The Government has reinstated its exemption to quarantine rules for people visiting England for business that is ‘likely to be of significant economic benefit’ to the UK.

The rule means senior executives in certain circumstances can leave self-isolation to have a business meeting or visit.

The exemption applies to multinational or international executives.

The rules apply ‘if the work you are doing has a greater than 50% chance of creating or preserving at least 50 UK-based jobs in either an existing business which has at least 50 employees or a new business within a year of the date of arrival in the UK’, the Government says.

Business people must have written permission from the Government and are only exempt when undertaking activities that qualify under the rules. At all other times, they must self-isolate.

The exemption does not apply if the activity can be done remotely or by someone else who’s not isolating.

There are strict rules around when the exemption applies. For example, a routine board meeting or routine visit would not fit the criteria, but a board meeting where a decision is being made on significant investment in the UK, or a substantial business plan to create over 500 jobs in the UK within two years, would be.

The exemption has been reinstated after it was suspended in January when the UK went into another lockdown.