LONDON — Traveling to the U.K. will become more expensive after the government announced it will require two more coronavirus tests upon arrival in a bid to stop the spread of new variants.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced Tuesday that anyone arriving in the U.K. from February 15 will have to take two coronavirus PCR tests during their 10-day self-isolation period.
Passengers will have to book an appointment for those tests on the second and the eighth day after their arrival in the U.K. through an online system which will go live on Thursday.
“Coronavirus, just like flu and all other viruses, mutates over time and so responding to new variants as soon as they arise is mission critical to protect ourselves for the long term,” Hancock told the House of Commons. “I make no apologies for the strength of these measures because we’re dealing with one of the strongest threats to our public health that we’ve faced as a nation.”
Those with a positive result will be required to self-isolate for a further 10 days from the date of the result. Such cases will undergo genetic sequencing to find out if they are caused by any coronavirus variants which could pose a risk to the rollout of the U.K.’s vaccines, Hancock said.
The British government already requires travelers to have a negative result in the 72 hours prior to their entry in the U.K., so Tuesday’s announcement means they will need at least three tests. Current coronavirus restrictions in the country ban non-essential international travel.
The government is also looking to give the measures teeth, with any international passenger who fails to take a mandatory test facing a £1,000 penalty, doubling for those who fail to take a second. Giving false information on the U.K.’s passenger locator forms in the 10 days before arrival could lead to a prison sentence of up to 10 years, Hancock announced.
The government’s new online system will also allow passengers entering the U.K. from any of the 33 countries on a high-risk “red list” to book a hotel in a room to self-isolate. The hotel quarantine package will cost £1,750 for each individual. Passengers will be escorted to a designated hotel, which will be closed to guests who are not in quarantine, the health secretary said.
The rules will apply to England, but the U.K. government is discussing the introduction of similar restrictions with the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, Hancock added.
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