In an attempt to control the spread of the Corona virus “Covid-19”, many countries have set entry controls and procedures into their territories, and the British government has set its own restrictions to accommodate the flow of people to the United Kingdom and block the possibility of further transmission of infected cases to it.
The government classified the countries into three lists, the list of red, orange or (amber) according to the government designation, and green, and the colors represent the level of risk for travelers coming from these countries and the extent of virus activity in them. Read also Winter tourism in Turkey..a season that defies the virus, closures and bans Turkey..the government approves a gradual way to lift the ban and the closure policy Britain announces the vaccination of half of its adult population.. Protests in France and Germany against the closure and concerns renewed from “Astra Zeneca” Artist and history educator: Forced closure of Africa’s largest refugee camp is a humanitarian and cultural disaster
Red is for very dangerous countries, orange is a lower degree, and green is for health-safe countries, and those lists and controls are reviewed periodically every three weeks.
Hotel isolation.. free money
According to website the British government , people entering the United Kingdom from a country included in the red list must undergo strict health isolation procedures, and travelers entering from a country included in the orange list need to be quarantined for the same period of time in their homes or the place in which they reside, With smears to detect the Corona virus under the supervision of the health authorities. While travelers from a country on the Green List do not need to be quarantined at all.
British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “I understand why people want to travel, but we have to make sure the country is kept safe.”
The recent controls of the red list have raised the fear and anger of many, as people coming to the United Kingdom must undergo 10 days of sanitary isolation in specific hotels, at their own expense, which amounts to 1,750 pounds (2417 US dollars), and includes moving from the airport by bus with the rest of the travelers, Quarantine hotel costs. Not only that, but they also have to pay two virus swab fees on the second and eighth days after arrival.
support and share
Thousands of participants joined a group on Facebook called ( Chat to support hotel quarantine in the United Kingdom ) to share their daily experiences in quarantine, and present their questions and fears, experiences are different and complaints are diverse, but they agree in one description, their description of isolation in prison, which deprived them of their freedom.
The majority of the stories explain that the food is inedible with pictures of the type of food attached, and that the overall experience is negative, almost painful, especially from participants with young children.
In a report published by Attorney Rebecca Tennant at St Andrewslaw Review, a law firm commented that the hotel quarantine system likely violated Section 5 of the Human Resources Act 1998, which relates to deprivation of liberty.
The restrictions imposed on Article (5) include detention or quarantine to limit the spread of the disease, but the practical reality indicates that many people are held in quarantine and they are not infected with the virus, as the negative results of their tests showed.
In its report, Rebecca demanded that the United Kingdom take responsibility for the neglect of some hotels authorized to quarantine, and the resulting human rights violations and the policy of charging fees. And it must also take into account the requirements and financial conditions of people who are subject to quarantine, and meet the different needs of each group, such as children, people with disabilities and families, so the principle of “one size fits all” cannot be applied.
Some travelers staying in quarantine hotels complained of prison-like conditions, and the deterioration of their physical and mental health due to their confinement in their rooms. The windows are closed and cannot be opened, and they cannot exercise, enjoy fresh air and eat appropriate food, according to what was published by “The Guardian” website. .
“We are not prisoners and we are not trying to escape,” one person said on the Facebook group, because he was observed by security men in the hotel while he was out for 15 minutes to breathe.
Travelers have also expressed concern about the lack of social distancing at UK airports and on buses that take them to quarantine hotels.
Poor service and food type are the main complaints
Among the discussions in the UK Hotel Quarantine Support Chat, a member named Bruce Gudjohn shared his experience of his first day at a hotel near Heathrow Airport in London, saying, “It was a negative experience, and I took legal action against them. The room is bad and the food is disgusting, and when I tried to complain to the hotel management they left me 4 hours on the line, until I had to call from my personal phone, and the response was that they are busy and cannot receive calls, and they advised me to email them taking into account that they only follow the mail once a day! “.
And according to another publication, after “Dave Gamond” finished the period of quarantine and on his last day, they told him at the hotel that the sample of the eighth day test he had taken and whose result was supposed to be known until he got out of the hotel, and asked him to repeat the test again.
Candice Akbar told of problems with the hotel pre-booking system, in which she explained that she wanted to book two rooms for her family, and although it seemed obvious that the two rooms were in the same hotel, she received confirmation of reservations in two different hotels!
The other side of isolation
Not all the experiences presented on the group’s page were negative, there are some positive posts that indicated that the rooms are clean and the food is delicious and hot, while emphasizing that it is possible to go out to breathe in the air in the space designated for this.
Some decided to take advantage of the stone period for entertainment and innovation, as they filmed entertainment content and shared it through social media.
A government spokesperson has stated that “our priority is always to protect the public” and that a strong border system helps reduce the risk of new changes coming into the UK.
He affirmed the government’s guarantee that everyone in quarantine continues to receive the support they need, explaining that all managed quarantine facilities accommodate the vast majority of people’s requirements, and that hotels are doing their best to take any necessary steps to address the concerns raised by guests, according to what was published by the Guardian website.
Government sources added that strict rules were put in place to ensure social distancing on buses used to transport people to quarantine hotels.