New plans for UK arrivals to pay for hotel quarantine to be decided as MPs ‘in talks’ with Holiday Inn chain IHG
ARRIVALS to the UK could be forced to quarantine at a hotel for 10 days at their own expense under new plans, with groups including IHG, which owns Holiday Inn, currently being considered.
MPs are set to discuss the new measures on Monday after huge crowds and queues at Heathrow this week due to the now-mandatory negative Covid test.
Home Secretary Priti Patel and Health Secretary Matt Hancock both support further travel restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus, but the Treasury and Department for Transport are reportedly pushing back against it, according to the .
The new plans, similar to Australia and New Zealand, would force all arrivals to quarantine at a hotel near the airport, spending 10 days there at their cost.
A source said Government officials were "engaging" hotel groups on the possibility of using them to quarantine new arrivals.
IHG, which runs Holiday Inn hotels, is thought to be in on the discussions.
A spokesperson told Sun Online Travel: "IHG and our partners have worked closely with national and local government and the relevant health bodies to support the recovery effort during the pandemic."
London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for tourists to quarantine in hotels when returning to the country, telling LBC: "We should have much tighter controls at our borders [...] that includes not just tests before you arrive that are negative, tests when you arrive that are negative and staying in a hotel at the airport for at least a couple weeks until we know that you are ok to go about your business."
Ministers last week ordered a study of New Zealand's “directed isolation” policy where everyone arriving in the country is charged to stay at a hotel for two weeks, the Sunday Times reported.
Australia's scheme charges travellers up to £2,500 to stay in a hotel room for between 14 and 24 days.
However, a government source told that if the UK enforced the new restrictions, they would be "difficult to exit," adding "as Australia and New Zealand have found and their economies are suffering as a result.
"Nor have their quarantines and managed self-isolation proved watertight."
Britain's borders could even be shut completely, according to Environment Secretary George Eustice who said the harsher measures, which would lock all non-Brits out, are "under review".
He said: "We can't rule anything out but for now the restrictions we have in place for that requirement for quarantine and the requirement for a pre-travel test, we think that is sufficient and the right and appropriate measure for now."
New travel restrictions were introduced on Monday which require a negative coronavirus test and a Passenger Locator Form from all arrivals to the UK.
This has caused long queues and delays at passport control, as border staff are forced to check the new documents.
Some passengers claimed staff were forced to hand out water due to the conditions, although this then meant people removing their masks.
WHO development consultant Alvaro Garbayo, who was trying to travel through the airport, wrote on Twitter: "Border control at Heathrow a complete mess, a crowd queuing for more than one hour with not enough space to keep safe distance.
"Just making sure we all get infected before entering UK? Proactively pushing for herd immunity?
"And just to make it more likely they hand over water for free so people remove their masks. No special arrangements for people with children, people with disabilities, elders... and we get surprised with our numbers?"
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However, a Border Official spokesperson said that there are "necessary staff" in place to check the relevant documents of arrivals.
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Anyone caught entering the UK without a negative test will face a £500 fine, and airlines will also be fined if they are caught not checking for negative test certificates.
There are some exemptions - hauliers, children under 11, and flight and international rail crew are all exempt, along with travellers from the Common Travel Area, which includes the Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.