NEWS: Hotel quaratine details emerging & UK government considers COVID passports

English hotel quarantine confirmed for 15 February

After lots of conflicting remarks and criticism of the government’s lack of clarity surrounding hotel quarantine. Further details have been revealed. The scheme will start on 15 February for arrivals from 33 countries despite many in the hotel industry saying they have not been approached to supply rooms yet.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has confirmed that from 15 February anyone travelling to the UK from a country on the UK’s travel ban list (currently 33 countries including South America, UAE, Portugal and southern Africa will be required to quarantine in a government-approved facility for a period of 10 days. There will be no “test to release” for these countries.

On Thursday evening DHSC issued specifications to hotels near ports and airports, asking for proposals on how they can support the delivery of Managed Quarantine Facilities ahead of formal contracts being awarded. 

Over the past week, the government has met with stakeholders from across the aviation, maritime, hotel and hospitality industry, and will now continue to finalise plans to enable implementation from 15 February. It is expected that around 1000 arrivals per day will need quarantine at a cost of around £80 per day including 3 meals a day. Those under quarantine will be allowed access to fresh air when accompanied by a security guard. Final details are yet to be confirmed. 

The Health Secretary held discussions with his Australian counterpart on Thursday, and officials will speak with New Zealand officials to share expertise.

Further details will be set out next week on how passengers will be able to book into the designated accommodation facilities.

This comes as the Prime Minister has also appointed the Health and Social Care Secretary to oversee cross-government efforts to deliver mandatory quarantine and enhanced testing which will help tackle the threats of new variants of COVID-19.

A DHSC spokesperson said:

Throughout the pandemic, the government has put in place proportionate measures, informed by the advice of scientists, and that has led to some of the toughest border regimes in the world. It is currently illegal to go on holiday, and passengers travelling to the UK must provide proof of a negative test before they travel, and self-isolate on arrival. With increased police presence at airports and more physical checks at addresses to make sure people are self-isolating, we are taking decisive action.

We are now 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, and are rightly engaging with representatives from the hospitality, maritime and aviation industry, and learning from our friends around the world. In the face of new variants, it is important that the government continues to take the necessary steps to protect people and save lives.

These measures build on the Home Secretary’s announcement on 27 January that the government is taking further action for outbound and inbound passengers, to minimise travel across international borders and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

UK government said to be looking at COVID passports

When I wrote about Denmark’s COVID “passports” for vaccinations, it engendered a lively debate. It’s an emotive subject with no easy answer. There is nothing wrong with a COVID passport in itself if it used to display health information in a way that stops fraud. The issue is more about allowing those who have been vaccinated or had COVID recently more freedom than those who haven’t. There is no simple answer until countries have vaccinated the majority of their population. Until then there will be controls on those that enter borders which are likely to be tests, quarantine and vaccination in some combination. Sadly the border controls will be different for every country, but I am hopeful that we will all be able to travel to a range of countries this summer, whether you are vaccinated or not. 

The government is being very reticent to talk about COVID passports precisely for the reasons above, but according to Sky News and The Times, ministers are looking into the creation of a digital vaccine passport. Apparently, groups have been formed to look at what will happen to international travel once inoculations are more widely completed across the world.

The Times reported that a certification system is being planned by three government departments to let travellers go abroad to countries that need proof of inoculation. Whether you agree with other countries treating vaccinated travellers differently or not, it makes total sense for the government to do this. Currently, it is hard for people to prove they have been vaccinated other than a piece of paper that could easily be forged. Hopefully, as countries vaccinate their most vulnerable and cases fall, everyone will be able to travel in a reasonable way as they did last summer.