UK sets £10,000 fines for self-isolation breaches
People in England who refuse an order to self-isolate could possibly be fined up to £10,000, the government has said.
The brand new legal duty requires people to self-isolate if indeed they test positive for coronavirus, or are traced as a close contact, from 28 September.
New measures also include a one-off £500 support payment for all those on lower incomes, and a penalty for employers who punish those told to self-isolate.
It comes as the PM considers tightening restrictions after a surge in cases.
An additional 4,422 new Covid-19 cases and 27 deaths were reported on Saturday.
There have been 350 new cases reported in Scotland, the best daily increase since May, 212 new cases in Wales, and 222 in Northern Ireland.
Fines will in the beginning start at £1,000 rising to £10,000 for repeat offenders, and for "the most egregious breaches". Until recently, advice to self-isolate has been guidance only.
Announcing the new rules for England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the easiest way to fight the virus was for everyone to follow the guidelines.
"So nobody underestimates precisely how important this is, new regulations means you are legally obliged to do so if you have the virus or have already been asked to take action by NHS Ensure that you Trace. People who tend to disregard the rules will face significant fines.
"We must do all we are able to to regulate the spread of this virus, to avoid the most vulnerable persons from becoming infected, and also to protect the NHS and save lives", he said.
Those attracting the best penalties are described as including those who stop other persons from self-isolating, such as for example an employer who insists a staff member involves work in violation of an order.
The penalties are consistent with those for people who neglect to quarantine for 14 days after returning to the UK from a country not on the list of low risk nations.
In Bolton, one returning holidaymaker, who did not self-isolate and instead continued a pub crawl, is being partly blamed for the town's spike in cases.
