UK Tightens Border Controls Amid COVID-19 Resurgence... Philippines and Pakistan 'Entry Ban'

Expansion of Entry Ban to 40 Countries Due to Vaccine Supply Instability and Spread from Europe...

Interior view of London Heathrow Airport. Photo by Heathrow Airport

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] As the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is resurging worldwide, the UK has strengthened border controls by expanding the list of countries banned from entry.

According to the BBC on the 2nd (local time), starting from the 9th, the UK government will add the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya, and Bangladesh to the list of countries banned from entry. This increases the total number of banned countries to 40.

UK nationals and permanent residents arriving from these countries, which are located in Africa, the Middle East, and South America, must quarantine for 10 days at government-designated hotels upon arrival.

On the other hand, European countries such as France, where confirmed cases have recently surged, were excluded from the list this time.

Since early January, the UK government has continued lockdowns by selecting countries for entry bans. Along with border control, the focus on vaccination has resulted in the number of new daily confirmed cases, which once approached 70,000, dropping to 4,052 as of March 31 (local time).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.