Key questions answered on quarantine hotels

Quarantine hotels will be opened later this month in a bid to slow the spread of new coronavirus strains.

Here the PA news agency answers 10 key questions about the policy.

– Who will be affected?

UK nationals or residents returning from any of the Government’s “red list” countries will be required to stay in a quarantine hotel for 10 nights.

– What about non-UK nationals or residents travelling from those destinations?

They are banned from entering the UK.

– When does the new rule come into force?

Quarantine hotels will open on February 15.

– How many hotel rooms will be needed?

Officials are working to secure 28,000 rooms, according to the Daily Telegraph.

– Where will the hotels be located?

The hotels will reportedly be near airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick, London City, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Aberdeen.

– How much will travellers have to pay?

An industry source told the BBC that travellers could be charged around £80 a night.

– Will people be allowed to leave their room?

That has not yet been confirmed, but security staff will be deployed to ensure rules are followed.

– What about food and drink?

Travellers will be served three meals a day in their rooms.

– Will rooms be cleaned?

Guests will need to clean their own rooms.

– Will travellers be tested for coronavirus?

Coronavirus tests will reportedly be carried out on the second and eighth day of their stay.

A negative result will be required before they are released.