Lorry drivers from France could be ordered to take a Covid test before entering UK

Ministers are considering toughening up border measures for hauliers from France by making them take Covid tests before entering.

Whitehall sources confirmed the measure is being mulled over by officials after Boris Johnson hinted restrictions could be beefed up at last night’s Downing Street press conference.

Hauliers coming from France, where cases of the South African variant are surging, can currently enter the UK without needing a test. 

But proof of a negative lateral flow test could soon be demanded. The PM said: ‘We keep all these measures under review.’

Stricter measures such as hotel quarantine would not be practical as it would bring trade flows to a grinding halt.

The PM was quizzed by a member of the public – Sheila, from Edinburgh – at last night’s briefing. She asked him how he planned to stop the third wave sweeping Europe from hitting UK shores.

She asked if there were any plans for hauliers coming from France to be tested and whether international arrivals at ports and airports from non-‘red list’ countries could become subject to hotel quarantine.

Whitehall sources confirmed the measure is being mulled over by officials after Boris Johnson hinted restrictions could be beefed up at last night’s Downing Street press conference

Currently, only arrivals from 35 ‘red list’ countries linked with worrying Covid variants have to quarantine in hotels on arrival. No European countries are on the red list.

Mr Johnson told her: ‘As for your point about lorry drivers and hotel quarantine for absolutely everybody, I want to be clear with the public we keep all these measures under review in so far as it’s necessary to take extra measures to protect this country against new variants, variants of concern, of course we’re going to do that.’

Officials are considering putting France on the red list due to the presence of the South African variant.