UK Hotel Quarantine Scheme goes live - How does it affect you?

The new UK Hotel Quarantine Arrival programme has swung into effect today (04:00GMT – 15th February). How will affect your travels?

Welcome to the United Kingdom. Depending on where you’ve come in from, you’ve got new adventures ahead… as well as 10 of days isolation.

How is has this been put in place?

Legislation has been brought forward and approved at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2021/150/made. It has been put in place to contain new strains of COVID-19, as well as contain those who are entering the UK from territories that are of a higher risk.

Who does this apply to?

It applies to all travellers arriving into the United Kingdom, be they residents or visitors.

Where are you coming in from?

Not every arrival will have to quarantine when arriving in England. In Scotland, all arrivals will have to Quarantine at hotels. In this post, I’ll be dealing with English rules and legislation. If you are travelling to Wales or Northern Ireland from a red list country – you will be required to book and pay for quarantine in England.

Arrivals from countries that England have placed on the red-list – if you travelled from or passed through a country on the list where travel to the UK is banned – will be required to quarantine at a hotel.

The red list at the time of publication includes

Angola
Argentina
Bolivia
Botswana
Brazil
Burundi
Cape Verde
Chile
Colombia
The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Ecuador
Eswatini
French Guiana
Guyana
Lesotho
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Portugal (including Madeira and the Azores)
Rwanda
Seychelles
South Africa
Suriname
Tanzania
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Uruguay
Venezuela
Zambia
Zimbabwe

You can find the latest update to the red list at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/transport-measures-to-protect-the-uk-from-variant-strains-of-covid-19.

Red List Countries do not have direct travel links to the UK – so you will be coming via another country (providing you are accepted for travel).

If you are coming in from any other country you will need to have two COVID-19 tests, as well as quarantining at home or another nominated place. You will be required to get a test on days two and eight of their 10-day quarantine period, whether they are isolating at home or in a hotel. The tests, conducted by NHS Test and Trace, will set you back £210.

Before you travel and booking your stay/tests.

You will need to take a COVID-19 test, which has a negative result. This must be taken up to 3 days before departure. If you do not comply (and you do not have a valid exemption) your airline or carrier may refuse you boarding and/or you may be fined on arrival.

Once you have this you will need to provide your journey and contact details and complete the passenger locator form.

You will also need to book either the tests or the quarantine package as needed at https://quarantinehotelbookings.ctmportal.co.uk/ (which has suffered some downtime in the run up to this going live).

Depending on what you need, click the right link. This site covers isolation and tests for England and Scottish arrivals who require isolation.

COVID Test Kits – https://quarantinehotels.ctmportal.co.uk/Quarantine/Home.aspx
Managed Quarantine Package – https://quarantinehotels.ctmportal.co.uk/

Once you head to the booking engine, it’s pretty easy to start booking what you need. On the first screen, select your arrival port, date of arrival and how many people.

If you’re travelling on your own, it’s £1750

If you’re travelling as a couple or two people together, it’s an extra £650 – £2400 in total

If you’re travelling with a child between 5 and 12 years old, it’s an extra £325.

Once you wish to book, it’s a case of filling all your personal information in.

You can also book tests from here too if you need just the test package, if you are arriving from a non-red list country (or not have been to a red list country). Again, enter where you’re coming in from, the amount of travellers and your arrival port.

Once through that hurdle, you’re ready to order. Pop in your contact information and payment.

What am allowed/not allowed to do in Hotel Quarantine?

You will be met at passport control and guided through luggage claim and arrivals. Once through, you will need to head to the dedicated hotel transport. The transfer is estimated to be 90 minutes, although this could be quicker.

Once you check-in, expect to spend the next 10 days in your room. All rooms will have a television and Wi-Fi and facilities to make tea and coffee. The en-suite bathroom will already be equipped with basic toiletries. Hotel staff will not enter the room while you are staying, and so there will be some disposable cleaning products available. There will be a laundry service if you need to have clothes washed.

The hotel’s ‘welcome pack’ will provide specific information about hotel services.

You will need to ensure you have everything you need including medication, technology accessories, books and other entertainment, comfort items and spare glasses, contact lenses and solution. If you forget anything you can receive personal packages for delivery to you at the hotel – security staff will bring packages to your door

You must not leave your room except in exceptional circumstances (such as an emergency) or with explicit permission from the security staff.

Family and friends cannot visit you whilst you are staying in quarantine. You are not allowed any visitors and should not allow anyone else into your room, or to visit anyone else in the hotel.

You can quarantine with the people you travelled with and hotels will prioritise allocating larger or connecting rooms to families.

You will be provided with 3 meals a day, tea, coffee, fresh fruit, water and soft drinks. The hotel will provide menus so you can choose what you want to eat and you will be able to let them know if you have any dietary requirements (including vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher) or allergies.

Meals will be delivered to just outside your door for contact-free delivery.

You can order additional food and drink from the hotel’s 24-hour room service menu, and you can order food and drinks yourself (e.g. pizza or other takeaways) to be delivered to the hotel main reception.

You should exercise in your room where possible.

In terms of COVID-19 testing, you will be tested by Day 2 of your stay and on Day 8 of your stay.

This first test is designed to help identify any potentially harmful variants of coronavirus at the earliest opportunity. You will not be allowed to shorten your quarantine period if you receive a negative test result, as you may still develop coronavirus. You will also need to take a coronavirus test on or after day 8. Children under 5 will not be required to take the day 2 or day 8 test.

The hotel staff will leave the test kits outside the hotel door. The kits come with full instructions and there is more information including video demonstrations online. You will need to register an NHS Test and Trace test kit online, or by calling 119. You will need to take the test promptly, completing the sheet with your personal details, they will be collected by hotel security. If you do not take the tests you may face a penalty of up to £2,000 and have your quarantine stay extended.

Results are normally delivered 48 hours after taking the test. You will not be able to end your managed quarantine early through the Test to Release scheme.

A full guide of what is offered and is expected is at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/managed-quarantine-what-to-expect/managed-quarantine-what-to-expect. The Scottish Government has its guidance at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-public-health-checks-at-borders/pages/self-isolation/

Fines and Penalties

For those of you thinking of skipping this or putting misleading information on forms, you might want to think again. Heavy penalties have been put in place at every step of the way to ensure compliance.

Those who fail to quarantine in such hotels face fines of £5,000 to £10,000, while anyone who lies on their passenger locator form about having been in a country on the red list faces a prison sentence of up to 10 years. If you’re thinking of skipping COVID-19 tests, whilst quarantining at home or a hotel, that’ll be another £2000.

Expect delays when entering the UK

Delays will be inevitable when entering the UK – with Heathrow Airport reporting five hours to clear the border recently. Plan to be in a queue for some time.

UK Hotel Quarantine Scheme goes live – How does it affect you?