2021 No. 189

Public Health

The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

Made

Coming into operation

The Department of Health1 makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 25B and 25F(2) of the Public Health Act (Northern Ireland) 19672.

Citation, commencement and interpretationI11

1

These Regulations may be cited as the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021and shall come into operation at 4.00 a.m. on 30th June 2021.

2

In these Regulations—

  • “the International Travel Regulations” means the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20213;

  • “the Passenger Information Regulations” means the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 20214.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I1

Reg. 1 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Amendment to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021I22

The Passenger Information Regulations are amended in accordance with regulations 3 and 4.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I2

Reg. 2 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Amendment to regulations 3 and 4I33

In regulations 3 and 4 (operator liability in respect of arrivals), after paragraph (2)(a) in each regulation insert—

aa

who is being lawfully compelled to travel to the United Kingdom in the course of an extradition, prisoner repatriation or deportation;

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I3

Reg. 3 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Amendment to the ScheduleI44

For Part 2 of the Schedule substitute—

PART 2Onboard announcement

The required information to be given in accordance with regulation 11 (4) is:

“The following is a public health message on behalf of the UK’s public health agencies.

However long you intend to stay in the UK, everyone must take a pre-booked covid-19 test within the first two days after you arrive. If you have been in or transited through any countries on the red or amber list you must also take another pre-booked test 8 days after arrival.

If you have been in or transited through an amber or red country within the previous 10 days you must quarantine for the first 10 days after you arrive.

The symptoms of coronavirus are a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell. If you experience any of these symptoms, however mild, you are advised to make yourself known to the crew.

Please follow the Public Health guidance for the area you are living or travelling in.

Visit gov.uk/coronavirus for more advice.”

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I4

Reg. 4 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Amendment to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021I55

The International Travel Regulations are amended in accordance with regulations 6 to 9.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I5

Reg. 5 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Amendment to Schedule 1I66

In Schedule 1 (Red list countries), at the appropriate place in alphabetical order, insert “Dominican Republic”, “Eritrea”, “Haiti”, “Mongolia”, “Tunisia” and “Uganda”.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I6

Reg. 6 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Amendment to Schedule 2I77

In Schedule 2 (Green list countries – exempt countries, territories, and parts of countries or territories), at the appropriate place in alphabetical order, insert “Anguilla”, “Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory”, “Antigua and Barbuda”, “Balearic Islands”, “Barbados”, “Bermuda”, “British Indian Ocean Territory”, “British Virgin Islands”, “Cayman Islands”, “Dominica”, “Grenada”, “Madeira”, “Malta”, “Montserrat”, “Pitcairn Islands” and “Turks and Caicos Islands”.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I7

Reg. 7 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Amendments to Schedule 4I88

1

In Schedule 4, in Part 1 (Persons who are exempt), in the table—

a

after entry 9A insert the following entry—

9B. Transit Passenger (Crown Dependencies)

Not Exempt

Not Exempt

Exempt, conditions apply

Not Exempt

Not Exempt

b

in entry 22, in column 5 (Requirement to self-isolate – Regulation 10) omit “Exempt (residency condition)”.

2

In Schedule 4, in Part 2 (Definitions of persons who are exempt, conditions, limitations of exemption and savings), after paragraph 21B insert—

9B. Transit Passenger (Crown Dependencies)

21C

1

a person who on arrival in Northern Ireland—

a

passes through to Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man without entering Northern Ireland; or

b

enters Northern Ireland for the sole purpose of continuing a journey to Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man and—

i

remains within their port of entry until their departure from Northern Ireland, or

ii

travels directly from their port of entry to another port of departure in Northern Ireland.

2

For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), such evidence may include—

a

evidence of residency in the Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man;

b

evidence of a hotel reservation for the day of arrival; or

c

evidence of immediate direct onward travel plans to Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I8

Reg. 8 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Amendment to Schedule 8I99

In Schedule 8 (Prohibition on arrival of aircraft and vessels), paragraph 1 omit “Argentina”, “Brazil”, “Cape Verde”, “Chile”, “Ethiopia”, “The Maldives”, “Oman”, “Qatar”, “South Africa” and “United Arab Emirates”.

Annotations:
Commencement Information
I9

Reg. 9 in operation at 30.6.2021 at 4.00 a.m., see reg. 1(1)

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health on 29th June 2021

(L.S.)Robin SwannMinister of Health
EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (“the Passenger Information Regulations”) to remove an operator’s liability for bringing a passenger who has not completed a Passenger Locator Form or is not in possession of a negative pre-departure test result to Northern Ireland if that passenger is being lawfully compelled to travel to the United Kingdom in the course of an extradition, prisoner transfer or deportation.

An amendment is also made to revise the onboard public health announcement on commercial passenger conveyances arriving in Northern Ireland.

These Regulations also amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (“the International Travel Regulations”).

Schedule 1 (Red list countries) is amended to include Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Haiti, Mongolia, Tunisia and Uganda.

Schedule 2 (Green list countries – exempt countries, territories and parts of countries or territories) is amended to include Anguilla, Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory, Antigua and Barbuda, Balearic Islands, Barbados, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Madeira, Malta, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Schedule 4 (Persons who are exempt) is amended to include an exemption for passengers transiting to Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man via Northern Ireland from the requirement to possess a day 2/8 testing package on arrival;

Schedule 4 is also amended to remove the residency exemption for specialist aerospace engineers or workers so that they are only exempt from self-isolation when undertaking exempt activity.

Schedule 8 is amended to remove the aircraft ban from Argentina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Ethiopia, The Maldives, Oman, Qatar, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.

No impact assessment has been prepared for these Regulations.