The Department of Health has made a Statutory Rule entitled "The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) (Amendment No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022", (S.R. 2022 No. 046), which came into operation at 4.00 am on 13 February 2022, except for regulation 4(2) which comes into operation at 4.00 am on 28 February 2022.

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"). They also revoke one provision of The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel, Operator Liability and Information to Passengers) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2022.

The principal Regulations are amended as follows: regulation 3 and the Schedule deal with the regime for exempting arrivals in Northern Ireland from the various coronavirus travel rules. They do so by simplifying the exemption regime for certain categories of person by merging many of the individual categories into larger categories. The Schedule also adds a new exemption category of seasonal and temporary horticultural and food processing workers. Regulation 4 corrects an error made in an earlier commencement provision. Regulation 4 of Statutory Rule 2022 No. 43 extended the time a person had to complete a passenger locator form from two to three days after arrival in Northern Ireland. That provision was erroneously brought into operation on 11 February 2022 when it should have been brought into force on 28 February 2022. Regulation 4 of these Regulations corrects this error. Firstly, it provides that, as from 13 February 2022, the requirement is that a person has two days to complete the passenger locator form. Secondly, it provides that, as from 28 February 2022, a person will have three days to complete the form. Thirdly, it then revokes the provision which was erroneously brought into force too soon. Nothing in this regulation has retrospective effect.

Regulation 5 makes minor updates to the principal regulations and to the Operator Liability Regulations, including correcting typographical or cross-referencing errors and updating web links.

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