Coronavirus: UK threatens 10 years in prison for lying about travel history
- UK toughens rules for international travellers
- Includes steep fines and jail for those who break the rules
Anyone arriving in England and found to have lied about a recent visit to a country on the UK government’s travel ban list faces up to 10 years in prison under new tough coronavirus border policies.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that from Monday, residents of the UK and Ireland arriving in England from the places on the government’s “red list” will have to purchase a “quarantine package” that costs £1,750 (US$2,400) per person and covers accommodation, virus testing and other items.
Individuals not abiding by the rules, including those arriving from a red list country without a hotel booked, also could be subject to a series of fines, he said.
“I make no apologies for the strength of these measures because we’re dealing with one of the strongest threats to our public health that we’ve faced as a nation,” Hancock told lawmakers on Tuesday. “People who flout these rules are putting us all at risk.”
At present, there are 33 countries, including South Africa, Portugal and all of South America, from where travel to England is effectively banned largely because of concerns over new variants of the coronavirus.
However, British and Irish citizens, as well as all other UK residents, are permitted to enter provided they self-isolate for 10 days after their arrival.