Britain to get tough on holidaymakers breaking lockdown
Passengers will be questioned at airports and ports about the reason for their trip and turned away if they don’t have a valid excuse as the UK tightens travel restrictions.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said carriers will check that their customers’ trips are essential and don’t breach lockdown restrictions before allowing them to travel.
Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Ms Patel said there will also be more police at airports and ports, ready to issue fines to those refusing to comply with the stay-at-home order.
Ms Patel said passengers will need to make ‘a declaration’ for why they need to travel, which must be checked by the carrier. Those without a valid excuse, which doesn’t include pre-booked holidays, will be told to return home or face a fine.
Earlier, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had made it clear that anyone who went on holiday was breaking the law, saying that going on holiday was ‘illegal’.
At the same time he confirmed that those entering the UK from 22 high risk countries – including returning Brits – will be forced to quarantine in designated hotels for up to 10 days at their own expense.
They will be taken from the airports and escorted to hotels, or accommodation ‘like hotels’ he said.
However, further details – including the cost and timing – have yet to be announced. Mr Johnson said the Department for Health and Social Care is working to set up these facilities ‘as quickly as possible’.
Ms Patel said the DHSC would set out further details on the hotel quarantine policy next week.
Countries from where arrivals face hotel quarantine include most of southern Africa and south America and Portugal due to its close ties with Brazil. Briton has already closed its border to international arrivals from these destinations to try to limit the spread of new variants of Covid-19 first detected in South Africa and Brazil.
Mr Johnson told the House of Commons that arrivals who could not be refused entry, including British residents, would be required to isolate in Government provided accommodation ‘without exception’.
Ms Patel said police will also be increasing check at home addresses to ensure arrivals from other countries were complying with self-isolation rules.
Labour wants hotel quarantine to be mandatory for all arrivals.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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