UK Says Self-Quarantine Is Mandatory For Arrivals

UK says its mandatory to self quarantine for arrival in Britain.

People who are departing in Britain from Monday will have to self-isolate for two weeks. Announced Britain government under a new coronavirus restriction.

This measure will apply to both residents and visitors with some exceptions, aims to prevent a second wave of Corona Virus Contagion.

But critics ask why Britain, where the number of new Covid-19 infections per 100,000 people in the past 14 days was the second-highest in Europe, is inflicting more pain on hotels and airlines by reducing travel from countries with fewer virus cases.

British Airways and budget companies EasyJet and Ryanair have launched joint legal proceedings against the government for what they called a “disproportionate and unfair” step.

Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary told Sky News on Monday the plan was “useless” and unenforceable, and said it would “devastate thousands of jobs in British tourism”.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the new rules made sense because “the proportion of infections that come from abroad increases” as Britain’s own caseload drops.

“We’ve got to take an approach that starts with caution,” he told Sky News.

Exemptions are being made in several cases — including for lorry drivers, “essential” healthcare workers and people travelling from Ireland who have been there for at least two weeks.

Authorities in England will carry out spot checks and those breaching the rules could be punished with a £1,000 ($1,250 / 1,125-euro) fine or prosecution.

Home Secretary Priti Patel told sceptical lawmakers in parliament last week that the measure was “backed by the science, supported by the public, and essential to save lives”.

The government is moving forward with a gradual reduction of the lockdown that will see retail sales reopen on June 15, and restaurants and bars will begin to have limited service in early July.

But the devastated hotel sector relies heavily on tourists, and business leaders fear the quarantine means much of the summer season will be lost.

It comes after Italy, heavily hit, reopened its borders last week and other European states do the same.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government is trying to organize “travel corridors” with countries like France and Spain that could see them lift their quarantine demands.

But officials wait until the end of June to reach these deals, and the airlines behind the lawsuit say they can’t wait that long.

“These measures are disproportionate and unfair to British citizens, as well as to international visitors arriving in the UK,” the airlines said in a joint statement.

The quarantine “will have a devastating effect on (the) UK tourism industry and destroy thousands of jobs in this unprecedented crisis,” they said.

The official death toll in Britain of 40,542 follows only that of the United States.

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