LONDON, May 22-- New arrivals to Britain must self-isolate for two weeks from June 8, with fines for anyone who breaches the measure designed to prevent a second wave of coronavirus from overseas, Home Secretary Priti Patel said Friday. Chairing the Downing Street briefing, Patel said passengers will need to provide their contact and travel information so they can be traced if infections arise. They could also be contacted regularly during the whole quarantine and face random checks from public health authorities. Rule breakers would face a 1,000 pounds (1,217 U.S. dollars) fixed penalty notice in England and border force will be able to refuse entry to any non-British citizens who refuses to comply with these regulations, said the Home Office in a statement. Removal from the country could be used as a last resort, it said. Those in quarantine will not be allowed to accept visitors, unless they are providing essential support, and should not go out to buy food or other essentials where they can rely on others, said the Home Office. The mandatory self-isolation would not apply to people coming from Ireland, medics tackling COVID-19 and seasonal agricultural workers, said Patel. The new move came as another 351 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain as of Thursday afternoon, bringing the total coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 36,393, according to the Department of Health and Social Care. |