INTERNATIONAL travellers arriving in Wales will have to take PCR tests and isolate until they test negative as rules are tightened in response to the new Omicron variant of Covid. 

The Welsh Government has confirmed it, in line with the other devolved governments, is adopting the new rules on international travel set out by the UK government. 

Meanwhile professional sides Cardiff Rugby and Scarlets have missed this morning’s 4am deadline to return to the UK, meaning players and staff who had been in South Africa are likely to have to spend 10 days in a quarantine hotel in England. 

Both clubs had been in South Africa for scheduled United Rugby Championship fixtures but announced in the early hours of Friday they intended to fly home in the interests of employee welfare. However neither club has managed to beat the deadline before the requirement changed from arrivals having to isolate at home to doing so at a government approved hotel. 

The new testing requirements mean from 4am on Tuesday anyone arriving from abroad must book and take Covid-19 PCR tests and isolate until they have a negative result. 

When announcing it is adopting the new enhanced travel rules the Labour Welsh Government also reminded its Conservative counterparts in Westminster that it had consistently warned against dropping the requirement for arrivals to undertake PCR tests. 

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We have repeatedly raised our concerns with the UK government about its decision to relax international travel rules quickly, precisely because of the risk of introducing new variants into the UK. We also warned against the removal of PCR tests for returning travellers. 

“We will be introducing the same measures on international travel as those announced this afternoon by the UK government and the other devolved governments.” 

READ MORE: 

PCR tests are processed at laboratories but when the UK Government relaxed travel rules earlier in the autumn it allowed for people to use at home Lateral Flow Tests instead. 

The Welsh Government warned removing PCR tests would make identifying new strains and variants harder. 

In response to the new variant the UK government reintroduced its 'red list' of countries that travel is banned from, meaning only UK or Irish citizens can travel to the UK from those countries and from this morning they must quarantine at an approved hotel.

The red list countries are Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Though the Welsh Government has consistently said rules around international travel should be tighter it has closely followed those set by the UK government. It has said introducing different rules in Wales wouldn’t be possible as most arrivals do so through England, and there are no border restrictions within the UK. 

Yesterday Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced masks will be mandatory in shops and on public transport in England, with confirmation this morning the rules are to come into place from Tuesday. 

Those mirror the requirements already in place in Wales with the Welsh Government having kept rules stating masks must be worn in indoor public places and on public transport when it dropped most restrictions in August. 

A Welsh Government spokesman said it is continuing to remind people to follow the rules and advice in light of the new variant. 

“The emergence of this new variant is a serious development in the ongoing pandemic and reinforces the need for everyone in Wales to get their vaccine or booster when offered, wear face coverings when necessary, and book a test if they develop symptoms,” said the spokesman. 

Labour’s shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy, Speaking to Trevor Phillips On Sunday on Sky News, said the party supports measures on mask wearing but “desperately” wants to see the government “tighten up” travel restrictions. 

She said: “The government is saying everyone has to have a PCR test on day two when they arrive back in the UK, but they’re not suggesting pre-departure tests for people before they board flights. 

“There’s no advice for people about travelling back from the airport on public transport and there are very few checks on the PCR tests that are done. So, these are all things that for months the government has been warned about.” 

Meanwhile the doctor who discovered the Omicron variant has said the UK was “panicking unnecessarily” and that the symptoms are “extremely mild”. 

Dr Angelique Coetzee, chair of the South African Medical Association, told The Andrew Marr Show she first encountered the variant in a man in his early 30s who presented with tiredness and a mild headache, but none of the usual coronavirus symptoms. 

She said: “What we are seeing clinically in south Africa, and remember I’m at the epicentre – that’s where I’m practising – it’s extremely mild. For us, that’s mild cases.” 

When asked if the UK was “panicking unnecessarily”, she said: “I think you already have it there in your country and you’re not knowing it, and I would say, yes, at this stage I would say definitely. 

“Two weeks from now maybe we will say something different.” 

The chief medical officer of vaccine firm Moderna has said while Omicron is a “dangerous-looking” variant, he is “optimistic” about fighting it. 

Dr Paul Burton said: “I think we have cause to be hopeful, we’ve learnt a lot about this virus in general.” 

Dr Burton said researchers will have a better idea about the effectiveness of the current vaccines against Omicron in the “next couple of weeks”, but if a new vaccine is required that could be produced on a large scale by early 2022. 

Additional reporting: The Press Association 

If you value The National's journalism, help grow our team of reporters by becoming a subscriber.