UNITED Kingdom (UK) Health secretary Matt Hancock has detailed new travel restrictions that will be introduced to try stop Covid-19 variants from entering England.
Briefing British parliament on Tuesday (9 February), Hancock said that this will include a 10-year sentence for incoming passengers who lie about where they have travelled when abroad.
The Guardian reported that 33 high-risk countries are currently on the UK’s ‘red list’ – including South Africa, where a second major Covid-19 variant was first discovered.
Under the new restrictions, the UK will also introduce a strict hotel quarantine system for passengers arriving from these high-risk countries.
The quarantine will cost travellers up to £1,750 (R35,670) for 10 days self-isolating with meals served in their rooms.
Hancock said the government had contracted 16 hotels with 4,600 rooms initially for those entering the country – a number that would be expanded soon.
“People will need to remain
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