London
The UK government will on Monday introduce mandatory hotel quarantine rules for arrivals from dozens of countries deemed “high risk” for coronavirus variants, as it tries to stop new strains spreading.
The new policy requires all UK citizens and permanent residents entering England from 33 countries on a wider travel ban list to self-isolate at their own expense in approved hotels for 10 days and take several Covid-19 tests. Other visitors from the countries currently on the so-called “red list”, which includes all South American nations, South Africa and Portugal, are currently barred from visiting under lockdown rules.
Arrivals found to have given false information about being in one of the countries 10 days before travel could receive up to 10 years in prison — which has drawn criticism for being excessive. The government says it has signed contracts with 16 hotels so far, securing nearly 5,000 rooms near English airports, with a further 58,000 rooms on standby. “The rules coming into force today will bolster the quarantine system and provide another layer of security against new variants at the border,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a statement on Sunday.
The minister said Monday the government had resolved well publicised problems with Heathrow Airport, Britain’s major aviation hub. “We’ve been working with the airport and with the border force to make sure everybody knows the process,” he told Times Radio. “We’ve worked through all those issues with them.—APP
