International travel: Traffic light system to be scrapped

Northern Ireland's travel rules are departing from the traffic light system from Monday October 4.

There will be a red list, but the amber and green lists will no longer be in operation.

The rules for travelling to NI from non-red-list regions will depend on your vaccination status.

For the purposes of travel, fully vaccinated means someone who has had two doses of a covid-19 vaccine at least 14 days before arriving in NI.

Here's what double-jabbed, inbound passengers need to do from 4.00 am on Monday 4 October when coming from a non-red-list country:

1. Before travelling, book and pay for a day two PCR test to be taken on or before day two following your arrival in Northern Ireland.

2. Complete a UK Passenger Locator Form on arrival or within 48 hours of arrival in Northern Ireland.

3. Be able to prove vaccine status with a vaccine certificate.

Here's what unvaccinated passengers arriving from a non-red-list country need to do:

1. Book and pay for a day two and day eight PCR test package, to be taken after your arrival in Northern Ireland.

2. Take a pre-departure COVID-19 test in the three days before you travel to Northern Ireland.

3. Complete a UK Passenger Locator Form on arrival or within 48 hours of arrival in Northern Ireland.

4. Self-isolate at home, or at the address that put on your Passenger Locator Form where you are staying in Northern Ireland, for 10 days

5. Take a COVID-19 PCR test on or before day two and on or after day eight of your stay.

For red list countries, the rules are the same, regardless of vaccination status. Here's what all arrivals therefore need to do:

1. Only British and Irish Nationals or those with residency rights in the UK will be permitted entry to NI if they have been in a red-list country in the last 10 days.

2. Book and pay for hotel quarantine, which includes PCR tests.

3. Take a pre-departure COVID-19 test in the three days before you travel to Northern Ireland

3. Complete a UK Passenger Locator Form on arrival or within 48 hours of arrival in Northern Ireland

4. Travel directly from your port of arrival to the managed quarantine hotel to begin your managed isolation period.

How to listen to Downtown Country:

Tune into Northern Ireland’s number 1 for Country music, Downtown Country on online, on the Rayo app, your DAB radio, or say ‘Play Downtown Country’ on your Smart Speaker. We play you the best Irish and American country music, from Victoria Quinn in the morning, to Big T’s legendary evening Country show.

Tune into Northern Ireland’s number 1 for Country music, Downtown Country on online, on the Rayo app, your DAB radio, or say ‘Play Downtown Country’ on your Smart Speaker. We play you the best Irish and American country music, from Victoria Quinn in the morning, to Big T’s legendary evening Country show. - hellorayo.co.uk/downtown-country/play/