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UK Government to ban international travel and domestic hotel stays ‘except for work’

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Whilst not mentioned in Boris Johnson’s televised press conference this evening, major media outlets have been briefed that the formal legislation to be presented to Parliament this week will include a ban on international travel.

No further details are known. Is this really a ban or just ‘advice’?

There will apparently be an exception ‘for work’ but there is no mention of how this will be policed.

UK Government bans international travel

Clearly a family trying to board an aircraft will have more explaining to do that a solo traveller wearing a suit. It is also unclear if anyone currently visiting the UK for personal reasons will be allowed to leave.

There will also be a ban on UK hotel stays for personal reasons although work stays will be allowed. This could be troublesome for anyone who is not allowed to leave the UK but is also not allowed to stay in a hotel ….

The ban is likely to start on Thursday. The other measures announced today will run to at least Wednesday 2nd December, but this is only a guideline.

The restrictions will be removed on a regional basis after this date. This will lead to further complications as, post 2nd December, your legal right to leave the country for personal reasons will depend on your address.

We will know more later in the week when the legislation is published.

Comments (466)

This article is closed to new comments. Feel free to ask your question in the HfP forums.

  • abc says:

    “This could be troublesome for anyone who is not allowed to leave the UK but is also not allowed to stay in a hotel ….” Surely people not living in England will be allowed to leave the country (?) And there will also probably be exceptions for hotels/other accommodation providers to allow people to stay in there that don’t currently have a place to live in the UK.

  • ChrisD says:

    Unnecessary sensationalism in the headline here. It only applies to England and it’s not a “ban” it’s advice. The government can’t stop you leaving the country.

    • DV says:

      It doesn’t appear to be advice, and Parliament could legislate to stop UK citizens leaving the country. See below:

      “Overnight stays and holidays away from primary residences will not be allowed- including holidays in the UK and abroad. This includes staying in a second home, if you own one, or staying with anyone you do not live with or are in a support bubble with. There are specific exceptions, for example if you need to stay away from home (including in a second home) for work purposes.”

      • Alex Sm says:

        This is really weird re second homes. Why?

        • Rob says:

          I think if you dig out the map of ‘virtually no covid cases’ and overlay that with a map of ‘places where people have 2nd homes’ you’d find an almost perfect correlation, that’s why. If everyone had a 2nd home in Birmingham I doubt anyone would care.

          • Alex Sm says:

            Yes, I know re Cornwall as visited in November. But sparsely populated areas will help break the contagion chains from big cities. To be honest, everyone who has second homes, should be encouraged to move there to ease pressure on big cities and reduce the R number

  • abc says:

    The government doesn’t have a good reputation regarding following international law. (Though it seems pretty unlikely to me that they will prevent foreign citizens from leaving the country to go home.)

  • Joe says:

    Indeed – would they let me, a Britosh citizen return home to my residence in Switzerland?

    • abc says:

      Yes, according to the guidance, only holidays are not allowed.

    • DV says:

      Not after Thursday it would appear, unless for work.

      Overnight stays and holidays away from primary residences will not be allowed- including holidays in the UK and abroad. This includes staying in a second home, if you own one, or staying with anyone you do not live with or are in a support bubble with. There are specific exceptions, for example if you need to stay away from home (including in a second home) for work purposes.

  • Andrew says:

    I think the spirit of the law is to stay home, not go on holiday, not go on mattress runs to get Diamond in 15 nights, not to go to The Langley to use your £400. Canadian citizens wanting to leave will of course be able to and I’m sure there will be limited checks and enforcement – but the spirit of the measures is to stay home and save lives.

    • Andy says:

      Absolutely spot on remarks and viewpoint!

    • Tom says:

      1000x this ^^^

      Look at the bigger picture. Recognise the responsibilities we all have to each other. And the more we keep the virus down, the more likely we’ll be able to have some degree of normality again.

      • Cat says:

        Exactly this.

      • Dr Roger says:

        You’re talking rubbish. The virus will not abate during a lockdown. It didn’t in the first one and it will not in this one not in any further planned ones. The entire lockdown strategy is flawed and based on bad science and scare mongering

      • Chris says:

        Normality will return when we’ve all had it or we accept we might get it, just as we do with the flu now.
        These lockdowns are only delaying that normality, whilst killing lives for many other non-COVID reasons.

    • Alan says:

      Exactly this. I’ve had a couple of very pleasant staycations in Ayrshire and the Borders over the summer, last trip abroad was in Feb and only left Scotland for about 10 min when in the Borders 😂 Have been building up more and more points with credit card accrual and no stays, here’s hoping for 2nd half of 2021…

    • Simon Barlow says:

      +1

  • James says:

    The attitude on here is some of the reason we’re in this mess. “It’s just advice, no one can stop me” – people thinking they’re invincible from covid. Just stay home until things are better.

    • Number9 says:

      You must be a public sector worker.

    • Jack says:

      At this rate there’ll be nothing left let alone any kind of normality… Let the vulnerable isolate and let the rest of us get on with it.

      • Simon Barlow says:

        Unfortunately Jack the logistics of this are impossible. This simplistic approach is not possible in practice. Everyone who is vulnerable but works? The people that refuse to obey the isolation? How do the isolated get care/food. Vulnerable poeple that live with non-vulnerable people? The infections would still balloon out of control and overwhelm the NHS.

      • Ryan Gill says:

        +1

    • Chris says:

      The longer these restrictions keep going on for, many millions of us won’t have homes to stay in as the PM urges us to do.

      I have to assume these people in favour of restrictions don’t work in events, hospitality or other industries being forcibly closed?

      • Josh says:

        Most, I suspect, are either retired or public sector workers who will be paid regardless

        • Cat says:

          Or are public sector workers, whose jobs put them into close contact with many members of the public on a daily basis.
          If these restrictions don’t keep going, or aren’t enforced, our jobs put us at increased risk.

  • ChrisD says:

    You don’t know my personal circumstances, the fact that this headline has made me seriously concerned that we will not be able to move to Europe before the end of the year. My “attitude” throughout this whole crisis has been one of utmost caution and I’m also angry that others have seemingly ignored the rules and landed us in this mess again. So please don’t judge based on one comment and instead urge decent journalism and headlines that don’t sensationalise the real situation with travel abroad.

  • Greenpen says:

    Good. A hard crackdown is the only thing that can stop transmission. It happened in China and bye and large they have not suffered from the virus..

    • Aliks says:

      I’m afraid Corona Virus is here to stay. A good crackdown can only give a temporary respite. As soon as we all start socialising again, transmission will resume unabated.

    • Andy says:

      Do you really believe anything you hear that comes out of China!

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