A ban on leaving the United Kingdom without a reasonable excuse is included in new Covid-19 coronavirus laws coming into force in England next week.
The legislation for restrictions over the coming months, as the Government sets out its road map for coming out of lockdown, was published today.
Entitled the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Steps) (England) Regulations 2021, the laws come into force on March 29.
According to the legal document: “The Regulations also impose restrictions on leaving the United Kingdom without a reasonable excuse (regulation 8).”
The law says no-one may “leave England to travel to a destination outside the United Kingdom, or travel to, or be present at, an embarkation point for the purpose of travelling from there to a destination outside the United Kingdom” without a reasonable excuse and suggests anyone who breaks them could face a £5,000 fine.
The rules must be reviewed by the Government every 35 days, according to the legal papers.
The new lockdown laws, which come in on March 29, are part B of the first step on the Prime Minister's roadmap.
The 'stay at home' rule will end on Monday, meaning you do not need a 'reasonable excuse' to leave your house - and the Rule of Six will return, meaning that up to six people from six different households, or as many people as you like from just two households, can meet outdoors.
