London [UK], January 16 (ANI): UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday (local time) announced that the country is temporarily closing all travel corridors from 4 am local time on Monday, a move that aims to prevent the spread of new variants of coronavirus into the country.

CNN quoted Johnson as saying at a press conference that the only way to get into the country is by having a negative coronavirus test result.

Also, everyone entering the UK will be required to quarantine for 10 days.

"This means that if you come to this country, you must have proof of a negative Covid test that you've taken in the 72 hours before leaving. And you must have filled in your passenger locator form, and your airline will ask for proof of both before you take off," he said.

He further said that if people fail to comply with the rules then they will face a fine.

"You may also be checked when you land and face substantial fines for refusing to comply, and upon arrival, you must then quarantine for 10 days, not leaving your home for any reason at all. Or take another test on day five and wait for proof of another negative result and we will be stepping up our enforcement, both at the border and in the country," he added.

According to the UK Department of Transport, international travel corridors have been in place since July 2020 for countries and territories where critical analysis suggests the risk of Covid-19 can be mitigated.

The new measures will be reviewed on February 15, the Transport Department said.

National restrictions for England introduced on January 6 this year 2021 remain in place, meaning that everyone must stay at home unless travelling for a very limited set of reasons.

Meanwhile, Johns Hopkins University has said that more than 2 million deaths have been reported around the world. In the UK, 3,325,636 COVID-19 cases and 87,448 deaths have been reported so far. (ANI)