LONDON – Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that all travellers returning to England from a high-risk country will have to submit ‘without exception’ to a mandatory 10-day hotel quarantine. This is in addition to the current requirement for proof of a negative test within 72 hours of arrival. They will also have to fill in the Passenger Location Form.
Returning travellers will be met at the airport and transported directly to government quarantine centres. These are under the control of the Department of Health and Social Assistance (DHSC). “We will introduce a process of controlled isolation in hotels for those who cannot be denied entry,” Johnson told Parliament.
Spain not currently on the list
Mr Johnson spoke of 22 countries on the ‘red list’, later affirming a total of 30. Those 30 are: Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Botswana, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Lesotho, Malawi , Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Seychelles Swaziland, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Hotel quarantine for British citizens
The measure only affects British citizens, or those with right of residence, who want to return as the UK closed all travel corridors from 4am on January 18th. Mr Johnson told MPs the government had already banned travel from countries “where there is a risk of known variants”.
Travellers from ‘red list’ countries will have to pay to isolate, with testing carried out during their stay.
More measures
“It is illegal to leave home to travel abroad for leisure reasons and we will enforce it in ports and airports by asking people why they are leaving and ordering them to return home if they do not have a valid reason to travel,” reiterated Mr Johnson. These measures have been in force since January 5, 2021.
Furthermore, he stressed that all travellers wishing to enter England must present a negative Covid-19 test.
