Nigeria, South Africa, 9 others removed from U.K red list

Ayobami Adedinni

Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Angola, Zambia and Zimbabwe have been removed from the UK’s red list countries.

The red list was reintroduced recently as a precaution after the emergence of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

The further spread of the variant has been cited as a reason for reviewing travel rules.

Currently, all UK arrivals from red list countries must pay for and self-isolate in a pre-booked, government-approved hotel for 10 days.

They must also take Covid tests within 48 hours of setting off for the UK and PCR tests within two days of their arrival.

The government also faces pressure from the travel industry which says restrictions are hurting business.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the recovery in air travel continued in October 2021 with broad-based improvements in both domestic and international markets.

It also warned that the imposition of travel bans by governments, against the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO), could threaten the sector’s recovery.