England new Covid law: £5,000 fine for people wey dey go abroad without 'good' reason for now
One £5,000 fine for anybody for England wey try to travel abroad without good reason, dey road to come into force next week as part of new coronavirus laws.
Di penalty dey included inside legislation wey MPs go vote on, on Thursday. Foreign holidays currently no dey allowed under di "stay at home" rule wey dey end on Monday. From next week, di ban on leaving di UK go become law, wey go dey backed up by di threat of di fine. Under di current plan for easing restrictions, di earliest date pipo for England fit go abroad for holiday go be 17 May. But, anoda surge in Covid cases for continental Europe, as well as di slow rollout of vaccines across Europe, don make pipo doubt di resumption of foreign travel. Health Secretary Matt Hancock say restrictions on travelling abroad for pleasure dey necessary to guard against di importation of large numbers of cases and new variants wey fit put di vaccine rollout at risk. Airlines UK, wey represents big carriers, say "nothing don change" with di new legislation and say airlines dey continue to work with goment to restart international travel safely from 17 May. The new coronavirus laws, wey dem go introduce on Monday, suggest say anyone wey comot England for a destination outside di UK without a reasonable excuse, such as for work, education or medical treatment, fit face a £5,000 fine. Anyone wey dey travell abroad go need to fill in a "Declaration to Travel" form, to tok di valid reason for leaving di kontri, such as education, work or childcare. England travel ban no apply to those wey dey go to or from di common travel area of di Channel Islands, Isle of Man and di Republic of Ireland unless dat no be di final destination.