Jail terms, big fines as UK government finally acts to block Covid-19 spread in England

BTN News
Wednesday, 10 February 2021

The England move comes only days after the UK government refused calls for 'Covid passports', partly because vaccination isn't compulsory in the UK and such a safeguarding move discriminates against those who have not been vaccinated, even if by choice.

The new rules mean arrivals in England must have a clear Covid test taken 72 hours before arrival, and anyone who comes from one of 33 'red list' countries must also undergo two tests during a 10-day mandatory quarantine period. (The two tests - on days two and eight - also apply to England residents who self-isolate at home.)
Those in quarantine face a fine of up to GBP10,000 if they leave their hotel or home before their 10-day isolation period is completed - and they face up to 10 years' jail if they lie and say they have not been in a 'red list' country in the 10 days before they travelled to England.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the quarantine process including transfers to the hotel and the quarantine period in a room will cost individualls GBP1,750 each (plus any additional charges for extra quarantine days).
Also, if an arrival leaves the hotel before the 10-day quarantine period is completed, he or she could be handed a GBP5,000-GBP10,000 coronavirus fine.
There also will be a GBP1,000 penalty for failing to take the first coronavirus test, and a GBP2,000 fine for failing to take the second.

Tears

Tuesday’s Daily Express featured a woman who this week flew into the UK from red list country South Africa (via Qatar) and claimed to have walked through London Heathrow in 10 minutes, without a single check.
“I was in tears,” she said. “I couldn’t believe what happened.”

SAGE

Early February, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE, which advises the UK governments on Covid best practice) warned that only mandatory hotel quarantine for all travellers would prevent new Covid strains from arriving in the country.
Sage advised the only way to “get close” to stopping infections was either by closing the borders completely or introducing mandatory quarantine measures for everyone entering the UK.
As has been all too common, prime minister Boris Johnson ignored the advice, with his spokesman saying Sage “did not actually advise the government to completely close borders or call for a blanket quarantine on travels”.

Scotland

While travellers arriving in England will only be required to isolate in dedicated quarantine hotels if they are coming from red list countries, there will be no exceptions in Scotland.
All travellers on 'direct international flights' will be taken to hotels and be charged GBP1,750 per room for individuals, with supplements for families, as of Monday 15th.
Six hotels, close to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports and with a combined capacity of 1300 rooms have been selected, though daily arrivals currently exceed this total.
(The Scottish 'solution' however allows anyone not travelling from a red list country to break the rules by flying to an English airport and then transferring by air, road or rail to Scotland. The same loophole applies to travellers to Wales.)

Wales and Northern Ireland

People travelling from 'red list' countries to Wales and Northern Ireland will undergo quarantine in England, with only one and two-stop Amsterdam and Palma international routes offered to and from Belfast airport.
Commenting on the new England rules, Wales' first minister Mark Drakeford said: "I would have had the default position that anyone coming into the UK would be expected to quarantine and then you could have had exceptions for countries where you were confident that it was not required.”
Drakeford added that throughout the pandemic, the UK government “has done the least it can get away with rather than the most it should".
Under the new rules, he said, "when a new variant happens somewhere in the world that is not on the list of 33 'red list' countries, people will have travelled here and the variant will be here and we will hear again the sound of the stable door being shut after the horse has bolted.”
He added: "A four or five-nation approach [including Eire] is needed. We should all build the wall higher to prevent the hard work that people in Wales and elsewhere have done to drive down infection being undermined,” he said.

Irish border

Drivers from Northern Ireland attempting to cross the border with the Republic of Ireland are now being turned back unless they have essential reasons for travel.
They also face fines of up to EUR100, though penalties will only be handed out as a "last resort", police say. - Jack Handley

Jail terms, big fines as UK government finally acts to block Covid-19 spread in England

BTN News
Wednesday, 10 February 2021

The England move comes only days after the UK government refused calls for 'Covid passports', partly because vaccination isn't compulsory in the UK and such a safeguarding move discriminates against those who have not been vaccinated, even if by choice.

The new rules mean arrivals in England must have a clear Covid test taken 72 hours before arrival, and anyone who comes from one of 33 'red list' countries must also undergo two tests during a 10-day mandatory quarantine period. (The two tests - on days two and eight - also apply to England residents who self-isolate at home.)
Those in quarantine face a fine of up to GBP10,000 if they leave their hotel or home before their 10-day isolation period is completed - and they face up to 10 years' jail if they lie and say they have not been in a 'red list' country in the 10 days before they travelled to England.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the quarantine process including transfers to the hotel and the quarantine period in a room will cost individualls GBP1,750 each (plus any additional charges for extra quarantine days).
Also, if an arrival leaves the hotel before the 10-day quarantine period is completed, he or she could be handed a GBP5,000-GBP10,000 coronavirus fine.
There also will be a GBP1,000 penalty for failing to take the first coronavirus test, and a GBP2,000 fine for failing to take the second.

Tears

Tuesday’s Daily Express featured a woman who this week flew into the UK from red list country South Africa (via Qatar) and claimed to have walked through London Heathrow in 10 minutes, without a single check.
“I was in tears,” she said. “I couldn’t believe what happened.”

SAGE

Early February, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE, which advises the UK governments on Covid best practice) warned that only mandatory hotel quarantine for all travellers would prevent new Covid strains from arriving in the country.
Sage advised the only way to “get close” to stopping infections was either by closing the borders completely or introducing mandatory quarantine measures for everyone entering the UK.
As has been all too common, prime minister Boris Johnson ignored the advice, with his spokesman saying Sage “did not actually advise the government to completely close borders or call for a blanket quarantine on travels”.

Scotland

While travellers arriving in England will only be required to isolate in dedicated quarantine hotels if they are coming from red list countries, there will be no exceptions in Scotland.
All travellers on 'direct international flights' will be taken to hotels and be charged GBP1,750 per room for individuals, with supplements for families, as of Monday 15th.
Six hotels, close to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports and with a combined capacity of 1300 rooms have been selected, though daily arrivals currently exceed this total.
(The Scottish 'solution' however allows anyone not travelling from a red list country to break the rules by flying to an English airport and then transferring by air, road or rail to Scotland. The same loophole applies to travellers to Wales.)

Wales and Northern Ireland

People travelling from 'red list' countries to Wales and Northern Ireland will undergo quarantine in England, with only one and two-stop Amsterdam and Palma international routes offered to and from Belfast airport.
Commenting on the new England rules, Wales' first minister Mark Drakeford said: "I would have had the default position that anyone coming into the UK would be expected to quarantine and then you could have had exceptions for countries where you were confident that it was not required.”
Drakeford added that throughout the pandemic, the UK government “has done the least it can get away with rather than the most it should".
Under the new rules, he said, "when a new variant happens somewhere in the world that is not on the list of 33 'red list' countries, people will have travelled here and the variant will be here and we will hear again the sound of the stable door being shut after the horse has bolted.”
He added: "A four or five-nation approach [including Eire] is needed. We should all build the wall higher to prevent the hard work that people in Wales and elsewhere have done to drive down infection being undermined,” he said.

Irish border

Drivers from Northern Ireland attempting to cross the border with the Republic of Ireland are now being turned back unless they have essential reasons for travel.
They also face fines of up to EUR100, though penalties will only be handed out as a "last resort", police say. - Jack Handley