Health Secretary for England Matt Hancock has unveiled tough new rules for anyone who wants to come into the UK - including the potential for people to be jailed for up to 10 years.
Mr Hancock, speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, said he made 'no apologies' for how tough the new punishments will be.
He said people lying about where there have been when coming to the UK in a bid to avoid hotel quarantine could be jailed for up to 10 years.
People refusing to quarantine on arrival from one of the 'red list countries' can be fined between £5,000 and £10,000.
Anyone who refuses to take a first Covid test two days after arriving in the Uk will be fined £1,000 - and those who fail to take the second test will be fined £2,000.
Mr Hancock said: “People who flout these rules are putting us all at risk.
“Passenger carriers will have a duty in law to make sure that passengers have signed up for these new arrangements before they travel, and will be fined if they don’t, and we will be putting in place tough fines for people who don’t comply.
“This includes a £1,000 penalty for any international arrival who fails to take a mandatory test, a £2,000 penalty for any international arrival who fails to take the second mandatory test, as well as automatically extending their quarantine period to 14 days, and a £5,000 fixed penalty notice – rising to £10,000 – for arrivals who fail to quarantine in a designated hotel.”
He added: “Anyone who lies on the passenger locator form and tries to conceal that they’ve been in a country on the red list in the 10 days before arrival here will face a prison sentence of up to 10 years.”
Mr Hancock said the measures will be put into law this week and more resources will be available to enforce them, adding: “I make no apologies for the strength of these measures because we’re dealing with one of the strongest threats to our public health that we’ve faced as a nation.”
Anyone who refuses to take a first Covid test two days after arriving in the Uk will be fined £1,000 - and those who fail to take the second test will be fined £2,000.
Mr Hancock said the rules will apply on Monday, with full guidance issued from Thursday.
There will be a new portal for those arriving in the UK to book their quarantine hotel and tests.
They will have to pay £1,750 for 'a quarantine package' which will see them isolated in a hotel room under security guarding.
Mr Hancock made it clear traveling for leisure is illegal.
He said there will be similar rules across the UK and in Ireland.
