New quarantine rules expected for travellers to UK

Boris Johnson is expected to sign off sweeping new quarantine rules for travellers in airport hotels on Tuesday as cabinet ministers rebuffed pressure from Tory MPs to set out a timetable for the easing of lockdown. In what Downing Street said was a more cautious approach since England’s third lockdown, a No 10 source said: “We don’t ever want to unlock anything if we have to lock it again.” It may mean coronavirus travel curbs and other restrictions remaining in place for months. The hotel quarantine measure, which government sources said may take “weeks rather than days” to implement, would be an “effective closure of our borders”, the airline industry said. Ten-day stays are expected to cost upwards of GBP1,000 for each traveller. Some countries, which imposed similar regimes from March last year, charge many thousands for accommodation, board and security, with occupants confined to their rooms, including for exercise. A final decision will be made by cabinet ministers at a Covid-O meeting on Tuesday, with the prime minister presented with several options. Details yet to be confirmed include the cost and whether a “test to release” policy will operate, like the measure which now allows travellers to leave quarantine if they test negative after five days.<br/>