UK 'to bring in 14-day quarantine' for all air passengers

The UK Government could be set to announce a mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travellers into Britain as part of measures aimed at avoiding a second peak of the coronavirus pandemic, it has been reported.

The Times says that Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make the announcement in an address to the nation on Sunday.

Under the measures, which are expected to be implemented by the end of the month or early in June, all passengers arriving at airports and ports will be required to provide an address at which they will immediately self-isolate for 14 days.

The paper reports that “authorities will conduct spot checks”, with punishments for those not adhering to the rules including “fines of up to £1,000” and deportation.

A Home Office spokeswoman told the PA news agency: “We do not comment on leaks. The focus remains on staying at home to protect the NHS and save lives.”

The aviation industry is calling on the Government to reveal specifics of the proposal amid concerns that the measures could have severe repercussions for the travel and tourism sectors.

“We need to see the details of what they are proposing”, Airlines UK, which represents British Airways, EasyJet and other UK-based airlines, said in a statement.

Responding to earlier speculation that a mandatory quarantine would be part of the Government’s coronavirus measures, Airlines UK issued a statement saying the proposal “would effectively kill international travel to and from (the) UK and cause immeasurable damage to the aviation industry and wider UK economy”.

It added: “Nobody is going to go on holiday if they’re not able to resume normal life for 14 days, and business travel would be severely restricted.

“It will also make it all but impossible for aviation to resume any time soon, thereby setting back the UK’s economic recovery still further.”