The British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has announced this afternoon that all travellers arriving into the UK, whether vaccinated or not, will have to isolate until they have a negative PCR test result, due to the omicron variant of the coronavirus, however, he confirmed that the UK is not stopping people from travelling.
A second-day test will be required by everyone, regardless of being a UK resident or not, and everyone will have to isolate until they have a negative result from that test, or subsequent ones if they test positive.
He stressed that this is a short-term measure whilst scientists learn more about the transmissibility of the new variant, and will be reviewed in 3 weeks time, and that the use of masks should be increased on public transport and in shops.
In addition to this, all contacts of people suspected to be positive with the omicron variant will have to isolate for 10-days, something that had been lifted on other variants.
Johnson explained that these measures are to prevent the virus from being imported into the UK, and to easier identify how quickly it can spread and the effect it has on non-vaccinated and vaccinated people due to it’s multiple mutations.
