The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Government announces quarantine exemption for seasonal employees.
Fruit pickers will be exempt from two-week quarantines to be imposed on arrivals to the UK.
Seasonal agricultural employees will be allowed to start on farms immediately, but will have to work in isolation for a fortnight.
Angus fruit farm owners welcomed the move, announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel last night, fearing they may lose Scottish staff as they return to their normal jobs from furlough.
Carnoustie grower James Porter, of East Scryne farm, is chairman of NFU Scotland’s horticulture committee. He has been working with the Scottish Government to make fruit farms safe during lockdown.
“I think this is a very sensible decision,” he said. “Safety comes first but they will be able to work in isolation on the farms, so effectively they will be quarantined as they will be separate from the rest of the staff.
“These arrivals have been booked since January and have been coming over for years. They are really experienced and skilled so I don’t think it would be fair to tell them they can’t come, and it would have a negative impact on the farms not to have them.
“We have spent so much time putting procedures in place to make things safe so I’m glad that won’t be hindered by a two-week delay.”
Mr Porter feared many workers would have decided not to come if they had to quarantine on arrival.
“In Romania, for example, they will have to quarantine when they return so that would mean a month in quarantine when they may only be here for two months,” he said.
“Here we have around 60 local workers, either students or people on furlough and we can’t completely rely on them because, as restrictions ease, they will begin going back to work.”
Ms Patel announced anyone who breaches the quarantine rules will be fined but the mandatory self-isolation will not apply to people coming from Ireland, medics tackling Covid-19 and seasonal agricultural workers.
Passengers will have to fill a form providing their contact and travel information so they can be traced if infections arise and could be contacted regularly during the 14 days to ensure their compliance.
Breaches will be punishable with a £1,000 fixed penalty notice in England, or prosecution with an unlimited fine. Devolved nations can determine their own enforcement.
The Border Force will be able to refuse entry to foreign citizens who are not UK residents during border checks. Removal from the country could be used as a last resort, the Home Office said.
Ms Patel said: “As the world begins to emerge from what we hope is the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, we must look to the future and protect the British public by reducing the risk of cases crossing our border.
“We are introducing these new measures now to keep the transmission rate down and prevent a devastating second wave.
“I fully expect the majority of people will do the right thing and abide by these measures. But we will take enforcement action against the minority of people who endanger the safety of others.”