‘I’ll be completely straight’: Downing Street admits Boris Johnson blunder over quarantine hotel plan

Andrew Woodcock
·1 min read
(Getty Images)
(Getty Images)

Boris Johnson blundered over the government’s quarantine hotel policy, giving parliament the wrong number of affected countries, Downing Street has admitted.

The prime minister caused confusion yesterday by saying in a statement to the House of Commons that arrivals from 22 “red list” countries would be required to spend up to 10 days in quarantine at airport hotels.

But when the Home Office later released full details of the scheme, there were 30 nations on the list, making up the existing list of states where the UK has imposed special travel restrictions because of concerns over the spread of coronavirus.

Asked the reason for the discrepancy today, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “I’ll be completely straight – the 22 was an error.

“The new rules will apply to the countries where we’ve imposed international travel bans.

“The list currently comprises of 30 countries but obviously that list is kept under review.”

The spokesman said more details on the quarantine scheme would be coming next week.

Read More

The 30 high risk countries where new hotel quarantine rules apply

‘Hotel quarantine’ confusion as no introduction date revealed

What it’s really like to quarantine in a hotel room for two weeks

Government pulls ‘Stay at Home’ advert in sexism row

  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next
  • Up next

Latest Stories

  • Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and more than a dozen Trump allies indicted in Arizona for fake elector plot

    Indictment comes as Supreme Court set to consider whether Trump immune from federal 2020 election conspiracy case

  • Pitch-In Week in Gananoque, TLTI

    With this week being Pitch-In Week, staff with the Town of Gananoque and Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands are planning their own Pitch-In events. The Gananoque event will happen on April 25 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. A Pitch-In event is a community-wide cleanup where residents and community groups get together to help clean the environment. Residents are invited to email pwinfo@gananoque.ca, or call 613-382-2149, ext. 1613, if they would like to get involved. Staff says that free pitch-in

  • Netanyahu decries pro-Palestine university protests over Gaza as ‘horrific’ and ‘antisemitic’

    Israeli prime minister argued such protests are the ‘canary in the coal mine’

  • Chelsea Carey to skip Jennifer Jones's former curling team

    WINNIPEG — Two-time Canadian champion Chelsey Carey will take over Jennifer Jones's curling team for the next two seasons. Both Carey and the Jones's team confirmed the move in a statement Wednesday posted on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter. Six-time national and two-time world champion Jones retired from women's team curling this season after leading a young team to the Scotties Tournament of Hearts final the last two years. Winnipeg's Carey, 39, will take over skipping the squad of t

  • Mauritania president announces second term bid for June election

    Mauritania President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani said Wednesday he would run for a second term in presidential elections due in June. Ghazouani, 67, has been at the helm of the vast West African country since 2019 and provided stability in the Sahel region, which faces rising jihadism."I have deemed it appropriate to address you directly, dear compatriots, through this letter, to inform you of my decision to present myself to you, so that you renew your confidence in me for a new term," he said in a

  • Gananoque Rotary holds Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup

    The Rotary Club of Gananoque did its part in cleaning up the environment on Saturday. This was as part of the club’s annual Rotary Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup program, where Rotary Clubs across Ontario and Upper New York State participate in this initiative in support of Earth Day. Coffee and doughnuts were made available for participants. There were 19 different areas along the river, streams, creeks and trails that were part of this Rotary Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup. Rotarians Pam Welbour

  • Blinken to meet businesses in Shanghai as he kicks off a tough China trip

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will meet business leaders in Shanghai on Thursday as ties between Washington and Beijing stabilise, pushing to resolve a raft of issues threatening the newly gained equilibrium between the rivals. Blinken's visit is the latest high-level contact between the two nations that, along with working groups on issues from global trade to military communication, have tempered the public acrimony that drove relations to historic lows early last year. But Washington and Beijing have made little headway on curbing China's supply of chemicals used to make fentanyl, the South China Sea remains a flashpoint, and strains are growing over China's backing of Russia in its war in Ukraine.

  • Amanda Nguyen and Kelley Robinson on How to Build Equality

    Civil rights activists Amanda Nguyen and Kelley Robinson said joy is crucial in the fight for an equal future at the TIME100 Summit

  • Newly signed bill includes potential TikTok ban

    President Joe Biden signed into law on Wednesday a $95 billion war aid measure that includes assistance for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan and that also has a provision that would force social media site TikTok to be sold or be banned in the U.S.

  • KC Current fire head of medical staff for violating NWSL's non-fraternization policy

    The KC Current said head of medical staff Carlos Jimenez was fired immediately after he was found to have violated league rules.

  • Brite-Tech Berhad (KLSE:BTECH) May Have Issues Allocating Its Capital

    If we want to find a stock that could multiply over the long term, what are the underlying trends we should look for...

  • Shocking Mass Graves At Gaza Hospitals Prompt International Calls For Investigation

    Palestinian medics have uncovered hundreds of bodies from mass graves in at least two major hospitals that were under siege by the Israeli military.

  • England child alcohol use tops global chart, finds WHO report

    The World Health Organization also finds higher rates of drinking and vaping among teenage girls.

  • Non-profit helps college students succeed

    The Wesley House, a non-profit organization located near SDSU, helps students get access to resources and housing.

  • Nancy Pelosi calls for Netanyahu to resign as she slams his ‘terrible’ actions in Gaza

    Former speaker joined letter asking Biden to stop arms transfers after aid worker deaths but voted for recent military assistance package

  • Edmonton city council approves 8.9% property tax increase for 2024

    Edmonton property owners are being charged 8.9 per cent more in taxes this year after city council approved its revised operating budget Tuesday. The increase means on average, property owners pay about $766 for every $100,000 of their assessed property value, an increase of $66 compared to last tear, A home assessed at $428,500 will pay about $8.97 a day in municipal property taxes, the city said. The increase is more than the 6.6 per cent council approved last fall and slightly higher than the

  • Take a seat behind the wheel at Martin Auto Museum in Glendale

    From classic cars to sleek modern marvels, you can experience the magic of automotive nostalgia at Martin Auto Museum and Event Center in Glendale.

  • Immigrant encampment kept 'under the radar' will have to shut down

    An immigrant encampment in northeast Denver that has been operating under the radar for weeks is now being forced to move.

  • Supreme Court set to hear arguments over Trump immunity in Jan. 6 election interference case

    The conservative Supreme Court is poised to hear oral arguments on Thursday over former President Donald Trump’s explosive claim that former presidents have blanket immunity from criminal prosecution for acts taken while in office. The hearing marks a critical milestone as the nation waits to see if Trump will face accountability for the sprawling plot to overturn his loss in the 2020 election ...

  • Leading L.A. vegan restaurant goes un-vegan. 'I knew the vitriol that would come my way'

    When chef Mollie Engelhart took to social media to announce that Sage Vegan Bistro would start serving meat and dairy to focus on regenerative farming practices, it shocked many in L.A.'s vegan community.