ENGLAND : COVID-VIOLATERS FINES : [ POUND 10,000 ]

 

LONDON : People in England who refuse to self-isolate to stop the spread of coronavirus could face fines up to Pound 10,000 [$13,000 - Euros 11,000] under tough new regulations announced Saturday to tackle a surge in cases.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week that Britain was seeing a second wave of Covid-19, and  introduced new restrictions for millions of people across northwest, northern and central England.

In a further measure announced late Saturday, he said that from September all people will be legally obliged to self-isolate if they test positive or are told to by the National Health Service [NHS] tracing programme.

''The best way we can fight this virus is by everyone following the rules and self-isolating if they are at risk, of passing on coronavirus,'' Johnson said in a statement.

''And so nobody underestimates just how important this is, new regulations will mean you are legally obliged to do so if you have the virus or have been asked to do so by NHS Test and Trace.''

Currently people who have symptoms or test positive are asked to self-isolate for 10 days. Those who live with someone who either has symptoms or tests positive must self-isolate for 14 days.

The new fines will start at Pound 1,000 - in line with breaking quarantine after international travel - and rise to Pound 10,000 for repeat offences and the worst breaches, including businesses that threaten self -isolating staff with redundancy, officials said. [AFP]