Covishield is a two-dose vaccine and therefore we require people to have received both doses and completed the course before they are able to travel to the United Kingdom from an ‘amber list’ country without the need to quarantine.

The notional costing from 12 August based on the charge of £2,285 is comprised of: room and board £1,217; security £651; testing £96; liaison £69; airport costs £92; welfare costs £51; transport £38; administration £49; and ‘other’ and contingency £22.

There is a cross-Government effort to design a package for arrivals from Afghanistan, including the support that is needed to help these families relocate to the United Kingdom. The cost of managed quarantine is being considered in these discussions.

There is a cross-Government effort to design a package for arrivals from Afghanistan, including the support that is needed to help these families relocate to the United Kingdom. The cost of managed quarantine is being considered in these discussions.

To ensure all our managed quarantine hotels are safe environments, we have standard operating procedures (SOPs), testing processes and infection prevention control processes for staff and guests. Each hotel has dedicated Departmental on-site liaison officers who monitor compliance with the SOPs and report on compliance issues, breaches, opportunities to improve services including health and safety breaches.

Directors of Public Health for each area where the hotels are situated are engaged and consulted as to the infection protection measures implemented. The local environmental health teams often visit to ensure the hotels are safe environments for both guests and staff. Any identified breaches are reported back to senior sub-contracted management to ensure rectification measures are put in place.

To ensure all our managed quarantine hotels are safe environments, we have standard operating procedures (SOPs), testing processes and infection prevention control processes for staff and guests. Each hotel has dedicated Departmental on-site liaison officers who monitor compliance with the SOPs and report on compliance issues, breaches, opportunities to improve services including health and safety breaches.

Directors of Public Health for each area where the hotels are situated are engaged and consulted as to the infection protection measures implemented. The local environmental health teams often visit to ensure the hotels are safe environments for both guests and staff. Any identified breaches are reported back to senior sub-contracted management to ensure rectification measures are put in place.

To ensure all our managed quarantine hotels are safe environments, we have standard operating procedures (SOPs), testing processes and infection prevention control processes for staff and guests. Each hotel has dedicated Departmental on-site liaison officers who monitor compliance with the SOPs and report on compliance issues, breaches, opportunities to improve services including health and safety breaches.

Directors of Public Health for each area where the hotels are situated are engaged and consulted as to the infection protection measures implemented. The local environmental health teams often visit to ensure the hotels are safe environments for both guests and staff. Any identified breaches are reported back to senior sub-contracted management to ensure rectification measures are put in place.

The notional costing of the service to 30 June based on the charge of £1,750 is divided as follows: hotel £1,190; transport £78; security £876; welfare £74; testing £102; liaison £52; ‘other’ £135; and administration costs £90. This gives a total notional cost of £2,597. The initial costing of £1,750 did not therefore reflect the full costs incurred by the traveller for managed quarantine and was subsidised. The cost for staying in a managed quarantine facility when arriving from a ‘red list’ country has now increased to £2,285 for a single adult and £1,430 for a second adult to better reflect the total costs involved with providing their quarantine.

Corporate Travel Management is currently contracted for provision of parts of the quarantine facilities that meet the required specification. They in turn negotiate and hold contracts with individual accommodation venues.

From 2 August, passengers that have been fully vaccinated with vaccines authorised by the European Medicines Agency in European countries and Food and Drug Administration in the United States of America have been able to travel to England without quarantine, or a day eight test. Decisions related to this policy are based on the latest risk assessment from the Joint Biosecurity Centre. We are working on expanding the number of people who can enter the United Kingdom more easily, including through engaging with international partners. We will provide an update in due course on how we will approach vaccinated individuals from other countries, including Canada.

The Department are working to ensure those who cannot have a vaccine or be tested for medical reasons are not disadvantaged. For the United Kingdom's inbound travel policy, the Government is exploring future policy options on travel for vaccinated UK residents, including making allowances for people exempt from vaccination and will set this information out in due course.

People with severe asthma are not currently being asked to shield. The decision to continue self-administration of home biologics will be made between the person with severe asthma and their specialist centre on how best to manage their condition.

Several studies of vaccine effectiveness have been conducted in the UK which indicate that a single dose of either vaccine is between 55% and 70% effective against symptomatic disease, with higher levels of protection against severe disease including hospitalisation and death. Additional protection is seen after a second dose

Public Health England (PHE) publishes weekly COVID-19 vaccine surveillance reports;. The reports include the latest evidence on vaccine effectiveness against different outcomes, and can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccine-surveillance-report

This published data informed the decision to exempt fully vaccinated contacts from self-isolation from 16 August. The press notice published by the Department, setting out the reasons for this policy, can be found at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/self-isolation-to-be-eased-for-fully-vaccinated-adults-in-step-4

Arrivals from ‘amber list’ countries can currently quarantine in their own accommodation.

From 19 July, arrivals from ‘amber list’ countries who have been fully vaccinated by a National Health Service administered vaccine will not have to quarantine. The guidance on safe working states that employers and employees should discuss their working arrangements and employers should take every possible step to facilitate their employees working from home, including providing suitable IT and equipment to enable remote working.

Arrivals from ‘amber list’ countries must quarantine in their own accommodation for a period of 10 days and take a polymerase chain reaction test on or before day two and before or after day eight, with the option to end quarantine early on day five, following a negative test result.

We are monitoring of the effectiveness of the Managed Quarantine Service with regular testing and genomic sequencing to determine which variants have been prevented from entering the United Kingdom, including the Delta variant. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies’ Environmental Modelling Group Transmission sub-group is currently reviewing the evidence on the risk of transmission in hotels which will be published by autumn 2021.

In some extremely limited circumstances due to pre-existing severe medical conditions or vulnerabilities, an individual travelling from a red-list country may be incapable of entering a managed quarantine facility because they are unable to be supported there. These individuals may be granted an exemption from managed quarantine and be permitted to quarantine in their own accommodation.

Medical and welfare support is available to all in managed quarantine and emergency healthcare is available. The Department does not expect all individuals with a pre-existing medical condition to request or receive an exemption from entering a managed quarantine facility.

For countries on the red list, COVID-19 prevalence is assessed to be high and there is evidence to suggest community transmission of variants of concern. This is the case irrespective of vaccination status. The Government keeps this policy under review and will announce any changes when and where these are deemed appropriate.

The majority of restrictions were lifted prior to 16 August 2021, waiting until this date to lift the self-isolation requirement on fully vaccinated contacts of positive cases has enabled more people to become fully vaccinated which significantly reduces the risk of severe illness and onward transmission and provided greater protection for people across the country.

From 16 August 2021, those who are fully vaccinated, participants of approved vaccine trials, individuals under 18 years and 6 months of age, and those unable to have the vaccine for medical reasons, are not required to self-isolate if they are a contact of a positive case. Such individuals will instead be advised to take a PCR test or given age-related public health advice (in the case of young children). However, should an individual wish to self-isolate, they can do so.

From 16 August 2021, those who are fully vaccinated, participants of approved vaccine trials, individuals under 18 years and 6 months of age, and those unable to have the vaccine for medical reasons, are not required to self-isolate if they are a contact of a positive case. Such individuals will instead be advised to take a polymerase chain reaction test or given age-related public health advice (in the case of young children).

Individuals who do not fall within the categories above will be legally required to self-isolate if they are the contact of a positive case.