COVID-19: UK introduces hotel quarantine for travellers returning from 'high risk' nations

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government on Monday rolls out mandatory hotel quarantine rules for arrivals from dozens of nations that are deemed “high risk” for the novel coronavirus variants, as it tried to stop the new strains from spreading in the nation. The fresh policy, aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19, requires all British nationals as well as the permanent residents entering England from 33 countries on a wider travel van to self-isolate in approved hotels for ten days and take several tests for coronavirus. 

Further, other visitors from the countries that are presently on the so-called “red list” that mainly includes all South American nations, South Africa, and Portugal and are barred from visiting under lockdown rules. Arrivals found to have given false information about being in one of the countries just 10 days before the travel could receive up to 10 years in prison that has also triggered criticism against British ministers.

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UK ministers face backlash over new Covid policy

Meanwhile, UK ministers have been accused of an “utterly ridiculous” overreach of power as they threatened to impose ten-year imprisonment on tourists for violating COVID-19 rules. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed that the 10-year sentence on travellers, announced by the Health Secretary Matt Hancock, for people lying about returning from coronavirus hotspots, was the maximum penalty allowed under the 1981 Forgery and Counterfeiting Act, reported The Guardian. However, the move has been criticised by critics and experts. 

While Johnson’s spokesperson reportedly said that tourists failing to abide by the COVID-19 restriction rules will be charged under the Forgery Act, UK government’s top former lawyer, Jonathan Jones said on Twitter that he would “eat a face mask” if the sentence was ever imposed. Even UK PM’s opposition, Labour’s attorney general called it “misleading spin” that would never be imposed on the travellers. British PM spokesperson even confirmed that UK lawmakers would not be given a say on the new regime because the relevant law already exists. He reportedly said, “We’re using existing legislation, so there’s no requirement for a vote.”

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