UK’s Johnson Defends New COVID-19 Travel Restrictions

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (R) talks to British Transport Police officers at Liverpool Lime Street railway station as part of 'Operation Toxic' to infiltrate County Lines drug dealings, on Dec. 6, 2021. Christopher Furlong /Pool/AFP via Getty Images

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defended the government’s decision to reintroduce travel restrictions to slow the spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant, after scientists likened the move to “shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted.”

The government announced last week that all travellers arriving in England will be required to take a COVID-19 pre-departure test from Tuesday.