Updated: Health sec to make hotel quarantine announcement on Thursday – PM

Pressed by the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg on the protracted roll-out of the regime at the government’s Covid briefing on Wednesday (3 February), Johnson said Hancock would be providing an update shortly.

Johnson defended the government’s existing border arrangements with regards to Covid, stressing it was important not to "totally seclude" the nation.

"We can say it’s illegal to go on holiday, which it is, and to come from this country from a great list of countries around the world," said Johnson.

"And if you do come here from one of those countries, then you will be taken and put in special accommodation.

"The health secretary will be making a further announcement about that tomorrow [Thursday]."

It comes after the PM clashed with Labour leader Keir Starmer over the country’s Covid border controls at Prime Minister’s Questions earlier on Wednesday.

Johnson rebuffed a call for tougher border restrictions, dismissing claims current controls assume Covid “only arrives on direct flights”.

He added an "isolation assurance service" would be clamping down on quarantine non-compliance, and stressed the country’s measures also included pre-departure testing.

"We are operating a very tough regime already," Johnson told Kuenssberg.

Update: A Downing Street spokesperson later said the prime minister had been "misinformed" and that there would not be an update on hotel quarantine from the health secretary on Thursday.