Yahoo News Covid-19: Fail to Self-Isolate and You Could Be Fined up to £10,000
The government has today (28 September) made refusing to self-isolate when you show symptoms of Covid-19 a criminal offence that carries a potential fine of up to £10,000.
Having commissioned a study that found just 18% of people with symptoms of Covid-19 were self-isolating, the government has brought in tough new rules that could see people who choose not to comply with an official instruction to self-isolate fined anywhere between £1,000 and £10,000, with the most serious fines being given out to repeat offenders and people who commit "serious breaches".
Home secretary Priti Patel said the new fines were "a clear sign that we will not allow those who break the rules to reverse the hard-won progress made by the law-abiding majority", while health secretary Matt Hancock said the government would "not hesitate" to introduce further measures if case numbers continued to rise.
The government's self-isolation rules requires anyone with symptoms or a positive test result to isolate for 10 days, while members of their household or people who have been contacted by Test and Trace must quarantine for 14 days. During that time they shouldn't leave their house at all – "do not go out even to buy food or other essentials, and any exercise must be taken within your home," reads the government's guidance document.
If someone tests positive, they are also required to pass information about their close contacts to NHS Test and Trace. So that measure works effectively, the government has also made giving false details about your contacts a criminal offence.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said that NHS Test and Trace "has now become as important in a sense as catching criminals, fighting fires and treating heart attacks".
"It's a key public service and if it doesn't work, then we all suffer," he said.
"We've all got a role to play in making this service work – if you've got symptoms you need to get a test quickly; if the test turns out positive you've got to self-isolate, you've then got to pass your contacts on to Test and Trace."
Sign up to the Men's Health newsletter and kickstart your home body plan. Make positive steps to become healthier and mentally strong with all the best fitness, muscle-building and nutrition advice delivered to your inbox.
For effective home workouts, uplifting stories, easy recipes and advice you can trust, subscribe to Men's Health UK.
You Might Also Like
