‘Serious thought’ must be given to introducing England border checks

‘S stoperious thought’ must be given to introducing border checks to travellers entering Scotland by landing elsewhere in the UK, Jeane Freeman has warned, amid confusion just days before new quarantine rules come into force.

The health secretary said at the Scottish Government’s daily coronavirus briefing that key details of the “managed isolation” measures are still being finalised.

Ms Freeman said discussions are continuing on the new regime – under which arrivals in Scotland from any foreign country will have to quarantine in a hotel for 10 days – but vowed these would be “finalised in time”.

With the regulations due to come into effect on Monday, questions remain over what exemptions will be in place for industries such as the oil and gas sector, what testing will be available for hotel workers and whether travellers will be allowed to leave their rooms for fresh air.

It also comes amid a blistering row between the Scottish and UK governments over how to close a loophole that would allow people to enter the UK through an English airport before travelling to Scotland to avoid tougher restrictions north of the border.

In England only travellers arriving from so-called “red list” countries will need to quarantine, prompting fears some could look to circumvent the accommodation fee of £1,750 per person required to enter Scotland.

Ms Freeman said Scotland may need to look at other options to prevent coronavirus being brought across the border.

“We continue to talk with the UK Government because we think their approach, which confines itself to the red zone areas, is insufficient, and we continue to work with them to try to persuade them that they should adopt the tougher stance that we’re adopting,” Ms Freeman said.

“However, while we do that, we do have to give serious thought to the options that may be available to us. Many will enter the UK via the major airport hubs in London, Manchester and elsewhere and will then travel to Scotland.

“So we will need to work through with the UK Government how that will be managed, how we will know that and if there is a need for other measures at the border.”

Ms Freeman said her government was “very clear” that no-one who has travelled internationally should enter Scotland without being part of managed quarantine.

Earlier, UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the BBC’S Good Morning Scotland programme that passengers arriving in England from “low risk” countries would be required to quarantine at home – even if their home is in Scotland.

Ms Freeman said: “It’s deeply disappointing that, as part of a family of equals, one partner isn’t prepared to help the other partner enforce the policy that they think is the right policy for the people they represent.

“The discussions will continue, because we are, as we have always been, keen, where we can, to reach a four-nation approach to deal with a virus that doesn’t respect boundaries and borders.

“But in the meantime, we will work through what the options are to mitigate where the UK Government stance creates a loophole in what the Scottish Government believes is exactly the right thing to do.”

Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross called on both governments to work together. “I think there is a route we can take for the two governments to come to a reasonable conclusion,” he said.

Downing Street has insisted its hotel quarantine policy is “in line” with other countries, despite being warned by an Australian epidemiologist that allowing travellers to leave their room for fresh air is “very risky”.

Professor Michael Toole, from the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, Victoria, said rules in Australia had to be strengthened to reduce the chance of airborne transmission – suggesting England should adopt similar measures.

LOOPHOLE: There are fears some people may choose to fly to England before travelling north to Scotland to avoid going into quarantine.