The United Arab Emirates, home to popular holiday destination Dubai, has been added to the UK's 'red list' of countries, with all direct flights cancelled.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced yesterday that visitors from the country, along with Burundi and Rwanda, are being banned from entering the UK.
From 1pm on Friday, January 29, no passenger flights from Dubai or Abu Dhabi may arrive in the UK.
British, Irish and third country nationals with residence rights in the UK will be allowed to return from the UAE but they will need to travel via a third country.
They also must self-isolate at home for ten days and won't be able to use the 'Test to Release' scheme that lets quarantinees in England stop self-isolating with a negative test on or after day five.
People without the right to live in the UK and who have been in the UAE in the last 10 days will be refused access to the UK.
The measures have been put in place to stop the spread of highly infectious new coronavirus variants.
Announcing the news last night Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "From tomorrow (Friday 29 Jan at 1pm), we’re extending our travel ban with the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda all added to the UK's red list.
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"This means people who have been in or transited through these countries will be denied entry, except British, Irish and third country nationals with residence rights who must self-isolate for ten days at HOME
"Passengers must still have proof of a negative test and completed Passenger Locator Form before arrival – or could otherwise face a £500 fine for each."
A number of celebrities and social media influencers have been sharing content, including photos, adverts and workout videos, from the UAE.
Celebrities who have uploaded photos which appear to show them in Dubai in recent weeks include The Only Way Is Essex's James Lock and Yazmin Oukhellou.
Former Love Island contestants Gabby Allen, from Allerton, and Georgia Harrison have both also posted from Dubai this month, with the latter writing in her Instagram bio: "Living in Dubai."
Olivia Attwood, who appeared on Love Island in 2017, has criticised influencers who claim they need to be abroad for work during the pandemic.
In a video on Instagram this month, she hit out at social media personalities who are posting paid partnerships from foreign countries while tight coronavirus restrictions remain in place at home.
