Travel restrictions and self-isolation (quarantine) rules have been implemented across the UK since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, in order to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of the public. The UK Government has announced tougher border control measures in the UK for both outbound and inbound passengers, to reduce both the risk of COVID-19 transmission and decrease the risk of importing or exporting new variants.

The new measures include: 

• Travellers wishing to depart from the UK are required to have a valid legal reason for travel. Without this, travellers may face a fine and be directed to return home. 
• From 15 February 2021, anyone travelling into the UK will be required to quarantine in a government-approved facility for ten days. Further information on the announcement is available on the UK Government website.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides guidance on travelling abroad, including the latest information on COVID-19 and other non-COVID-19 risks such as safety and security, entry requirements, and travel warnings. This advice is being kept under constant review and may change at short notice.

Country specific COVID-19 risk

The fitfortravel (for the general public) and TRAVAX (for health professionals) country pages have been updated to include a COVID-19 country specific risk-rating, with every country being identified as high, moderate or low risk and each rating accompanied by appropriate travel advice. This information will be listed in the ‘Alerts’ section on each country page of fitfortravel and the 'Emerging Health Risks' section of every TRAVAX country page. This risk-rating is based on a robust public health assessment of the COVID-19 risks for travellers to each country and is regularly reviewed.

In February 2021, the COVID-19 risk for UK travellers was increased in: 

• Bahrain 
• Cuba 
• Malaysia
• Saba 
• Sint Eustatius

This list is up-to-date as of 5 February 2021. The outbreaks index on the TRAVAX (for healthcare practitioners) and the news section of the fitfortravel (for the public) websites can be consulted for further details.

The COVID-19 risk rating and travel advice from the FCDO is being kept under constant review and may change at short notice. All travellers are advised to continue following sensible precautions and consider the sources of information listed below.

Advice for travellers

Before planning or booking international travel, please check: 

• the UK Border Control website, in order to check current rules regarding self-isolation (quarantine) before your planned return to the UK 
• the FCDO website, for country specific Travel Advisory Notices regarding travel and entry restrictions, and review the local medical care available at your destination 
• the COVID-19 risk-rating at your destination, which will be listed in the ‘Alerts’ section of all fitfortravel country pages and the ‘Emerging Health Risks’ section of all TRAVAX country pages 
• the TRAVAX travel insurance page, as such insurance should be considered essential 
• the fitfortravel COVID-19 health considerations for travel page 
• physical distancing and hygiene measures in the country you are visiting

COVID-19 testing requirements for travellers arriving into the UK

Travellers from international destinations, including returning UK nationals, must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test prior to arrival in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The test must be undertaken a maximum of 72 hours prior to departure for the UK. Travellers will have to make arrangements in the destination country to access testing that meets the required pre-departure test standards. Failure to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, or a valid exemption, may result in boarding being denied for the journey, or a fine on arrival. This measure is in addition to the need to self-isolate on return to the UK.

Information relating to travel and COVID-19 is available on the TRAVAX (for healthcare practitioners) and fitfortravel (for the public) websites.

Information on COVID-19 for the general public is available on the NHS Inform (Scotland) and the NHS.UK (rest of the UK) websites.

Information and resources on COVID-19 for health professionals is available on the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) (Scotland) and Public Health England (PHE) (rest of the UK) websites.

Source: TRAVAX, 5 February 2021

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published its annual epidemiological report on diphtheria for 2018. In total, 63 cases of diphtheria were reported, 62 of which were due to toxigenic Corynebacterium diphtheriae (C. diphtheriae) or Corynebacterium ulcerans (C. ulcerans), with one case having an unknown pathogen.

The highest proportion of C. ulcerans cases was among adults aged 65 years and over, whereas C. diphtheriae cases were more common in younger age groups. Among the C. diphtheriae cases, 60% were reported as imported.

Source: ECDC, 3 February 2021

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has published its annual epidemiological report on Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) for 2019. In total, 27 EU/EEA countries reported data, of which one, Bulgaria, reported two cases. CCHF is endemic in the Balkans, and Bulgaria regularly reports a small number of cases in the ECDC’s annual epidemiological report.

Source: ECDC, 3 February 2021

From 26 March 2021, the law around organ and tissue donation in Scotland will change to an opt out system. This means that most adults who die in circumstances where they are able to donate, will be considered as having agreed to be a donor, unless they have recorded a decision not to. It is possible to opt out of the NHS Organ Donor Register at any time, before or after the law changes. For those who support donation, they can still choose to actively record their decision to be a donor on the register, and can also state which organs or tissue they wish to donate.

During February 2021, all households in Scotland will a receive a leaflet explaining the change in the law around organ and tissue donation, as well as an explanation of the choices people have. Everyone aged 16 or over is encouraged to read the leaflet in order to understand why it is important to make their donation decision, record it and share it with family and friends.

Source: Scottish Government, 31 January 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that more counties than ever before have taken steps to protect the health of their populations from radon exposure, although there are many who still need to take action. Radon is a colourless, odourless radioactive gas, formed by the radioactive decay of small amounts of uranium that occur naturally in all rocks and soils, which can accumulate in buildings, including homes, schools and workplaces. In 2019, global residential radon exposure alone is estimated by the WHO to have caused around 84,000 deaths from lung cancer.

As of 4 February 2021, a total of 56 countries had responded to the WHO’s radon survey. The majority have set national reference levels for homes and workplaces, and 44% have developed national radon action plans. A total of 12% have provided radon education for building professionals, and 15% have given financial support to fix existing buildings. None of the countries that have responded to the survey have included mandatory radon measurements in property transactions.

Source: WHO, 4 February 2021

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has published new research, focussing on the impact of COVID-19 on food and drink retail purchasing in Scotland between January and July 2020.

FSS data found that more home cooking and meal ingredients were purchased during lockdown, including canned goods, dried pasta, rice, and pulses. This finding corresponds with results from the recently published FSS COVID-19 tracker, which showed that in May 2020, 40% of people reported cooking from scratch more often, compared to before lockdown. A total of 29% also reported eating healthy meals more often, aligning with the increased amount of vegetables bought during lockdown.

FSS data has also shown that more biscuits, confectionery, and crisps were bought during this time, a finding again supported by results from the COVID-19 tracker, which found that in May 2020, 44% of people reported snacking on cakes, biscuits, confectionery and savoury snacks more often than before lockdown. 

Source: FSS, 2 February 2021

On 2 February 2021, Scotland’s chief statistician published ‘Scotland’s Carbon Footprint: 1998-2017’. The report provides estimates of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions on a consumption basis, meaning emissions that are associated with the spending of Scottish residents on goods and services, wherever in the world these emissions arise, together with emissions directly generated by Scottish households. 

In key findings from the report: 

• Between 2016 and 2017, Scotland’s carbon footprint, which is the emissions from all greenhouse gases, decreased by 3.5% to a record low of 70.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e). 
• Between 1998 and 2017, Scotland’s carbon footprint fell by 21.1%, from 89.6 MtCO2e in 1998 to 70.7 MtCO2e in 2017. 
• Scotland’s carbon footprint rose from 1999 onwards to a peak of 101.1 MtCO2e in 2007, before falling sharply in the following years, coinciding with the recession, and has generally fallen gradually in more recent years. The overall reduction between the 2007 peak and 2017 is 30%.

Source: Scottish Government, 2 February 2021

The European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Network of the Heads of Environmental Protection Agencies (EPAs) organised CleanAir@School, a citizen science initiative to monitor air quality. From 2018 to 2020, pupils, teachers and parents who were engaged in the project used simple, low-cost devices to measure nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels around their schools. The results of the initiative describe how schoolchildren measured pollution levels, learned about air quality, and promoted actions for cleaner air. The initiative also discussed how data collected by citizens might complement official air quality monitoring, in order to communicate and improve understanding of local air quality.

Source: EEA, 1 February 2021