UK to launch hotel quarantine for arrivals

Travelers from coronavirus hot spots will be forced into mandatory hotel quarantine upon arriving in the U.K., British Home Secretary Priti Patel is expected to announce today, but the opposition Labour Party has called for tougher measures.

Labour’s Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth told BBC Breakfast ahead of the announcement that Britain needs “a comprehensive policy — not just the hot spots — because … there will be areas, or countries, across the world where there are mutations which had not been identified yet.”

The Times reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had blocked Patel from implementing tougher measures. According to the BBC, the U.K. would force British residents arriving in England from 30 countries, including Portugal and most of South America and southern Africa, to quarantine in hotels at their own expense for up to 10 days.

In Scotland, Deputy First Minister John Swinney reportedly told the Times that Holyrood will impose stricter requirements if Downing Street’s measures are “minimal.”

Defending the government the morning after Britain surpassed 100,000 deaths from COVID-19, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick told Sky News that No. 10 does “want to go further,” but that “there is no textbook as to how to respond to this.”

Want more analysis from POLITICO? POLITICO Pro is our premium intelligence service for professionals. From financial services to trade, technology, cybersecurity and more, Pro delivers real time intelligence, deep insight and breaking scoops you need to keep one step ahead. Email [email protected] to request a complimentary trial.