ARE WE GOING ON A SUMMER HOLIDAY?
What does the new 14-day quarantine mean for my holiday abroad this summer?
BORIS Johnson's speech on the UK's latest measures in the fight against coronavirus could spell bad news for holidaymakers.
The Prime Minister announced on Sunday night that all arrivals from abroad will face a 14-day quarantine period - including returning British nationals.
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What are the new rules?
Visitors will have to give an address when arriving in the UK which will be where they will quarantine for two weeks.
The restrictions hope to reduce infection in the UK from international visitors.
Johnson made the quarantine announcement in his address to the nation last night but no start or end date has been disclosed.
He explained: "To prevent re-infection from abroad, I am serving notice that it will soon be the time – with transmission significantly lower – to impose quarantine on people coming into this country by air."
However, there are fears that the new rules are unenforceable - Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Ken Marsh told the : "We're not going to be able to do it. That's the end of it."
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Does 14-day quarantine apply to British nationals?
Yes - any Brits returning home will have to quarantine too.
Holidaymakers and families who decide to go abroad, will have to book another two weeks off at home.
Does this also include ferries and the Eurostar?
Yes - the measure is for all points of entry to the country, including ferry and cruise ports and the Eurostar.
Anybody travelling to the UK by one of these methods will also have to give an address of where they will quarantine for two weeks.
The prime minister explained: "I give notice we shall introduce new restrictions at the UK border 14 days of self isolation for international arrivals while respecting our common travel area with Ireland."
But there is an exception...
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What about holidays to France?
Brits will thankfully be able to avoid the quarantine restrictions if they take a holiday to France, both on arrival and departure.
This means travellers won't have to quarantine when arriving in France, nor when they return to the UK.
This includes flights, the Eurostar and ferries.
A government statement said: "No quarantine measures would apply to travellers coming from France at this stage; any measures on either side would be taken in a concerted and reciprocal manner."
A group of French and British officials will now be set up to ensure the consultation happens in the coming weeks.
No other countries have agreed to waive the 14-day quarantine restrictions with the UK.
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How long will the 14-day quarantine process be in place?
The government is yet to announce how long the measure will be enforced.
Airlines are calling for the new restrictions to be in place for a short time to prevent further devastation to the travel industry and to not "unnecessarily constrain the important role [of] air travel".
An easyJet spokesperson : "Quarantine requirements for passengers should only be in place for a short period, while the UK remains in lockdown.
The effectiveness of the 14-day quarantine has also been called into question.
Brian Strutton, pilot union BALPA General Secretary, said “We haven’t seen the scientific basis for the possible 14 day quarantine proposal, nor any risk assessments for the health and wellbeing of crew.
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Brits are unlikely to be able to go on a summer holiday any time soon - many countries are not expecting tourism until July.
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Some countries predict tourists may not even return until 2021.
Other holiday destinations have put the UK at the bottom of the list for returning due to the high number of coronavirus deaths in the country, which has become the highest in Europe.
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