UK arrivals could face £1,000 fines if they break quarantine
Anyone arriving in the UK from abroad could be fined £1,000 if they fail to self-isolate for 14 days, the government is expected to announce.
Under new regulations, health officials would be able to carry out spot checks to see whether people were complying.
The new rules, which will also be applicable to British people returning from abroad, are not expected to come into force until next month.
This policy aims to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections, which means all arrivals would be asked to fill in a form with their contact information.
Road hauliers and medical officials would be excused from fines, as well as those arriving from the Republic of Ireland. However, people travelling from France will not be exempt, the government has previously confirmed.
Any passengers arriving in the UK by plane, ferry or train would need to provide UK Border Force officials with an address where they will self-isolate, otherwise accommodation will be arranged by the government.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said: "The reality is we are saying to people if you are going to go abroad you need to look at the fact you may well need to do quarantine when you come back."
Many other countries already require arriving passengers to enter a 14-day quarantine, including New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Spain and the US.
However, airlines have warned quarantine measures could make situations way worse, as air travel has dropped as much as 99% due to coronavirus.
Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary, described the plan to quarantine travellers as "idiotic" and "unimplementable", while trade body Airlines UK said it "would effectively kill" international travel to and from Britain.
Downing Street announced the new measure would be reviewed every three weeks once it is introduced.
The government recommends international travel when absolutely necessary, and nobody should travel if they display any coronavirus symptoms.
Source: BBC News
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