All travellers now have to test negative for Covid-19 before they can enter England

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps set out plans which ensure from passengers arriving in England by boat, train or plane – including UK nationals – from next week will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country of departure.

Anyone who fails to comply with the measures aimed at limiting new strains of the virus from entering the country, which have emerged in South Africa and Denmark, will lead to an immediate £500 fine.

Similar measures have been announced by the Scottish Government, while officials were said to be working closely with the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland on adopting them there.

There will be a limited number of exemptions, including hauliers, children under 11, crews, arrivals from the Common Travel Area with Ireland and for those travelling from countries without the infrastructure available to deliver tests.

The move follows the decision to suspend all direct travel from South Africa following the emergence there of a new strain of coronavirus thought potentially to be even more virulent than the mutant variant which has led cases to surge in the UK.

Mr Shapps said: “We already have significant measures in place to prevent imported cases of Covid-19, but with new strains of the virus developing internationally, we must take further precautions.

“Taken together with the existing mandatory self-isolation period for passengers returning from high-risk countries, pre-departure tests will provide a further line of defence – helping us control the virus as we roll out the vaccine at pace over the coming weeks.”

The announcement comes at a time when the latest lockdown restrictions across the four nations of the UK mean there is very little international travel.

Under the new rules, passengers will need to present proof of a negative test result to their carrier on boarding while the UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrivals.

All passengers arriving from countries not on the Government’s travel corridor list will still be required to self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their test result.

Hauliers crossing the Channel to France will also still need a negative test before departure.

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