International travel continues to be impacted due to COVID-19, and the number of variant strains which have emerged globally. Guidance on international travel is available for people living in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. 

There are currently no countries on the international travel red list, although the policy is continuing in Scotland with some managed quarantine capacity remaining in place in order to react to any change in assessment that would see a country added to the list. It should be noted that the travel lists may be amended at short notice, and do not indicate which destinations are currently allowing UK travellers to enter their country, nor if the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against travel to these countries. Information relating to this can be checked on the relevant FCDO foreign travel advice country pages.

From 7 January 2022, people travelling to Scotland from abroad who are fully vaccinated, or under the age of 18, will no longer need to take pre-departure COVID-19 tests, and will also no longer be required to self-isolate on arrival until they have received a negative result. Travellers in this group will still need to complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF) and take a lateral flow test within two days of arrival in the UK. Anyone who tests positive on their lateral flow test will need to isolate and take a free confirmatory PCR test. 

Testing and quarantine rules may differ in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland, therefore travellers must ensure they comply with the rules appropriate to the UK nation they arrive in and, if different, reside in.

Country specific COVID-19 risk

Country pages on the fitfortravel (for the general public) and TRAVAX (for health professionals) websites include a COVID-19 country specific risk-rating, which identifies the risk of exposure to COVID-19 for UK travellers. This information is 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 identifies each country as having either: 

• a high risk of exposure to COVID-19 for UK travellers, or  
• a risk of exposure to COVID-19 for UK travellers

For all countries, travellers should be aware that the risk of COVID-19 may change at short notice. Countries categorised as having a high risk of exposure to COVID-19 either have a high risk of exposure for travellers to COVID-19, or a high risk of emerging or known variants of coronavirus. Travellers should be advised to avoid non-essential travel to high risk countries, even if fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

As of 7 January 2022, the following countries and territories continue to have a FCDO advisory warning against travel and have therefore been classified as having a high risk of exposure to COVID-19: 

• Afghanistan 
• Burundi 
• Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) 
• East Timor (Timor-Leste) 
• Guinea-Bissau 
• Haiti 
• Nicaragua 
• Turkmenistan 
• Venezuela 
• Yemen

Advice for travellers

Prior to booking any international travel, travellers must first check if the country they are travelling to is currently accepting UK travellers.

• The FCDO foreign travel advice country pages have up-to-date information on entry rules, in response to coronavirus (COVID-19), under the Entry Requirements section.  
• Travellers should be aware that some countries or territories may require proof of COVID-19 vaccination status for entry. Guidance for demonstrating COVID-19 vaccination status is available for those living in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

It is advised that travellers are aware of all travel restrictions, self-isolation rules and precautions they should take, in order to reduce their risk of exposure to coronavirus (COVID-19) before, during and after travel, as detailed on the fitfortravel COVID-19 health considerations for travel page.

Source: TRAVAX, 10 January 2022

As of 11 January 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) has reported 385 suspected cases, including two deaths, of hepatitis E in Lai district, Tandjile region, Chad.

In June 2021, Tandjile region experienced heavy rainfall which has had a significant impact on water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure, creating favourable conditions for hepatitis E transmission.

Advice for travellers

Hepatitis E is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis. Travellers at highest risk of infection are those: 

• travelling to regions with poor sanitation and hygiene, such as aid workers and disaster relief volunteers 
• planning to consume local dishes of raw, or undercooked, pork products or shellfish

All travellers should be given advice on: 

• maintaining safe food and water precautions 
• performing effective hand hygiene 
• avoiding consumption of raw, or undercooked, pork and game products, and shellfish

This advice must be emphasised to pregnant and immunosuppressed travellers, including those with solid-organ transplants, while it should be noted there is no vaccine available to protect against hepatitis E in the UK.

Further advice and information on Hepatitis E is available on the TRAVAX (for health professionals) and fitfortravel (for the general public) websites.

Source: TRAVAX, 19 January 2022

The World Health Organization (WHO) has published the first in a series of biennial reports, describing their efforts to elevate adolescent health through collaboration and the coordination of new initiatives. The aim of this project is to expand the scope of work and establish objectives with its development partners and adolescents.

Data from the WHO show that considerable gains from investments in maternal and child health programmes do not last into adolescence, with the decline in child mortality not echoed by a similar drop in adolescent deaths. Of the estimated 1.2 billion adolescents worldwide, many have missed health services that consider their specific needs, with over 2000 deaths every day, largely from preventable causes.

Source: WHO, 18 January 2022

While welcoming initiatives for reducing food waste, Food Standards Scotland (FSS) reminds consumers that they do not advise use of the sniff test as a method for checking if food can be eaten without harm.

To control the risks of food poisoning, FSS advises that food businesses must apply the appropriate date labels to their products, based on the scientific evidence for their safety and shelf life. The use by date is the most important storage instruction, meaning the food can be used until the end of this date but not after. Manufacturers apply these to perishable foods that can go off quickly to ensure they are eaten before any harmful bugs that may be present are able to grow to levels that can cause illness.

Foods that do not have a use by date are usually labelled best before, which means that they will be safe to eat after this date, but may not be at their best, for example products may have lost their flavour or gone stale. For best before labelled foods, FSS advise that it should be safe to use smell or appearance to decide if they can be consumed, but the label should always be consulted first.

Source: FSS, 18 January 2022

In response to the global climate emergency, Scotland’s Climate Change Plan update for 2020 has set out a commitment to reduce car travel by 20% by 2030. Transport accounts for a quarter of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions, with cars making up almost 40% of transport emissions. Carbon-reduction modelling has concluded it will not be possible to reach net-zero emissions through technological solutions alone, therefore reducing car use is essential for the transport system to be decarbonised at a pace that meets the statutory emissions targets set by the Scottish Parliament.

The route map, co-developed by Transport Scotland and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), sets out the suite of transport and non-transport policies that will be implemented to support car-use reduction. Through this consultation, the Scottish Government aim to understand further public opinion on the approach taken in the route map, as well as opinion on the potential impacts, and mitigation of said impacts, of the interventions on groups with protected characteristics, island communities, and across socio-economic disparity.

The consultation is open until 6 April 2022.

Source: Scottish Government, 13 January 2022

The Scottish Environmental Incident Surveillance System (SEISS) recorded the following incidents in the past week: 

• On 16 January 2022, BBC News reported that a hotel in Edinburgh was evacuated while investigations into a mysterious smell were carried out. Two fire engines and Scottish Gas Networks (SGN) were sent to St Andrew Square on the afternoon of 15 January 2022, following reports of a suspected gas leak. However, SGN later reported that no gas leak had been found and the fire service left the location later that evening. 
• On 17 January 2022, BBC News reported an incident of pollution in the River Esk at Musselburgh, after a countryside ranger spotted an unusual residue that appeared to be discharging into the river. Specialist officers from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) identified a manhole filled with an as yet unknown material leading to a watercourse as the likely source of the discharge. Absorbent pillows were put in place by East Lothian Council in order to protect the river, and local residents were warned that the pollution discharge gave off an odour that could linger. SEPA and East Lothian Council are arranging for a contractor to remove the polluted material, while its joint investigation into the cause continues.

More detailed information can be found on the SEISS website.