The Department of Health has made a Statutory Rule entitled "The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) (Amendment No. 6) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021", (S.R. 2020 No. 262), which came into operation at 4.00 am on 22 September 2021, except for regulations 4 and 9, which came into operation on 1 October 2021.

This rule amends the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (S.R. 2021 No.99) ("the principal Regulations") and the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 (S.R. 2021 No. 102) ("the Operator Liability Regulations").

It amends the principal Regulations to include a definition of “cruise ship”in the interpretation regulation. The provision on passenger information is amended to allow cruise ship passengers to submit their Passenger Locator Form up to 21 days before arrival.

A reasonable excuse is included in the principal Regulations for a person who undertook a qualifying pre-departure test on board a cruise ship on which that person arrived in Northern Ireland, the result of that test was positive, and it was not reasonably practicable for that person to disembark in a country or territory other than Northern Ireland.

Bangladesh, Egypt, Kenya, Oman, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, The Maldives and Turkey are removed from Schedule 1 of the principal regulations (Red List countries).

The criteria to be a fully vaccinated arrival, in Schedule 2B of the principal Regularions, is updated to include people who receive a course of doses comprising two different authorised vaccines.

New exemptions are introduced at Schedule 4 for non dis-embarking cruise passengers and short stay cruise passengers.

An amendment is made to the principal Regulations as a consequence of the dissolution of Public Health England, an executive agency of the Department for Health and Social Care, and the establishment of the United Kingdom Health Security Agency, also an executive agency of the Department for Health and Social Care.

Turkey is removed from the lists in Schedule 8 as Turkey is omitted from Schedule 1, the red list countries.

The Rule also corrects two drafting errors in the principal Regulations.

The Operator Liability Regulations are amended to include a defence for an operator where the relevant passenger undertook a qualifying test on board the vessel on which the relevant passenger arrived in Northern Ireland, the result of that test was positive, and it was not reasonably practicable for the relevant passenger to disembark in a country or territory other than Northern Ireland.

The rule may be purchased from the Stationery office at www.tsoshop.co.uk or by contacting TSO Customer Services on 0333 202 5070, or viewed online at http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr