The British government is making it a legal requirement in England for those who have tested positive for Covid-19 or who have been traced to an outbreak to self-isolate, and violators will be fined as much as 10,000 pounds.
The new mandate will go into effect on Sept. 28 in England, and government officials are in talks to expand it to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, British media outlets reported. Fines will start at 1,000 pounds and rise to 10,000 pounds for repeat violators. Self-isolation orders will apply to people who test positive for Covid-19 and for those identified as being at risk through the National Health Service's (NHS) test-and-trace system.
Police will reportedly check on compliance in areas with high rates of infections. NHS workers will follow up with those under self-isolation orders and, when violations are suspected, may refer cases to the police.
"People who choose to ignore the rules will face significant fines," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.
Starting Oct. 12, the government will offer payments of 500 pounds to low-income residents who must self-isolate and can't work from home. "I don't want to see a situation where people don't feel they are financially able to self-isolate," Johnson said.
The UK government imposed new Covid-19 restrictions earlier this week amid a "second wave" of infections, and Johnson said Friday that he will consider adding tougher social-distancing rules.
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