The UK’s stricter new travel rules to contain the spread of COVID-19 variants took effect from Monday, and include mandatory quarantines at hotels for anyone returning to England from one of the 33 countries in the high risk “red list”.
Arrivals will need to book in advance and pay £ 1,750 to spend 10 days in quarantine at government licensed hotels, covering the cost of the hotel, transportation and two separate tests after arrival. Extremely serious violations of the new rules could result in a 10-year jail term and fines of up to 10,000 pounds.
Those who have not visited a “red list” country, such as India, must remain in quarantine for 10 days at home and complete two mandatory COVID-19 tests on the second and eighth days after arrival.
“With the appearance of new variants, we must go further. The rules that go into effect today will strengthen the quarantine system and provide another layer of security against new variants at the border, ”said UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock.
“These new measures are important to protect our vaccination program, which has now seen 15 million people vaccinated, we are all working to restore normal life,” he said.
As of Monday, any UK or Irish resident who has been to a high-risk destination on the UK’s red list, comprising 33 access points with circulating COVID-19 variants, will need to enter England via from a designated port and have previously booked a quarantine. package to stay in one of the government’s “Managed Quarantine Facilities”.
Non-residents are currently not part of the exclusive travel rules of the coronavirus lockdown.
The government said it has already put in place strict measures requiring all travelers to the UK, from anywhere, to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than three days before departure and not to be UK residents. of the 33 countries on the red list. they are already banned from entering Britain.
New regulations have also been put in place that equip the Border Force and police personnel with the necessary powers to ensure that people arriving in England comply with the new rules.
The Border Force has the power to issue fixed fine notices to individuals suspected of lying on their passenger locator form and, when necessary, detain them for up to three hours.
As part of the regulations, the law establishes a requirement for quarantined people to isolate themselves in their room. There will also be a visible security presence in the managed quarantine facilities to ensure that people obey these rules.
The government has reached agreements with 16 hotels so far, providing 4,963 rooms for the new quarantine system, with another 58,000 rooms currently on hold.
Passengers can reserve their rooms through an online portal prior to their arrival in England. Those who do not self-quarantine at such hotels face fines of 5,000 to 10,000 pounds, while anyone who lies on their passenger locator form about having been to a red-listed country faces a prison sentence of up to 10. years.
All hotel staff will be fully trained in safe COVID practices, and all contractors have been instructed to ensure their facilities and services are provided safely with COVID. This includes plastic and PPE protectors where necessary.
Heathrow Airport is one of five in England where people requiring a hotel quarantine can enter the UK and is expected to receive the most passengers. The other four are Gatwick, London City, Birmingham and Farnborough.
Decentralized regions also follow similar strict rules for arrivals from red-list countries, including countries that have shown a high incidence of new coronavirus variants, such as South Africa.
Non-essential travel remains banned under the strict UK lockdown to contain the very high rate of coronavirus infection as the vaccination program accelerates. There are reports that anyone leaving the UK will be questioned shortly thereafter about the reason for the trip.
.
She is a freelance blogger, writer, and speaker, and writes for various entertainment magazines.