LONDON - The long-delayed hotel quarantine policy for all UK arrivals from 33 ‘red list’ countries is set to begin on 15 February, City A.M. understands.

Boris Johnson last week announced that all arrivals, including UK passport holder from countries such as Portugal, Brazil and South Africa would be forced to stay for 10 days in quarantine upon touching down in the UK.

Further details on the policy have been slow to surface, such as its cost, the time-frame for the policy and the hotels involved.

Tonight Number 10 sources confirmed the 15 February start date to City A.M.

Although holidays abroad are currently illegal, the UK Government has been under pressure to formulate a stricter border policy to keep Covid-19 variants and infections out of the country when lockdown is lifted.

The Opposition had called on Boris Johnson to extend the hotel quarantine policy to all arrivals from all countries, not just the areas on the “red list”.

Earlier today the boss of the Best Western hotel chain has been “kept in the dark” over how the government’s hotel quarantine policy will work, a week on from its announcement.

Speaking to the BBC this morning, Rob Paterson, chief executive of the Best Western hotel group, said he had yet to receive any details concerning the policy’s implementation.