Travel in the middle of the pandemic is becoming complicated these days. While most countries are imposing travel restrictions and strict protocols, UK is taking it a notch higher. According to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, expect “pretty strong action” if you lie on your recent travel history.
Lying about your recent travel history could land you in jail. On the other hand, failure to complete the quarantine protocols can have you fined. Failing to quarantine in a designated hotel has a penalty of £5,000 to £10,000.
A maximum of a 10-year jail sentence is waiting for someone who will lie about his or her recent travel. According to Supreme Court judge Lord Sumption, the penalty seems a bit too harsh since lower penalties exist for sex offenses.
Starting February 15, travelers arriving in England from countries included in their “red list” are expected to isolate for 10 days in hotels. Bolivia, Brazil, Angola, Peru, Portugal, and Rwanda are some of the countries included in this list.
The cost of the 10-day quarantine is estimated at £1,750. Because of this, officials are anticipating the possibility that people will deliberately lie about their travel history. According to Shapps, 1,300 people enter the UK coming from the 33 countries on the red list.
10-Year Jail Sentence: Entirely Disproportionate
Former Tory MP Dominic Grieve called the move to have a 10-year jail sentence against someone who lied about his or her travel history “a mistake”. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that “the courts are simply not going to impose it”.
Re-Vaccination?
Officials are concerned about the effectiveness of the existing COVID19 vaccines against the new strains. Prime Minister Boris Johnson also mentioned that the public should be open to the possibility of “vaccinating and then revaccinating in the autumn”. Also, Johnson defended the need for travelers entering the UK to quarantine in hotels calling it a “measured” and “proportionate” action.
