Mandatory hotel quarantine introduced in England for some overseas visitors
People entering England from certain countries will be required to quarantine in hotels
Last updated 20th Apr 2021
Boris Johnson confirmed today that travellers entering England from many countries will be required to carry out their isolation period in hotels specially designated as isolation centres.
In a statement in Parliament the Prime Minister said the borders were being strengthened to stop new Covid-19 variants coming into the UK.
People travelling from a total of 22 countries, including South Africa, Portugal and South American nations will be put into government run quarantine facilities like hotels.
The PM said that travellers from these countries would be "met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine."
He added: "The Department of Health and Social Care is working to establish these facilities as quickly as possible.”
Meanwhile, Home Secretary Priti Patel said in a statement that people wanting to travel outside of the UK must first make a declaration stating their essential reasons.
She added that the Government would be increasing police presence at airports and ports, and promised to urgently review the list of travel exemptions to ensure only those with exceptional reasons are included.
This comes on the day after the UK number of deaths has passed 100,000.
The move to introduce hotel quarantine mirrors that of Australia and New Zealand, where mandatory hotel quarantine for overseas travellers has been in place since last year.
Both countries have experienced very low death rates from Covid-19 compared to the UK.
The new rules will mainly impact UK nationals returning home as most foreign nationals from countries deemed high risk are already being denied UK entry.
Under the current lockdown restrictions in England, it is illegal to travel abroad without a reasonable excuse.
Quarantine rules are implemented individually by each of the four nations, however they do tend to be similar in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Here's everything you need to know about Covid-19:
What is Covid-19?
Covid-19 emerged as a virus in December 2019 as the first cases are reported in Wuhan, China. Scientifically known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus created a global pandemic as it began to spread around the world. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe, causing death in some cases. Some people are completely asymptomatic and do not realise they even have the virus.
Has there been a virus like this before?
The SARS pandemic in 2003 was similar to Covid-19 in that it was also caused by a coronavirus. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The global outbreak of SARS lasted from 2002-2003, infecting over 8,000 people and killing 774. Covid-19 and SARS are both respiratory illnesses, but SARS was much more deadly and less infectious.
What are the main symptoms?
The NHS say the main Covid-19 symptoms are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough and loss or change to taste of sense or smell. NHS advises people with Covid-19 to take plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take paracetamol for a high temperature.
What was the Government reaction?
The UK Government announced the first of several lockdowns in March 2020. By the end of the month, more than 100 countries around the world introduce full or partial lockdowns, preventing people from going to work, restricting everyday tasks and affecting the livelihoods of billions of people globally.
Which countries have been worst hit?
During the first year of the pandemic, the US recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and the most deaths, reporting an unprecedented 100,000 new cases in one day on November 4th 2020. Thousands of new cases were recorded on the same date in India (46,000+), the United Kingdom (22,000+), Brazil (17,000+) and Mexico (5,000+), while Ireland records less than 1,000 (578). Hundreds of other countries also reported a high rate of infection.
How have vaccines fought against Covid-19?
Vaccines began being approved for use across the globe. By January 2021, the UK approved the use of three different vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are rolled out to the public, with older people and those with greater health concerns getting priority. In April 2022, just under 53 million people had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
What are new Covid variants?
Four new variants of Covid-19 were discovered around the world. Beta was found in South Africa, Gamma in Brazil and Delta in India, while the Alpha variant was first located in Kent, UK. New variants are not likely to make someone more seriously ill than Covid-19 would, but variants like Delta have a higher infection rate, meaning it can be more easily spread.
The Omicron variant was first detected late 2021 in South Africa. Since then, it has become one of the most dominant variants in the world, with its own sub strains - BA.4 and BA.5.