The UK government today announced the latest people who break the travels rules in place to keep emerging variants of the coronavirus out of the UK could be fined as much as £10,000 or even sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Travellers who have to stay in quarantine hotels in England will be charged £1,750 for their stay Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced.

16 hotels have been contracted for the programme, with 4,600 around rooms secured.
The measures, which come into force on Monday, apply to UK and Irish residents returning from 33 red list countries.

Mr Hancock said, “People who flout these rules are putting us all at risk” and it seems he intends to deter as many would be rule breakers as possible with these updates.

The harshest punishments come for those who fail to quarantine in a government sanctioned-hotel for 10 days (fined up to £10,000) and for travellers who lie on their passenger locator forms about visiting a red list country (up to 10 years in jail).  Although the red list is said to be constantly “under review”.