Arrivals to UK face 14-day quarantine under government plan

People arriving in the United Kingdom will have to quarantine themselves for 14 days and could be fined 1,000 pounds if they fail to comply under a plan being announced Friday by the British government.

Home Secretary Priti Patel will set out details of the measures, which have already sparked confusion and criticism from airlines, airports and lockdown-weary Britons wondering whether they will get to take a vacation abroad this summer.

Britain did not close its borders during the worst of the country’s coronavirus outbreak, which has been linked to more than 36,000 deaths in the UK.

It is introducing its quarantine just as many other European countries are starting to open up again.

The British government has previously said the quarantine will start in early June and will apply to arrivals from everywhere except Ireland, which has a longstanding free-movement agreement with the UK.

Ireland is expected to announce similar measures.

There are likely to be exemptions for some travellers, including truckers and medics.

Britons returning from overseas will also have to self-isolate for 14 days under the measures, which will be reviewed every three weeks.

There has been confusion about the U.K. policy, after the government initially said it would not apply to people arriving from France. That prompted a rebuke from the European Union, which wants a coordinated policy across the 27-nation bloc.

Britain later said France would not be exempt.

Airlines have warned that the British move could hobble their efforts to rebuild a business devastated by pandemic-related travel restrictions.