Britain will urge travelers arriving from countries where coronavirus-related strains are spreading to pay for 10 days of quarantine in hotels, while breakers go face heavy fines or prison terms, under stricter restrictions from next week. The new travel rules add to restrictions that already prohibit overseas travel for holidays.
The government has said stronger measures are needed to prevent new strains of the virus from hampering Britain’s rapid immunization program. Airlines and travel agents called for more government support, saying the new rules would deepen a crisis that has seen them lose almost all of their revenue.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said people could be jailed and fined up to £ 10,000 ($ 14,000) for breaking the rules that take effect on February 15.
“Anyone lying on the passenger locator form who is trying to hide that they have been in a country will be on the ‘red list’ in the 10 days before they came here, about a prison sentence of up to 10 years, “Hancock told parliament.
British and Irish nationals who arrived in England who have been in high-risk countries in the past 10 days had to pay 1,750 pounds ($ 2,400) to cover a maximum of 10-day quarantine costs pay less at a designated hotel, Hancock said.
Everyone entering the UK must take more COVID-19 tests on day two and eight of their quarantines, he said, in addition to a pre-departure test that is already required. . Britain has released the fastest vaccination program in any major country but there have been fears in recent days that reports that the vaccines they are using could be so effective against some new variants of the virus, such as one that has spread rapidly in South Africa.
The government, which has been criticized a few weeks ago for being slow to introduce stricter border measures, said stricter rules could remain in place to ensure vaccines work against new changes , or elevated views will be available.
“Border protection is strong as part of protecting and allowing safe domestic opening,” Hancock said.
British airlines and airports have issued a new call for help, the latest of many, urging the government to provide more support to ensure the region does so throughout the year, and issue a roadmap on how to relieve constraints.
“Airports and airlines are struggling to survive with virtually zero revenue and a large cost base, and practically every week comes another blow,” airline trade groups said.
Hancock said the measures could not be permanently established and would be replaced by a safe and free international travel system “over time.”
The government said it had contracted 16 hotels for 4,600 original rooms for hotel quarantine and would get more outs as needed, with more details to be released Thursday.
Quarantines in hotels have been used by Australia and New Zealand as a strategy to quickly curb the spread of coronation.