Accurate as of: 23 July 2021
Current UK status
Visit https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ for all official information.
- As of 4pm on 22 July 2021, a total of 232,303,132 coronavirus (COVID-19) tests have been conducted in the UK. 5,602,321 people have tested positive.
- 46,433,845 people have had their first dose of the vaccination, while 36,587,904 have been fully vaccinated.
- 153,070 patients in the UK who tested positive for COVID-19 have died.
- Guidance for the current lockdown rules in England can be found here.
UK travel restrictions:
Visit www.gov.uk/government/organisations/foreign-commonwealth-office for all official information.
- The UK government has amended its travelling abroad policy, so that travellers no longer need a ‘valid reason’ to travel abroad, opening up international trips to holidaymakers.
- In order to enter the UK from a green list country (or an amber list country for fully vaccinated Brits), a negative Covid-19 test must be completed 72 hours before travel and presented to staff on planes, trains, and ferries in order to board. A further test must be completed at the travellers’ expense before day two of their return.
- In order to enter the UK from an amber list country, a negative Covid-19 test must be completed 72 hours before travel and presented to staff on planes, trains, and ferries in order to board. For unvaccinated travellers, a further two tests must be completed at the travellers’ expense on days two and eight, and they must self-isolate for 10 days. Fully vaccinated travellers do not have to self-isolate, and simply need to take a day two test upon return.
- People entering the UK from high-risk countries, or “red” countries, will have to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense for 10 days.
Latest updates:
- Most Covid restrictions have now been removed in the UK. There are now no limits on how many people can meet or attend events; nightclubs reopened at midnight; and table service will not be necessary in pubs and restaurants. Face coverings will be recommended in some spaces, but not required by law. (BBC)
- A record 618,903 alerts were sent to users of NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales in a week to 14 July. (BBC)
- Covid passports to be adopted in England for entry to nightclubs and other crowded venues from September, when all adults will have been offered both vaccines. (The Telegraph)
- France has introduced covid health passports. From Wednesday, people need proof of vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery from Covid to enter most museums and cinemas. Later, lawmakers will debate whether to extend its use in August for entry to cafes, restaurants and shopping malls. (BBC)
- Fully jabbed travellers returning to England and Wales from France have to quarantine from Monday 19 July. The government announcement means that anyone who has been in France in the previous 10 days will need to quarantine on arrival to England in their own accommodation and will need a day two and day eight test, regardless of their vaccination status. (BBC)
- Ireland has become the first country in Europe that fully-jabbed British citizens can visit without the need for any Covid-19 tests into or out of the country. There is also no requirement to self-isolate if fully-vaccinated. (Breaking Travel News)
- Registration has opened for WTM London 2021, which will take place as a hybrid event at the ExCeL Centre and online. (TTG)
- Croatia, which moved to the UK’s green watchlist on Monday, has now imposed extra measures on travellers from the UK, Cyprus and Russia because of worsening cases of the virus. All travellers from the UK will have to take a Covid test before entering the country. (TTG)
- A UK-wide ‘Escape the Everyday’ campaign is being stepped up to drive domestic day trips and overnight breaks as the summer holidays begin. The £5.4 million initiative is accelerated this week with the launch of more than 1,200 digital billboard adverts showcasing activities and experiences in cities across the UK as well as advertising on radio, digital audio and podcast platforms. (Travel Weekly)
Social media:
- Instagram has confirmed it’s testing a new anti-harassment tool, Limits, designed for moments of crisis. Limits would give users the ability to temporary lock down their accounts when they’re being targeted by a flood of harassment. (TechCrunch)
- Twitter is testing Reddit style upvote and downvote buttons as a way to better highlight the more interesting and relevant replies in a longer conversation thread. In some cases, the upvote and downvote buttons may be up arrows and down arrows, while in other cases they may be thumbs up and thumbs down buttons. (Twitter)
- It’s been a hell of a year for Clubhouse, but it is finally out of beta. The company announced Wednesday that it would end its waitlist and invite system, opening up to everybody. Now, anybody can follow Clubhouse links, hop into a creator’s community or join any public event. (TechCrunch)
- Tumblr is joining the ecommerce fray with Post+, the platform’s first attempt at allowing users to monetise their content. Post+ is debuting today in limited beta for an exclusive selection of creators in the U.S., who were hand-picked by Tumblr. Like Twitter’s Super Follows, Tumblr’s Post+ lets creators choose which content they want to put behind a paywall, whether that’s original artwork, personal blog posts or fanfic. Creators can set the price for their subscriber-only content starting at $3.99 per month, with additional tiers at $5.99 and $9.99. Tumblr will take a 5% cut from creator profits. (The Verge)
- YouTube will begin pilot testing a new feature that will allow viewers to shop for products directly from livestream videos. The feature will initially launch with just a handful of creators and brands, the company says, and is an expansion of the integrated shopping experience YouTube began beta testing earlier this year. (TechCrunch)
