On Thursday, February 4, the U.K. government confirmed that travelers returning from Coronavirus hotspot countries would have to hotel-quarantine for ten days from February 15.
Passengers will have to spend ten nights in a government-approved hotel room at their own cost. They will be able to go outside for a smoke or get fresh air only accompanied by a security guard.
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson introduced the new measures back in January. However, government officials released the details only until Thursday evening.
The new entry restrictions will apply to U.K. nationals and residents returning from 33 red-listed countries. Those include several South American and African territories and Portugal, where a high incidence of the new COVID-19 strains has been detected.
All incomers will also be required to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken no more than 72 hours before departure. Nonetheless, most international travelers are not allowed to enter the country.
Guests should be provided with three meals daily in their hotel rooms. Tea, coffee, fruit, and water should be available as well.
The quarantine accommodations should be set up close to U.K. airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Aberdeen.
The Department of Health already sent commercial specifications on Thursday evening to hotels near air and seaports. Proposals on delivering the necessary quarantine facilities and legal contracts are being discussed.
Prognoses suggest that hotels will have to accommodate around 1,000 people daily.
The Labour Party has asked the government to extend the mandatory quarantine on all arrivals. But the Conservatives say that around 20,000 people would have to be put in quarantining rooms every day, which seems impossible.
Additional details on how passengers will be able to book their stay in designated hotels are to be announced next week.
The country has suffered the fifth worst death toll in the world during the Coronavirus crisis.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the U.K. has reported nearly 3.9 million cases and over 110,000 deaths. There are almost 2 million active cases at the moment.
The U.K. government officials have been worried about the new, more contagious Coronavirus variants entering the country.
The vaccination process began on December 8, 2020, with priority given to the elderly aged 80 and over. Then, other nursing home residents, their caretakers and health care workers.
The new quarantine measures should reduce the passenger flow to the minimum and secure quick progress in the vaccination program.
According to the newest data, the NHS vaccinated 10,021,471 million people between December 8, 2020, and February 2, 2021. That means almost 1 in 5 adults has received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
The U.K. remains to be the leader in Europe’s vaccination race.