In an effort to protect against new coronavirus variants, the United Kingdom will close all travel corridors from 4 a.m. local time Monday (Jan 18). UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the move in a news conference Friday, emphasizing that the only way to get into the country is by having a negative coronavirus test result. The emergency measures will be in place for at least one month, according to the Department for Transport.
The UK is to close all travel corridors from Monday (Jan 18) morning to "protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains" of Covid, the PM has said.
Anyone flying into the country from overseas will have to show proof of a negative Covid test before setting off.
It comes as a ban on travellers from South America and Portugal came into force on Friday over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil.
Boris Johnson said the new rules would be in place until at least Feb 15.
A further 1,280 people with coronavirus have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total to 87,291.
The latest government figures on Friday also showed another 55,761 new cases had been reported - up from 48,682 the previous day.
Meanwhile, more than two million people around the world have now died with the virus since the pandemic began, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.
