London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Covid clampdown: UK closing ALL travel corridors in bid to block new virus variants arriving from overseas

Covid clampdown: UK closing ALL travel corridors in bid to block new virus variants arriving from overseas

The UK will shut all of its remaining international travel corridors from 4am GMT on Monday until at least February 15, in a bid to shield the country from new coronavirus variants, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday.
The decision means that from next week, any UK-bound arrivals will have to self-isolate for 10 days as soon as they enter the country, unless they can provide a negative test result after five days in quarantine.

Passengers must also be able to provide a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours before leaving their country of origin, and a completed Passenger Locator Form, which airline staff will request before take-off.

The measures will be enforced with additional checks when passengers land and “substantial fines” for those refusing to comply, Johnson said during a coronavirus press conference.

“It is precisely because we have the hope of that vaccine and the risk of new strains coming from overseas that we must take additional steps now to stop those strains from entering the country,” the PM said.

From 4:00am (GMT) on Friday the UK closed its borders to all travellers from South America and Portugal over fears of a new Covid-19 variant discovered in Brazil.

The variant, which has multiple mutations, was first detected in Japan in travellers from Brazil's Amazonas state, but it has not yet been found in the UK, a spokesperson for Public Health England (PHE) said on Friday.

However, eight cases of a different variant discovered in Brazil, with fewer mutations, have been detected in the UK, while there have been 35 confirmed cases of a Covid-19 strain from South Africa, according to PHE.

The government has taken action in response to new variants after a new Covid-19 strain was discovered in the UK in mid-December and spread rapidly across the country, replacing earlier forms of the virus.

The UK reported a further 55,761 cases of Covid-19 on Friday, as well as another 1,280 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to official data.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×