LONDON (AP) – Anyone who arrives in England and is found to have lied about a recent visit to a country on the British government’s travel ban list could face up to 10 years in prison under the new strict border policies against coronavirus announced on Tuesday.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that starting Monday, UK and Irish residents arriving in England from the government’s “red list” sites will have to purchase a “1,750 quarantine package” pounds ($ 2,400) per person and covers accommodation, virus testing and other items.
Individuals who do not comply with the rules, including those arriving from a red list country without booking a hotel, may also be subject to a series of fines, he said.
“I do not apologize for the force of these measures because we are dealing with one of the strongest threats to public health that we face as a nation,” Hancock told lawmakers. “People who break these rules are putting us at risk.”
There are currently 33 countries, including South Africa, Portugal and all of South America, where traveling to England is effectively prohibited in large part due to concerns about new variants of the coronavirus.
However, British and Irish citizens, as well as all other residents of the United Kingdom, are allowed to enter, provided they are isolated for 10 days after their arrival.
As of Monday, they will not be able to quarantine at home, unlike those arriving from countries that are not on the “red list”. Instead, they will have to buy – through a dedicated online portal – a package that includes accommodation, food, drinks and PCR tests for the so-called “variant surveillance” on days two and eight of the quarantine period.
The “enhanced testing” regime, in addition to the already mandatory pre-shipment tests, will be a requirement for everyone who arrives in England and anyone who fails to do so will be fined.
Hancock, who is responsible for health issues in England, said the reservation system will go live on Thursday and that the government has signed a contract with 16 hotels, for an initial number of 4,600 rooms. The hotels involved were not identified “for commercial reasons”.
Those who fail to quarantine at a designated hotel face fines of up to 10,000 pounds ($ 13,800). The most severe potential penalty of up to 10 years in prison could be attributed to people who lie about visiting any of the 33 countries on the “red list.”
“Anyone who lies on a passenger tracking form and tries to hide that he was in a country on our red list for the 10 days prior to arriving here will face a prison sentence of up to 10 years,” said Hancock.
Scotland is tightening its rules on international travel beyond England, confirming that it will require people arriving on all direct international flights to enter quarantine hotels. Scottish Transport Secretary Michael Matheson said England’s approach “is not enough”.
Lobbying groups for the travel industry, one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, said the new measures deepened a worsening outlook for 2021.
“Airports and airlines are struggling to survive on almost zero revenue and a huge cost base, and virtually every week another blow lands,” said Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, and Tim Alderslade, chief executive of the Airlines UK. in a statement. “Aviation-specific financial support is urgently needed to ensure that our industry can survive throughout the year.”
How long the measures will remain in effect will depend on the path of the pandemic and whether new variants of the virus negate the rapid launch of the vaccine in the UK. About 12.65 million people received their first dose, equivalent to about 20% of the adult population.
The British government is due to announce on Monday the next stage of its vaccination implementation beyond the four groups considered to be most at risk.
The government hopes that its rapid distribution of vaccines, in addition to its border measures and an ongoing national blockade, will dramatically reduce the number of COVID-19-related deaths. On Tuesday, another 1,052 people died across the UK after a positive coronavirus test, bringing the total to 113,850, the highest pandemic mortality rate in Europe.
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