Hotel quarantine booking site is STILL offline

The UK’s ‘hotel quarantine’ scheme is already facing fears of meltdown with travellers still unable to book rooms just days before it is due to come into force. 

The government portal is still not live with less than 72 hours left to go until the first people are due to check in. A message on the website blames a ‘minor technical issue’ and admits it will not be available until ‘later today’.

Despite the chaos Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted this morning that the arrangements for arrivals from ‘red list’ countries will be ‘up and running’ on schedule, although she pointedly stressed it is the responsibility of Health Secretary Matt Hancock. 

The confusion came as ministers defended the fact that the rules are less strict than in other countries such as Australia, where ‘red list’ guests are not allowed out of their rooms and staff are tested daily to stop the spread of Covid including new strains from abroad.

The Government has been accused of ‘not learning the lessons’ after several hotel outbreaks when workers fell ill, and a flurry of new cases that pushed Melbourne into a five-month lockdown after guests and staff mingled. 

By contrast, in the UK those paying £1,750 to quarantine in hotels for 10 days will be allowed to leave their rooms to walk and smoke outside as long as they are accompanied by security – a rule scrapped Down Under after it was blamed for spreading the virus.

Home Office minister Victoria Atkins said it was fair to allow people to have a ‘gulp of fresh air’ outside during a stay of that length. 

There are also concerns about a lack of daily testing for staff after people got ill delivering meals and guarding corridors – and not insisting on high-grade masks with filters in all areas of the hotel. In the UK only a surgical mask is required. 

Meanwhile, the huge uncertainty for travellers was underlined with warnings that the ‘red list’ could be expanded with almost no notice if a threat from a variant is identified in another country.

And footage has shown arrivals at the border are already queuing for hours and rowing with frustrated staff. 

The government portal is still not live with less than 72 hours left to go until the first people are due to check in. A message on the website blames a ‘minor technical issue’ and admits it will not be available until ‘later today’

The three-star Ibis Styles London Heathrow East hotel will be one of England's quarantine hotels but there are concerns about the rules not being strict enough

The three-star Ibis Styles London Heathrow East hotel will be one of England’s quarantine hotels but there are concerns about the rules not being strict enough

Despite the chaos Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted this morning that the arrangements for arrivals from 'red list' countries will be 'up and running' on schedule

Despite the chaos Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted this morning that the arrangements for arrivals from ‘red list’ countries will be ‘up and running’ on schedule

Scientists voiced concerns about the strength of the hotel quarantine arrangements as leaked document obtained by the BBC revealed:

  • British quarantine hotel guests will be allowed to leave their rooms and go outside with security – despite it being banned in other countries after mingling was reported and the virus spread;
  • Masks worn by UK guests and staff do not have to be at the same FFP2 standard in Australia. Only a standard surgical mask is required; 
  • Staff won’t be tested every day. In Australia all hotel workers are, even on their days off, and are paid for it; 
  • In Australia food is now delivered at different times to rooms across from each other after a woman from Singapore is believed to have caught Covid from the Nigerian family opposite when their doors were open at the same time. The UK policy does not say this will be the rule here; 

In Australia they have had quarantine in hotels for 12 months, and have learned some ‘harsh lessons’ – but Britain could be about to repeat some of them, experts have said.

Professor Mike Toole, from the Australian Centre for International Health at Burnet Institute in Victoria, told the BBC that allowing people to leave their rooms ‘is a very risky procedure’, as is not using proper masks.

He said: ‘We have had a situation where a hotel guest infected staff when she opened the door and a fog of virus was pushed from the room by positive pressure into the corridor, infecting staff’. 

And in another warning for the UK he added: ‘One all hotel staff are employed by the Government so they can’t have second or third jobs and therefore can’t spread it from workplace to workplace’.    

From Monday, travellers who have been in a country on the Covid hotspot ‘red list’ in the previous ten days are required to quarantine for 11 nights upon arrival. They must book a hotel ‘package’ online before flying into the UK and face being banned from boarding if they can’t show proof.   

They will also face a £4,000 fine if they fail to book a quarantine hotel before travel and extra police are set to patrol airports to help enforce the scheme. Officers will escort arrivals on to coaches so travellers can be taken to the places they are designated to stay.

But yesterday the link to the booking system on the Government website crashed, saying that ‘due to a minor technical issue’ the link would not be available until later in the day.

And although it was still possible to access the booking system by visiting the site directly, it initially said no hotel rooms were available until Wednesday next week – despite the scheme coming into force on Monday.

A three-star Ibis will be among the hotels welcoming Heathrow arrivals as part of the government's travel quarantine programme, MailOnline can reveal. Pictured is one of the twin bedrooms

The IBIS welcoming Heathrow arrivals from Monday as part of the government’s travel quarantine programme, MailOnline can reveal. Pictured is one of the twin bedrooms 

There was chaos at Heathrow again yesterday as queues of strangers formed with little social distancing because of a lack of staff

There was chaos at Heathrow again yesterday as queues of strangers formed with little social distancing because of a lack of staff 

How Britain’s hotel quarantine compares to Australia’s ‘gold standard’

WHO HAS TO QUARANTINE IN A HOTEL?

All arrivals in Australia, except for some from New Zealand. 

In England, only those who have recently been in a ‘banned list’ country such as South Africa and the UAE. But Scotland is sending all arrivals from outside the UK and Ireland into hotels.

LENGTH OF QUARANTINE  

14 days in Australia, 10 in Britain. 

VIRUS TESTING

In Victoria, people are tested on day 3 and day 11. In New South Wales, it is day 2 and day 12. 

In Britain, people must get a test ‘on or before day 2’ and ‘on or after day 8’. 

Neither country allows people to leave early if they test negative.  

CAN PEOPLE LEAVE THEIR ROOMS?

In Australia, not unless they have an emergency or a medical reason. 

The UK government says hotel staff can give people permission to exercise but that ‘this is not guaranteed’. 

MEAL DELIVERY  

Australia has introduced staggered meal times to reduce the chance of guests inadvertently coming into contact when they open their doors. 

Britain merely says that room service will follow ‘best practice’, according to a document seen by BBC News

PROTECTION FOR HOTEL STAFF

Hotel staff in Victoria have to wear medical-grade N95 masks, which are also being considered for guests. 

The UK policy only calls for standard surgical masks.     

Arrivals at the border described a scene of ‘absolute bedlam’ yesterday as they lingered in queues for more than four hours while stretched officials lost their cool and lamented: ‘We have not got any more staff!’

Days before a tough hotel quarantine regime is enforced, Heathrow Airport was swamped with passengers trying to enter the UK. 

Footage shows one border force official telling an impatient passenger it was taking up to 30 minutes to wave through a single person.

Pictures show a line of visibly frustrated arrivals snaking back dozens of rows, while some slump on the floor and take off their masks.

Dylan Carter, 23, whose girlfriend was coming back from Ukraine, told MailOnline: ‘It’s absolute bedlam. They’ve been stuck in queues for four hours. Officers have been shouting at the crowds saying things like ‘you chose to travel’.

He said his girlfriend landed at Terminal 2 at 11am and only eventually passed through security at around 5pm.

Mr Carter blamed the wait on a scramble from passengers to avoid the beefed-up border controls the Government is introducing from Monday.

And a video sees an irritated border guard berate one of the impatient arrivals suggests it was due to a shortage of staff.

The footage appears to show the male official fume: ‘We have not got any more staff! We have staff isolating, we have staff off with Covid and we have had two staff die with Covid! So forgive us for not being understanding!’

A separate clip shows his colleague sternly telling an arrival that social distancing was compounding the hold-up.

The official seems to say: ‘It’s taking anything to 30 minutes to deal with one single person. Unfortunately, border force staff are not immune to Covid either so we… have to work in bubbles.

‘If you choose to stand close to someone, that’s up to you, but we have to socially distance. It takes time to do things, so please be patient.’ 

From Monday arrivals from a ‘red list’ of 33 countries – who will only be allowed to fly into one of five airports – will be expected pay £1,750 to quarantine for 10 full days (11 nights) in designated hotels.

Those who attempt to evade quarantine by providing false information face a fine of up to £10,000, and up to 10 years in prison, while those who do not book a hotel place before arriving in England face a £4,000 fine.

But it was thrown into chaos as its booking website crashed minutes into its launch, while travellers were not allowed to reserve rooms for the first two days.

Police patrols at airports stepped up for start of hotel quarantine scheme 

Police patrols will be stepped up at airports and ports as hotel quarantine rules for travellers come into force, the Home Secretary said.

From Monday, UK nationals or residents returning from 33 ‘red list’ countries will be required to spend 10 days in a Government-designated hotel.

Passengers arriving into England face fines of up to £10,000 for failing to quarantine, and those who lie on their passenger locator forms face up to 10 years in jail.

Priti Patel announced more police would be deployed to check the reason for passenger journeys and to help ‘ensure compliance of arrivals from red-list countries who will be part of the mandatory quarantine scheme’.

It comes as she pledged £60 million to police forces in England and Wales to cover the extra costs of enforcing coronavirus pandemic rules.

Forces will be reimbursed for costs they have already incurred as a result of their additional duties and also fund fresh enforcement action planned at airports and ports.

Searches at Birmingham, Glasgow and Heathrow airports showed they weren’t ‘any applicable hotels’ for passengers to stay in.

The Government is already thought to have contracted 16 hotels to take part in the scheme, with the £50-a-night Thistle near Heathrow believed to be one of them.

The new booking website asks people to state the airport they are landing at, along with the date and the number of people arriving. 

It then lists what is included in the £1,750 quarantine package, such as food, drinks, transfers, security costs and two Covid tests.

The website also informs visitors that there is a £650 surcharge for an extra adult in the same room, and a £325 charge for children aged between 5 and 12. 

However, minutes after going live, the new website was taken down, with an error message telling visitors developers were carrying out ‘some maintenance’. The website does appear to be working for some visitors.  

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said the problem was a ‘minor technical issue’ and that the website was ‘currently undergoing maintenance’.

The spokesperson said: ‘Rooms are available from Monday 15 February and travellers will be able to book through the site imminently.’ 

However Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds slammed the launch blunder and said ministers must ‘act urgently’ to get it back up and running.

‘It is extremely worrying that even the limited hotel quarantine booking system is showing signs of failing from the outset,’ he said.

‘Over a year into this pandemic and 50 days on from the discovery of the South African strain, there are no excuses for yet more Government incompetence in the introduction of hotel quarantine.’  

Meanwhile the Government issued more advice on its quarantine hotel scheme. The guidance states that any traveller wishing to leave their room for exercise will only be allowed with special permission from hotel staff or security and is ‘not guaranteed’.

Travellers who don’t book a hotel quarantine place face a £4,000 fine even though the UK website is STILL down

The UK booking website was down on Friday despite the scheme starting on Monday

The UK booking website was down on Friday despite the scheme starting on Monday

Travellers arriving in England from 33 ‘red list’ countries who don’t pre-book a space at a quarantine hotel face a £4,000 fine – and will still have to pay the cost of their stay. But the website is still down today.

Arrivals the Covid hotspots will have to pay £1,750 to quarantine for 10 full days (11 nights) in designated hotels from Monday.

The package includes the costs of transport from the port of arrival to the designated hotel, food, accommodation, security, other essential services and testing.

But the government warns those who have not arranged a quarantine package prior to their arrival in England, ‘face a penalty of up to £4,000 and will still have to pay for your quarantine package on arrival’.

The costs for the 11 night stay, including food, drink and transfers, are £1,750 for one adult in one room, with a £650 additional rate for 1 adult (or child over 12) and a £325 rate for a child aged 5–12.

Meanwhile, providing false or deliberately misleading information when filling out your passenger locator form is an offence punishable by imprisonment.

The Government warns that you could be fined up to £10,000, imprisoned for up to 10 years, or both, if you do not provide accurate details about the countries you have visited in the 10 days before you arrived in the UK. 

The Government also published a list of five airports in England that travellers from red list countries must fly to under the quarantine rules.

The accepted entry points from red list countries are: Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport and Farnborough Airfield.

Notable absences on the list include Manchester Airport – which is the UK’s second busiest airport after Heathrow. Luton and Stansted have also been excluded. 

Farnborough Airport – which is included on the approved list – is a private airport catering mostly for business passengers and has around 30,000 movements each year.  

It comes Matt Hancock this week unveiled England’s new quarantine programme for Britons arriving home from Covid hotspots abroad.  

The measures are aimed at stopping Covid variants discovered in countries such as Sotuh Africa and Brazil taking hold in the UK. 

Meanwhile, Heathrow Airport chiefs warned that unless there is a way to revive the travel industry soon, thousands more jobs will be lost.

Bosses at the London airport fear that once the quarantine rules are introduced on Monday only the ‘desperate and wealthy’ will be flying. 

Ahead of the new measures being introduced, face mask wearing passengers pushing large trolleys of luggage were seen streaming through the arrivals area at Heathrow.

A large group of people were also seen waiting at the arrivals area waiting for passengers, while there were queues at departures as people checked-in for flights leaving the UK.

The arrivals landed in Heathrow, as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer visited the busy London airport, where he delivered a scathing attack on the Government’s quarantine scheme.  

An estimated 10,000 travellers arriving in the UK from ‘higher-risk countries’ every day will avoid hotel quarantine, Labour warns.

‘I don’t think anybody would argue that’s a system that’s going to work,’ Sir Keir said.

The Labour analysis is based on the number of people travelling from countries where the South African or Brazilian coronavirus variants are circulating but which are not on the Government’s red list. This includes locations such as France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.  

Speaking to reports during his visit to the airport, he said: ‘Our concern isn’t their preparations, because they’re getting on with that.

‘Our concern is that we now know that there are variants in countries that aren’t on the red list. So this partial approach by the Government isn’t going to work.

‘We are at this crucial stage now where it’s a race between the vaccine and variants, and the only way through this is to buy time by having a comprehensive system of quarantine in hotels, wherever you come from.’

Days before a tough hotel quarantine regime is enforced, Heathrow Airport was swamped with passengers trying to enter the UK

Days before a tough hotel quarantine regime is enforced, Heathrow Airport was swamped with passengers trying to enter the UK

Travellers from Covid hotspots will only be allowed into England via one of five airports 

Travellers from countries on the banned list can only arrive into one of five airports in England when new rules come in next week.

UK nationals or residents returning from 33 ‘red list’ countries will be required to spend 10 days in a Government-designated hotel from Monday.

Guidance for those who have to quarantine in hotels was published on Thursday and states that anyone with a booking that brings them to a different ‘port of entry’ from February 15 must change it to one of those specified.

The accepted entry points from red list countries are: Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, Birmingham Airport and Farnborough Airfield.

Notable absences on the list include Manchester Airport – which is the UK’s second busiest airport after Heathrow. Luton and Stansted have also been excluded. 

Farnborough Airport – which is included on the approved list – is a private airport catering mostly for business passengers and has around 30,000 movements each year. 

The Labour leader, who is planning a holiday in Devon in August ‘subject to the restrictions’, also warned the Government not to give ‘mixed messages’ on the possibility of foreign holidays this summer.

It comes as Mr Hancock insisted ministers are ‘doing everything we can’ to make sure people can go on holidays this summer – but admitted there is no guarantee of success.

The Health Secretary confirmed that he has already booked a trip to Cornwall, despite Grant Shapps sparking fury yesterday by saying Britons should not plan trips ‘domestically or internationally’.

However, Mr Hancock risked fuelling Tory MP frustration further by insisting that even though the vaccine rollout has surged ahead the situation is ‘uncertain’ with mutant coronavirus strains running riot.

‘What we have all been saying is we will do everything we can to make sure that people can have a holiday but these are uncertain times,’ Mr Hancock said in a round of interviews this morning. 

‘That is something people understand – especially after the last year, people really get that.’

Mr Hancock also insisted he made ‘no apology’ for his bloodcurdling threat of 10 years in jail for travellers to the UK who lie about visiting high-risk ‘red list’ countries.  

Mr Shapps’ blunt comments sparked a day of chaos yesterday, with Downing Street distancing itself from his views at lunchtime, saying it was a ‘choice for individuals’.

But Boris Johnson, who earlier this month said he was ‘optimistic’ about the prospect of summer holidays, then echoed his minister’s gloomy line at a Downing Street press conference.

He warned it was ‘just too early for people to be certain about what we will be able to do this summer’. 

Despite the cautious message from the PM, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden are working on packages to promote holidays in the UK. 

One senior Tory said: ‘We are in danger of making ‘holiday’ a dirty word when it should be exactly the sort of aspirational thing we are celebrating.’ 

The arrivals landed in Heathrow, as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) visited the busy London airport, where he delivered a scathing attack on the Government's quarantine scheme

The arrivals landed in Heathrow, as Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) visited the busy London airport, where he delivered a scathing attack on the Government’s quarantine scheme

Meanwhile, scientists have voiced scepticism about whether it will be possible to ease the government’s extreme border crackdown anytime soon.

Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, said booking a holiday now is ‘one hell of a gamble’.

And Professor Devi Sridhar warned that sacrificing foreign holidays was likely to be the price for easing the lockdown in the UK. 

Nick Jariwalla, Director of Border Force at Heathrow, said: ‘We are in a global health pandemic which is why every traveller is subject to enhanced monitoring at UK airports in line with the public health measures at the border. Every airport across the UK has a responsibility to comply with social distancing and Covid measures on site.

‘We have maintained staffing levels at Heathrow throughout the pandemic, however, due to social bubbles for our staff, it may appear that there are smaller numbers of people at the desks than passengers may expect. In reality, arrivals and Border Force officers are separated into zones so they can continue to process passengers while ensuring they are kept safe and work in a Covid-secure environment.

‘People should not be travelling unless absolutely necessary and every essential check from pre-departure testing, to the Passenger Locator Form and the suspension of travel routes is to strengthen our borders and prevent the spread of coronavirus into the UK and we aim to check 100% of forms.’

Australia’s Victoria state is hit with five-day lockdown after ‘UK strain’ of Covid-19 leaks from quarantine hotel: Shoppers panic-buy and fans are banned from Australian Open due to cluster of 13 cases

Melbourne and the state of Victoria are entering a five-day lockdown meaning fans will be barred from much of the Australian Open after a cluster of 13 coronavirus cases linked to the feared UK variant. 

The outbreak has been blamed on infections leaking out from an Australian quarantine hotel – days before Britain brings in a similar system at the border.

Daniel Andrews, the premier of the state of Victoria, said the statewide lockdown was a ‘short, sharp circuit breaker’ to prevent a repeat of last year’s 111-day shutdown in Melbourne following another hotel outbreak.

The measures include a temporary closure of schools as well as a ban on gatherings at homes or churches, while masks will be required everywhere – and the announcement has already led to a return of panic-buying at supermarkets. 

Tennis players can continue competing at the Australian Open, which will be designated a ‘workplace’, but fans will be shut out during the lockdown.  

Melbourne 's Covid cluster has now climbed to 13 cases after five more positive tests linked to the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport (pictured) were recorded

Melbourne ‘s Covid cluster has now climbed to 13 cases after five more positive tests linked to the Holiday Inn Melbourne Airport (pictured) were recorded

A hotel quarantine worker without a mask at the Intercontinental on Collins Street in Melbourne. The picture, which was taken by a guest and sent to Nine News on Friday, has sparked fresh concern about Australia's hotel quarantine system

A hotel quarantine worker without a mask at the Intercontinental on Collins Street in Melbourne. The picture, which was taken by a guest and sent to Nine News on Friday, has sparked fresh concern about Australia’s hotel quarantine system 

Australia's infection rate is still extremely low compared to most wealthy countries - after a major wave of cases and deaths in Victoria last summer which was similarly blamed on virus cases leaking out of hotel quarantine

Australia’s infection rate is still extremely low compared to most wealthy countries – after a major wave of cases and deaths in Victoria last summer which was similarly blamed on virus cases leaking out of hotel quarantine 

Fans arriving at the Australian Open on Friday before the lockdown took effect were instructed at the entrance to maintain social distancing, sanitise their hands and pull their masks up over their noses.   

Tournament chief Craig Tiley said he was hopeful fans would be permitted back on site in the latter half of next week, provided the lockdown ‘has done its job.’ 

Australia is one of the few places in the world where large crowds have been permitted at sports events, with strict border controls keeping virus deaths down to 909 out of a population of 25million. 

But the quarantine hotels have been seen as a weak link, with Andrews suggesting that Australians abroad should only be allowed to return for compassionate reasons.

‘Should we be having the total number of people coming home? Or should it be a much smaller program that’s based on compassionate grounds? That’s a conversation we should have,’ he said. 

‘This is the second lockdown caused by Victoria’s hotel quarantine system, it must not be as long and destructive as the last,’ said the head of Australia’s business lobby, Jennifer Westacott. ‘We must get hotel quarantine working properly.’ 

Up to 500 people have been deemed ‘close contacts’ of the 13 confirmed cases ta the Holiday Inn. 

About 135 of them included quarantine workers at the Holiday Inn and returned travellers. 

And fresh concerns about the system have been raised after a worker at the Intercontinental on Melbourne’s Collins Street was pictured walking through the hotel without a mask on Friday. 

Ahead of the lockdown announcement, prime minister Scott Morrison offered his government’s full support for Victoria’s decisions on containing the outbreak. 

‘I think that proportionate, targeted responses are the most effective way to deal with this,’ he said. 

Other states including Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania that have practically eliminated the virus, closed their borders to Victoria. 

Sydney’s state of New South Wales, which recorded a 26th day with zero community cases on Friday, has so far kept its borders open.

Workers in full PPE disinfects the Holiday Inn Hotel Melbourne Airport which has been blamed for the latest outbreak in Victoria

Workers in full PPE disinfects the Holiday Inn Hotel Melbourne Airport which has been blamed for the latest outbreak in Victoria 

Supermarkets in Victoria were packed on Friday afternoon as residents rushed to stock up on supplies ahead of a five-day coronavirus lockdown

Supermarkets in Victoria were packed on Friday afternoon as residents rushed to stock up on supplies ahead of a five-day coronavirus lockdown

Shoppers stocked up at Woolworths store

There were long lines at checkouts

Victoria’s latest outbreak began on Monday when a hotel quarantine worker at the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport caught the virus on Monday. Pictured: Panic buying

Coles and Woolworths stores were rammed with shoppers buying food and essentials. Pictured: Empty shelves in a Coles

Coles and Woolworths stores were rammed with shoppers buying food and essentials. Pictured: Empty shelves in a Coles

Victoria endured one of the world’s longest lockdowns last year after an outbreak that killed more than 800 in the state, the vast majority of the national death toll. 

Two other Australian state capitals, Brisbane and Perth, recently underwent similar snap lockdowns in response to cases of the UK strain leaking from hotel quarantine.

In both instances, the outbreak was quickly contained. 

Andrews, the Victoria premier, said the virus was likely ‘moving at a velocity that has not been seen anywhere in our country over the course of these last 12 months’. 

He explained he decided to include regional Victoria in the lockdown to stop Melbourne residents fleeing to the countryside and taking the virus with them. 

‘I know this will be difficult. I know it will be painful. But there is no option. This things moves so fast,’ he said.  

Two fans enjoying the final day of the Melbourne Open before lockdown. The tournament will proceed without fans from Saturday

Two fans enjoying the final day of the Melbourne Open before lockdown. The tournament will proceed without fans from Saturday

Fans enjoyed Friday at the Australian Open - the last day before lockdown

Fans enjoyed Friday at the Australian Open – the last day before lockdown

Andrews added: ‘We must assume that there are further cases in the community than we have positive results for. 

‘We will be able to smother this. We will be able to prevent it getting away from us. 

‘I want to be here on Wednesday next week announcing that these restrictions are coming off, but I can’t do it on my own. I need every single Victorian to work with me.’

But the premier warned the state’s contact tracing team was struggling due to the rapid spread of the virus. 

‘By the time we find a case as positive, they’ve already infected their close contacts. Their family. People they live with, people they’ve spent time with. That makes it incredibly difficult, incredibly difficult to do contact tracing,’ he said. 

The so-called Stage Four restrictions introduced during the Southern Hemisphere winter have been re-imposed with residents confined to their homes except for two hours of exercise, essential shopping, care-giving and work. 

Schools will be closed, masks must be worn everywhere except in the home and private and public gatherings are banned. 

Supermarkets in Victoria were packed on Friday afternoon as residents rushed to stock up on supplies ahead of the five-day lockdown. 

Asked about the Australian Open, Andrews said: ‘There are no fans. There are no crowds. These people are essentially at their workplace.’

‘The minimum number of staff for it to be run safely – not just for the virus but other reasons – will be there.’

The event had already been limited to 50 per cent of usual capacity and was dogged by earlier complaints from some tennis stars, who were forced to spend critical preparation time in quarantine. 

Welcome to Hotel Quarantine: Inside the $80-a-night Ibis where arrivals into Heathrow from 33 ‘red list’ countries will have to spend ten days in Covid isolation – without leaving their rooms – for $2,600

A three-star Ibis will be among the hotels welcoming Heathrow arrivals as part of the government’s travel quarantine programme, MailOnline can reveal.

The three-star Ibis Styles London Heathrow East hotel opened in December 2019 and features brightly-coloured 1920s ‘Art Deco-inspired’ rooms behind a geometric red brick exterior. 

However, travellers won’t be able to enjoy the spacious bar and dining areas as they will be confined to their rooms for the entire 10-day stay, with airline food left at the door.

Guests at the 125-room hotel will have to change their own sheets and towels and be accompanied by security if they want fresh air or a cigarette outside.

Arrivals will have to pay £1,750 per person – a rate set by the government.

The hotel usually charges around £60 for a standard room including breakfast, which would normally work out at £660 for 11 nights – the length of the quarantine stay.

The Ibis, which has 125 rooms and is a 12-minute drive from Terminals 2 and 3 – is expected to be closed to ordinary guests over the length of the scheme.

Today 12 medical bins were seen being assembled outside the hotel to taste waste produced by guests during quarantine. 

A second Heathrow hotel, the three-star Thistle, is also expected to be part of the quarantine programme. MailOnline has contacted its owners for comment.

It comes as the Government’s quarantine plan was thrown into chaos after its booking website crashed within minutes into its launch, while travellers were not allowed to reserve rooms for the first two days.   

Minutes after going live, the website was taken down, with an error message telling visitors developers were carrying out ‘some maintenance’. The website does appear to be working for some visitors. 

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson said the problem was a ‘minor technical issue’ and that the website was ‘currently undergoing maintenance’. 

A three-star Ibis will be among the hotels welcoming Heathrow arrivals as part of the government's travel quarantine programme, MailOnline can reveal. Pictured is one of the twin bedrooms

A three-star Ibis will be among the hotels welcoming Heathrow arrivals as part of the government’s travel quarantine programme, MailOnline can reveal. Pictured is one of the twin bedrooms 

Today 12 medical bins were seen being assembled outside the hotel to taste waste produced by guests during quarantine

Today 12 medical bins were seen being assembled outside the hotel to taste waste produced by guests during quarantine

The three-star Ibis Styles London Heathrow East hotel opened in December 2019 and features brightly-coloured 1920s ‘Art Deco-inspired’ interiors behind a geometric red brick

The three-star Ibis Styles London Heathrow East hotel opened in December 2019 and features brightly-coloured 1920s ‘Art Deco-inspired’ interiors behind a geometric red brick

The Ibis Styles London Heathrow East is owned by Accor, a French company that has the motto ‘live limitless’. 

It has an average rating of 4.4 on Google, which the search engine ranks as ‘very good’.

Recent guests described it as ‘nice and quiet’, with one saying they ‘felt very safe staying here despite the coronavirus pandemic’.

Others called it ‘beautifully clean’, ‘tidy’ and said the beds were ‘comfy’.

However, one Expedia reviewer was less impressed, writing: ‘The room was cold and the heater did not work.

‘When I mentioned this matter to the reception I was told to wait until the room becomes warm but it never did.’

The rooms are bright and freshly furnished but offer a fairly basic set up, with features mentioned on the hotel’s website including ‘extra pillows, hot drink facilities, irons and ironing boards’.

Neighbouring hotel the Thistle emerged as a candidate for the quarantine programme yesterday.

An airline worker, who lives nearby, said: ‘It wouldn’t be my first choice for somewhere to stay, put it that way.

‘I know you don’t get much of a choice where you quarantine but that hotel looks very old now and not very welcoming. It isn’t in the best of state, either, and it’s a little depressing if you ask me.’

One guest staying at the hotel last October gave it a one out of five rating on TripAdvisor and wrote: ‘I stay in hotels for between 150 and 200 nights a year.

‘This is by far the worst hotel I have seen in about 15 years. I refused to stay because the rooms were so shockingly bad, as if they’d tried to recreate the set of Fawlty Towers but without the humour.’

The hotel replied by promising training for staff ‘to ensure that we improve the service and are working hard to improve the standard of the rooms’.

Government officials still need to find 28,000 rooms to accommodate them after admitting that no contracts have yet been awarded.

Travellers won't be able to enjoy the spacious bar and dining areas as they will be confined to their rooms for the entire 10-day stay, with airline food left at the door

Travellers won’t be able to enjoy the spacious bar and dining areas as they will be confined to their rooms for the entire 10-day stay, with airline food left at the door

The Ibis, which has 125 rooms and is a 12-minute drive from Terminals 2 and 3 - is expected to be closed to ordinary guests over the length of the scheme

The Ibis, which has 125 rooms and is a 12-minute drive from Terminals 2 and 3 – is expected to be closed to ordinary guests over the length of the scheme

The Ibis Styles London Heathrow East is owned by Accor, a French company that has the motto 'live limitless'. Pictured: The desk area in one of the bedrooms

The Ibis Styles London Heathrow East is owned by Accor, a French company that has the motto ‘live limitless’. Pictured: The desk area in one of the bedrooms

Recent guests described it as 'nice and quiet', with one saying they 'felt very safe staying here despite the coronavirus pandemic'. Pictured: The bar and lobby area

Recent guests described it as ‘nice and quiet’, with one saying they ‘felt very safe staying here despite the coronavirus pandemic’. Pictured: The bar and lobby area

A photo of one of the bedrooms shows the Art Deco-inspired décor which quarantined guests will enjoy

A photo of one of the bedrooms shows the Art Deco-inspired décor which quarantined guests will enjoy 

One Expedia reviewer was less impressed, writing: 'The room was cold and the heater did not work. 'When I mentioned this matter to the reception I was told to wait until the room becomes warm but it never did'

One Expedia reviewer was less impressed, writing: ‘The room was cold and the heater did not work. ‘When I mentioned this matter to the reception I was told to wait until the room becomes warm but it never did’ 

Given its location, the nearby Heathrow Crowne Plaza and its 500 rooms might be considered an ideal location, but it has been block-booked by the Home Office until March to house asylum seekers.

The apparent freedom afforded to the migrants at Crowne Plaza contrasts with the draconian measures awaiting passengers who will be placed in quarantine after flying in to Britain.

Government-hired security guards are expected to patrol each hotel floor to ensure compliance.

The quarantine policy would add an extra £3,000 to the cost of a break abroad for the average family because additional adults must pay £650 each and children between five and 12 will cost £325 each. Under-fives will be free.  

When MailOnline visited yesterday, the hotel was closed to guests with just two cars parked in the vast car park. But even as the winter sun shone overhead, the building still looked gloomy.

The shabby metallic window frames give it a tired, dated feel, which is exacerbated by some of the exterior work on the building beginning to peel away due to age.

Rodent traps were also scattered around the car park suggesting the hotel grounds have had to be treated for a mouse or rat infestation.

To the right of the hotel, part of an exterior fence is topped with barbed wire and CCTV cameras are positioned everywhere.

Peering into one of the rooms, there does not appear to be much space at all. Two single beds were pushed together to make a double with just a small wardrobe and table.

A member of staff, keeping guard at the property, refused to deny the hotel – where rooms normally start at around £80 a night – was going to be used to quarantine passengers paying up to £1750 for ten days.

He said: ‘I am not going to answer any of your questions. If you need to know anything then you’ll need to contact the management company.’    

MailOnline understands that the 3-star Thistle Hotel at Heathrow could be among the UK's quarantine hotels where guests will have to pay £1,750 for ten nights - or more if with their families

MailOnline understands that the 3-star Thistle Hotel at Heathrow could be among the UK’s quarantine hotels where guests will have to pay £1,750 for ten nights – or more if with their families

Reviews of the Thistle (pictured) have compared it to 'Fawlty Towers' and it has also been called 'depressing'

Reviews of the Thistle (rodent trap outside right) have compared it to 'Fawlty Towers' and it has also been called 'depressing'

Reviews of the Thistle (left, and rodent trap outside right) have compared it to ‘Fawlty Towers’ and it has also been called ‘depressing’