Welsh Government Written Statement - The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Amendments

Members will be aware that the Welsh Government made provision in the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020 to ensure that travellers entering Wales from overseas countries and territories must isolate for 14 days and provide passenger information, to prevent the further spread of coronavirus.  These restrictions came into force on 8 June 2020.

On 10 July, the Welsh Government amended these Regulations to introduce exemptions from the isolation requirement for a list of countries and territories, and a limited range of people in specialised sectors or employment who may be exempted from the isolation requirement or excepted from certain provisions of the passenger information requirements.

Since then these Regulations have been kept under review and a number of changes to the list of exempt countries and territories have been made.

Today I reviewed the latest JBC assessments and I have decided that the Republic of Namibia, Uruguay and the US Virgin Islands will be removed from the list of exempt countries and territories.  Travellers from these countries and territories will be required to isolate on arrival in Wales.

The position in relation to a person entering Wales who has been released from isolation in England under ‘Test to Release’ has also been clarified to make it clear that such a person would still need to complete any outstanding isolation period in Wales unless entering for a specified purpose and for no longer than necessary. Any person entering Wales would of course also be subject to the local restrictions in place at that time.

Tomorrow I will lay the necessary regulations which will come into force at 04:00 on Saturday 19 December.