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Regulations requiring people from “red list” countries to quarantine in hotels have been published, just three days before the scheme becomes law.UK nationals or residents returning to England from 33 countries will be required to spend 10 days in government-designated accommodation from Monday.The law sets out new requirements for people to book their “managed self-isolation package” which includes a hotel, transport and coronavirus testing.People must quarantine in the room but exceptions allowing them to leave include the need for urgent medical assistance, to exercise or attend the funeral of a close family member.The regulations state that leaving for these exceptional reasons should only happen if the person “has been given prior permission by a person authorised by the secretary of state for this purpose”.The legislation, called the Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel) (England) (Amendment) (No. 7) Regulations 2021, comes into force at 4am on Monday.People may only arrive into Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport, Farnborough Airport or any military airfield or port, the legislation states.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayTravellers are required to have booked a “testing package”, which includes provision for a test on days two and eight of their quarantine.The accompanying explanatory memorandum to the legislation says travellers “can only leave managed quarantine or self-isolation once they have received a negative result from their day eight test and quarantined until the end of the 10-day period”.Passengers arriving into England face fines of up to £10,000 for failing to quarantine, and those who lie on their passenger locator forms face up to 10 years in jail, health secretary Matt Hancock announced earlier this week.The cost for a quarantine hotel stay is £1,750 for a single adult.The regulations say the secretary of state or a person designated by him “may impose a charge in relation to the accommodation, transport and testing package” and that the secretary of state “may recover any sum owed by P (the traveller) pursuant to such a charge as a debt”.Guidance published by the government on Thursday said people on income-related benefits can apply for a deferred repayment plan when making their quarantine package booking and repay the cost in 12 monthly instalments.
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The success of the coronavirus vaccination programme has put the UK on track to reopen schools next month, further relax social restrictions in April and be “back to normal” by this time next year, a leading epidemiologist has said. Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London said he was “hopeful” that England’s third national lockdown will be the last and that as early as May the country will return to tier one or two-style restrictions, with shops, pubs and restaurants open and people able to gather in groups of up to six.In an interview for Politico’s Westminster Insider podcast, Prof Ferguson said the UK was “in a better place than I might have anticipated a month ago” with lockdown driving down Covid-19 cases fast and vaccines likely to reduce hospitalisations and deaths to “far, far lower” levels by the summer.“The lockdown has really driven down cases quite fast,” he said. “They’re basically halving about every 17 days at the moment, and that means in a month’s time – the prime minister’s talked about potentially reopening schools, we might have some bandwidth to do that, at least primary schools. “And if we continue to see then a continued decline without large outbreaks, then perhaps starting to relax other aspects of society the following month.“I think it will be a bumpy road … but I think we will start to see things become easier, just because the vaccine is going to start having an impact as well as relying on social distancing.”Prof Ferguson, whose modelling first alerted the UK a year ago to the possibility that as many as 500,000 people could die from Covid-19 without curbs on social and economic life, stressed that there was still a lot of uncertainty about the progress of the disease.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayIt was not possible to rule out the development of variants which would resist existing vaccines, and likely that people will require jabs to boost their protection every year or two in the future, he said.But he said that on scientists’ current best estimates, it was “realistic” by May that England will be back in tier two-style conditions, with the “rule of six” for social gatherings and pubs and restaurants serving meals, and less stringent controls in areas with very low incidence.“Completely relaxing and moving back to something akin to where we were in August – we had some restrictions but much lighter – that will really depend on how we see the earlier relaxations play out,” he said.“My best guess – my fervent hope – is certainly by this time next year, we will be basically back to normal, without any significant degree of the current controls in place.”Prof Ferguson said that England’s emergence from lockdown should be taken in stages, with breaks of around three weeks between relaxations in order to see how they play out in terms of increased infections and illness.He said: “I’m hopeful it will be the final lockdown, so long as we are relatively cautious in coming out of this lockdown.”As much as one-third of the UK population may already have gained some level of immunity by contracting and recovering from Covid-19, said Prof Ferguson. And this pool of protection is being quickly expanded by vaccination to take the population towards herd immunity status.“We should be seeing a significant level of protection coming through and driving down deaths and hospitalisations in the coming weeks,” he said. As over-50s are vaccinated by May and the entire adult population by the summer, “that’s the scenario where we can really start talking about going back to normal, because the combination of people being protected from severe disease and the reduction of transmission generated by the vaccine should keep the clinical burden – the number of deaths and hospitalisations from Covid – far, far lower than we’re still seeing today”.Prof Ferguson said that the emergence of the more virulent strain of Covid first detected in Kent had been “devastating” to the UK’s death rate from the disease.With the virus constantly mutating, the likelihood of a dangerous variant arising in the UK was “at least as great, if not greater than” the risk of importing it from countries like Brazil or South Africa, meaning that the tougher border controls being introduced on Monday are “not a panacea”.But he added: “I think it’s very unlikely we’ll get a strain emerging which can’t be vaccinated against. “Will we get a strain which sends us back to square one? I can’t be sure of that… It can’t be completely ruled out.”Some border restrictions, such as requirements for vaccination certificates, were likely to remain in place for years to come, as it was “highly unlikely” that Covid will ever be entirely eradicated from the human population, he said. More

Asked if she would adopt the symbol of injustice, the home secretary said: “No I would not. There are other ways in which people can express their opinions.”In an explosive interview, Ms Patel also refused to express confidence in Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, saying she “does a lot of great work” – but that there were “questions’ about her.At one point, she appeared to say she did not support protests at all, before clarifying she opposed the BLM demonstrations that swept the country last summer, saying: “Those protests were dreadful.”Criticising the targeting of statues, Ms Patel added: “Protesting in the way in which people did last summer was not the right way at all. “We saw statues being brought down,” she said, adding: “Some councils making, quite frankly, a stance around statues and street names. There are other ways in which those discussions can take place.”And, asked if she “didn’t agree with taking the knee per se, at all”, she told LBC Radio: “No.” Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayThe Met Commissioner is under fresh pressure over her force’s botched VIP child sex abuse investigation, which she set up more than six years ago.Asked, repeatedly, if she had confidence in Ms Dick, Ms Patel responded: “I work with the Commissioner. The Commissioner does a lot of great work and she oversees the largest police force in the country.“There are still questions, rightly so, some questions have been put to me today actually, very publicly in newspapers, and it’s right that I also look at these questions.”Her spokesman quickly tried to repair the damage by rushing out an extraordinary correction of his boss, which said: “As the Home Secretary said, she works with Cressida Dick every day. The Home Secretary has full confidence in her to do her job.”Demonstrations were held across the UK last summer, following the police killing of George Floyd in the US, and in protest against discrimination in this country.The vast majority were peaceful, although there were clashes between protesters and police in London and some vandalism of statues including that of Winston Churchill.Most famously, in Bristol, the statue of 17th century slave trade Edward Colston was toppled from its pedestal and then pushed it into the city’s harbour.“Last summer was quite a moment with all the protest that we saw taking place,” Ms Patel told the radio station.“We saw policing as well coming under a great deal of pressure from some of the protest. I don’t support protest and I also did not support the protests that were associated…”Interrupted, she sought to clarify that she was not criticising the right to protest itself, but rather the “dreadful” action taken by BLM marchers. More

The Brexit trade deal will swipe around £45bn over two years from the UK economy, a Brussels analysis says – after Boris Johnson refused to carry out his own study.The Christmas Eve agreement – hailed as “fantastic” by the prime minister – will cut UK output by about 2.25 per cent by the end of 2022 compared with EU membership, the analysis has found.With annual gross domestic product (GDP) standing at around £2 trillion, such a loss would be equivalent to around £45bn over the next two years.Although the hard exit terms will also hit the EU economy, that loss is estimated to be only about 0.5 per cent over the same period.The European Commission said avoiding the threatened no-deal outcome before the New Year’s Day deadline “improves the situation”.But, its winter economic forecast added: “It cannot come close to matching the benefits of the trading relations provided by EU membership.”Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayThe figures are the first appearing to back up the overwhelming verdict of economists that the skeleton deal – leaving the single market and customs union – will hurt the UK economy.The government has repeatedly refused to carry out its own analysis, trade secretary Liz Truss telling MPs last month that it was time to “move forward”.However, assessments have been released for much less significant ‘rolled over’ deals with tiny economies such as Moldova and North Macedonia – and for trade targets including the US, Australia and New Zealand.All analysis had showed that, whatever future deals are signed, they cannot come close to compensating for ending frictionless trade with the UK’s biggest market.The Treasury has been asked to respond to the Brussels verdict, which comes amid mounting business fury over the blizzard of new red tape hitting trade.The last-gasp agreement maintained zero-tariffs on the sale of goods crossing the Channel – but only if firms meet rules of origin on products.And new paperwork, customs checks and confusion over the new system have slowed up deliveries, forcing some firms to give up on EU trade altogether.The Commission said the “shock” from these so-called non-tariff barriers amounted to the equivalent of a tax on imports worth 10.9 per cent for the EU and 8.5 per cent for the UK.And the absence of any specific agreement for services, which form 80 per cent of the British economy, would further hurt the UK and some EU nations.However, avoiding a crash-out Brexit – and moving onto World Trade Organisation terms – had reduced the further damage for the UK by a quarter. More

Priti Patel attacks Black Lives Matter protests as ‘dreadful’ and criticises ‘taking the knee’Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and EU Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic have pledged their commitment to “proper implementation” of the protocol in Northern Ireland following a “frank” talks in London.The officials are expected to hold a virtual meeting with Northern Irish business leaders next week in a bid to find “workable solutions” to Brexit disruption. However, DUP leader Arlene Foster has said Northern Ireland must be “freed” from the protocol and have unfettered trade. It comes as the EU has suggested that the Brexit trade deal – an agreement hailed as “fantastic” by Boris Johnson – will cost the UK economy £45 billion over two years. Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayShow latest update
1613140911Ministers have ‘absolute confidence’ in Met commissioner, says No 10 Boris Johnson and home secretary Priti Patel have “absolute confidence” in the Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick, No 10 has said.A Downing Street spokesperson said of the Met’s flawed investigation into false allegations of a VIP sex abuse ring in Westminster: “This was a deeply concerning case and the PM’s thoughts are with Lady Brittan, her late husband (Leon Brittan) and others affected.” “The Prime Minister has complete confidence in the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick, as does the Home Secretary,” they added.This declaration of trust came after Ms Patel told LBC on Friday that there were “questions” about the force’s performance. More

Travellers put into hotel quarantine after arriving in England will be allowed out of their rooms, prompting criticism that safety standards will be “lower” than expected.Fresh air and cigarette breaks will be permitted and – unlike in Australia – there will be no regular testing of staff or compulsory wearing of the highest-grade surgical masks.The details of the system, being introduced for 33 ‘red list’ countries on Monday, led to a Home Office minister being asked why the restrictions fell short of the “gold standard” anticipated.“Is the virus not as troublesome in this country as it is in Australia?” Victoria Atkins was asked on BBC Breakfast. “Why are our standards lower than that?”But Ms Atkins defended what she called “occasional gulps of fresh air”, insisting: “I think these are very, very strong measures.”Responding to the minister’s remarks, an Australian epidemiologist warned that permitting quarantining travellers to leave their rooms is “very risky”.Prof Michael Toole, from the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that there had been cases in the city where an infected guest opened their room door and “with the positive pressure this kind of fog of virus went out into the corridor, travelled down and infected hotel staff”. Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayProf Toole added that using masks and hand sanitiser was not enough to prevent airborne transmission, underlining that Australia has learnt that allowing people to leave their rooms while accompanied by guards is “a very risky procedure”.The minister also said Boris Johnson would take into account the willingness of the public to endure a longer lockdown, as well as the advice of scientists, when deciding when to lift it.“The prime minister has this very difficult balancing act of keeping the public with us, keeping us all united in wanting to stick to the rules,” Ms Atkins told Sky News.The looser restrictions than in Australia emerged as the state of Victoria announced a five-day lockdown because of a Covid-19 outbreak – triggered by a quarantine worker who became infected at a hotel.Earlier outbreaks were caused by guests and staff mingling and epidemiologists have highlighted infections spreading to the community when guests have opened their doors.But Ms Atkins said: “The hotel will of course be adhering to all of the very strict measures that we have in place in relation to social distancing and face masks and so on.“Apart from anything else, we know that being outside is less likely to transmit than being inside. “I think allowing someone a gulf of fresh air, during a 10-day visit in a hotel – with all the very strict measures that we have – I think, is reasonable.”Challenged over whether the rules risked virus spread, Boris Johnson’s spokesman insisted they were “in line with other countries” – but was unable to name any.Ms Atkins also said it is “up to Scotland” to decide where passengers landing in England before crossing the border should be required to quarantine in hotels – after Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, appeared to suggest otherwise.And she declined to comment on the number of police officers that will be deployed to ensure arrivals to the UK follow quarantine rules.Another £2m had been allocated to forces patrolling ports and airports, but the minister added: “Police operational details – first of all, I wouldn’t dream of announcing them on national television.” More

The online system for booking a quarantine hotel remains out of action, less than three days before travellers are due to check in for 10 days in isolation, Downing Street confirmed today. A No 10 spokesman blamed unspecified “technical issues” for the failure of the website, which was intended to go live on Thursday.A message on the official government page setting out requirements for travellers arriving from 33 “red list” countries said only: “Due to a minor technical issue, the link to the booking portal in this guidance will not be available until later today. Please return to this page later if you wish to make a booking.”Under a tough new regime coming into effect from Monday, an estimated 1,000 UK residents a day travelling to England from countries of particular concern in relation to new variants of Covid-19 – including Portugal, Brazil, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates – will be required to book into a designated airport hotel on arrival.In a 10-day stay, they will have to undertake two coronavirus tests.But concerns were raised today after a government minister confirmed that they will be allowed to leave their rooms for exercise breaks, at the discretion of hotel staff who will not themselves face mandatory tests.Official guidance states that travellers must book a quarantine package and pay the £1,750 charge – £2,400 for couples, with an extra £325 for each child – before boarding their journey to the UK.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayAnyone who fails to book a quarantine package before arrival faces a fine of up to £4,000 on top of the cost of the hotel.But the No10 spokesman today admitted that it was still not possible to make bookings via the online portal.“Work is under way to fix a technical issue with the online booking portal,” he told a Westminster media briefing. “We expect the system to be back up and running today.” More

Russia is prepared to cut ties with the European Union if the EU imposes new sanctions amid a dispute over the treatment of opposition leader Alexei Navalny the nation’s top diplomat warned Friday.In response to a question on Moscow’s willingness to rupture formal relations with the EU, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in televised remarks that Russia doesn’t want to be isolated but is ready to retaliate if the EU action hurts its economy.“If we see again, as we have felt more than once, that sanctions imposed in some areas create risks to our economy, including in the most sensitive spheres, then yes,” Lavrov said. “We don’t want to be isolated from international life, but we must be ready for that. If you want peace, you must prepare for war.”Russia-EU relations have sunk to new lows over Navalny’s arrest and imprisonment. The opposition leader was arrested Jan. 17 upon his return from Germany, where he spent five months recuperating from the nerve agent poisoning he blamed on the Kremlin. Russian authorities have denied the allegations.Last week, a court in Moscow sent Navalny to prison for two years and eight months for violating terms of his probation while recuperating in Germany. The probation stemmed from a 2014 embezzlement conviction that Navalny has rejected as fabricated and the European Court of Human Rights has ruled to be unlawful.European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said after visiting Russia last week that the 27-nation bloc must take a firm stance in its relations with Russia and ponder new sanctions in the wake of Navalny’s prison sentence. While Borrell was meeting with Lavrov, Moscow announced the expulsion of diplomats from Germany, Poland and Sweden for attending protests in support of Navalny. The three EU countries responded in kind Monday, each expelling a Russian diplomat.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayBorrell has said he plans to submit proposals for possible actions against Russia when he chairs the next meeting of the bloc’s foreign ministers on Feb. 22. Navalny’s arrest triggered a wave of protests across Russia that drew tens of thousands of people to the streets in the largest show of discontent in years. Authorities responded with a sweeping crackdown, detaining about 11,000 people across Russia. Many protesters were fined or given jail sentences ranging from seven to 15 days. The United States and the European Union have urged Russia to release Navalny and to end the crackdown on protests. The Kremlin has accused them of meddling in Russia’s internal affairs and said it would not listen to Western criticism of Navalny’s sentencing and police actions against his supporters. More