UK Government to introduce mandatory quarantine for travellers into Britain

Reports of mandatory quarantine confirmed by industry exec

The Government could be set to announce a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travellers into Britain as part of measures aimed at avoiding a second peak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make the announcement in an address to the nation on Sunday, according to reports.

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Under the measures, which are expected to be implemented in June, all passengers arriving at airports and ports will be required to provide an address at which they will immediately self-isolate for 14 days.

Travellers into the UK could enter a mandatory quarantine period.Travellers into the UK could enter a mandatory quarantine period.
Travellers into the UK could enter a mandatory quarantine period.

The paper reports that "authorities will conduct spot checks", with punishments for those not adhering to the rules including "fines of up to £1,000" and deportation.

Tim Alderslade, Chief Executive of leading industry body Airlines UK, confirmed the reports were correct.He told The Scotsman: "We need to see the detail of what they (the UK Government) are proposing. Public health must of course be the priority and we will continue to be guided by Sage advice.

“We will be asking for assurances that this decision has been led by the science and that Government has a credible exit plan, with weekly reviews to ensure the restrictions are working and still required.

“Alongside this, we also need to see a number of new support measures to see airlines through this period so that we still have a UK aviation sector once the quarantine period is lifted.”

A Home Office spokeswoman told the PA news agency: "We do not comment on leaks. The focus remains on staying at home to protect the NHS and save lives."

The aviation industry is calling on the Government to reveal specifics of the proposal amid concerns that the measures could have severe repercussions for the travel and tourism sectors.

"We need to see the details of what they are proposing", Airlines UK, which represents British Airways, EasyJet and other UK-based airlines, said in a statement to the BBC.

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Responding to earlier speculation that a mandatory quarantine would be part of the Government's coronavirus measures, Airlines UK issued a statement saying the proposal "would effectively kill international travel to and from UK and cause immeasurable damage to the aviation industry and wider UK economy".

It added: "Nobody is going to go on holiday if they're not able to resume normal life for 14 days, and business travel would be severely restricted.

"It will also make it all but impossible for aviation to resume any time soon, thereby setting back the UK's economic recovery still further."

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