02-03-2021 , 03:30 AM
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/scots-foreign-...32906.html Scots' foreign holiday 'ban' after Nicola Sturgeon imposes supervised quarantine from all countries
Simon Johnson
Updated Tue, 2 February 2021, 3:51 pm·3-min read Scottish families have effectively been banned from taking foreign holidays after Nicola Sturgeon announced all international arrivals will be forced to quarantine under state supervision.
The UK Government has unveiled plans to introduce quarantine hotels for people returning from 33 high-risk "red list" countries, who need to isolate for 10 days.
But Ms Sturgeon insisted this does "not go far enough" and announced a "managed quarantine requirement" for people arriving in Scotland from any foreign country.
She said: “I am afraid we will also have to accept that the price of greater domestic normality is likely to be - for a period at least - not going on holiday overseas.”
Although she did not stipulate how long the draconian move will last, she gave a strong hint it will remain in place this summer.
The First Minister said that by July last year the virus had been "almost eliminated" in Scotland but was "reseeded" by overseas travel.
Ms Sturgeon said that "we must guard against that happening again" and argued a scheme that included all countries was needed to prevent new variants entering the country.
She said the more limited approach applied south of the Border created the risk that new variants enter the UK via "third countries" not on the "red list." More details on how and when the changes to quarantine would come into effect would be set out and put into operation as soon as possible.
But it remained unclear how she could stop Scots flying from airports in England to avoid having to quarantine.
Her announcement caused dismay in the crisis-stricken travel and airline industries, while a UK minister raised doubts about the policy's effectiveness and practicality.
In a statement at Holyrood, the First Minister disclosed five cases have been discovered in Scotland of the South African variant, which is more resistant to vaccines.
She said all were linked to travel and it was "essential that we guard against" importing the virus after lockdown brings levels down again in Scotland.
Ms Sturgeon said the UK Government's approach was "too reactive" because a more infectious or severe variant would often have spread across borders by the time it has been identified through genomic sequencing.
“I can therefore confirm today that we intend to introduce a managed quarantine requirement for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland, regardless of which country they have come from," she said.
But she added: "We cannot unilaterally implement immediate managed quarantine for people who arrive in other parts of the UK before travelling on to Scotland." Ms Sturgeon urged the UK Government to adopt the same policy but said if it refused "we will ask them to work with us to reduce the risk amongst people travelling to Scotland via ports elsewhere in the UK."
Asked about strengthening checks on those travelling across the English border, Ms Sturgeon said she would continue to speak to Police Scotland about enforcement.
A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: "We still don’t know how this is expected to work, when it is being enacted and what it means for airports and our industry, so yet again we ask the Scottish Government to talk to us."
Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports, which includes Glasgow Airport, said it was the third significant announcement which had been made on travel restrictions in as many weeks without any consultation.
Michelle Donelan, a UK junior education minister, said Ms Sturgeon's scheme was "unfeasible" for the entire country and "would not necessarily be as effective as the one we are suggesting."
Originally published Tue, 2 February 2021, 3:22 pm
Simon Johnson
Updated Tue, 2 February 2021, 3:51 pm·3-min read Scottish families have effectively been banned from taking foreign holidays after Nicola Sturgeon announced all international arrivals will be forced to quarantine under state supervision.
The UK Government has unveiled plans to introduce quarantine hotels for people returning from 33 high-risk "red list" countries, who need to isolate for 10 days.
But Ms Sturgeon insisted this does "not go far enough" and announced a "managed quarantine requirement" for people arriving in Scotland from any foreign country.
She said: “I am afraid we will also have to accept that the price of greater domestic normality is likely to be - for a period at least - not going on holiday overseas.”
Although she did not stipulate how long the draconian move will last, she gave a strong hint it will remain in place this summer.
The First Minister said that by July last year the virus had been "almost eliminated" in Scotland but was "reseeded" by overseas travel.
Ms Sturgeon said that "we must guard against that happening again" and argued a scheme that included all countries was needed to prevent new variants entering the country.
She said the more limited approach applied south of the Border created the risk that new variants enter the UK via "third countries" not on the "red list." More details on how and when the changes to quarantine would come into effect would be set out and put into operation as soon as possible.
But it remained unclear how she could stop Scots flying from airports in England to avoid having to quarantine.
Her announcement caused dismay in the crisis-stricken travel and airline industries, while a UK minister raised doubts about the policy's effectiveness and practicality.
In a statement at Holyrood, the First Minister disclosed five cases have been discovered in Scotland of the South African variant, which is more resistant to vaccines.
She said all were linked to travel and it was "essential that we guard against" importing the virus after lockdown brings levels down again in Scotland.
Ms Sturgeon said the UK Government's approach was "too reactive" because a more infectious or severe variant would often have spread across borders by the time it has been identified through genomic sequencing.
“I can therefore confirm today that we intend to introduce a managed quarantine requirement for anyone who arrives directly into Scotland, regardless of which country they have come from," she said.
But she added: "We cannot unilaterally implement immediate managed quarantine for people who arrive in other parts of the UK before travelling on to Scotland." Ms Sturgeon urged the UK Government to adopt the same policy but said if it refused "we will ask them to work with us to reduce the risk amongst people travelling to Scotland via ports elsewhere in the UK."
Asked about strengthening checks on those travelling across the English border, Ms Sturgeon said she would continue to speak to Police Scotland about enforcement.
A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: "We still don’t know how this is expected to work, when it is being enacted and what it means for airports and our industry, so yet again we ask the Scottish Government to talk to us."
Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports, which includes Glasgow Airport, said it was the third significant announcement which had been made on travel restrictions in as many weeks without any consultation.
Michelle Donelan, a UK junior education minister, said Ms Sturgeon's scheme was "unfeasible" for the entire country and "would not necessarily be as effective as the one we are suggesting."
Originally published Tue, 2 February 2021, 3:22 pm