Tighter border restrictions announced for UK - with hotel quarantine made mandatory for some

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced new border restrictions for travellers arriving into the UK from 22 countries.

Residents arriving back in the UK from certain countries will also have to quarantine in hotels upon arrival.

Speaking to the House of Commons, the PM said: “I want to make clear that under the stay at home regulations, it is illegal to leave home to travel abroad for leisure purposes and we will enforce this at ports and airports by asking people why they are leaving and instructing them to return home if they do not have a valid reason to travel.”

Hotel quarantine not mandatory for all arrivals

The new hotel quarantine measures will apply to people coming from the majority of South America, South Africa and Portugal.

UK nationals, and those with residency rights, who arrive from countries with high coronavirus rates will be required to quarantine in a hotel at their own expense, for up to 10 days.

Travellers will be met at the airport and “transported directly into quarantine”. The Prime Minister said that the Department of Health and Social Care is working to establish these facilities as quickly as possible.