British travellers who test positive for Covid-19 abroad may be forced to quarantine for two weeks in their hotel room – unable to return to the UK, and unable to leave their accommodation.
Under rules set to be introduced this week, anybody entering the UK from overseas must present a negative result from a test taken no more than 72 hours before travel – or face a £500 fine. Those who receive a positive result must adhere to the rules in the country they are travelling from – which, in many instances, requires a two-week quarantine.
In Spain and Dubai, for example, those who test positive must self-isolate for 14 days; in Italy, people may only end their quarantine when they have tested negative twice.
Who, then, would be liable for your unprecedented extra two-week hotel bill? A spokesperson from insurer AXA UK told Telegraph Travel: “If a customer tests positive for Covid-19 while abroad, they can claim for appropriate medical care, additional accommodation and travel costs.”
The new entry testing rules are set to be introduced from this week, though the UK Government is yet to confirm the legislation or the date of its commencement.
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