People leaving the UK without a “reasonable excuse” will face £5,000 ($6,900) fines from next week, under the government’s new CCP virus regulations. Under the new health protection regulations (pdf), which were presented to Parliament on Monday, the penalty would be issued to anyone who, “without a reasonable excuse,” travels outside the UK or to “an embarkation point for the purpose of travelling” to a destination abroad. The government said the measure is necessary to prevent a large number of imported COVID-19 cases or new variants from continental Europe, where infections are rising. “We are seeing this third wave rising in some parts of Europe and we’re also seeing new variants and it is very important that we protect the progress that we’ve been able to make here in the UK,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News. MPs will vote on the legislation on Thursday. If approved as expected, …