First UK airport arrivals enter two weeks of quarantine

LONDON: Passengers landing at a UK airport and entering a two-week quarantine period indicated that they would follow the rules but some said the 14-day self-isolation measure

is “too much”.

Travellers arriving in the country from Monday are required to self-isolate for 14 days or face a fine of up to £1,000 in England. All passengers – bar a handful of exemptions – must fill out an online locator form giving their contact and travel details, as well as the address of where they will isolate.

The measure is intended to guard against a second wave of coronavirus.People arriving at Stansted Airport, on a flight from Eindhoven in the Netherlands, were among the first to land in the UK since the new rule came into force. Their flight touched down just before 9am on Monday.

Shopkeeper Netti Rexhmet, 32, who runs an off-licence in Chigwell in north-east London, said he feels the measure is “not right” but that he will comply with it. We haven’t got any other options, it’s Government law so I shall do it,” he said.

“For me, I wouldn’t want to do it. I’d like to be open. I’ve got things to do, you have to live now, you have to pay.” He said he will be unable to work while self-isolating, adding: “We will have to wait to see what other plans they’re going to do, the Government.

“Maybe they will change and take this one off. I think it’s too much.”Ali Gurlek, 30, a software developer from London who spent the weekend visiting friends in the Netherlands, criticised the quarantine rule as lacking in “common sense”. He said he had to take public transport from the airport to his home where he will self-isolate, adding: “If we have it then it’s going to spread that.” “It doesn’t look very common sense,” he added.

Kamil Farah, 24, from East Ham, east London, said he did not want to be quarantined but that it is for the “better good”. Border Force officers will carry out checks on arrivals and may refuse entry to a non-resident foreign national who refuses to comply with the regulations. Failure to complete the locator form will be punishable by a £100 fixed penalty notice.