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ARCHIVED - New emergency Covid Omicron variant UK and Spain travel rules
Day-2 PCR needed to enter the UK and Covid passport needed to enter Spain
There are new “temporary” rules and restrictions for those travelling from Spain to the UK or from the UK to Spain.
In the face of the new Omicron variant of Covid-19, which was detected in southern Africa last Wednesday, the British and Spanish governments have decided to change their policies on international travellers entering both countries.
The new variant is thought to be highly contagious even amongst fully vaccinated people, and may be less effective against existing vaccines, which has prompted the WHO to dub it a “variant of concern”.
Entering the UK
On Saturday November 27, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that, as of 4am on Tuesday November 30, all travellers will have to take a day-2 PCR test, and not just a rapid antigen test, after their arrival in the UK.
Johnson assured that the government “is not going to ban travel”, but from now on, and at least until these rules are reviewed in three weeks’ time, vaccinated people arriving on British soil will have to take a PCR test before the end of the second day of their stay and remain in isolation until they receive a negative result.
Up until now, vaccinated people arriving from ‘safe’ countries were only required to have an antigen test on day two. The rules remain unchanged for people who haven’t been vaccinated, who were required to do a PCR test anyway.
Anyone who tests positive will have to remain in self-isolation for ten days. Family members and relatives of those who test positive for the Omicron variant will have to be quarantined, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated.
It is also once again obligatory to wear a face mask in shops and on public transport in the UK, but not in pubs and restaurants.
At least two cases of the Omicron variant have already been detected in the UK, in Essex and Nottingham, from two people who knew each other and reportedly came to the country from South Africa.
The British government has temporarily red-listed ten countries to protect against this new variant: South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia.
Entering Spain
As of Wednesday December 1, Spain will also increase its restrictions on people coming in from outside the European Union. This means that travellers from the UK over the age of 12 will only be able to arrive if they present a vaccination certificate, also known as the ‘Covid passport’. A negative Covid test or having had the disease before will no longer be sufficient for travel.
Read more: How to get a Covid certificate in Spain
Travellers from the following places are exempt from this new temporary restriction: Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Macao, New Zealand, Peru, Qatar, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and Uruguay.
The new rule will come into effect at the stroke of midnight on December 1 and will remain in place until midnight on December 31 2021. The only exception is for travellers from Namibia, which already came into force on Saturday.
In addition, Spain will require a negative Covid test for all travellers from high-risk countries – currently Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe – to be carried out no more than 72 hours before entry, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated. Travellers from these countries will also need to self-isolate for ten days after they arrive in Spain, which can be reduced to seven days if they test negative.
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