A £5,000 fine for anyone in England who attempts to travel abroad without a valid reason is set to come into effect next week as part of new coronavirus laws.
The penalty is included in the legislation that lawmakers will vote on Thursday.
International holiday travel is currently not allowed under the “stay at home” rule, which ends on Monday.
From next week, the ban on leaving the UK will become a separate law, backed by the threat of a fine.
Under the current plan to ease restrictions, the earliest date people from England would be able to travel abroad for holidays would be May 17.
However, a new surge in Covid cases in continental Europe, as well as the slow roll-out of vaccines across Europe, has cast doubt on foreign travel.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said restrictions on foreign travel were necessary to protect against the importation of large numbers of cases and new variants that could jeopardise the rollout of the vaccine.
Shadow Cabinet Secretary Rachel Reeves told BBC Breakfast that Labour supported measures to maintain the UK’s borders and avoid importing new variants, but that the government’s “slowness to react” had contributed to the country’s high death rate.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Monday that the UK should be “under no illusions” that it would feel the effects of the rising number of cases on the continent.
One of his ministers, Lord Bethell, said England could put “all our European neighbours” on a “red list” of countries.
However, Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4’s Today program that he had no plans to do so.
People from these countries are currently not allowed to travel to the UK, with the exception of British citizens and people who are normally resident in the UK – but those two groups must pay to quarantine in a hotel if they decide to come at this time.
The “Red List” was introduced as part of travel regulations aimed at stopping the entry of Covid variants per country and is reviewed regularly, meaning countries are added or removed depending on their Covid situation.
The government’s global travel task force is considering a tiered or traffic light system for international travel when the ban on leaving the country is lifted.
The intention is to announce the framework on April 12, with decisions on which countries are in which tier to be made later.
Testing of children traveling is being considered because coronavirus vaccines are not currently approved for those under 18 years of age.
The new coronavirus laws, due to be introduced on Monday, suggest that anyone leaving England for a destination outside the UK without a reasonable excuse, such as work, education or treatment, could face a £5,000 fine.
Anyone traveling abroad must complete a “Travel Declaration” form, stating a valid reason for leaving the country, such as education, work or childcare.
The English travel ban does not apply to those going to or from the common travel area of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland, unless that is the final destination.
Delegated nations in the UK have the power to set their own coronavirus restrictions.
The earliest date that people from Scotland and Wales will be able to go on holiday abroad is, like England, May 17, while Northern Ireland has not yet announced its own plans.
