| Date. |
Domestic restrictions. |
International travel. |
| 2020 |
| Jan 31 | (First two Covid cases in UK confirmed) | |
| Feb 10 | Secretary of State given powers to order persons infected with covid to isolate.
(SI2020/129) | |
| Feb 25 | Travellers from northern Italy told to self-isolate on return | |
| Mar 6 | (First UK death.) | |
| Mar 10-13 | (Cheltenham Races.) | |
| Mar 11 | (WHO declares pandemic.) | |
| Mar 24 | Lockdown 1
* "Stay at home: Protect the NHS: Save Lives".
* Only go outside for food, health reasons or essential work
* Stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
* Wash your hands as soon as you get home
* Do not meet others, even friends or family.
(Coronavirus Act;
SI2020/350)
| |
| May 10 | (Boris Johnson outlines steps to ending lockdown)
| |
| May 13 | "Stay alert: Control the Virus: Save Lives".
Some workers return, unlimited exercise, meet 1 person outdoors.
(SI2020/500) | |
| May 25 | (Dominic Cummings press conference) | |
| Jun 1 | Some primary school classes resume; outdoor markets open; social groups of 6 people allowed outdoors
(SI2020/558) | |
| Jun 8 | Dentists resume. Places of worship open for private prayer. | |
| Jun 14 | |
Self-isolation for 14 days for returning travellers.
(SI2020/568) |
| Jun 15 | Non-essential shops open, household bubbles introduced
(SI2020/588)
Face coverings required on public transport
(SI2020/592) | |
| Jun 17 | Premier League matches resume without spectators | |
| Jul 4 | Pubs, restaurants, cinemas, services of worship open;
two households can meet indoors.
Restrictions remain in Leicester. | |
| Jul 7 | |
Self-isolation: exempt countries introduced
(SI2020/691)
Andorra; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Australia; Austria; The Bahamas; Barbados; Belgium; Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba; Croatia; Curaçao; Cyprus; Czech Republic; Denmark; Dominica; Faroe Islands; Fiji; Finland; France; French Polynesia; Germany; Greece; Greenland; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Hong Kong; Hungary; Iceland; Italy; Jamaica; Japan; Liechtenstein; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Macau; Malta; Mauritius; Monaco; The Netherlands; New Caledonia; New Zealand; Norway; Poland; Réunion; Saint Barthélemy; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Pierre and Miquelon; San Marino; Serbia; Seychelles; South Korea; Spain; Switzerland; Taiwan; Trinidad and Tobago; Turkey; Vatican City State; Vietnam; The Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the Island of Cyprus; Anguilla; Bermuda; British Antarctic Territory; British Indian Ocean Territory; British Virgin Islands; Cayman Islands; Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands; Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; Turks and Caicos Islands.
|
| Jul 11 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Serbia
(SI2020/724) |
| Jul 24 | Face coverings required in shops and banks
(SI2020/791) | |
| Jul 25 | Indoor gyms, swimming pools and other sports facilities open | |
| Jul 26 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Spain
(SI2020/805) |
| Jul 28 | |
Self-isolation: exempt Estonia, Latvia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Slovakia & Slovenia
(SI2020/799) |
| Jul 30 | Self-isolation after contact extended from 7 to 10 days. | |
| Jul 31 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Luxembourg
(SI2020/819) |
| Aug 1 | ("Eat Out to Help Out" starts)
Restrictions in Bradford & Blackburn
(SI2020/822) | |
| Aug 5 | Restrictions in Gtr Manchester, parts of Lancashire & W Yorks
(SI2020/828) | |
| Aug 8 | Facemask rules extended to cinemas, concert halls, bingo halls, museums, libraries,
community centres & places of worship
(SI2020/839) | |
| Aug 9 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Andorra, The Bahamas & Belgium
(SI2020/841) |
| Aug 11 | |
Self-isolation: exempt Brunei & Malaysia
(SI2020/841) |
| Aug 15 | Close contact beauty salons open | |
| Aug 15 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Aruba, France, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands & Turks and Caicos Islands
(SI2020/866) |
| Aug 22 | Facemask rules extended to clubs, conference centres, and casinos
(SI2020/882) | |
| Aug 22 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Austria, Croatia & Trinidad and Tobago; exempt Portugal
(SI2020/890) |
| Aug 29 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Czech Republic, Jamaica & Switzerland; exempt Cuba
(SI2020/913) |
| Aug 31 | ("Eat Out to Help Out" ends) | |
| Sep 9 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Greek islands
(SI2020/959) |
| Sep 12 | |
Self-isolation: apply to French Polynesia, Hungary, Portugal & Réunion; exempt The Azores, Madeira & Sweden
(SI2020/980) |
| Sep 14 | Rule of Six limit introduced
(SI2020/986) | |
| Sep 15 | Restrictions in Birmingham, Sandwell and Solihull
(SI2020/988) | |
| Sep 18 | Restrictions in NE England
(SI2020/1010) | |
| Sep 19 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Guadeloupe & Slovenia; exempt Singapore & Thailand
(SI2020/1013) |
| Sep 22 | Redraw areas restricted; linked childcare households
(SI2020/1019) | |
| Sep 23 | Facemask rules extended to taxis
(SI2020/1021) | |
| Sep 24 | Facemask rules extended to theatres, restaurants and pubs
(SI2020/1026)
10pm pub curfew | |
| Sep 26 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Curaçao, Denmark, Iceland & Slovakia
(SI2020/1039) |
| Sep 30 | Restrictions in wider area of NW
(SI2020/1057) | |
| Oct 3 | Restrictions in Liverpool, Warrington, Hartlepool and Middlesbrough
(SI2020/1074) |
Self-isolation: apply to Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba, Poland & Turkey
(SI2020/1076) |
| Oct 10 | |
Self-isolation: exempt Greek islands except Crete and Mykonos
(SI2020/1094) |
| Oct 14 | Three-tier system introduced.
Tier 3 was originally just Liverpool City Region.
(SI2020/1103)
(SI2020/1104)
(SI2020/1105)
| |
| Oct 17 | Lancashire raised to Tier 3
(SI2020/1131)
Essex & Greater London raised to Tier 2
(SI2020/1128)
| |
| Oct 18 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Italy, San Marino & Vatican City
(SI2020/1129) |
| Oct 23 | Greater Manchester raised to Tier 3
(SI2020/1154)
| |
| Oct 24 | South Yorkshire raised to Tier 3.
Slough, Cheshire, Coventry & Stoke-on-Trent raised to Tier 2
(SI2020/1154)
| |
| Oct 25 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Liechtenstein; exempt Crete and Mykonos, Canary Islands, Denmark & Maldives
(SI2020/1161) |
| Oct 27 | Warrington raised to Tier 3
(SI2020/1176) | |
| Oct 30 | Nottinghamshire raised to Tier 3
(SI2020/1183) | |
| Oct 31 | Various areas raised to Tier 2
(SI2020/1189)
(SI2020/1192)
| |
| Nov 1 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Cyprus & Lithuania
(SI2020/1190) |
| Nov 5 | Lockdown 2 ("circuit-breaker").
Pubs, restaurants, gyms, non-essential shops and places of worship close, but schools, colleges and universities can stay open.
(SI2020/1200) | |
| Nov 6 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Denmark
(SI2020/1227) (Mink crisis) |
| Nov 7 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Germany and Sweden
(SI2020/1227) |
| Nov 14 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Greece (except some islands) & Cyprus Sovereign Bases; exempt Bahrain, Cambodia, Chile, Iceland, Laos, Qatar, UAE & Turks and Caicos Islands
(SI2020/1277) |
| Nov 21 | |
Self-isolation: exempt Bonaire, Sint Eustatius & Saba, Israel, Jerusalem, Namibia, Northern Mariana Islands, Rwanda, Sri Lanka, Uruguay and US Virgin Islands
(SI2020/1323) |
| Nov 28 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Estonia & Latvia; exempt Aruba, Bhutan, Kiribati, Mongolia, Micronesia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga & Vanuatu
(SI2020/1360) |
| Dec 2 | 3-tier system resumes
(SI2020/1374) | |
| Dec 8 | (First Pfizer/BioNTech vaccination) | |
| Dec 12 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Canary Islands; exempt Botswana & Saudi Arabia. Period reduced to 10 days.
(SI2020/1517) |
| Dec 14 | Self-isolation period after contact reduced from 14 days to 10
(SI2020/1518) |
Ability to shorten self-isolation by a test-to-release scheme.
(SI2020/1517) |
| Dec 16 | Urgent tier changes: London, Essex & parts of Herts raised to Tier 3.
(SI2020/1533) | |
| Dec 19 | Various tier changes.
(SI2020/1572) |
Self-isolation: apply to Namibia, US Virgin Islands & Uruguay
(SI2020/1595) |
| Dec 20 | Tier 4 introduced, covering Greater London and parts of East & South-East England.
(SI2020/1611)
| |
| Dec 23 | |
Prohibition of air travel from South Africa
Additional measures introduced for South Africa: households of arriving travellers required to self-isolate
(SI2020/1644)
|
| Dec 25 | Boris saves Christmas Day
(SI2020/1611) | |
| Dec 26 | Tier changes: extension of Tier 4 in East & South-East England. Nowhere is left in Tier 1.
(SI2020/1646) | |
| Dec 31 | Tier changes. Most of the country is now Tier 4 - nowhere is left in Tier 2.
(SI2020/1654) | |
| 2021 |
| Jan 4 | (First Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccination)
Schools re-open for one day | |
| Jan 6 | Universal Tier 4 - Lockdown 3.
(SI2021/8) | |
| Jan 9 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Botswana, Israel, Jerusalem, Mauritius & Seychelles
Additional measures: insert Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, Zambia & Zimbabwe
(SI2021/18) |
| Jan 12 | |
Self-isolation: apply to UAE
(SI2021/25) |
| Jan 15 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Chile, Madeira & The Azores
Additional measures: insert Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Madeira, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Suriname, The Azores, Uruguay & Venezuela
Prohibition of arrivals from Argentina, The Azores, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Madeira, Portugal & South Africa
(SI2021/47) |
| Jan 16 | |
Self-isolation: apply to Aruba, Qatar and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius & Saba.
(SI2021/49) |
| Jan 18 | |
Self-isolation: all exemptions cancelled.
(SI2021/49) |
| Jan 22 | |
Additional measures: insert DR Congo & Tanzania
(SI2021/68) |
| Jan 29 | |
Additional measures: insert Burundi, Rwanda and UAE. Prohibition on arrivals: insert an entry for UAE
(SI2021/98) |
| Feb 15 | |
British residents arriving in England from "Additional measures" countries have to quarantine in hotels.
Everyone arriving in the UK required to test for coronavirus on days two and eight of their isolation.
(SI2021/150) |
| Feb 22 | ("Road map" published.) | |
| Mar 8 |
Facemask rules extended to polling stations
(SI2021/247)
Step 1a: Schools start to re-open
| |
| Mar 19 | |
Additional measures: omit The Azores, Madeira, Mauritius & Portugal; insert Ethiopia, Oman, Qatar & Somalia.
Prohibition on arrivals: omit The Azores, Madeira & Portugal; insert Ethiopia, Oman & Qatar.
(SI2021/348) |
| Mar 29 | Step 1b: (School hols) Rule of 6 outdoors.
|
Restrictions on leaving the United Kingdom without a reasonable excuse.
(SI2021/364) |
| Apr 7 | (First Moderna vaccination) | |
| Apr 9 | |
Additional measures: insert Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan & Philippines
(SI2021/447) |
| Apr 12 | Step 2: retail, outdoor hospitality open. Eased rules for visiting care homes.
| |
| Apr 23 | |
Additional measures: insert India
(SI2021/498) |
| May 12 | |
Additional measures and arrival ban: insert Maldives and Turkey
(SI2021/571) |
| May 17 | Step 3: indoor hospitality open. Rule of 6 indoors, groups of 30 outdoors.
|
Traffic light system for foreign travel. People returning to the UK require proof of a negative test, taken within 3 days before the service on which they will arrive in England departs. Those returning from amber countries must also book and pay for day 2 and day 8 COVID-19 travel tests for when they return to the UK; only the day 2 test is required for those returning from green countries.
(SI2021/582)
|
| Jun 8 | |
Portugal moved from green to amber. Afghanistan, Bahrain, Costa Rica, Egypt, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Trinidad and Tobago to red.
(SI2021/670) |
| Jun 21 | 30 person limit removed on weddings and wakes.
Relaxation on quarantine rules in care homes.
(SI2021/705) | |
| Jun 30 | |
Destinations added to the green list:
Europe: The Balearic Islands (which include Ibiza, Menorca, Majorca and Formentera), Malta and Madeira
Caribbean: Antigua, Barbados, Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada
UK overseas territories: Anguilla and Montserrat, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Pitcairn, and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Destinations added to the red list:
Dominican Republic, Eritrea, Haiti, Mongolia, Tunisia and Uganda.
(SI2021/766)
|
| Jul 18/19 | Step 4. Bonfire of regulations.
(SI2021/848)
| Double-vaccinated UK citizens will no longer have to self-isolate on return from amber-list countries, except France.
Bulgaria and Hong Kong move to green; Croatia and Taiwan join the green watchlist.
Balearics & BVI moved from green to amber.
Cuba, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sierra Leone move to red.
(SI2021/865)
|
| Aug 2 | |
Relaxation of some testing requirements.
(SI2021/914)
| |
| Aug 8 | |
France treated the as other amber-list countries for double-vaccinated UK citizens.
Austria, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Romania, Slovakia & Slovenia move to green-list.
Bahrain, India, Qatar & United Arab Emirates change from red to amber.
Georgia, Réunion, Mayotte & Mexico become red.
(SI2021/923)
|
| Aug 16 | Fully-vaccinated contacts not required to self-isolate.
(SI2021/851) |
| Aug 30 | |
Azores, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Liechtenstein & Lithuania move to green-list.
Montenegro & Thailand become red.
(SI2021/966)
|
| Sep 22 | |
Egypt, Kenya, Maldives, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka & Turkey change from red to amber.
(SI2021/1066)
|
| Oct 4 | |
Exempts "eligible travellers" (fully vaccinated) from isolation reqts.
All green-list countries move to amber.
(SI2021/1107)
|
| Oct 11 | |
Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Cape Verde, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Eritrea,
Eswatini, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Georgia, Guyana, Indonesia, Lesotho, Malawi, Mayotte, Mexico, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia,
Nepal, Paraguay, Philippines, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad and Tobago,
Tunisia, Uganda, Uruguay, Zambia & Zimbabwe change from red to amber.
(SI2021/1130)
|
| Nov 1 | |
All remaining red-list countries change to amber.
(SI2021/1210)
|
| Nov 26 | |
Omicron variant.
Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa & Zimbabwe change to red.
(SI2021/1323)
|
| Nov 28 | |
Angola, Malawi, Mozambique & Zambia change to red.
(SI2021/1331)
|
| Nov 30 | Self-isolation required for contacts of Omicron cases.
(SI2021/1338)
Masks required on public transport, shops and banks.
(SI2021/1340)
|
Testing & isolation for eligible travellers.
(SI2021/1339)
|
| Dec 6 | |
Nigeria changes to red.
(SI2021/1367)
|
| Dec 10 | "Plan B."
Work from home if possible.
Masks required in churches, cinemas, museums, libraries, theatres and like places (NOT restaurants, pubs, nightclubs & gyms).
(SI2021/1400)
| |
| Dec 15 |
Vaccine passports required in nightclubs.
(SI2021/1416)
|
Red list cancelled.
(SI2021/1434)
|
| 2022 |
| Mar 25 |
Coronavirus Act 2020, and all orders made under it, automatically lapsed.
|
| Apr 1 |
Free testing ended
|
|
© Keith Edkins 2022.
