UK arrivals could have to pay more than £1,000 each for 10-day quarantine hotel stays, with Boris Johnson expected to approve a plan today.
The Prime Minister is set to make a final decision on Tuesday as fears grow over the new Brazilian and South African coronavirus strains.
Senior ministers will discuss several options but Whitehall sources have suggested hotel quarantine could apply only to people coming from countries with more contagious strains.
The system could take up to three weeks to implement, with travellers expected to pay more than £1,000 out of their own pockets, The Times claims.
Home Secretary Priti Patel and Health Secretary Matt Hancock are said to be pushing for a mandatory quarantine for all arrivals.
However, Mr Johnson and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps are believed to favour a more targeted approach that would apply to travellers returning from high-risk countries.
A small number of countries have adopted the measure so far, with a 14-day stay in an Australian quarantine hotel costing £1,692 for an adult. A similar stay costs £1,630 in New Zealand and £642 in Thailand.
Australia has gone a week without any cases, while New Zealand had been Covid-free for two months until one case was detected last week.
Travel industry sources say they expect mandatory hotels to be introduced ‘imminently’, Sky News reports.
The Best Western hotel chain has confirmed bosses are waiting for a ‘green light’ from the Government on the move.
However, the Airport Operators Association and Airlines UK have warned tougher rules will be ‘catastrophic’ for the industry.
A statement said: ‘We have fully supported the Government to do what is right in the face of this pandemic, but policy should be based on evidence and there must be a roadmap out of these restrictions as soon as it is safe.
‘The impact of further measures would be catastrophic. ‘They will impact vital freight and PPE (personal protective equipment) supplies and jeopardise tens of thousands of jobs and the many businesses that depend on aviation.
‘The Government cannot achieve its global Britain aspirations without airlines and airports.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.