The interior minister has warned that people returning from countries on the government’s amber list should expect a “knock on the door”.
Priti Patel has announced that enforcement is being stepped up on the Daily Mail newspaper to ensure people visiting countries like France, Italy and Spain adhere to the quarantine rules.
Currently, anyone returning from a country on the Amber List – that’s the vast majority of countries in the world – must self-isolate for 10 days and do two COVID tests.
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Priti Patel said “significant resources have been put in place” to ensure people are adhering to quarantine rules
On Wednesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced that there had been 30,000 home visits over the past week to see if people had been quarantined.
A Home Office source confirmed to Sky News that a private contractor, Mitie, will be conducting the enforcement checks. However, the police can also pay a visit if there is a suspicion that someone is violating the quarantine rules.
When asked by the mail on Wednesday whether vacationers should expect a “knock on the door” when they arrive, Ms. Patel said: “Yes, people should.
“There is a service, the provision is there, the capacity has been increased for that reason. People are not going to go out of control.
“Significant resources have been allocated – millions of pounds – to screen people on their tests and make sure they stay home. It has been stepped up.”
Sky News was told that officials are able to make 10,000 home visits a day.
The tone of the warning contrasted with comments made Thursday morning by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who said the British should “use common sense” whether or not to fly to countries with amber lists.
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Shapps: ‘Use Common Sense When Traveling’
Since the ban on foreign holidays was lifted on Monday as part of the easing COVID-19 Restrictions allowed people to travel to a dozen government green list destinations without quarantine.
However, there was confusion about countries on the Amber List and various ministers appeared to be making contradicting statements.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned that “you shouldn’t go to an amber list country on vacation”. He said travel to these countries should only be made under circumstances such as visiting a sick relative or attending a funeral.
Mr Shapps told Sky News on Thursday, “We have moved away from a situation where everything is’ it’s forbidden, it’s illegal.” I know we have gotten very used to it over the past year …
“We’re moving away from that and asking people to use a bit of common sense.”
But he added, “There’s a lot of trouble in … an amber country.
“You need to be quarantined. People will come to your house to check your quarantine. It’s expensive. We haven’t been able to tell people to go on vacation to these places. Please. Please Not.”
Labor shadow trade minister Emily Thornberry said the UK should drop a system that allows people traveling from countries with different lists to mingle at airports and be much “stricter” in general.
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She told Sky News: “The Labor Party believes we have to stop this. We have to stop it.”
“We definitely have to stop this idea of Amber Lands and we have to be a lot stronger, stop and look at our journey again, but really be a lot stricter.”
The easyJet boss, who announced earlier this morning that he has fallen deeper into the red with half-yearly losses of £ 645million, warned that the UK is “falling behind” other European countries in reopening travel.
Johan Lundgren said, “We have looked at the data available and the science shows that you have a number of countries in Europe that are now on the amber list and should be included in the green list.”
According to reports, thousands of people have traveled to Amber List destinations including France, Greece, Spain and the US since Monday.
