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(Adds easyJet comment)
By Sarah Young and William James
LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Britain is tightening border
controls to block new variants of COVID-19, suspending all
"travel corridor" arrangements that had meant arrivals from some
countries did not require quarantine.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is grappling to control a third
wave of the virus and prevent the health service from collapse
while also racing to vaccinate millions each week.
"What we don't want to see is all that hard work undone by
the arrival of a new variant that is vaccine-busting," he told a
news conference, explaining the end of travel corridors at least
until Feb. 15.
The rule changes come into force at 0400 GMT on Monday and
mean all passengers must have a recent negative coronavirus test
and transfer immediately into isolation upon arrival.
Isolation lasts for 10 days, unless the passenger tests
negative after five.
On Thursday, Britain banned arrivals from South America,
Portugal and some other countries over fears about a variant
detected in Brazil.
Britain's current lockdowns ban most international travel
meaning that airline schedules are currently minimal, but the
withdrawal of any quarantine-free travel will be a further blow
for an industry already on its knees.
UK-based airline easyJet said there was no immediate impact
from Johnson's announcement, but in a statement added: "We need
to ensure that travel corridors are put back in place when it is
safe to do so."
Britain has already felt the effects of mutations in the
virus, after a variant first discovered in England has proved to
be more transmissible.
Critics say the government has been too slow to act and
previously left borders wide open.
Much of the criticism prior to Friday's announcement has
focused on whether rules requiring arriving passengers to
quarantine are actually being enforced, with anecdotal evidence
that few checks are made.
"We will be stepping up our enforcement, both at the border
and in country," Johnson said.
(Reporting by Sarah Young;
Writing by William James;
Editing by Elizabeth Piper, Andrew Cawthorne and Giles Elgood)
