Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021and shall come into operation at 4.00 a.m. on 30th June 2021.

(2) In these Regulations—

“the International Travel Regulations” means the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021( 3);

“the Passenger Information Regulations” means the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021( 4).

Amendment to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

2.  The Passenger Information Regulations are amended in accordance with regulations 3 and 4.

Amendment to regulations 3 and 4

3.  In regulations 3 and 4 (operator liability in respect of arrivals), after paragraph (2)(a) in each regulation insert—

“(aa) who is being lawfully compelled to travel to the United Kingdom in the course of an extradition, prisoner repatriation or deportation; ”.

Amendment to the Schedule

4.  For Part 2 of the Schedule substitute—

“PART  2 Onboard announcement

The required information to be given in accordance with regulation 11 (4) is:

“The following is a public health message on behalf of the UK’s public health agencies.

However long you intend to stay in the UK, everyone must take a pre-booked covid-19 test within the first two days after you arrive. If you have been in or transited through any countries on the red or amber list you must also take another pre-booked test 8 days after arrival.

If you have been in or transited through an amber or red country within the previous 10 days you must quarantine for the first 10 days after you arrive.

The symptoms of coronavirus are a new continuous cough, a high temperature or a loss of, or change in, normal sense of taste or smell. If you experience any of these symptoms, however mild, you are advised to make yourself known to the crew.

Please follow the Public Health guidance for the area you are living or travelling in.

Visit gov.uk/coronavirus for more advice.” ”.

Amendment to the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

5.  The International Travel Regulations are amended in accordance with regulations 6 to 9.

Amendment to Schedule 1

6.  In Schedule 1 (Red list countries), at the appropriate place in alphabetical order, insert “Dominican Republic”, “Eritrea”, “Haiti”, “Mongolia”, “Tunisia” and “Uganda”.

Amendment to Schedule 2

7.  In Schedule 2 (Green list countries – exempt countries, territories, and parts of countries or territories), at the appropriate place in alphabetical order, insert “Anguilla”, “Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory”, “Antigua and Barbuda”, “Balearic Islands”, “Barbados”, “Bermuda”, “British Indian Ocean Territory”, “British Virgin Islands”, “Cayman Islands”, “Dominica”, “Grenada”, “Madeira”, “Malta”, “Montserrat”, “Pitcairn Islands” and “Turks and Caicos Islands”.

Amendments to Schedule 4

8.—(1) In Schedule 4, in Part 1 (Persons who are exempt), in the table—

(a) after entry 9A insert the following entry—

(b) in entry 22, in column 5 (Requirement to self-isolate – Regulation 10) omit “Exempt (residency condition)”.

(2) In Schedule 4, in Part 2 (Definitions of persons who are exempt, conditions, limitations of exemption and savings), after paragraph 21B insert—

“9B. Transit Passenger (Crown Dependencies)

21C.— (1)  a person who on arrival in Northern Ireland—

(a) passes through to Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man without entering Northern Ireland; or

(b) enters Northern Ireland for the sole purpose of continuing a journey to Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man and—

(i) remains within their port of entry until their departure from Northern Ireland, or

(ii) travels directly from their port of entry to another port of departure in Northern Ireland.

(2)  For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), such evidence may include—

(a) evidence of residency in the Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man;

(b) evidence of a hotel reservation for the day of arrival; or

(c) evidence of immediate direct onward travel plans to Guernsey, Jersey or Isle of Man. ”.

Amendment to Schedule 8

9.  In Schedule 8 (Prohibition on arrival of aircraft and vessels), paragraph 1 omit “Argentina”, “Brazil”, “Cape Verde”, “Chile”, “Ethiopia”, “The Maldives”, “Oman”, “Qatar”, “South Africa” and “United Arab Emirates”.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (“the Passenger Information Regulations”) to remove an operator’s liability for bringing a passenger who has not completed a Passenger Locator Form or is not in possession of a negative pre-departure test result to Northern Ireland if that passenger is being lawfully compelled to travel to the United Kingdom in the course of an extradition, prisoner transfer or deportation.

An amendment is also made to revise the onboard public health announcement on commercial passenger conveyances arriving in Northern Ireland.

These Regulations also amend the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (“the International Travel Regulations”).

Schedule 1 (Red list countries) is amended to include Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Haiti, Mongolia, Tunisia and Uganda.

Schedule 2 (Green list countries – exempt countries, territories and parts of countries or territories) is amended to include Anguilla, Antarctica/British Antarctic Territory, Antigua and Barbuda, Balearic Islands, Barbados, Bermuda, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Madeira, Malta, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands.

Schedule 4 (Persons who are exempt) is amended to include an exemption for passengers transiting to Guernsey, Jersey or the Isle of Man via Northern Ireland from the requirement to possess a day 2/8 testing package on arrival;

Schedule 4 is also amended to remove the residency exemption for specialist aerospace engineers or workers so that they are only exempt from self-isolation when undertaking exempt activity.

Schedule 8 is amended to remove the aircraft ban from Argentina, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Ethiopia, The Maldives, Oman, Qatar, South Africa and United Arab Emirates.

No impact assessment has been prepared for these Regulations.