LONDON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson defended his new border policy on Wednesday, saying it
was tough, measured and proportional to try to keep COVID-19 and
the coronavirus variants from entering the country.
Under new border restrictions, people arriving from
countries where coronavirus variants are spreading will have to
pay for 10 days of quarantine in hotels. Anyone who breaks the
rules could face a heavy fine or a 10-year jail term.
"I think this policy is measured, it is proportional. It is
getting tougher from Monday," Johnson told parliament after
being asked by opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer why it had
taken the government so long to tighten controls at Britain's
borders when variants had already arrived from abroad.
(Reporting by William James, writing by Elizabeth Piper;
Editing by Kate Holton)