The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Public Health Information to Travellers) (Wales) (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2021 (revoked)F1

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (Wales) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/574 (W. 132)) (the “International Travel Regulations”) and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Public Health Information for Persons Travelling to Wales etc.) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/595 (W. 136)) (the “Public Health Information Regulations”).

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

Regulation 3 of these Regulations amends regulation 2 of the International Travel Regulations to introduce a new definition in relation to vaccinated travellers and others. It also makes a minor consequential amendment to move an existing definition within those Regulations.

Regulation 4 introduces exemptions for travellers who have been fully vaccinated in the UK with an approved vaccine. These exemptions also apply to those on certain vaccine trials, and UK citizens or residents who are under the age of 18 on their arrival in Wales. Such travellers are exempted from the requirement to isolate on return from a non-exempt country or territory (except one specified in Schedule 3A to the International Travel Regulations), and are only required to take a day 2 test. These exemptions therefore apply in relation to relevant arrivals from what are commonly known as the ‘amber list’ countries.

Regulations 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 13 make further amendments to the International Travel Regulations to give effect to these new exemptions.

Regulation 9 introduces a new testing regime in relation to ‘specified events’, meaning those events specified in new Schedule 1E to the International Travel Regulations. Regulation 5 removes people to whom this new regime applies from the testing provisions in regulation 6AB of the International Travel Regulations.

Regulations 11 and 12 make further provision in relation to offences and fixed penalty notices relating to failures to comply with the requirements in relation to specified events testing.

Regulation 15 amends the list of exempt countries and territories in Schedule 3 to the International Travel Regulations. Persons entering Wales after being in an exempt country or territory are not required to isolate, regardless of their status under the new exemptions relating to vaccination. Regulation 15 adds Bulgaria, Croatia. Hong Kong and Taiwan to the list of exempt countries and territories outside the common travel area. Regulation 15 also removes the Balearic Islands and British Virgin Islands from the list.

Regulation 16 amends the list of countries and territories subject to additional measures in Schedule 3A to the International Travel Regulations. Non-exempt persons are prohibited from entering Wales where they have been in a country or territory listed in Schedule 3A within the last 10 days of arrival, pursuant to regulation 12E of the International Travel Regulations. Regulation 16 adds Cuba, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sierra Leone to the list of countries and territories subject to additional measures.

The Public Health Information Regulations impose requirements on operators of international passenger services coming from outside the common travel area to an airport, heliport or seaport in Wales to provide passengers with specified public health information.

In consequence of the amendments made to the International Travel Regulations by regulations 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 13 of these Regulations, regulation 17 amends the specified public health information that operators must provide to passengers prior to and during traveling to Wales.

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 costs and benefits of complying with these Regulations.