Ten year jail terms are among a range of new punishments introduced to improve compliance with UK border controls, designed to reduce Covid-19 transmissions and prevent new variants from entering the nation.
"I make no apologies for the strength of these measures because we’re dealing with one of the strongest threats to the our public health that we’ve faced as a nation," UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced in the House of Commons.
He stated more than a dozen hotels have been contracted for the enforced quarantine measures across England, which comes into force next week.
Arrivals from red flag destinations will have to pay $3300 to cover the cost of their stay, transport to the hotel and coronavirus tests for 10 days.
Hancock also said on top of providing a negative test 72 hours before travelling, anyone arriving in the UK from any country will need to take two further Covid-19 tests before being allowed to leave isolation, whether they are quarantining at home or a hotel.
Hefty fines, ranging from just under $2000 to $20,000, could be issued to anyone who fails to comply. He also reminded citizens that it is illegal to travel abroad for leisure.
The tough new border measures follow revelations this week that at least 147 cases of the South African strain had been identified in the UK.
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