The UK has announced that new arrivals will have to spend two weeks in quarantine from June 8, and anyone caught breaching the rules will be slapped with a £1,000 penalty or prosecution.
The measure will force passengers to fill in a form providing their contact and travel information so they can be traced if infections arise. Arrivals may be contacted regularly during the 14-day period, and they will also face random checks to ensure compliance.
In England, breaking the quarantine will be punishable with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice, or prosecution with an unlimited fine. Authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be able to set out their own enforcement approaches.
Border control officers will also be able to refuse entry to foreign citizens who are not UK residents during border checks, and the Home Office said that removal from the country could be used as a last resort.
During the period of self-isolation the arrivals will not be allowed to accept visitors, unless they are providing essential support, and they should not go out to buy food or other essentials “where they can rely on others.”
Speaking at Friday’s coronavirus briefing, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced that the quarantine will not apply to medics tackling Covid-19, seasonal agricultural workers and people travelling from Ireland.
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