LONDON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Britain said it would bring in
tighter border controls from Monday Feb. 15 to help guard the
country against new variants of COVID-19, requiring hotel
quarantine in England for those arriving from the most high risk
countries.
"We're setting up a new system of hotel quarantine for UK
and Irish residents who have been in red list countries in the
last ten days," Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday.
Arrivals will have to quarantine in assigned hotels which
they will book before departure and pay 1,750 pounds per
traveller. Security would be present at the hotels. More details
will be published on Thursday, added Hancock.
The government said it had contracted 16 hotels for an
initial 4,600 rooms and it would secure more as they are needed.
(Reporting by Sarah Young and William Schomberg; Editing by
Kate Holton)