Britain tightens travel restrictions with hotel quarantine and prison threat

[webfact]

Britain tightens travel restrictions with hotel quarantine and prison threat

By Sarah Young

 

People wait for the arrivals at Heathrow Airport, as tighter rules for international travellers start, amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in London, Britain, January 18, 2021. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will require passengers arriving from countries where worrying coronavirus variants are spreading to pay for 10 days of quarantine in hotels, while rule-breakers will face heavy fines or jail terms, under tighter restrictions from next week.

 

The new travel rules add to restrictions that already ban travel abroad for holidays. The government said the stronger measures were needed to prevent new variants of the virus from thwarting Britain's rapid vaccination programme.

 

Airlines and travel companies called for more government aid, saying the new rules would deepen a crisis that has seen them lose nearly all their revenue.

 

Health secretary Matt Hancock said people could be sent to prison and fined up to 10,000 pounds ($14,000) if they break the rules which come into force on Feb. 15.

 

Britain said it would bring in tighter border controls next week against new variants of the coronavirus, requiring hotel quarantine for arrivals and threatening rule-breakers with up to 10 years in jail and fines.

 

"Anyone who lies on the passenger locator form and tries to conceal that they've been in a country on the 'red list' in the 10 days before arrival here, will face a prison sentence of up to 10 years," Hancock told parliament.

 

British and Irish nationals arriving in England who have been in high risk countries in the last 10 days would be required to pay 1,750 pounds ($2,400) to cover the cost of a minimum 10-day quarantine in a designated hotel, Hancock said.

 

All arrivals into the UK will also have to take further COVID-19 tests on day 2 and day 8 of their quarantines, he said, on top of a pre-departure test already required.

 

Britain has rolled out the fastest vaccination programme of any large country. But there has been alarm in recent days after reports that the vaccines it is using may be less effective against some new variants of the virus, such as one that has spread rapidly in South Africa.

 

NO END IN SIGHT

The government, criticised in recent weeks for being slow to bring in tougher border measures, said the stricter rules could stay in place until it is sure vaccines work against new variants, or booster shots become available.

 

"Strong protections at the border are part of defending and safely allowing the domestic opening up," Hancock said.

 

British airlines and airports issued a new cry for help, the latest of many, urging the government to provide more support to make sure the sector makes it through the year, and to issue a roadmap on how it will ease restrictions.

 

"Airports and airlines are battling to survive with almost zero revenue and a huge cost base, and practically every week a further blow lands," aviation trade bodies said.

 

Hancock said the measures could not be in place permanently and would be replaced "over time with a system of safe and free international travel".

 

The government said it had contracted 16 hotels for an initial 4,600 rooms for hotel quarantine and would secure more as needed, with further details due to be published on Thursday.

 

Quarantines in hotels have been used by Australia and New Zealand as a strategy to sharply limit the spread of the coronavirus.

 

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Kate Holton, additional reporting by Andrew MacAskill, Editing by Paul Sandle, Michael Holden, Giles Elgood, Peter Graff)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-10

 

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[blackcab]

Fortunately Thailand is not on the red list, but unfortunately the UAE is, which makes flying with Emirates something to carefully consider.

[SooKee]

Makes the Thai costs look quite reasonable!

[Bluespunk]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

British and Irish nationals arriving in England who have been in high risk countries in the last 10 days would be required to pay 1,750 pounds ($2,400) to cover the cost of a minimum 10-day quarantine in a designated hotel, Hancock said.

Ouch-someone is going to make a bit of money out of this. Should be interesting which hotels are designated for this task...

[Rimmer]

Off topic troll post removed

[RuamRudy]

1 hour ago, Bluespunk said:

Ouch-someone is going to make a bit of money out of this. Should be interesting which hotels are designated for this task...

 

What is the point of human misery if our Lords and masters cannot profit from it?

/s

[stevenl]

3 hours ago, blackcab said:

Fortunately Thailand is not on the red list, but unfortunately the UAE is, which makes flying with Emirates something to carefully consider.

Would depend on how the transfer is classified. Last time I flew the transfer was deemed unimportant since it was executed 'covid proof'.

[RuamRudy]

What possible reason could there be for restricting the number of hotels where quarantine can be served out? I arrived in Muscat last month, having pre-booked my own hotel and confirmed with them that quarantined arrivals were welcome. All I needed to do was show my booking to the covid check lady at the airport and all was good. They put on a tracking bracelet and I was free to make my own way to the hotel.

Next month I am travelling to Manila; the Philippines government has issued a list of hundreds of quarantine approved hotels across the capital. As with Muscat,  you simply book your own choice at a price point that suits. None of this apparent gouging or unnecessary bureaucracy. Plus, there are thousands of hotels across the UK which would, no doubt, welcome the business.

[RayC]

Obviously it depends on the class of hotel being offered but, dare I say it, £175/night doesn't sound like profitering to me.

 

In normal times, you can expect to pay something like £150+/ night for a central London 3*/4* hotel. This time round, there's added logistical, medical and transport expenses, as well the cost of providing 3 meals/day for 10 days. 

 

I'd imagine that the hotels will make some money out of this - why do it otherwise? -but I doubt that we are talking about supernormal profits here.

[bangon04]

only a whole year too late........