The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 22) Regulations 2020

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2020 No. 1602 (W. 332)

Public Health, Wales

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 22) Regulations 2020

Made

at 2.49 p.m. on 18 December 2020

Laid before Senedd Cymru

at 5.00 p.m. on 18 December 2020

Coming into force

at 4.00 a.m. on 19 December 2020

The Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred on them by sections 45B and 45P(2) of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984(1), make the following Regulations.

PART 1 General

Title, coming into force and interpretation

1.—(1) The title of these Regulations is the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 22) Regulations 2020.

(2) These Regulations come into force at 4.00 a.m. on 19 December 2020.

(3) In these Regulations, the “International Travel Regulations” means the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020(2).

PART 2 Amendments to the list of exempt countries and territories in Schedule 3 to the International Travel Regulations

Removal of countries and territories from the list of exempt countries and territories

2.  In Part 1 of Schedule 3 to the International Travel Regulations (exempt countries and territories outside the common travel area), omit the following entries—

• “Republic of Namibia”

• “Uruguay”

• “Virgin Islands of the United States”.

Transitional provision in connection with regulation 2

3.—(1) Paragraph (2) applies where a person (“P”)—

(a) arrives in Wales at or after 4.00 a.m. on 19 December 2020, and

(b) was last in a country or territory listed in regulation 2—

(i) within the period of 10 days ending with the day of P’s arrival in Wales, and

(ii) before 4.00 a.m. on 19 December 2020.

(2) P is, by virtue of having been in a country or territory listed in regulation 2 to be treated for the purposes of regulations 7(1) and 8(1) of the International Travel Regulations as having arrived in Wales from, or having been in, a non-exempt country or territory.

PART 3 Amendment to Part 3 of the International Travel Regulations

Amendment to Part 3 (requirement to isolate etc.) of the International Travel Regulations

4.—(1) Part 3 (requirement to isolate etc.) of the International Travel Regulations is amended as follows.

(2) After regulation 8(2)(b) insert—

“(c) a person—

(i) who is no longer required to isolate under the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020(3) by virtue of regulation 4(13A) of those Regulations,

(ii) who is in Wales for one or more of the reasons listed in regulation 10(4)(b) to (k) of these Regulations, and

(iii) who remains in Wales for no longer than is necessary.”

Vaughan Gething

Minister for Health and Social Services, one of the Welsh Ministers

At 2.49 p.m. on 18 December 2020

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/574 (W. 132)) (the “International Travel Regulations”). The International Travel Regulations have been previously amended by:

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Information for Persons Travelling to Wales etc.) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/595) (W. 136);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Public Health Information to Travellers) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/714) (W. 160);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/726) (W. 163);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/804) (W. 177);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 3) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/817) (W. 179);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/840) (W. 185);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 5) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/868) (W. 190);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 6) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/886) (W. 196);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 7) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/917) (W. 205);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 8) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/944) (W. 210);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 9) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/962) (W. 216);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 10) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/981) (W. 220);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 11) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1015) (W. 226);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 12) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1042) (W. 231);

• the Transfer of Functions (Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/942);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 13) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1080) (W. 243);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 14) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1098) (W. 249);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 15) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1133) (W. 258);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 16) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1165) (W. 263);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 17) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1191) (W. 269);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 18) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1223) (W. 277);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 19) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1232) (W. 278);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1237) (W. 279);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (No. 2) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1288) (W. 286);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 20) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1329) (W. 295);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 21) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1362) (W. 301);

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Restrictions) (Amendment) (No. 3) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1477) (W. 316); and

• the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Public Health Information to Travellers) (Wales) (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1521) (W. 325).

The International Travel Regulations impose requirements on persons entering Wales after having been abroad. They include a requirement for persons arriving in Wales to isolate for a period determined in accordance with those Regulations.

The requirements imposed by the International Travel Regulations are subject to exceptions, and certain categories of person are exempt from having to comply.

Persons entering Wales after being in one or more of the countries and territories listed in Schedule 3 to the International Travel Regulations are not required to isolate. The countries and territories listed in Schedule 3 are referred to as “exempt countries and territories”.

Part 2 of these Regulations amends the list of exempt countries and territories. Regulation 2 amends the International Travel Regulations to remove the entries for the Republic of Namibia, Uruguay and the Virgin Islands of the United States.

Regulation 3 of these Regulations makes transitional provision in connection with these countries’ and territories’ change of status. The transitional provision addresses a potential area of doubt in terms of the effect on the operation of the International Travel Regulations, of the amendments made by regulation 2 of these Regulations.

Part 3 of these Regulations makes an amendment to Part 3 of the International Travel Regulations. Regulation 4 of these Regulations inserts, at regulation 8(2) of the International Travel Regulations, an additional exception to the requirement to isolate that is set out at regulation 8(1) to clarify the position in relation to a person entering Wales who has been released from isolation in England by regulation 4(13A) of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/568).

The Welsh Ministers’ Code of Practice on the carrying out of Regulatory Impact Assessments was considered in relation to these Regulations. As a result, a regulatory impact assessment has not been prepared as to the likely cost and benefit of complying with these Regulations.

(1)

1984 c. 22. Part 2A was inserted by section 129 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (c. 14). The function of making regulations under Part 2A is conferred on “the appropriate Minister”. Under section 45T(6) of the 1984 Act the appropriate Minister as respects Wales, is the Welsh Ministers.

(2)

S.I. 2020/574 (W. 132), as amended by S.I. 2020/595 (W. 136), S.I. 2020/714 (W. 160), S.I. 2020/726 (W. 163), S.I. 2020/804 (W. 177), S.I. 2020/817 (W. 179), S.I. 2020/840 (W. 185), S.I. 2020/868 (W. 190), S.I. 2020/886 (W. 196), S.I. 2020/917 (W. 205), S.I. 2020/942, S.I. 2020/944 (W. 210), S.I. 2020/962 (W. 216), S.I. 2020/981 (W. 220), S.I. 2020/1015 (W. 226), S.I. 2020/1042 (W. 231), S.I. 2020/1080 (W. 243), S.I. 2020/1098 (W. 249), S.I. 2020/1133 (W. 258), S.I. 2020/1165 (W. 263), S.I 2020/1191 (W. 269), S.I. 2020/1223 (W. 277), S.I. 2020/1232 (W. 278), S.I. 2020/1237 (W. 279), S.I. 2020/1288 (W. 286), S.I. 2020/1329 (W. 295), S.I. 2020/1362 (W. 301), S.I. 2020/1477 (W. 316) and S.I. 2020/1521 (W. 325).

(3)

S.I. 2020/568, amended by S.I. 2020/1337; there are other amending instruments but none are relevant.