The UK government's mandatory hotel quarantine for travellers arriving from a “red list” country will come into place on 15 February. From then, travellers will have to pay to isolate for 10 days in a room at a hotel and be accompanied by security should they want to leave the hotel – exactly like I did when I quarantined at a hotel in Auckland, New Zealand, in December 2020.

Led by health secretary Matt Hancock, the government said on 4 February that it has asked hotels near ports and airports to bid with a proposal of how they will manage their facilities. More details are expected next week, specifically relating to how passengers can book rooms before arrival.