UK announce adding UAE to travel ban ‘red list’ over virus spike

UK announce adding UAE to travel ban ‘red list’ over virus spike

Britain on Tuesday announced an outright travel ban on non-citizens arriving from the United Arab Emirates and severe quarantine measures for citizens coming in from there to stem

coronavirus

cases, hitting Dubai holidaymakers and expatriates.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the UAE has been added to the government's "red list" along with Burundi and Rwanda from 1.00pm (1300GMT) on Friday.

Any British or Irish citizens and third country nationals with residence rights returning from the Gulf state will be required to isolate at home, or in a hotel for 10 days.



This means people who have been in or transited through these countries will be denied entry, except British, Irish and third country nationals with residence rights who must self-isolate for ten days at HOME. 2/3

“” Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) January 28, 2021

Everyone else is banned completely, and the government also announced that direct flights between Britain and the UAE were no longer allowed.

"The decision to ban travel from these destinations follows the discovery of a new coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa, that may have spread to other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda," said a government spokeswoman.