UK travel updates – live: South Africa added to red list amid fears over Covid new variant

Government imposes flight ban in response to ‘significant’ new variant

UK adds six African countries to red list due to fears over new variant

South Africa is among six African nations suddenly added to the UK’s red list for international travel in response to a “significant” new variant of coronavirus.

In a shock update last night, the government announced that South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe would be put back on the high-risk list from 12pm today.

A temporary flight ban has been imposed over the weekend while hotel quarantine facilities are prepared.

From 4am on Sunday 28 November, British and Irish citizens or residents arriving from those countries will have to pay to enter hotel quarantine for 10 days; all other travellers are banned from entering the UK from midday today.

British nationals arriving from the six countries between midday Friday and 4am Sunday, or who have been in these countries within the last 10 days, must quarantine at home for 10 days and take NHS PCR tests on Day 2 and Day 8, even if they already have a lateral flow test booking.

It is yet another in a long line of devastating blows for the travel industry.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “We all accept the government must make decisions in the interest of public health.

“However, some 20 months into the crisis, and six weeks after taking South Africa and its neighbours off the red list, it just feels like deja vu.

“The communication process is a shambles – relying on a tweet from the health secretary is no way to update the public.”

Follow all the latest updates below:

Key points

• Six countries added to red list from midday
• Coronavirus variant ‘worst one we’ve seen so far'
• Temporary flight ban in place from South Africa

[26 November 2021 11:03 · Helen Coffey]

‘We are devastated’: Heartbroken Brits mourn South Africa travel ban

Heartbroken travellers are still in shock after learning that South Africa, along with six other African countries, will put back on the UK’s red list from 12pm on 26 November.

The news, announced late on 25 November, was a devastating blow to the many people with trips booked in the coming weeks.

Aside from the uncertainty of claiming a refund for expensive flights and hotel stays, many thwarted travellers’ plans involved spending time with family in South Africa after months, and even years, apart.

Read the full story:

[26 November 2021 10:49 · Helen Coffey]

Arrivals from six countries told to quarantine at home

The transport secretary has said that those who are already in the UK, but who have been in South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe in the past 10 days, need to quarantine at home.

Grant Shapps tweeted: “If you’ve been to any of these countries in the last 10 days, quarantine at home as of now and Test & Trace will be in touch. From 12pm tomorrow, the red list and a direct flight ban from these countries will be in effect, you must quarantine at home.”

He added: “If you have visited any of these countries in the last 10 days and arrive after 4am Sunday, you MUST book a quarantine hotel at an approved facility.

“Public safety is our priority. We’re taking this precautionary action to protect the progress we’ve made beating the virus across the country and as ever, we’ll continue to keep our measures under review.”

[26 November 2021 10:13 · Simon Calder]

What does the red list update mean for travellers?

In a repeat of the events of last winter, the UK government has responded to an alert about a new variant of concern by putting a flight ban on South Africa – and adding the country, and five neighbours, to the “red list”.

British and Irish citizens or residents arriving from South Africa, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia and Zimbabwe after 4am on Sunday 28 November will be required to book and pay for a UK government-approved hotel quarantine facility for 10 days.

Anyone else who has been in those six countries in the past 10 days will be denied entry to the UK.

Click below for the key questions and answers for travellers:

[26 November 2021 09:51 · Helen Coffey]

Covid data expert Tim White to answer your questions live

Tansport Secretary Grant Shapps said today there are concerns that the new coronavirus variant could “defeat the vaccine” - and the travel red list has been reinstated as a result.

Mr Shapps said there is apprehension about the “very fast” spread of the new variant, commending ministers’ quick decision to add six countries to the high-risk list.

But what does this mean for infection rates around the world and what is likely to happen to travel restrictions over coming weeks?

Tim White, the Covid data analyst who tweets as @TWMCLtd, has trawled through the genomic sequencing records held by Gisaid, the worldwide database, with a focus on variants of concern.

He will be on hand to answer all your latest travel questions around the latest announcement and what might happen to the traffic light system in coming weeks during a live ‘ask me anything’ event being held today (26 November) from 5pm.

Click below to submit your question:

[26 November 2021 09:43 · Helen Coffey]

Travel industry fury at southern Africa ban

Travel industry figures have responded angrily to the reinstatement of the “red list” for South Africa and five neighbouring countries.

South Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, described the flight ban as “rushed”.

She said: “Our immediate concern is the damage that this decision will cause to both the tourism industries and businesses of both countries.”

Paul Goldstein, a travel guide and photographer specialising in Africa, said: “Yet again the ephemeral spectre of variants is wrongfully destroying tourism in southern Africa.

“Already headlines are painting with the broadest of regional brushes – so it is not just the six nations that will be affected but the whole continent.”

Read the full story:

[26 November 2021 09:33 · Helen Coffey]

Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s travel liveblog. We’ll be covering all the latest red list travel updates throughout the day.