Travellers arriving in the UK could be forced to pay to stay in a ‘quarantine hotel’ for two weeks.
Under plans similar to the Australian border system, government officials are reportedly talking with hotel groups over potentially using their facilities as quarantine centres for arrivals.
It comes as the Government suspended all ‘travel corridors’ amid concerns around new strains of coronavirus, with passengers being forced to produce a negative test upon arrival to the UK.
Ministers have said they are considering ‘all of the possibilities’ when asked directly about quarantine hotels, amid reports they are concerned the Covid vaccines and so-called ‘herd immunity’ will force the virus to mutate.
To reduce the risk of importing new strains from abroad, anyone permitted to travel the UK may be asked to quarantine in a hotel or secure facility.
The ‘hotel quarantine’ system has been used in Australia and New Zealand, which have recorded 204 and 81 cases respectively in the last fortnight – a tiny fraction of the 38,905 new daily cases the UK recorded yesterday.
Since July, travellers arriving in Australia have footed the bill to stay in the hotels, with some paying up to £1,500 for the two-week quarantine.
If the UK follows Australia’s lead, it may be the traveller, not the Government, who will cover the hotel quarantine costs.
Last night, a Whitehall source said ‘early discussions’ had begun with hotel groups over the quarantine stays, the Telegraph reports.
While another source told the paper that some ministers are arguing for further measures and restricting entry to foreign nationals.
The Sunday Times reported that officials have been told to prepare for the creation of such hotels, but also to consider using GPS and facial-recognition technology to make sure people are remaining in isolation.
Self-isolation has been in place for returning travellers for many months, but numerous other countries have acted more quickly and harshly, leading to widespread criticism of Government delays over its latest moves.
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