SPAIN travellers’ INTHE NECK
Shocked Scots holidaymakers hit out at ’shambolic’ U-turn on 14-day quarantine
FURIOUS Scots last night slammed the decision to axe quarantine-free travel to Spain.
Thousands of holidaymakers were left stunned when the 14-day quarantine rule, which was only lifted last week, was reimposed by the Scottish Government on Saturday. The move wrecked many
plans and was blasted as “shambolic”.
Firefighter Frank Reynolds and his wife Linda had to cut their trip to Spain short and now face having to self-isolate. He said: “It’s all a bit up in the air.”
SCOTS returning from holiday in Spain have hit out after being told they will have to quarantine for 14 days – as the UK and Scottish Governments flip-flop over corona travel.
Tourists returning from the Costas yesterday were told they’d have to stay in the house for two weeks or face a heavy fine – causing misery for many who had expected to return to work.
The return of Spain to the list of quarantined countries was branded a “shambles” by opposition MSPs – who said First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has caused confusion by letting Scots go to Spain then changing the rules.
Holidaymakers vented their anger yesterday at the decision.
Nursery nurse Linda Reynolds, 49, was heading back to Glasgow with husband Frank, 50, on a flight from Malaga after a two-week holiday in Fuengirola, which they had to cut short by four days.
She said: “Frank’s a firefighter and he needs to get back to work soon so we’ve ended up buying new flights back which have cost us €400 with the luggage.
“We’re not going to get that money back. We knew we were taking a chance by coming because quarantine was still in place in Scotland when we left.
“We’d talked about Frank leaving a week early to fly back if it had been kept in place. But when it was dropped in Scotland, we relaxed and stayed on.
“We only found out the bad news last night when we were sat in a restaurant downstairs from our apartment and then we got a phone call from home to confirm.”
Frank added: “I’m due back at work on August 3 but the other problem I’ve got is that I’m a carer for my mum.
“I’m hoping that as a key worker I’ll be able to self-isolate for five days and if I’m not showing any symptoms have a test and be allowed to break quarantine but it’s all a bit up in the air at the moment. I think we should have had a bit more prior warning.” Holidaymakers only found out about the change when Sturgeon shadowed Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab’s move.
She tweeted: “Having reviewed the latest data earlier today, @scotgov is also re-imposing 14-day quarantine for travellers returning from Spain.
“This reinforces the point that these matters are subject to change at short notice and so my advice is to be cautious about non-essential foreign travel.”
Francisco Montez, 45, a hotel worker from Govan, Glasgow, flew to Spain yesterday to see his family after being laid off.
Travelling with his wife Maria, 45, and their daughters Paola, 10, and Joanna, 13, he arrived at Glasgow airport bound for Cadiz.
As he checked in, he told the Record: “Because I was laid off, I thought I would take this
opportunity to go and see my family in Cadiz, where I have two other daughters.
“I am nervous and have some reservations. I’m confident I’ll come back and if I have to quarantine when I come back to Glasgow, I’m willing to do it to be able to see my family.”
Sarah Moir flew from Spain on Saturday, after spending nearly two weeks visiting family.
She arrived at Edinburgh Airport hours before the new rules were confirmed. Sarah said: “I flew out to Spain on Juluy 12, while the quarantine was still in effect. On my return I was going to self-isolate with my sister who was also out there with me.
“However, my original flight back was on Tuesday, the 21st, so as the Government announced they were lifting quarantine, I changed my flight to come back on Saturday so I had an extra four days in Spain and wouldn’t have to self-isolate. I was incredibly relieved but also a little surprised when it was announced it was being lifted. I still consider myself lucky to have come back when I did because I’d also considered booking the flight for Sunday.”
Home-care manager Carol Morrison, 38, from Penilee, Glasgow, cut her trip short to get back due to the quarantine. In Glasgow yesterday, she said: “I had been working through lockdown and was desperate to get a break but I needed to get back because my work didn’t want me to get stuck.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed to lose part of my holiday because the small village I was in had no cases.”
Edward James, 26, from Aberdeen, and his Spanish girlfriend Reyes Eonzalez, 27, arrived back in Glasgow on the same flight as Carol. He said: “We were out visiting my family that I hadn’t seen in seven months. We understand the quarantine situation is fluid and it’s a price worth paying.”
Martin Lewis, of consumer website Money Saving Expert, said: “If you’re on holiday and due to come back and you have to quarantine, is there any cover for the fact that you’re having to quarantine from travel insurance? No, is the pretty plain answer for almost all mainstream policies.”