Boris Johnson has confirmed travellers touching down within the UK would require a PCR take a look at on arrival.
The transfer comes as authorities search to comprise the unfold of a brand new Covid-19 variant, generally known as Omicron.
Two circumstances of the variant have already been recognized in Essex and Nottingham.
Focused testing and make contact with tracing is now underway, the federal government stated.
Early indications counsel this variant could also be extra transmissible than the Delta variant and present vaccines could also be much less efficient in opposition to it.
A fast rise in infections in South Africa has been attributed to the unfold of this new variant of Covid-19.
The prime minister confirmed a PCR take a look at will likely be mandatory for all travellers by the tip of the second day after arriving within the nation.
Passengers may even be requested to self-isolate till they’ve secured a adverse outcome.
Johnson stated, as this stage, persons are not going to be prevented from travelling to, or getting back from, abroad.
He added the restrictions on journey “sound powerful,” however insisted the brand new measures have been “focused and applicable”.
The transfer has been described as a setback to the journey sector.
An ABTA spokesperson stated: “Whereas ABTA understands that it is a quickly evolving state of affairs and public well being should come first, the choice to require all arrivals to take a PCR take a look at and self-isolate till a adverse result’s returned is a large blow for journey companies, lots of whom have been solely simply beginning to get again on their ft after 20 months of extreme restrictions.
“These modifications will add value to individuals’s holidays which is able to undoubtedly influence shopper demand and maintain again the business’s restoration, so it’s very important that this choice is stored beneath cautious overview and restrictions are lifted promptly if it turns into clear there may be not a danger to the UK vaccination programme.”
Rory Boland, Which? Journey editor, warned there may be nonetheless room for enchancment within the PCR take a look at market.
He added: “As Which? analysis has persistently proven, the non-public testing market isn’t match for function – with critical implications not only for travellers however public well being extra usually.
“Testing companies have struggled to offer assessments on time over the previous 12 months, so it’s laborious to believe they may be capable to deal with this spike in demand at quick discover.
“Now that the federal government has taken the choice to make PCR assessments necessary, it should take steps to correctly regulate {the marketplace} and implement the Competitors & Markets Authority’s (CMA) suggestions so that buyers can believe they’re reserving with a supplier they’ll depend on.”
