UK starts mandatory hotel quarantine from Feb 15

LONDON

UK residents returning from countries on the government’s “red list” will have to remain in quarantine at hotels from Feb.15.

Self-isolation for residents and nationals coming back to the UK from all countries in South America and southern Africa, Portugal, and the United Arab Emirates will be mandatory for 10 days.

The returning passengers will be placed in government-approved hotels and they will pay the cost of the stay out of their own pockets.

The new policy, first announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson last month, aims to stem the flow of new variants in the country, which has already suffered the worst death toll in Europe.

The Department of Health and Social Care is "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," according to a spokesperson.

"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 spokesperson said.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock will oversee the new quarantine policy.

Quarantine hotels will be chosen among hotels near air and seaports in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen.

According to the latest rules in the UK, everyone arriving in the country has to self-isolate for 10 days and fill a passenger locator form, which is available online, before their travel back to the country.

People entering England also have to show a negative PCR test result received within the last 72 hours.

More than 7,000 people died of the coronavirus within the past week, including 915 fatalities announced Thursday.

The total death toll in the country stands at 110,250.