Ministers prepare to invite hotels to bid for UK quarantine roles

Ministers are poised to invite hotel chains to bid for a role in the new mandatory coronavirus quarantine for arrivals from “red list” countries as pressure grows on the UK government to get the system up and running.

Ministers, including health secretary Matt Hancock, transport secretary Grant Shapps and Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, met on Thursday evening to sign off on the enforced isolation policy for UK residents returning from Covid-19 hotspots.

Experts on the government’s top scientific advisory group, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, had told ministers weeks ago that a blanket hotel quarantine system for arrivals was the only way to stop new variants of coronavirus entering the country.

But with concern about the economic impact of such a sweeping system, prime minister Boris Johnson instead chose a limited version of hotel quarantine applying only to UK residents returning from 30 “red list” countries with new strains such as South Africa and Brazil. Non-residents are already banned from entering the UK from these hotspots.

The scheme, which requires residents to isolate for 10 days in a hotel at their own expense, was announced more than a week ago, but ministers have since been unable to give a date for when the system would come into force.

There isn’t a delay. What there is, is work to make sure the border is always as secure as it could be

Travel industry executives have said they expected it would take the government until at least mid-February to put it in place. Several countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have had a blanket hotel quarantine scheme in force for almost a year.

Downing Street said Mr Hancock would make a statement next week: “We are continuing to work on operational and logistical details,” a spokesman said.

The hospitality industry has been told that the government is planning to issue a procurement contract based on the Australian quarantine model before the end of the week.

Whitehall officials confirmed that the plan will limit arrivals to 10 UK entry points with passengers having to take a pre-departure test.

The arrivals must then book a stay from an approved list of hotels where they will have to remain in their room and will be provided with three meals a day. Security teams at hotels will monitor compliance.

Government officials insisted no time had been wasted drawing up the new plans, which pose significant logistical hurdles. Asked about the apparent lack of urgency, Mr Hancock told the BBC. “There isn’t a delay. What there is, is work to make sure the border is always as secure as it could be.”

Labour has urged the government to go further and force all arrivals into quarantine, while the Scottish government has announced it will bring in a supervised quarantine system for all people arriving from overseas.

Yet even the lighter-touch policy will mean the UK has some of the toughest border policies in the world.

Earlier on Thursday, several large hotel chains, airlines and airports had called on ministers to act, complaining hey had been given few details of the plan.

Hotel chain Best Western told the Financial Times it had expected the details of the quarantines on Tuesday and that it could “get the scheme up and running in 24 hours” if asked.

Its chief executive Rob Paterson told the BBC that he was not sure he would still be in a job in “any normal company” if he had announced a major policy without planning it or speaking to the main businesses involved.

IHG, another hotel group, said it had helped with previous schemes during the crisis, such as housing NHS workers, but had not been approached about quarantines.

The government held calls with airlines and airports this week to discuss the logistical challenges. One person on the call sympathised with the challenge. “It is really tricky — it is essentially setting up a travel company in the space of weeks,” he said.