Coronavirus: 17 African nations banned from entering UK

Seventeen African countries have been blacklisted from entering the United Kingdom as part of measures to combat the coronavirus. This is according to a Department of Transport notice issued late last month.

The list contains South Africa, Africa’s most impacted nation in terms of infections. The Southern Africa region has the biggest chunk of countries followed by East Africa. Rwanda is on record to have protested the measure.

"If you have been in or through any of the countries listed below in the last 10 days, you will be refused entry to the UK," the notice read in part. The UK is grappling with one of the highest per capita coronavirus death rates in the world.

Affected African countries

Angola
Botswana
Burundi
Cape Verde
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eswatini
Lesotho
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Rwanda
Seychelles
South Africa
Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe

This list of countries, sometimes referred to as the ‘red list,’ contained a total of 33 countries. The sixteen remaining nations are below.

Affected non-African countries

Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores)
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Uruguay
Venezuela
Suriname

British and Irish Nationals, or third country nationals with residence rights in the UK will be able to enter the UK. They must self-isolate for 10 days on arrival along with their household. They cannot use the Test to Release scheme, the statement added.