Travel
Only one person has been fined for breaching travel quarantine rules in England
The police have released new figures…
Only one person has been fined for breaching travel quarantine rules in England, according to police figures.
The newly released data from police forces in England and Wales – from between March 27th and July 20th – shows that the first fine was only issued in July.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) released the figures on Monday, showing Lincolnshire Police issued the singular fine to someone who broke quarantine regulations after returning to England from a trip abroad.
The fine was one of eight fixed penalty notices given out in England in the two week period it was recorded in, with the other fines being issued for people not wearing face coverings on public transport and breaches of public gathering rules.
The figures were released as the government announced people returning from Spain would have to quarantine for two weeks when they arrive back in the UK.
This is due to a spike in coronavirus cases in the country, with some British holidaymakers already in Spain when the rule change was announced.
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Chairman of the NPCC, Martin Hewitt, said the number of people who are following the rules has been good throughout the pandemic.
Talking about how people will respond to the quarantine change in Spain, he added: “You would hope that people would come back and be responsible.
“I would hope they would be, but we will be in a position to carry out the role that we have in this, which is a secondary role to both the border force and Public Health England, as we are required to do so.
“But I guess time will tell how that plays through. And of course, you know it’s not inconceivable that this could happen with other countries as we move forward, and I think the Government has made clear about that as well, so we will monitor that and work through the process.”
Anyone who breaks quarantine rules can face a fine of up to £1000, with people not wearing face coverings on public transport potentially facing a charge of £100.