Latest updates for businesses affected by COVID-19 from VisitBritain/Visit England
19th January 2021
Travel corridors suspended
From 4.00 am on Monday 18 January all travel corridors with the UK have been suspended – meaning that all international arrivals who have departed from or transited through any country outside the Common Travel Area in the previous 10 days will be required to both take a pre-departure test, and self-isolate immediately for 10 days on arrival. This includes British and Irish nationals.
This move will be supported by increased enforcement, both at the border and across the UK, with Border Force increasing the number of spot checks on passengers that have entered the country. The new measures will be reviewed on Monday 15 February. The government’s Test to Release scheme for people who arrive in England will remain in place, giving passengers the option to shorten the mandatory self-isolation period.
Pre-departure COVID testing required for entry into the UK
From 04.00 on Monday 18 January 2021 passengers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test to travel to England, Scotland and Wales (Northern Ireland from 21 January). The test must be taken in the 3 days before the journey. Detailed guidance has now been published by the Department for Transport.
DfT has also shared a stakeholder partner guide with communications materials and advice for partners on travel corridors, test to release and the passenger locator form.
Guidance updated to reflect the suspension of travel corridors:
Guidance updated to reflect updates to testing requirements:
- Safer aviation guidance
- Safer air travel for passengers
- Safer travel guidance for passengers
- Safer transport guidance for operators
Supreme Court judgment in Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) business interruption insurance test case means many policy holders will receive payment
The Supreme Court has substantially allowed the FCA’s appeal on behalf of business interruption insurance policyholders. The legal process for impacted policies is now complete and means that covered policyholders will now have their claims for coronavirus-related business interruption losses paid. The judgment is legally binding on the eight insurers that agreed to be parties to the test case.
The judgment also provides authoritative guidance for the interpretation of similar policy wordings and claims. The FCA has said it will be working with insurers to ensure that they move quickly to pay claims that the judgment says should be paid, making interim payments wherever possible. The judgment does not determine how much is payable under individual policies, but provides much of the basis for doing so. Each policy needs to be considered against the detailed judgment to work out what it means for that policy. Policyholders with affected claims can expect to hear from their insurer soon. Policyholders with questions should approach their broker, other advisers or insurer. 370,000 policyholders were identified as holding 700 types of policies issued by 60 insurers that may be affected by the outcome of the test case.
The FCA has published draft guidance for policyholders on how to prove the presence of coronavirus, which is a condition in certain types of policy. The FCA will issue finalised guidance as soon as possible after the consultation which closes on 22 January. They will also publish a set of Q&As for policyholders to assist them and their advisers in understanding the test case. The FCA will also publish a list of BI policy types that potentially respond to the pandemic based on data that they will be gathering from insurers. Read more on the FCA website.