Greater Manchester Police say they visited 263 people over the summer holidays for failing to comply with quarantine regulations after returning from holiday.
Over the past six weeks, a number of popular holiday destinations – including Spain, Belgium and France – have joined the government’s quarantine list due to rising coronavirus infection rates, thereby requiring travellers to self-isolate for 14 days on their return home.
Those required to self-isolate may have been contacted by Border Force to check they were following the regulations, and if there was no response after a number of attempts, the individual’s details were passed to police.
Officers at GMP will then visit the individual at home and seek to explain and encourage the requirements, before enforcing them.
GMP say it has visited 263 people and issued two fixed penalty notices following “repeated breaching” of the regulations.
Superintendent Andrew Sidebotham said: “It’s really important for people to self-isolate for the full 14 days when coming back to the UK as it can take this length of time for symptoms of COVID-19 to develop. During this time you could unknowingly pass the virus on to others, even if you don’t have symptoms.
“When contacted by Border Force please respond as once a case is referred to police, it takes up a number of resources in order to visit the address and make contact with the individual. As well as this officers are putting their health at risk by visiting someone who could potentially be carrying the virus. A risk that is preventable if everyone self-isolates as required.”
