Hotel quarantine begins as first guests check in for 10-day stay

The first guests have checked into government-designated accommodation today as the hotel quarantine regime begins.

UK nationals or residents returning to England from 33 “red list” countries – comprised of hotspots with Covid-19 variants in circulation – will be required to quarantine in hotels for 10 days.

Wagner Araujo arrived at Heathrow this morning with his wife Elaine. They flew in via Madrid following a trip to Brazil where they went to visit a sick relative. 

They say they were mingling with other travellers not from 'red list' countries while flying back to London. 

After being escorted onto a coach at Heathrow to be taken to the nearby Radisson Blu hotel, where the couple will have to remain in quarantine for ten days. 

Hotel quarantine begins as first guests check in for 10-day stay

Wagner, who runs a removals firm, says he does not have the money to pay for his quarantine hotel, which will cost him £3,500 for him and his wife and is also concerned about their four children, who did not travel to Brazil but remained with a relative in London.

The children are aged six, nine, ten and 17 are being looked after by an older cousin.

He and Elaine initially intended to return two weeks ago but their flights kept on getting cancelled. He added: "Our trip to Brazil was only meant to be a short one but our return flights kept on getting cancelled. We tried to get on other flights before the hotel quarantine deadline but there was no availability. Now we're going to be stuck in a room for ten days and it's going to cost us a lot of money." 

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