PM insists UK ‘ as one’ as Shapps admits to confusion
BORIS JOHNSON insisted that “overwhelmingly the UK is proceeding as one” after his Transport Secretary admitted there is “confusion” over differing quarantine rules across the union.
Grant Shapps defended the decision not to impose restrictions on people entering England from Greece and Portugal, despite Scotland and Wales ordering periods of isolation to slow the spread of coronavirus. But there were questions over whether the Westminster Government was heeding the advice of the Joint Biosecurity Centre ( JBC), which advises on the threat faced by travel from foreign nations.
The Scottish Government defended its decision to impose a 14- day quarantine for arrivals from the tourist destinations after Mr Shapps suggested it had “jumped the gun” on Greece.
A spokesman said the Transport Secretary had announced the decision before hearing the JBC advice indicating a “significant rise” in prevalence of Covid19 in Portugal.
The Prime Minister said different devolved administrations have “different rates of infectivity” and approaches to the crisis.
“But overwhelmingly the UK is proceeding as one,” he said, during a visit to Solihull. “I think you will find if you dig below the surface of some of the surface differentiations you will find overwhelmingly the UK takes the same approach.”
Downing Street did not deny the advice from the JBC was that travel from Portugal and the six Greek islands that have been restricted by Wales presents a risk of spreading coronavirus.
English holidaymakers in Portugal and Greece can breathe a sigh of relief after the Government decided to keep them on the travel corridor. Travellers from Wales who had decided to venture to the two countries have not been so lucky, while Scotland has also imposed restrictions. However, the rules are not clear cut and in some cases apply to only part of a country. Here’s a guide to the everchanging situation:
Which countries are off the travel- safe list in England?: Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Thursday there would be no change to the travel corridor list, despite predictions that both Greece and Portugal would be declared unsafe. Mr Shapps said: “We continue to keep the travel corridor list under constant review and won’t hesitate to remove countries if needed.”
Has Scotland made any changes?: Scotland imposed restrictions on Greece on Tuesday and announced on Thursday evening that Portugal and French Polynesia had been blacklisted. Anyone who returned to Scotland from Greece had to be back by 4am on Thursday to avoid quarantine, while those returning from Portugal and French Polynesia had until 4am on today.
Who’s off the Welsh list?: Wales also removed Portugal, although granted exemptions to its Atlantic archipelagos – the Azores and Madeira. Those returning from Gibraltar, French Polynesia and the Greek islands of Mykonos, Zakynthos, Lesvos, Paros, Antiparos and Crete have also been hit with quarantine restrictions as of 4am yesterday.
I want to book a holiday – where should I avoid?: Good question. None of the countries in the UK is providing a list of the countries that are subject to 14- day quarantine restrictions for returning travellers, or even a figure for the number that have been blacklisted. Travellers can check the list of travel- safe countries on the UK Government’s website and for that of the Welsh and Scottish Governments.
I’ve got a holiday booked to a country that is not on the travel corridor list, what should I do?: The Foreign Office advises British nationals against “all but essential travel” to the countries that have not been declared travel corridors. In England, those who still decide to travel to one of these countries must self- isolate for 14 days upon their return or risk a fine of up to £ 1,000, and of up to £ 3,200 if they falsify contact tracing form details.
My holiday destination still has no self- isolation requirement, will that change?: Those who head to a country on the travel corridor list must keep a close eye on their respective government’s announcements to ensure their destination’s status does not change while they are abroad. Some tourists have had to pay hundreds of pounds for the next flight home to make it back before a quarantine requirement comes into force. The UK Government and the devolved administrations make their decisions based on the fluctuating rates of transmission. Scotland has already warned Gibraltar is on the verge of losing its travel- safe status.