Travellers visiting England will be stopped from entering the country if they cannot provide a negative COVID test result.
From 4am on Monday (January 18), all international passengers will be required to take a test 72 hours before departure.
Anyone who cannot show proof of a negative test result must be blocked from boarding flights, ferries or trains to England.
The government has warned that both travel operators and ticket-holders may be fined for non-compliance.
All arrivals will still need to self-isolate for 10 days once they are in the UK.
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The new travel rule was originally set to be introduced on Friday (January 15), but is now being brought in next week to “give international arrivals time to prepare”.
UPDATE: To give international arrivals time to prepare ⏱️ passengers will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test before departure to England from MONDAY 18 JANUARY at 4am 📅
The transport minister Robert Courts said: “Both globally and domestically we are seeing significant increases in levels of coronavirus, including the emergence of worrying new strains.
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“It is therefore imperative that we ensure we are doing all we can to protect travel, reduce the risk of imported infections, including from new variants, and protect our NHS while national lockdown and vaccinations take effect.”
Airline body representatives said the new measures were necessary but warned that the industry “could not afford” for pre-departure testing to be a longstanding process – with the travel industry anticipating another challenging few months.
Manchester Airport has called on the government to provide clarity as to how international travel will resume – as well as details of financial support for transport hubs.
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Budget airline Ryanair has already cut its traffic forecast for the year (to March 21) from below 35 million to 26-30 million.
Furloughed EasyJet staff have been drafted in to provide support to the NHS across England, with cabin crew members undergoing ‘immunisation training to become fully-qualified in administering the vaccine.’
Johan Lundgren, easyJet CEO said: “We are incredibly proud that once again our pilots and crew can help to support the NHS and that we can play our part for the nation at this time – and I know so many of them will step up to help at this challenging time for the country.
“The progress the country is making on the vaccination programme is an exciting and much-needed development.
“Once rolled out, it will enable normal life to return and is undoubtedly the key to unlocking travel again and enabling travel for work, to visit friends and family or for a much-needed holiday.”
For more information about entry requirements for England, visit the government website.
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Salford man jailed after pointing loaded gun at police and members of public while on the run
Emily Sergeant
A man from Salford has been jailed for more than a decade after he pointed a loaded gun at police officers and members of the public while he was on the run.
Jay Conway, of Leicester Walk in Salford, appeared at Manchester Crown Court last week (6 March 2026) where he pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm without a licence, possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and assault of an emergency worker, as well as also pleading guilty to possession with intent to supply class A and class B drugs.
His sentencing comes after officers from Greater Manchester Police‘s (GMP) Salford Challenger team were patrolling Albert Park in plain clothes on Tuesday 20 May 2025.
They spotted a man riding an e-bike and wearing a balaclava, and attempted to detain him there and then, but despite their best efforts, he fled the area, brandishing what officers believed to be a pistol in the process.
The suspect – which was later identified as Conway – stole a bike and cycled on to Great Clowes Street, where a neighbourhood officer heading towards the incident attempted to detain him but he resisted. The officer deployed his Taser but he drew the pistol for a second time, pointing it at police and also at a member of the public.
Conway then dropped the firearm – which police later confirmed as a viable, loaded pistol – and a mobile phone, and fled for a second time.
Thanks to a ‘fast-paced and thorough’ investigation by specialist GMP teams, involving forensic analysis of the phone and CCTV which identified Conway as the suspect, he was arrested by armed officers the following day in Whalley Range.
“Nobody – a police officer or a member of the public – should be confronted by a gun,” said Detective Superintendent Simon Moyles, following Conway’s sentencing.
“These were frightening incidents and Conway is clearly a dangerous individual who is rightly serving a prison sentence. We need to commend and recognise our officers who showed immense bravery in trying to stop Conway.
“Guns have no place on our streets and the work we are doing in Salford, and across Greater Manchester, in relation to firearms incidents continues.
“If you know anyone who is using, or possesses, an illegal firearm, we urge you to get in touch with us as, for each firearm we recover, that’s potentially a life saved.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Nearly 300 new ‘social rent’ homes given go-ahead as part of £500m Wythenshawe regeneration
Emily Sergeant
Nearly 300 new homes are set to be built in Wythenshawe as part of a wider £500 million regeneration scheme.
In case you didn’t know, Placemaker Muse and Wythenshawe Community Housing Group submitted three separate planning applications for 422 new affordable homes back in December 2025, following a public consultation with locals.
Now, works on two of the three new communities can begin, with the third expected to get the green light in the coming weeks.
Brotherton House – which is a former office building – will be transformed into 216 new homes, including an extra care apartment building with 109 homes for people in later life and those living with dementia, while C2 The Birtles, also currently retail and office space, is situated next to the former market square and will be replaced with 81 one and two-bedroom apartments.
Alpha House, which is currently awaiting a planning decision, has now been demolished and will be rebuilt to provide 125 one and two-bedroom apartments – including 16 wheelchair accessible homes.
According to developers, all the homes will be ‘affordable, high-quality, and energy-efficient’, with additional outdoor and communal spaces to promote health and wellbeing.
The approval given to build these new homes forms part of the wider ‘ambitious’ plan to transform Wythenshawe over the next decade.
The wider masterplan for Wythenshawe will see up to 2,000 new homes created over the next 10 to 15 years, which will complement the wider investment currently underway in Civic – supported by £20 million of Government funding, and £11.9 million from Manchester City Council.
Nearly 300 new homes have been given the go-ahead as part of a £500m Wythenshawe regeneration scheme / Credit: Muse (Supplied)
New community facilities in the town include the Culture Hub – which is now underway – the Food Hall, currently awaiting a planning decision, new workspaces, and improvements to the outdoor spaces in Civic, all designed to create a ‘greener and more welcoming’ town centre.
“For us, this is about delivering the truly affordable homes local people have told us they need,” explained Andrea Lowman, who is the Executive Director of Development at Wythenshawe Community Housing Group.
“Every one of these homes will be for social rent, giving more families, older residents and people with additional needs the opportunity to live well in the heart of Wythenshawe.
“As the local social housing provider, we are focused not just on building new homes but on creating sustainable communities and making sure this investment strengthens the town centre for existing and future residents alike.”
The Manc -
13th January 2021 
