U.K. to start mandatory quarantine for travelers on Feb. 15

The U.K. will require travelers from coronavirus hot spots to quarantine starting Feb. 15, the government said, adding flesh to a policy first announced last month.

Arrivals from countries on the U.K.’s travel ban list will be required to isolate for 10 days after arrival in government-approved accommodation, the Department for Health and Social Care said Thursday in a statement. The government said it’s seeking bids from hotels near airports and ports to support the program.

The announcement comes after days of confusion over how soon the government would implement a policy it announced last month as a key tool to stop mutations of the coronavirus that may be more resistant to vaccines from entering the country.

“In the face of new variants, it is important that the government continues to take the necessary steps to protect people and save lives,” the government said in the statement. “With increased police presence at airports and more physical checks at addresses to make sure people are self-isolating, we are taking decisive action.”

At present, 30 countries including the whole of South America, a swath of southern Africa and Portugal are on the travel ban list after new variants that emerged in Brazil and South Africa in recent weeks heightened concerns.

‘Too Little, Too Late’

The opposition Labour Party’s home affairs spokesman, Nick Thomas-Symonds, criticized the announcement as “too little, too late.”

“It is beyond comprehension that these measures won’t even start until 15 February,” he said. “We are in a race against time to protect our borders against new Covid strains. Yet hotel quarantine will come in to force more than 50 days after the South African strain was discovered.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hoping to use the country’s so-far successful vaccination program as a springboard to reopen the country from its third lockdown, which started last month. He has said schools will open from March 8 at the earliest, and has promised to publish a plan for easing the restrictions in the week of Feb. 22. Keeping out vaccine-resistant strains of Covid-19 is crucial to that effort.

The Times late Thursday reported that ministers are also considering a certification system for Britons, to allow them to travel to countries that may require proof of inoculation upon entry.

Australian Advice

Health officials have held a series of meetings with more than 60 companies and industry representatives in the aviation, maritime and hospitality industries. Formal contracts will be awarded to hotels, with former Vice Chief of Defence Staff, General Gordon Messenger, advising the government on the delivery of the program, according to the statement.

“We are now working at pace to secure the facilities we need to roll out managed quarantine for British nationals returning home from the most high risk countries,” the government said. Further details will be set out next week.

The Telegraph on Friday reported that ministers aim to secure 28,000 hotel rooms for the program.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock earlier said he’d spoken with his Australian counterpart to seek advice about how to quarantine travelers in hotels. His officials are also liaising with New Zealand authorities. Both nations have had mandatory quarantine for months.

Stronger Measures

“We’ve strengthened measures at the border and we’re clear that there’s more that needs to be done,” Hancock told broadcasters. “We will be bringing forward further measures, but we’ve got to get this right.”

More than 110,000 people in the U.K. have died from coronavirus, compared to 909 in Australia.

Johnson said last month that ministers were exploring compulsory quarantine in hotels for all arrivals, before the government announced a plan limited to people coming from regions designated as high risk.

Arrivals in the U.K. are already required to show a negative Covid-19 test and isolate for 10 days, but there’s no set location, making enforcement difficult. They face fines if they are caught not complying. Critics point out that people are allowed to use public transport to reach the place they plan to self-isolate.