A WOMAN who was among the first people to check into a quarantine hotel has said she is looking forward to seeing her husband after months apart.

Eritza East, 37, from Southampton, who was with her three children, said she had a double room at the Radisson Blu Edwardian hotel near Heathrow Airport.

She said: “It was not ideal, but it wasn’t terrible, I’ve been in much worse accommodation.

“The accommodation was really big and the beds were really comfy, the only problem was the food wasn’t always kid-friendly.

“Other than that, the security was really nice and very supportive.”

She added: “I’m looking forward to seeing my husband, I haven’t seen him in seven months.”

From last Monday, UK and Irish nationals returning to England from a “red list” country deemed at high risk for Covid-19 have had to self-isolate in hotels for 11 nights.

Hotel “guests” have complained about the £1,750 fee for the stay, which is punishable by a fine of up to £10,000 or 10 years in prison if breached, according to the Government.

The rule applies to people returning to Scotland from any destination.

If travellers return a negative test on day two and day eight of their stay they are allowed to leave, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Travellers arriving in England must quarantine in a hotel if they have been in one of the Government’s 33 “red list” countries – which covers Portugal, the United Arab Emirates, South America and southern Africa – in the past 10 days.

The UK has banned direct flights from those locations, so passengers must take connecting flights, mixing with passengers from countries not on the list.

The Prime Minister said last week he expects those in quarantine to be able to “cover their costs” when asked what happens if a person has to extend their stay after a positive test.