BORIS Johnson has announced new border restrictions for travellers arriving in the UK from certain countries, with some people coming to the UK being placed in Government-provided quarantine hotels.
UK nationals and residents returning from “red list” countries will be placed in quarantine in Government-provided accommodation such as hotels for 10 days, Boris Johnson told MPs.
Tougher new quarantine measures will only apply to the “red list” countries of most concern rather than being a blanket measure.
The Prime Minister said the measures – expected to include a plan forcing arrivals from Covid-19 hotspots to quarantine in hotels – would be set out by Home Secretary Priti Patel.
Mr Johnson also said that “in the next few weeks” he would set out the exit route from the pandemic and the current lockdown.
He told the Commons: “I want to make clear that under the stay at home regulations, it is illegal to leave home to travel abroad for leisure purposes and we will enforce this at ports and airports by asking people why they are leaving and instructing them to return home if they do not have a valid reason to travel.
“We have also banned all travel from 22 countries where there is a risk of known variants including South Africa, Portugal and South American nations.
“And in order to reduce the risk posed by UK nationals and residents returning home from these countries, I can announce that we will require all such arrivals who cannot be refused entry to isolate in Government provided accommodation, such as hotels, for 10 days without exception.
“They will be met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine. The Department of Health and Social Care is working to establish these facilities as quickly as possible.”
At Prime Minister’s Questions earlier today, Mr Johnson said the new quarantine measures for England being set out by Ms Patel would be aimed at preventing concerning new mutant strains of the virus reaching Britain.
He said: “The Home Secretary will be setting out later today … even tougher measures for those red list countries where we are particularly concerned about new variants.”
Prime Minister’s Questions was dominated by coronavirus after the UK passed 100,000 deaths according to the Government’s figures.
Mr Johnson also said the Government would set out plans in the week beginning February 22 for the “gradual and phased” route out of lockdown.
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