NI ‘not ready’ for 14-day travel quarantine scheme
AUTHORITIES monitoring the 14-day quarantine scheme for travellers arriving here have admitted they are not yet ready to enforce the new rules — four days before they are to come into effect.
From next Monday the scheme will require anyone who enters Northern Ireland from outside the UK and Republic — both visitors and holidaymakers returning home — to self-isolate for a fortnight.
The PSNI and the Department of Health have revealed discussions are still under way into how the scheme will be enforced. While travellers who flout the rule in Britain face a fine of £1,000, the penalty figure has yet to be set here.
The Department of Health and its counterpart in the Republic are still working out how information about cross-border travellers from outside the Common Travel Area will be shared.
The admissions come as serious concerns have been raised about the new rule’s impact on the tourism industry and economy.
Graham Keddie, managing director of Belfast International Airport, has warned the 14-day self-isolation requirement will have “very severe economic and social consequences”.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson branded the quarantine rules nonsensical, saying they were “totally pointless, unenforceable”.
The effectiveness of the measure has also been questioned as travellers to the UK can avoid self-isolating by taking advantage of a loophole dubbed the ‘Dublin dodge’, which involves travelling to the Irish capital first and then straight on to the UK.
In addition, overseas visitors arriving in Dublin but heading across the border do not have to reveal where they are staying here, meaning they are unlikely to face checks that they are abiding by the rules.
Home Secretary Priti Patel last night brushed off criticism that the quarantine will “kill off ” the travel industry, insisting that requiring arrivals to UK to self-isolate is “essential” to save lives.
The scheme was also defended by Tourism NI chief John Mcgrillen, who insisted the impact on local tourism would be
“relatively insignificant” when questioned at yesterday’s Stormont Covid-19 briefing.
“All the research we have done would suggest that the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland intend to stay at home this summer,” he said.
“The numbers of people who have any intention of travelling overseas over the next six months is extremely low.
“From our perspective we see
that as a good thing as it gives us an opportunity to convince those people if they are staying at home to take a holiday at home.”
Mr Mcgrillen added: “The stark reality is that air connectivity, the means by which people from overseas would normally get here, has been completely disrupted across the globe.
“Our expectations of people coming from beyond the UK in
the next three to six months is very limited.
“Our sense would be that the impact on tourism is relatively insignificant.
“I think the impact would be much greater on the broader business community than it would be on tourism.”
This was acknowledged by Economy Minister Diane Dodds, who told the Stormont briefing she understood the difficulties facing companies both within the tourism industry and outside it.
“Northern Ireland’s manufacturing companies make and produce goods but they go out across the world and sell those goods,” she explained.
She said she hoped it will be lifted as soon as possible.
“Our national Government have indicated that they want to have a 14-day quarantine period in line with governments in the Republic of Ireland and across other parts of Europe,” Mrs Dodds added.
“For us in Northern Ireland, we’ll be looking at those regulations and seeing how they should be implemented.
“I think we should also remember that we would hope that they would be temporary, but remember that the Executive has given the commitment that they will not be held in place one day longer than they need to be.”
Party colleague Mr Wilson, however, blasted the scheme, insisting it was futile and damaging to our economy.
“It’s totally pointless, unenforceable and damaging,” the
East Antrim MP said. “It’s pointless first of all because it’s unenforceable; once people come in who’s going to enforce whether they quarantine or not?
“Are you going to give police the instructions to call every day for 14 days to find out whether they’re staying in?
“As soon as the police leave, are people going to go out again?
“There’s no point in introducing rules which only bring the law into disrepute.”
The PSNI said: “In line with the UK national approach, there is a proposed role for policing in the enforcement of the 14-day self-isolation restrictions. The exact nature of this role remains under discussion with the relevant departments and the police service.”
In a statement the Department of Health said: “Health authorities here and in the Republic are working to finalise arrangements regarding information sharing.
“It will be an offence to breach the self-isolation requirements, regardless of how you have travelled to Northern Ireland.”