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LONDON, May 22 (Reuters) - Britain will introduce a COVID-19
quarantine for travellers arriving from abroad from June 8,
interior minister Priti Patel said on Friday, a measure that
airlines have warned will devastate their industry.
All international arrivals, including returning Britons,
will have to self-isolate for 14 days and provide details of
where they will be staying.
"Now we are past the peak of this virus, we must take steps
to guard against imported cases triggering a resurgence of this
deadly disease," Patel said at a news conference.
Those who breached the quarantine in England could be fined
1,000 pounds ($1,218), and spot checks would be carried out by
health and border officials.
The quarantine will not apply to those arriving from the
Irish Republic, nor to freight drivers, medical professionals
and seasonal agricultural workers. The measures will be reviewed
every 3 weeks.
Transport minister Grant Shapps has also suggested the
government would seek to negotiate "air bridges" for travellers
coming from countries with low virus infection rates.
Unlike many other countries, Britain has carried out few
tests and checks on visitors, with quarantine limited only to
arrivals from China at the start of the outbreak.
That has led to accusations that Prime Minister Boris
Johnson's government has been too slow to act, but it now also
faces criticism over plans to bring in the quarantine.
Airline bosses have said the measures would have severe
repercussions, with Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive,
saying they would be "unenforceable and unpoliceable."
Ryanair and easyJet have outlined plans to
restart some flights in coming months. But under the quarantine
plan, Virgin Atlantic will not restart until August at the
earliest.
"Introducing a quarantine at this stage makes no sense and
will mean very limited international aviation at best," said Tim
Alderslade, Chief Executive of industry body Airlines UK.
"It is just about the worst thing government could do if
their aim is to restart the economy."
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge, Kate Holton, Alistair Smout,
Estelle Shirbon and Kylie MacLellan; editing by Michael Holden
and Stephen Addison)
