World

Covid-19: UK kicks-off compulsory testing for all international arrivals

Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 9:16 PM by Onyirioha Nnamdi

- The UK has given a stringent order to all persons intending to enter its border

- The new directive is that international travellers will be required to present evidence of a COVID-19 test at any British airport

- The date for the implementation of this is Friday, January 15

PAY ATTENTION: Join Legit.ng Telegram channel! Never miss important updates!

In a bid to possibly halt the spread of the second wave of COVID-19, the British government has begun mandatory testing for all persons coming into its borders beginning from Friday, January 15.

The government made it clear that all passengers arriving from all international destinations will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result before departing for England.

The UK said this will immensely help protect citizens and migrants against new strains of coronavirus which are ravaging many parts of the world already.

Added to this, the nation's transportation secretary, Grant Shapps, said that passengers intending to gain access into the UK by boat, plane or train will have to take a test up to 72 hours before departing the country they are in.

Read also

Nigerian state imposes 8 pm to 6 am curfew amid second wave of COVID-19

Covid-19: UK kicks-off compulsory testing for all international arrivals — All international arrivals at any UK airport will have to present evidence of COVID-19 test (Photo: CNN)
Source: UGC

Shapps added:

“All international arrivals to England, including UK nationals, required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken up to 72 hours prior to departure.

“Passengers will be subject to an immediate fine of £500 if they fail to comply with the new regulations on pre-departure testing.”

Moreover, even air passengers transiting in the UK, who will only stay airside and just connect on to another flight are obligated to tender the evidence of a negative test.

The full directive is contained in a statement published on the government's website on Tuesday, January 12.

Meanwhile, the federal government had rolled out new travel rules for passengers coming in from South Africa and the UK which took effect from Monday, December 28.

This is as a result of the discovery of a new variant of COVID-19 in these countries.

During a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, December 24, the national coordinator of the Presidential Task Force (PTF), Sani Aliyu, said all passengers coming from both countries must use the Nigerian international travel portal to register.