De Blasio says travelers from UK must quarantine under threat of $1,000 fine

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is stepping up quarantine efforts in his city as leaders around the world seek to contain the new variant of coronavirus first identified in the United Kingdom, CBS reports.

While de Blasio is seeking to force all travelers to the Big Apple to quarantine upon arrival, those from the UK will see visitors to their hotel rooms and lodges to ensure that they are, in fact, quarantining.

"We’re going to have sheriff’s deputies go to the home or the hotel of every single traveler coming in from the UK," said the mayor.

Those who violate such quarantine orders could be fined up to $1,000.

"We don’t want to, but if you don’t follow quarantine you’re endangering everyone else in the city right as we’re fighting the second wave," de Blasio continued.

Under new regulations, travelers flying from the UK are also required to test negatively for coronavirus before boarding flights to the city.

While the new coronavirus variant from the UK does not appear to be more deadly than other strains of the virus, nor does it appear to have greater resistance against coronavirus vaccines, it is notably more contagious. The higher virality of the strain has worried health professionals seeking to avoid an overflow of hospitals and intensive care units (ICUs).

"There’s not enough vaccine yet, and we’re seeing the highest levels of cases, hospitalizations and deaths, the U.S. has, since the start of this pandemic," said former Center for Disease Control (CDC) director Dr. Tom Frieden, commenting on the risk posed by travelers.

Dozens of countries such as Canada have already temporarily suspended travel from the UK. The United States, as of now, has no plans of doing so.