In a statement to Parliament, Health Minister Sajid Javid explained that the measure, introduced in late November to prevent the entry of cases of the Omicron variant of covid-19, first identified in South Africa, is no longer effective because it is already prevalent in the UK.
Only UK and British residents can travel from the red-listed countries, but they are subject to a 10-day quarantine at a designated hotel and at their expense.
From Wednesday, the normal rules apply, namely, pre-boarding and one in the first 48 hours after arrival, with mandatory isolation until a negative result comes out.
The British Parliament is discussing new measures to contain the wave of cases with the Ómicron variant, that is, the need to provide health clearance at clubs, shows and large events.
This system already exists in Scotland and Wales, but the proposal to introduce it in England was rejected by many Conservative MPs because of its impact on the economy and the restriction of individual liberties.
However, even if a large number of MPs decide to defy the government’s directives, the measures must be approved thanks to the votes of the Labor Party, the main opposition force.
The Health Secretary has defended the need for these restrictions due to the high susceptibility to transmission of the Omicron variant, whose number of cases is doubling every day in the UK.
While 4,713 cases have been identified so far, scientists estimate the actual number to be 42 times higher, around 200,000.
Covid-19 has caused at least 5,311,914 deaths worldwide, among the more than 269 million new coronavirus infections recorded since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the latest report from Agence France-Presse.
The respiratory disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which was discovered in late 2019 in Wuhan, central China, and currently with variants identified in several countries.
A new variant, Omicron, classified as “alarming” by the World Health Organization (WHO), has been discovered in South Africa, but since South African health authorities raised the alert on November 24, skin infections have been reported. At least 57 countries from all continents, including Portugal.
BM // VM
Lusa / end
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