England adds four more countries to Covid travel ban list

The countries have been added to the 'red list' to protect against new variants

Four more countries are set to be added to England's Covid travel ban list, it has been revealed. As of 9 April, Bangladesh, Kenya, the Philippines and Pakistan will all be added to the country's 'red list,' the government has today announced. According to the travel ban, all travellers who have visited or passed through any of the countries on the red list with high Covid infection rates in the past 10 days will not be able to enter the UK. The new rules comes into force at 4am on 9 April, it has been confirmed. This excludes British or Irish nationals, or individuals who have residence rights in the UK, however they must quarantine for 10 days in one of the government-regulated hotels upon entering the country. According to the UK government, if you enter the UK from Bangladesh, Kenya, the Philippines or Pakistan before the deadline on 9 April, you will be required to self-isolate for 10 days and take a Covid test on day 2 and day 8 of your isolation. In a statement, the government said: "Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh have been added to England’s red list to protect the country against new variants of coronavirus (COVID-19), at a critical time for the vaccine programme. "With over 30 million vaccinations delivered in the UK so far, the additional restrictions will help to reduce the risk of new variants – such as those first identified in South Africa (SA) and Brazil – entering England." The list of countries on the UK government's 'red list' include: Angola, Argentina, Bangladesh ( from 9 April), Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Eswatini, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Guyana, Kenya (from 9 April), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Oman, Pakistan (from 9 April), Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines (from 9 April), Qatar, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.