Love Island's Wes Nelson among first to rush back to UK from Dubai before 72-hour negative Covid test rule
WES Nelson is among the first celebs to rush back to the UK from Dubai before a compulsory 72-hour negative Covid test is needed for arrivals.
The influencer, who was on Love Island in 2018, shared a picture on his Instagram of him on a plane with a glass of champagne, choosing an in-flight film.
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He also just missed the compulsory 10-day quarantine for passengers arriving from the UAE – which came into force at 4am on Tuesday.
And from Friday, arrivals will need to have a negative Covid test from up to 72 hours before their flight.
Yesterday, the UAE was removed from Britain's travel corridor list – meaning travellers will need to self-isolate on their return.
Bikini-clad influencers will now have to quarantine when they come back from Dubai after it was booted off the nation’s safe list of destinations.
The middle eastern holiday hotspot, which has rammed full of celebrity influencers like Gabby Allen and Molly-Mae Hague has seen a spike in cases – which have doubled in a week.
While Wes Nelson seems to have dodged the rules, other Love Islanders such as Georgia Steel and Amber Gill appear to still be in Dubai.
This means that they will have to quarantine for 10 days on their return to the UK.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said yesterday: "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."
He later tweeted: "Current NATIONAL RESTRICTIONS do not permit international travel other than for specific reasons.
"Ignoring the rules costs lives. Inconsiderate and selfish behaviour puts others at risk & is unfair to those following the rules to beat the virus.
"Stay at home. Save lives."
Scotland had already removed the United Arab Emirates – which includes holiday destinations Dubai and Abu Dhabi – from the list.
RACE BACK HOME
Scots Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said: “Imposing quarantine requirements on those arriving in the UK is our first defence in managing the risk of imported cases from communities with high risks of transmission.
"That is why we have made the decision to remove Dubai from the country exemptions list.”
As a "hub" destination it also removes quarantine free travel from destinations in the far east.
The high-profile influencers have faced backlash in recent weeks for travelling abroad during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic – and some seemingly flouting Tier 4 restrictions in order to do so.
Love Island's Arabella Chi yesterday jetted out to Dubai before heading to Egypt for modelling work- and posted a disclaimer on her Instagram.
She wrote: "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 alongside 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."
All those returning to the UK must now have a negative Covid test – using a PCR test or, on some occasions, a lateral flow test – and present proof before boarding and on arrival.
New arrivals who flout the rules will face a minimum £500 fine, while the operator who transported them will also be fined.
The new rules come as the daily Covid deaths today jumped by more than 1,000 again as cases rose by a further 45,533.
The total number of people who have died from the disease now stands at 83,203 as a mutant strain continues to rampage across the country.
The total number of infections is now 3,164,051 after 45,533 more tested positive.
This is lower than yesterday when 46,169 more cases were reported but today's death toll of 1,243 is higher than the 529 recorded.
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