The UK government has announced that it is commencing a trial of paying people to stay home and self-isolate, if they need to quarantine, The Telegraph reports.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that the trials would begin in Lancashire and Manchester, and that the extra financial support would be "set at the level of statutory sick pay" or £13 per day. He noted that low-income people would still receive all other benefits they were entitled to.
However, a Labour councillor in one of the boroughs where the trials will be commence said that the low level of support was "not acceptable," describing them as "a slap in the face for those people who sadly test positive and there is no incentive in my opinion for those people to self-isolate."
He noted that, "If you're a manual worker who's not able to do their job from home, normally getting paid the living wage or the minimum wage, the government are now going to say to you we'll pay you £4.55 an hour. Not acceptable."
A proposal in Israel to grant sick pay to those legally required to quarantine has been rebuffed by the government.