THE cost of a quarantine hotel stay will go up more than £500 from tomorrow.
Currently, the price for a single adult staying in mandatory hotel isolation is £1,750 for a ten-night stay, but the price will increase to £2,285.
The price for a second adult sharing the hotel room will also go up in price, from £650 to £1,430.
The price remains unchanged at £325 for children aged 5-12 and free for children under 5.
The government have defended the price change, claiming that the new price ‘better reflects the increased costs involved with providing [guests’] quarantine, including transport to the hotel, security, provision of welfare services and the two PCR tests which must be taken on day two and day eight of the stay.’
Travellers coming into England from red list countries have to book a stay at a quarantine hotel through an online booking platform.
Passengers are only be able to enter through a small number of ports, and they are then escorted to select hotels that are closed to general members of the public.
Guests must remain in their rooms and not mix with anyone else, with visible security in place.
If passengers leave the quarantine hotel before their 10 days are up, they will be handed a £5,000 coronavirus fine, but this figure can increase up to £10,000.
Popular holiday destinations including Egypt and Turkey are on the UK red list, and Mexico, Georgia, La Reunion, Mayotte were also added today.
There’s good news for fans of Dubai though, as the UAE was moved from red to the amber list today, along with India, Bahrain and Qatar.
Ministers have reportedly been frustrated that taxpayers are paying subsidies for the costs of keeping travellers in hotels for 10 days.
Around 30,000 Brits have already stayed in quarantine hotels after travelling to red list countries.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told the Commons recently that the quarantine hotel scheme does not make a profit, but it is subsidised by taxpayers.
He said: "I also want to point out that people should not be travelling to red list countries.
"The only people who should be coming back to government quarantine are British or Irish citizens, or people with permanent rights of residence.
"And there should be a limit to the number of people who are still abroad and wishing to return.
"I sometimes come across cases where people are still using the red list as if it is a case of 'It’s ok, I can come back and hotel quarantine'. That should not be the case."
Travel consultants are not in favour of the proposed increase to hotel quarantine costs.
Paul Charles, CEO of The PC Agency, told the Telegraph: "Increasing the charges is further tightening of the borders and making it more expensive for anyone thinking of coming from a red destination.
"The number testing positive in hotels is tiny. The principle of quarantine is a relic of earlier days. It would be better for the Government to replace it with testing on arrival."
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