In a statement to Parliament, Health Minister Sajid Javid explained that the measure, introduced at the end of November to prevent the entry of cases of the Omicron variant of covid-19, first identified in South Africa, is no longer effective because it is is already widespread in the UK.
Only Brits and UK residents can travel from countries on the red list, but are subject to a 10-day quarantine at a designated hotel and at their expense.
From Wednesday, the normal rules apply, namely pre-boarding tests and another in the first 48 hours after arrival, being mandatory isolation until a negative result is given.
The British Parliament is debating new measures to contain the wave of cases with the Ómicron variant, namely the need to present a health pass in clubs, shows and large events.
Scotland and Wales already have this system in place, but the proposal to introduce it in England is rejected by many Conservative Party MPs because of the impact on the economy and restricting individual freedoms.
However, even if a large number of deputies decide to defy the Government's orientation, the measures must be approved thanks to the votes of the Labor party, the main opposition force.
The Health Minister defended the need for these restrictions due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant, whose number of cases is doubling every other day in the UK.
While 4713 cases have been identified so far, scientists estimate the actual number to be 42 times that, around 200,000.
Covid-19 has caused at least 5,311,914 deaths worldwide, among more than 269 million infections by the new coronavirus registered since the beginning of the pandemic, according to the most recent report by the Agence France-Presse.
The respiratory disease is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, detected at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, a city in central China, and currently with variants identified in several countries.
A new variant, Omicron, classified as "worrying" by the World Health Organization (WHO), has been detected in southern Africa, but since the South African health authorities raised the alert on 24 November, infections in the skin have been reported. at least 57 countries from all continents, including Portugal.
