Are you planning to visit the United Kingdom these holidays? Then, you need to know that strict quarantine rules will be applied to travelers entering the UK in the following months.
This is because the number of positive Coronavirus cases are starting to increase in the country again. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t totally enter the UK - you just need to follow certain protocols to be able to enter.
New UK Quarantine Rules
Travelers arriving from most countries, including British nationals, should isolate themselves or do self-quarantine for 14 days.
But if you’re coming from countries in the Common Travel Area, or in travel corridors with the United Kingdom, 14-day self-isolation is not necessary. These countries include the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man (Channel Islands).
Travelers need to fill up a passenger locator form, which includes their UK address and contact details. If they don’t provide a UK address in the form, they will be required to pay accommodation fees arranged by the government.
Here are the things that you should not do starting from the day of your arrival up to the end of your 14-day self-isolation:
- Use public transport
- Have visitors
- Go out to buy essentials and food if they are able to rely on other people
- Go to public areas, including park, work, and school
If you need to do self-quarantine after going out of the country, you may not get an extra sick pay unless you are displaying coronavirus symptoms or other required conditions that need to be met.
Fines for Violating Quarantine Restrictions
Those who will break the quarantine rules in the country will definitely face a fine. It is a criminal offence to violate these restrictions, so make sure to follow them if you don’t want to have a criminal record.
Here are the penalties:
- £1,000 (Wales, Northern Ireland, and England) or £480 (Scotland) for those who aren’t self-isolating when they are supposed to.
- £10,000 for persistent offenders, especially in England.
- £3,200 (England) and £1,920 (Wales) for those who don’t want to provide accurate contact information.
- £100 for not filling up the required passenger locator form.
Exemptions for Employees
If your type of job is listed below, you are exempted to the strict quarantine protocols:
- Members of consular posts and diplomatic missions in the country
- Coach and bus drivers
- Crew and aircraft pilots
- Certain rail workers
- Vehicle drivers of goods
- Representative of a foreign territory or country
- People who have essential border security duties
Where can you go during the holidays?
If you’re living in Wales and England, you won’t be able to travel abroad for a holiday. But if it’s for your work, traveling is still possible. Just make sure that the reason you’re living is because of work - nothing else.
Because if not, you will be forced to pay penalties, especially if you’re from England. The fine starts at £200 up to a whopping £6,400.
But don’t lose hope. You can still visit other countries without facing restrictions. Here are some of them:
- Certain entry points of Cuba
- Crete, Kos, Rhodes, Zakynthos, Corfu
- Bahrain
- Gibraltar
- Turks and Caicos
- Canary Islands
- The Azores or Madeira
- Maldives
- Iceland
