Another 4 countries added to the UK Red List of banned countries

Passengers arriving from Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and the Philippines after 4 am on Friday 9th April 2021 will be required to quarantine at a designated hotel for 11 days.

A government statement said: “Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh have been added to England’s red list to protect the country against new variants of coronavirus (COVID-19), at a critical time for the vaccine programme.”

The statement continued to say:

“Only British and Irish citizens, or those with residence rights in the UK (including long-term visa holders), will be allowed to enter and they must stay in a government-approved quarantine facility for 10 days. They will also be required to arrive into a designated port.

“No direct flight bans from these countries will be put in place, but passengers are advised to check their travel plans before departing for England.”

Virgin Atlantic flights between London Heathrow and Manchester to Islamabad and Lahore will continue to depart as planned until Friday 9 April. Pakistan is a popular destination from the UK for the VFR (visiting friends and relatives) market and the addition of the country will have widescale impacts on travel plans.