The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability) (England) (Amendment) (No. 9) Regulations 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability) (England) Regulations 2021 (“the International Travel Regulations”) and the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010 (“the Notification Regulations”).

Regulations 3(2), 4, 5(3)(a), 5(4), 13(2), 14 and 18(2) amend the International Travel Regulations to extend the definition of “relevant international event” to include both the United Nations Climate Change Conference 2021 (known as “COP26”) and the World Leaders summit organised by the government in connection with the COP26, and to set out how the International Travel Regulations are to apply to those people attending or facilitating the COP26 and the World Leaders summit. The events are being hosted in Glasgow, but attendees and facilitators may travel via England.

Regulations 5 and 6 make minor amendments to regulations 5 and 9 of the International Travel Regulations.

Regulation 7 imposes direct obligations on those providing testing services to comply with obligations contained in the International Travel Regulations and regulations 8 to 10, 16 and 17 amend that instrument to make provision for enforcement of those obligations.

Regulations 11 and 12 update the list of countries and territories listed in Schedules 1 and 3 to the International Travel Regulations and regulations 18(2)(a)(i)(bb) and 19(3) make related amendments.

Regulation 13(3) to (5) make amendments to Schedule 4 to the International Travel Regulations to provide for exemptions from some of the obligations in that instrument, including for persons invited to attend London Fashion Week events.

Regulation 15 updates the list of sporting events listed in Schedule 5 to the International Travel Regulations.

Regulation 18(3) amends Schedule 11 to the International Travel Regulations to enable passengers from category 3 countries and territories to land at Newcastle Airport, and regulation 18(4) and (5) make provision relating to unaccompanied minors arriving in England from category 3 countries and territories.

Regulation 19 amends Schedule 13 to the International Travel Regulations to provide that a controller of a flight from a category 3 country or territory landing in England where doing so would otherwise be prohibited by the ban on direct flights from category 3 countries and territories specified in paragraph 4 of Schedule 13 commits no offence where that landing is permitted under regulation 18 of the International Travel Regulations.

Regulation 20 makes amendments to Schedule 14 to the International Travel Regulations consequential to other amendments made by these Regulations.

Regulation 21 amends the Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2021. Regulation 4 of those Regulations is amended to require a diagnostic laboratory which processes a test for the detection of SARS-Cov-2 to provide notification of the results of that test within 48 hours of receiving the sample to be tested. Regulation 4ZA is amended, and new regulation 4ZB is inserted, to clarify the obligations on laboratories which perform genomic sequencing of positive samples. Further amendments correct minor errors in those Regulations.

An impact assessment has not been produced for this instrument. An explanatory memorandum has been published alongside this instrument at www.legislation.gov.uk.