There had been a number of articles in the press in the UK, suggesting that the UK Government not go ahead with its plans to institute a 14 days quarantine for arrivals to the UK, by air, sea or land. (Except for people coming from Ireland).

But today the Home Secretary has reinforced her belief that it is essential to protect the health of UK residents despite the very severe impact it will have on British operators of airlines, hotels, taxi firms, trains, restaurants etc.

I have written before that this is too little and too late, but the desire to feed in to the narrative that all the COVID problems come from abroad appears to be too powerful for the Government. A poll in today’s (famously right wing) Daily Mail claims that 66% of Brits support the move.

The idea of ‘airbridges’ between countries with low reinfection rates and the UK has been floated but so far no arrangements will be in place for Monday.

So from Monday it seems arrivals will be required to self-quarantine for 14 days with the prospect of inspectors arriving to check that they are where they have said they will be and fines for those found missing. The quarantine does not allow arrivals to mix with family members or to shop for food or medicine except in the most dire situation.