Harper, asked if those who test positive after arriving in the UK will be required to quarantine, told LBC: “No, because what we are doing is we are collecting that information for surveillance purposes.”
He said there are “very high levels of vaccination” in the UK and encouraged older, more vulnerable people to “get their fourth booster shot this winter”. The Cabinet minister, who campaigned against stringent restrictions from the backbenches during the pandemic, added: “The policy for arrivals from China is primarily about collecting information that the Chinese government is not sharing with the international community.”
Beijing has condemned the introduction of Covid-19 testing on passengers arriving in countries such as the UK from China. Chinese officials said that “entry restrictions adopted by some countries targeting China lack scientific basis” and that the country could impose counter-measures.
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