Johnson to levy £10,000 fine on Covid rule-breakers
LONDON: People in England who break new rules requiring them to self-isolate if they have been in contact with someone infected with Covid-19 will face a fine of up to £10,000 (about 400,000 baht), Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Saturday.
The rules will apply from Sept 28 to anyone in England who tests positive for the virus or is notified by public health workers that they have been in contact with someone infectious.
“People who choose to ignore the rules will face significant fines,” Mr Johnson said.
Fines will start at £1,000 for a first offence, rising to £10,000 for repeat offenders or cases where employers threaten to sack staff who self-isolate rather than go to work.
Some low-income workers who suffer a loss of earnings will receive a £500 support payment, on top of other benefits such as sick pay to which they may be entitled.
Current British government guidance tells people to stay at home for at least 10 days after they start to suffer
Covid-19 symptoms, and for other people in their household not to leave the house for 14 days.
Anyone who tests positive is also asked to provide details of people outside their household who they have been in close contact with, who may then also be told to self-isolate.
To date there has been little enforcement of self-isolation rules, except in some cases where people have returned from abroad.
However, Britain is now facing a rapid increase in cases, and the government said police would be involved in checking compliance in areas with the highest infection rates.
Mr Johnson has also faced calls to reintroduce more wide-ranging lockdown rules for the general public.
However, The Sunday Times reported he was poised to reject calls from scientific advisors for an immediate twoweek nationwide lockdown to slow the spread of the disease, and instead reconsider it when schools take a lateOctober break.
In addition, UK Health Secretary
Matt Hancock warned that national restrictions could be reimposed unless the recent spike in coronavirus infections is brought under control.
Speaking on Sky TV’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Mr Hancock said the UK is facing a “tipping point” in the battle to limit the spread of coronavirus. A further 4,422 new Covid-19 cases were reported on Saturday, the biggest daily increase since early May.
“The choice is either everybody follows the rules, or we will have to take more measures,” he said. “I don’t want to see more restrictive measures, but if people don’t follow the rules … that’s how the virus spreads.”
Mr Hancock spoke after the government confirmed that people in England who refuse an order to self-isolate could be fined up to £10,000.
A new legal duty requires people to self-isolate if they test positive for coronavirus, or are traced as a close contact.
“I’m very worried about this second wave,” Mr Hancock said.
“We’ve seen in Europe it can shoot through the roof.
“I can’t overemphasise enough the importance of this message: we must follow rules on social distancing. That way we can avoid an incredibly difficult lockdown until the cavalry comes with a vaccine and mass testing is on the horizon.”
In an interview on BBC TV’s The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Hancock held out of the prospect of a vaccine by the end of the year or “more likely’’ in early 2021.