Virus Surge in UK has lead to new travel restrictions across London and Southeast England.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has introduced new travel restrictions just days before Christmas.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson officially announced Tier 4 restrictions for London and other parts of the UK. This comes after a new, faster spreading strain of COVID-19 has caused a surge in cases.
The new rules are similar to the ‘stay-at-home’ restrictions that were 1st introduced in March. People are asked not to leave their house except for essential purposes. This decision also bans all non-essential international travel.
“If you are in Tier 4, you should not be travelling abroad unless it is permitted. In addition, you should consider the public health advice in the country you are visiting.”, states the official guidance on the UK Government website.
“If you do need to travel overseas from a tier 4 area (and are legally permitted to do so, for example, because it is for work), even if you are returning to a place you’ve visited before, you should look at the rules in place at your destination and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) travel advice.”, the statement adds.
This means that all trips like holidays, visiting friends or family and visiting second homes are now banned. The UK has also closed internal borders. Travel into and out of Tier 4 areas is also not permitted, meaning disruption in flight schedules.
The Netherlands, Italy and Belgium have already banned flights from the UK until 1st January,2021. More countries could follow Netherlands in the coming days.
Note: There is currently nothing to indicate the vaccines are not effective against the new strain of COVID-19.