Covid: arrivals to UK will need to show a negative test before entry
January 8, 2021, 12:25 pm

Covid: arrivals to UK will need to show a negative test before entry

Heathrow on New Year’s Eve. From next week arrivals will need a negative test from less than 72 hours before boarding flights.

New control will apply in England from next week, with devolved nations expected to follow suit

International travellers will need to show a negative Covid-19 test before being allowed into the UK, the government has announced, in a significant toughening of border controls to try to stem the spread of new coronavirus variants.

The new rules will take effect next week and apply to returning UK nationals as well as foreign citizens. Passengers will need to produce a test result taken less than 72 hours before boarding planes, boats or trains to the UK, and could be fined £500 in border spot checks without a negative result.

Arrivals will still need to quarantine for 10 days, even with a negative test, unless they are coming from one of the limited number of countries deemed low risk on the government’s travel corridor list.

The move comes many months after border restrictions were put in place in other countries, which have managed to bring local transmission to an end, and amid mounting pressure for tighter controls with fears over the South African Covid variant.

The rules will officially only apply to England but ministers were said to be working closely with the devolved administrations on similar measures for Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish government confirmed it would adopt the same plan, while adding it would not affect current rules that make non-essential travel to and from Scotland illegal. The rules will not apply to visitors from Ireland, which is also expected to put a similar scheme in place this week.

It comes as other countries including France close their borders to British travellers due to the highly transmissible new variant of Covid-19 first identified in the UK.

Pre-departure testing is seen as safer than testing on arrival to reduce the chance of infection during travel – although the aviation industry has argued the risk of transmission in flight is minimal.

Announcing the move, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, said: “We already have significant measures in place to prevent imported cases of Covid-19, but with new strains of the virus developing internationally we must take further precautions.

“Taken together with the existing mandatory self-isolation period for passengers returning from high-risk countries, pre-departure tests will provide a further line of defence – helping us control the virus as we roll out the vaccine at pace over the coming weeks.”

Legislation will be brought in early next week, the Department for Transport said, setting out the test standards and required proof of a negative test. Hauliers, flight crew and children under 11 will be exempt. Passengers will still be able to reduce their isolation period by paying for a further test five days after arrival, under the Test to Release scheme.

Heathrow airport’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said: “Having called for the introduction of pre-departure testing since last April, we support this development which ensures passengers can continue to travel safely. The government must now prioritise the creation of a common international standard for testing that would introduce a global process to protect confidence in future travel.”

Earlier, the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, urged Shapps to implement more robust measures owing to the capital’s exposure through international airports, Eurostar rail arrivals and freight ports. Contrasting UK policy with other countries’ protective restrictions, he said that pre-departure testing should be combined with a test on arrival and stricter, better enforced quarantine rules.

The government has also extended the blanket ban on entry from South Africa to include a swathe of southern African countries. From 4am Saturday, entry will be denied to most people who have travelled from or through any southern African country in the last 10 days – including Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and holiday destinations Seychelles and Mauritius. British and Irish nationals can return but must self-isolate with their households for 10 days.

source: Gwyn Topham

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”