The UK government has announced that all 11 countries will be removed from the UK’s travel red list from 4am on Wednesday, Dec. 15.
Nigeria, South Africa, Botswana, Angola, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe are countries placed on the list in late November after the emergence of the Omicron variant.
However, UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the Omicron variant had spread so widely that the rules no longer make much effect.
He told parliament today, Dec. 14: “Now that there is community transmission of Omicron in the UK and Omicron has spread so widely across the world, the travel red list is now less effective in slowing the incursion of Omicron from abroad.
“Whilst we will maintain our temporary testing measures for international travel we will be removing all 11 countries from the travel red list effective from 4am tomorrow morning.”
