Mcb777 BetBoris Johnson speech: What did the Prime Minister announce today, Tuesday, January 26? | The Sun - Machibet Affiliate

CORONAVIRUS continues to plague the UK with the death toll passing 100,000 today.

PM Boris Johnson met with senior ministers at a "Covid Operations" committee this afternoon and has provided the public with an update in tonight's press conference.

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Boris Johnson has updated Brits will the latest information and figures from the GovernmentCredit: PA:Press Association

What did Boris Johnson announce?

Mr Johnson has provided the public with the latest figures as the Covid death toll has surpassed 100,000 in the UK.

The Prime Minister was joined by England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, and NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens.

Another 1,631 deaths were reported today, bringing the total to 100,162.

The PM said: "I'm sorry to have to tell you that today the number of deaths recorded from Covid in the UK has surpassed 100,000.

"It's hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic - the years of life lost, the family gatherings not attended, and for so many relatives the missed chance even to say goodbye. I offer my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost a loved one.

"To all those who grieve we make this pledge, that when we've come through this crisis we'll come together as a nation to remember everyone we've lost and to honour the selfless heroism of all those on the frontline who gave their lives to save others."

The PM announced the number of Covid deaths recorded in the UK has surpassed 100,000Credit: Getty Images - Getty

The PM also announced that over 6.8 million people have now been vaccinated across the UK.

He added: "When those vaccines have finally freed us from this virus and put us on a path to recovery we will make sure we learn the lessons and reflect and prepare."

Professor Chris Whitty however gave a grim warning that there would be more deaths to come.

He said: "I have always been very careful not to make forward projections in terms of numbers. But, Unfortunately is were going to see quite a lot more deaths as the effects of the vaccine start to be felt."

Government ministers have hinted that there could be extra restrictions around travelling abroad in the coming daysCredit: Getty Images - Getty

Did Boris Johnson speak about travel restrictions?

Before today's announcement Boris Johnson met with ministers to discuss the quarantine hotel plans, which the Scottish government says it is also actively considering, reports BBC News.

There have also been hints from the Government that there will be added restrictions on travelling abroad - but the Prime Minister did not speak on this tonight.

In a bid to stop new variants of the coronavirus, ministers are likely to decide that any British resident arriving in England from high-risk areas will be bussed to special 'Covid hotels' and quarantine for up to ten days at their own expense.

Various options for quarantining arrivals are said to be on the table.

But Whitehall sources suggested that ministers may opt for a more limited system.

This was on the back of worried aviation leaders warning that introducing tougher border rules would be "catastrophic" for the struggling industry.

Reports have suggested that arrivals in England would have to cover the price of quarantining in hotels - potentially costing up to £2,000.

The BBC said the requirement to isolate in a dedicated hotel would apply to arrivals from most of southern Africa and South America, as well as Portugal.

IHG Group which owns Holiday Inn is reportedly in chats with the government

However, Conservative former health secretary Jeremy Hunt said the proposals might need to go further than applying only to those arriving from countries where new variants of Covid have been discovered.

Pressed on whether he supports a universal approach to quarantining international arrivals, Mr Hunt told BBC Radio 4: "I think it is a big logistical exercise to do that and it is not going to be possible to do it overnight anyway.

"If we do have to go further, I hope it would only have to be for a temporary period."

Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi urged caution as new mutant Covid strains emerge.

He told Sky News: "As we vaccinate more of the adult population, if there are new variants like the South African or the Brazilian variants, we need to be very careful."

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: "It is incredibly important that we are cautious on the border... to protect [the UK] from new variants."

Home Secretary Priti Patel has, alongside some other ministers, been pushing for widespread quarantining of those arriving.

Thousands of lives could have been saved if Britain had shut its borders earlier, she confessed in a bombshell leaked tape.

Australia became one of the first countries to introduce mandatory hotel quarantine months ago, in March 2020, while the lifesaving practice is also observed in China, New Zealand, India, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan, Qatar and Thailand.

Priti Patel admitted thousands of lives could have been saved if Britain shut its borders earlier in a leaked tape — Priti Patel admitted thousands of lives could have been saved

How do quarantine hotels work?

Holidays abroad are about to get more expensive for Brits, as Covid hotels will be used as a frontline defence to help battle the pandemic.

A quarantine hotel is a dedicated facility used to temporarily accommodate arriving travellers, while keeping them totally separate and isolated from the wider public.

Checked luggage is transferred separately to the specially designated accommodation and, as long as they don't have any symptoms, travellers are also transferred to a hotel or other designated quarantine facility.

Boris Johnson is reportedly considering forcing all travellers to quarantine in airport hotels for ten days to prevent new coronavirus strains from harming Britain's vaccination programme.

As in New Zealand and Australia, travellers would have to pay for their own accommodation costs.

Possible hotel costs reportedly range from £1,000 to £2,000.

What are the current travel restrictions?

Direct flights to the UK from South Africa, Brazil and Portugal are already barred.

But British residents have been permitted to return through indirect routes and then self-isolate at home.

All travel corridors with the UK were suspended from January 18, 2021.

“You cannot leave your home or the place where you are living for holidays or overnight stays unless you have a reasonable excuse for doing so,” the government says.

“This means that holidays in the UK and abroad are not allowed.”