Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have received from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies on the ability of testing international arrivals for COVID-19 to provide a safe travel system.

The Government has taken scientific advice into account at each step of the development of COVID-19 border measures. The Government has recently introduced a suite of border measures to protect public health. These measures include introducing a pre-departure testing regime for international arrivals and the suspension of all travel corridors to England, meaning that all non-exempt international arrivals must self-isolate for 10 full days.

From 15 February, all travellers who in the 10 days prior to their arrival have been in a country from which travel to the United Kingdom is banned will be required to quarantine in Government managed facilities. All international arrivals will be required to take a mandatory COVID-19 test on day two and day eight of their quarantine period. The Test to Release scheme will remain available to international arrivals from countries that are not on the ‘red list’.