On the day Priti Patel announced it, England stepped into a practice many nations had already adopted: holding arriving travellers in designated hotels before they can join the rest of society. The measure reaches UK nationals and residents returning from thirty countries across South America, southern Africa and Portugal, and it is framed as a guard against new strains of the virus while also ensuring that self-isolation is actually observed. Much remains unsettled, from when it begins to what it will cost, and the answers are expected from the Department of Health in the days ahead. Set agai
How UK Hotel Quarantine Will Work, and How It Compares With Other Countries
Travellers from red-list countries face mandatory 10-day isolation in designated hotels, with costs that could exceed £1,000 per person.
England is far from the first nation to put travellers in hotels
On the day Priti Patel announced it, England stepped into a practice many nations had already adopted: holding arriving travellers in designated hotels before they can join the rest of society. The measure reaches UK nationals and residents returning from thirty countries across South America, southern Africa and Portugal, and it is framed as a guard against new strains of the virus while also ensuring that self-isolation is actually observed. Much remains unsettled, from when it begins to what it will cost, and the answers are expected from the Department of Health in the days ahead. Set against the wider world, where hotel quarantine has ranged from a few days to a month and from modest fees to prices reaching into the thousands, England's choice reads as one more answer to a question humanity is still learning how to ask.
On the day Home Secretary Priti Patel announced the measure, England joined a long list of countries that place arriving travellers in hotel quarantine. Anyone arriving from certain places will have to isolate for ten days in a government-designated hotel, and this includes British nationals and residents who cannot be refused entry. The list of red-list countries spans South America, southern Africa and Portugal, and the aim, the prime minister said, is to keep out new variants of the virus, particularly those circulating in South Africa and Brazil, and to make sure people truly follow self-isolation rules.
Much is still open. No start date has been set, no hotels have been named though Best Western has signalled readiness, and the final price has not been announced. Travellers are expected to pay for their own stay, which could exceed £1,000 per person, with testing carried out during the isolation period.
Around the world, the approach varies widely. Australia assigns hotels on arrival and holds people for at least two weeks, and in New South Wales a single traveller is billed about £1,695. China moves arrivals to hotels without advance notice, with fortnight costs from about £470 to £790. Hong Kong demands up to three weeks, and New Zealand charges a flat fee of £1,633 for one adult. Some countries, such as India and Indonesia, ask for shorter stays, while others offer luxury packages.
The details that will define England's version are due from the Department of Health next week.
On the day Home Secretary Priti Patel stood up to announce it, England joined a long list of countries that put arriving travellers into hotel quarantine. People who cannot be refused entry, she said, will have to isolate for 10 days in a government-designated hotel. The details are due next week from the Department of Health, and the other UK nations have already said the measures do not go far enough.
The rule applies to UK nationals and residents returning from 30 countries on a so-called red list: Angola, Argentina, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ecuador, Eswatini, French Guiana, Guyana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Seychelles, South Africa, Suriname, Tanzania, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Foreign nationals and non-UK residents coming from those places, across South America, southern Africa and Portugal, are already barred from entering.
The purpose is to make sure people actually follow self-isolation rules after returning from certain countries. The prime minister framed it as a way to keep new mutant strains of COVID out, amid concern about variants in South Africa and Brazil. Boris Johnson said passengers will be met at the airport and taken directly into quarantine, and that the Department of Health and Social Care is working to set up facilities as quickly as possible.
Much is still unsettled. It is not clear when the policy will start or how long it will stay in place. No hotels have been confirmed, though the chain Best Western said it was ready to step in. The finances have not been announced either, but the cost could top £1,000 per person. It is understood that travellers will pay for their own stay, with coronavirus testing carried out during it.
England is far from the first. Australia introduced mandatory hotel quarantine at the end of March 2020. Hotels are assigned on the day of arrival, and people stay at least 14 days, up to 24 if they refuse a test, or until clear if they test positive. Meals are left outside room doors, and one delivered meal a day is allowed. In New South Wales a single traveller is invoiced about $3,000 (£1,695) on leaving.
China takes arrivals by bus to state-designated hotels without telling them which one in advance. Staff in PPE call at least twice daily to log temperatures, and tests come after a week and just before release. A fortnight costs RMB4,200 to RMB7,000 (£470 to £790), food included, though quality varies and unmarried couples may be separated. Hong Kong requires 21 days for most arrivals, 14 for those from China, Macau and Taiwan, with proof of a hotel booking before boarding. Prices there run from $10,080 to $1,039,500 (£950 to £98,000).
New Zealand demands at least 14 days, up to 28 for those refusing a test, with a room voucher needed before booking a flight. The flat rate is $3,100 (£1,633) for one person, $950 (£500) for each additional adult and $475 (£250) for each child over three. Singapore gives arrivals an electronic bracelet or smartwatch to monitor them in their room, at about $2,000 (£1,100) plus $200 (£110) per test. Qatar charges £548 to £810 for seven days, with some four- and five-star hotels reserved for UK arrivals.
Others vary widely. India asks for at least seven days in a hotel or government facility, then home quarantine if tests are negative, at £105 to £280 a week. Indonesia requires five days. The Philippines requires 14 days and pays for overseas Filipino workers. Taiwan requires 14 days at £26 to £522. Thailand offers hospital-linked packages from 26,500 THB to 600,000 THB (£646 to £14,650), with some hotels opening pools, golf courses and spas after a negative first test.
What England's version will cost, and when it begins, should become clearer when the Department of Health publishes its details next week.
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Passengers will be met at the airport and transported directly into quarantine.— Prime Minister Boris Johnson
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