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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has defended the introduction of 10-year jail sentences for those who lie about their travel across the UK border as “appropriate”.
Under the new measures to take effect on Monday, UK and Irish residents arriving in England from 33 “red list” countries will have to pay up to £ 1,750 to quarantine for 10 days in government-run hotel rooms.
As part of the implementation of the new action, anyone who tries to hide their being in a “red list” country in the 10 days prior to arrival will face a prison term of up to 10 years.
Shapps explained how new restrictions are being introduced due to government concerns about the importation of new coronavirus variants, or their widespread use, into the UK.
“What we are dealing with now are the variants and, with the variants, we cannot risk in these final stages, where we have implemented the vaccine, that we could end up with a difficulty due to the variations, although we believe so. Until now we will be able to take care of them. through vaccines, “he told Sky News.
“And so we think that … things like prison sentences for lying about being in one of those red list countries are appropriate.”
Shapps said travel – from 16 to 20,000 people a day – was 95% lower than last year, with fewer than 1,000 a day arriving from “red list” countries.
“By next week when people have to pay to do this, a £ 1,750 package on top of the costs of getting here by an indirect route, I think we will find the figures to be quite small,” he added.
The government has more than 5,000 hotel rooms immediately available for people to self-quarantine, the transportation secretary said.
In Scotland, all international travelers arriving in Scotland, not just those from “red list” countries, will be required to stay in a quarantine hotel.
There are currently no international flights operating to Wales or Northern Ireland.
