No 10 rejects calls from first ministers to hold Cobra meeting

DOWNING Street has rejected calls from the Scottish and Welsh first ministers for tougher travel restrictions and an urgent meeting to tackle the threat posed by the new Omicron variant.

Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford joined forces to demand that the Prime Minister convene an urgent Cobra meeting to discuss taking a four-nations approach to issues such as border restrictions.

While the Scottish Government has followed the new travel restrictions put in place by Westminster, requiring passengers coming into the UK to do a PCR test two days after arrival, Sturgeon and Drakeford wrote to Boris Johnson calling for people coming into the UK from overseas to be required to self-isolate for eight days – and then do a second PCR test.

It comes after six cases of the Omicron variant of coronavirus were identified in Scotland, in addition to three previously identified in England.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “We would confirm any plans for a Cobra meeting in the normal way. Currently, there isn’t one scheduled. We obviously speak to our devolved administration counterparts very regularly and we will continue to coordinate our response with them.”

Downing Street also rejected the call for the self-isolation period for travellers to be extended until the result of a test on day eight after arriving in the UK. Extending the requirements would have a “detrimental effect” on the travel industry, No 10 said.

The spokesperson said: “We believe that the approach we’ve taken is the proportionate one to the evidence that we currently have available about this variant.

“Introducing further isolation requirements and testing requirements would have a detrimental effect on the travel industry and indeed those who are planning to go travelling.”

In addition to discussion on travel restrictions, the Scottish and Welsh first ministers also want the UK Government to commit to providing the necessary funding to support businesses if “more interventionist measures are required”.