UK to impose mandatory hotel quarantine from Feb 15

London, Feb 5 : Travellers returning to the UK from more than 30 “red list” countries will have to quarantine for 10 days in government-approved accommodation like hotels, starting from February 15, the government announced on Friday.
The measure is being introduced in an effort to control the spread of new Covid-19 variants of first identified in South Africa and Brazil, which scientists believe may be more infectious and may reduce the effectiveness of vaccines, Xinhua news agency reported.
Countries on the list include the entire South America, southern Africa, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates.
Non-residents and nationals from these countries have already been banned from entering the UK.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said its was “working at pace to secure the facilities we need to roll out managed quarantine for British nationals returning home from the most high-risk countries”.
“In the face of new variants, it is important that the government continues to take the necessary steps to protect people and save lives,” the spokesperson said.