Covid UK: Dubai goes on the quarantine list

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Celebrities are rushing back to the UK from Dubai before Britain imposes a 72-hour negative Covid test rule on arrivals.

Love Island’s Wes Nelson was among the first wave flying home ahead of the new restrictions from Friday.

The influencer shared a picture on a plane with a glass of champagne as he watched a film in a travel bed.

He got back before passengers returning to the UK from the UAE have to quarantine for 10 days, which was brought in at 4am Tuesday.

But from Friday they will need to have a negative Covid test – using a PCR test or on some occasions a LAMP or lateral flow test – up to 72 hours before their flight.

Nelson had been out with fellow reality TV stars from Love Island, The Only Way is Essex and Geordie Shore.

He appeared to dodge the rules brought in today by flying back to the UK early yesterday, according to his Instagram page.

But others such as Amber Gill, Georgia Steel and Malin Andersson appear to still be out there and, unless the current rules change, will have to isolate on return.

Meanwhile Love Island’s Arabella Chi yesterday jetted out to Dubai before heading to Egypt for modelling work.

She posted on her Instagram page: ‘I know with everything that’s going on at the moment that travelling should be limited but I just wanted to reach out to you guys and say the reason I am travelling and along side this I will be taking extra precautions to make sure I protect myself and most importantly others.

‘I am travelling to Dubai as I have a shoot on Thursday and I have some meetings set up with modelling agencies out there. I am then going onto Egypt to work.’

Social media influencers have been heavily criticised for soaking up the winter sun while the rest of the UK suffers in lockdown back home.

From 4am on January 15, passengers arriving by boat, train or plane will have to take a Covid test up to 72 hours before leaving the country of departure.

They will need to present proof of a negative test result – using a PCR test or on some occasions a LAMP or lateral flow test – to their carrier on boarding while the UK Border Force will conduct spot checks on arrivals.

New arrivals who flout the rules will face a minimum £500 fine, while the operator who transported them will also be fined.

Passengers will still have to quarantine for 10 days regardless of their test results, transport minister Robert Courts said in a statement.

British nationals attempting to return home who test positive must not travel and must follow the local guidance in their host country, and contact the nearest consulate if they need support.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ajman, Fujairah, Umm Al-Quwain, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah have been added to the UK’s quarantine list – meaning social media stars at the Middle Eastern holiday hotspot will need to self-isolate for 10 days.

Transport minister Mr Courts said: ‘If a passenger arrives in England without a pre-departure negative test result they will be fined.

‘We will amend the International Travel Regulations so that fines, starting at £500, can be levied on non-compliant passengers.’

Travellers will have to take an internationally approved test, and Mr Courts said guidance on what was acceptable would be made available to passengers and carriers.

‘We will keep test standards and innovative testing technologies under review,’ he said.

The new rules apply to almost every country in the world, including those on England’s travel corridor list, and further compliance checks are due to be conducted by Border Force staff.

Passengers travelling to England from other UK countries, as well as the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands, will not be covered by the new regulations.

Children under 11 travelling from any country are also exempt from pre-departure testing.

The DfT said there would also be a limited number of exemptions for people like hauliers, air, international rail and maritime crew to allow the free flow of freight.

Travellers from three overseas territories – St Helena, Ascension Island and the Falklands – will be exempt due to lack of testing infrastructure.

Passengers from Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia and Barbados will be exempt until 4am on January 21, again due to lack of testing infrastructure in those countries.

Mr Courts said: ‘Measures are likely to be in place until the end of the current lockdown, although a review will take place before the end of that period.’

He added: ‘With the addition of pre-departure testing requirements, our already robust system to protect against imported cases of coronavirus is further strengthened and will provide the greatest overall protection against the risk of transmission during travel to England and after arrival.’

Other countries in the UK are expected to announce their own plans for pre-arrival testing in the coming days.

Dubai has become a popular lockdown holiday destination for the social media elite with countless influencers and reality stars jetting off to the city for some winter sun.

In November, the UAE was added to the Government’s travel corridor list – meaning Britons could return to England and not need to quarantine.

But on Sunday, Scotland ordered all arrivals from Dubai to self-isolate for 10 days from 4am on Monday after a surge in Covid cases in Dubai arrivals.

It comes as Britain endured its deadliest week in the pandemic so far, with 529 people dying after testing positive for coronavirus.  

The Transport Secretary tweeted: ‘The LATEST data indicates we need to immediately remove the #UAE from the #TRAVELCORRIDOR list.

‘From 0400 Tuesday 12 Jan anyone arriving from the UAE will need to SELF-ISOLATE.’

The Department for Transport (DfT) said it will ‘take decisive action if necessary to contain the virus, including if the public health risk of people returning from a particular country without self-isolating becomes too high’. 

Lockdown measures remain in place, meaning everyone must stay at home unless travelling for a very limited set of reasons, including for work. 

This means people can no longer travel to take holidays or travel internationally unless for work or other legally permitted reasons.

Those in breach of the rules face penalties starting at £200, rising to a maximum of £6,400.

Celebrities understood to still be in Dubai include Love Island stars Jess Gale and Georgia Steel and Geordie Shore’s Chloe Ferry.

They have been heavily criticised for travelling over the festive period, with Kym Marsh hitting out at influencers in Dubai amid the coronavirus restrictions in the UK.

The TV presenter, 44, admitted she was left unimpressed by photos on social media of reality stars living it up in the UAE while Britain is in the midst of its third lockdown.

Many stars have travelled to Dubai using a ‘work’ loophole but Ms Marsh admitted in her OK! magazine column she thinks work trips should be put off for the time being.  

One agent told the Mirror an unidentified star received ‘death threats in [their] direct messages’ following a recent trip to Dubai. 

They said: ‘It’s been relentless. We warned them not to travel abroad while a lot of the nation is under severe restrictions as it’s a terrible look, but they ignored it.’   

The source added that ‘work’ for influencers consists of ‘doing vlogs’ and ‘advertising diet drinks’, which allows the stars to travel in return for publicity.

They added: ‘But it has gone down like a lead balloon with their fans, and you have to wonder if it is really worth it.’  

Love Island stars are among those who have travelled to the UAE in recent months, with some jetting off while parts of the UK remained in strict Tier 3 and Tier 4 lockdown.

However, others departed from areas under Tier 2 lockdown in December, when international travel was permitted.  

Before the third lockdown began, Love Islanders including Laura Anderson, Molly-Mae Hague, Maura Higgins, Amber Davies, Georgia Harrison and Kady McDermott, were all pictured in Dubai. 

The desert city has been an ideal choice for many as visitors aren’t currently required to quarantine upon their return to the UK.

Many stars have insisted their trips are for ‘work’, as the Government currently asks UK residents to avoid any non-essential travel. 

Many influencers have been forced to defend their actions to angry fans on social media after they were criticised for globetrotting during the pandemic, with the UK recording upwards of 68,000 Covid cases yesterday. 

In December, Molly-Mae Hague, 21, who flew to the Maldives following a break in Dubai with Tommy Fury, insisted she didn’t break any rules, as the couple left their Manchester home under Tier 2 restrictions.        

She said: ‘In response to the messages I’m already getting about us being away throughout this time… 

‘Please understand that Tommy and I left the UK from Cheshire which was in Tier 2 at the time. We didn’t break any rules coming away.

‘If we knew these rules were going to be put in place then obviously we would have never left the UK. 

‘The minute we arrive home we will be following government guidelines.’ 

Celtic were been rocked by the news 13 players and three members of their coaching staff have been forced to isolate after their controversial trip to Dubai.

Celtic spent six days in the UAE, where pictures emerged showing members of the squad not distancing or wearing face coverings. 

After being tested upon their return to Glasgow, they had one positive case in defender Christopher Jullien, who is currently injured for the next four months. Manager Neil Lennon and assistant John Kennedy are among those now isolating.

Nicola Sturgeon, who had questioned whether Celtic were following social distancing rules, said: ‘Elite sport has privileges and these privileges can’t be abused. I hope Celtic reflect seriously.’

This week, holidaymakers were warned that they may end up trapped in hotel rooms abroad for two weeks due to new rules preventing British tourists from travelling home if they test positive for coronavirus.  

Britons who test positive at the end of their holiday or business trip will have to follow that country’s local quarantine rules – which could mean up to two weeks confined to a hotel room in places such as Italy, Spain and Dubai. 

Travel expert Alex Macheras told the Mail on Sunday: ‘People need to remember that if you test positive in a foreign country then they will be bound by their local laws and may have to quarantine for up to two weeks.’

In Italy, travellers have to test negative twice before they are released from the country’s two-week quarantine. Dubai also has two-week isolation orders in place for infected people.

Spain has banned British tourists from flying there but those already in the country can fly back home. If they test positive they will have to quarantine at their hotel or holiday accommodation for 14 days.

Mr Macheras said: ‘If people are travelling in a global pandemic then they have to accept there’s going to be disruption and your trip could end up being much longer than you planned.’