We’re waiting for a new Petitions Committee
Petitions had to stop because of the recent general election. Once a new Petitions Committee is set up by the House of Commons, petitions will start again.
Find out more on the Petitions Committee website
Closed petition Allow fully vaccinated people coming from red list countries to isolate at home
To allow fully vaccinated people who come from red listed countries to isolate at home instead of the hotel quarantine which is very expensive and non affordable. People need to go to see their families. Doctors who work for the whole year need to see their parents.
More details
The hotel quarantine is very expensive and non affordable. I believe that there should be an exemption for fully vaccinated people and who had a negative PCR to isolate at their place of residence.
This petition is closed All petitions run for 6 months
The Petitions Committee decided not to debate this petition
The Petitions Committee has decided not to schedule a debate on this petition.
The Committee recognised the support that this petition has received. However, all remaining covid-19 international travel restrictions were removed for all passengers from 4am Friday 18 March.
Now the Government has removed all covid-19 travel restrictions, the request of this petition has been overtaken by events.
Read more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/all-covid-19-travel-restrictions-removed-in-the-uk
Government responded
This response was given on 6 July 2021
Public health has always been our number one priority and we will not risk throwing away our hard-won achievements which have only been possible through the work of the British people
Read the response in full
We recognise the impact that restrictions and this pandemic have had on many people. We have made enormous progress this past year in tackling the pandemic across Britain. That progress has been hard won and it is important that we do not risk undermining it now.
In 2019, UK residents took over 93 million trips abroad, for business, leisure and to visit friends and family. International travel is vital. It connects families who have been kept apart, boosts businesses and underpins the UK economy. It is absolutely essential that any steps we take now, lay the groundwork for a sustainable return to travel.
To protect the nation from the spread of Covid-19 particularly any new variants of concern, the government has put in place proportionate measures, informed by the latest scientific data and public health advice from a world-leading range of experts.
The purpose of our travel measures is to protect public health and the vaccine rollout as our top priority, while ensuring that our route out of the international travel restrictions is sustainable.
The traffic light system categorises countries based on risk to protect public health and the vaccine rollout from variants of COVID-19. The Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC) produces risk assessments of countries and territories. Decisions on Red, Amber or Green List assignment and associated border measures are taken by Ministers, who take into account the JBC risk assessments, alongside wider public health factors. Vaccination status is considered in the risk assessment, but the JBC is looking for the outcome of vaccination programmes, i.e. reduced levels of infection including variants of concern.
In the interests of continuing to protect public health, the public are being advised against leisure travel to countries categorised as ‘Amber’ and ‘Red’.
International arrivals from red-list countries or those who have departed from or transited through a red list country in the previous 10 days are required to quarantine for 10 days in a managed quarantine hotel and take a PCR test on or before day 2 and on or after day 8.
There are some instances where travellers might be able to get an exemption from needing to quarantine. These exemptions are exceptional and limited, and you will need evidence to support your request.
For those facing significant financial hardship as a result of this charge, there will be an opportunity to apply for a deferred repayment plan when booking. They will be required to pay back the debt to the government in 12 monthly instalments.
The measures were formally reviewed on 28th June taking into account of the domestic and international health picture with 6 more countries added to the red list on 30th June.
In recognition of our successful domestic vaccination programme, and as part of the Global Travel Taskforce’s 28th June checkpoint review, our intention is that later in the summer, arrivals who are fully vaccinated will not have to quarantine when travelling from amber list countries.
To sustain the success of our vaccination programme, this exemption for fully vaccinated will be only for amber arrivals. We expect this to occur in phases, starting with people who have been vaccinated in the UK. All amber list arrivals will still be required to take a test on Day 2, and any positive results will be sequenced to continue to manage the risk of importing variants.
Until implementation passengers must continue to abide by quarantine rules when returning to the UK from an amber list country.
All arrivals from red list countries weather fully vaccinated or not are expected to continue with the 10 days quarantine in a managed quarantine facility.
Recognising the strong strategic rationale and success of the vaccine programme, we will continue to look into the role of vaccinations in shaping a different set of health and testing measures for inbound travel at the next review stages of the traffic light system.
Department of Health and Social Care
Related activity
MPs debate changes to travel restrictions for red list countries
On 14 December, the Government announced that all 11 countries which had been on the 'red list' would be removed as of 4am, Wednesday 15 December. The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Sajid Javid MP also confirmed that temporary testing measures for international travel will be retained.
MPs discussed these changes as part of a debate on a range of changes to covid-19 restrictions.
Read the Government's announcement of these changes: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/11-countries-removed-from-the-uks-red-list
Read updated guidance for travel to England: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/travel-to-england-from-another-country-during-coronavirus-covid-19
Read what was said during the debate: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2021-12-14/debates/8034393B-C568-4DE6-8695-1D63F957537E/PublicHealth
Debate on Covid-19 restrictions on UK arrivals cancelled
The Petitions Committee has cancelled the debate on Covid-19 restrictions on UK arrivals that had been scheduled for Monday 17 January.
because the petition that was going to be the subject of the debate was about requirements for certain people to enter managed quarantine when travelling to the UK from a country that is on the UK Government's red list of countries and territories, and there are currently no countries on this list.
This debate may be rescheduled if countries are added to the red list in the future.