Couple forced to self-isolate after holiday speak out

A COUPLE forced to make a 300-mile round trip to self-isolate after returning from Fuerteventura has criticised the Government’s “clueless” attempts to prevent a second wave of coronavirus.

Holidaymakers Neal Ashby and Jordan Semmens, from Coventry, are in the first week of a strict lockdown away from vulnerable family members at a friend’s house in Blackpool.

At one point, they had considered continuing their stay on the island and trying to sit out the quarantine rules, which took effect within hours of being announced on July 25.

But they decided to return amid “crazy scenes” on the journey home via the island’s airport as British tour operators cancelled flights and holidays.

On Monday (August 3), the Spanish Government called on Britain to lift the quarantine measures for the Balearic and Canary Islands, saying it had sent new statistics about the relatively low level of infection rates on the tourist hotspots to No10.

Neal said: “We had a good time on holiday but the Government has let a lot of people down by including the Canary Islands in the quarantine rules. It simply makes no sense applying it to an island when the fact is the UK Government has not controlled the virus at all.

“One annoying part is that if I do a test and it’s positive I only have to quarantine for seven days.

“So why is it 14 days if you don’t have symptoms and haven’t got it? The inconsistency is awful.”

The couple had felt safe with the precautions taken on the Canary Island, where there have been no recorded Covid-19 deaths to date, and had even considered extending their stay.

But after monitoring the diminishing number of flights home and information from Jet2, who they had booked the holiday with, they headed back to the UK via Birmingham Airport on July 29 at the end of their two-week break.

The Youtube content creator, 32, decided not to return to his family home in Coventry as his two brothers have disabilities and are considered vulnerable.

“Faced with hundreds of pounds in hotel costs, they instead opted to stay with a friend in Blackpool, who has a separate bathroom.

They are relying on takeaways and the generosity of their host, who is cooking the couple’s meals for them and leaving the food outside their door.

Neal said: “I really don’t understand why the UK Government isn’t budging.

“If anything the Canary Islands should be banning us from there.

“What I also don’t understand is the inconsistency in the methods.

“You can get fifty per cent off food if you eat in only - I thought we were encouraging social distancing?

“Surely takeaway would make more sense? And be safer.

“You can go to the pub but you can’t go ice skating.

“I honestly think they don’t have a clue what they are doing and if anything they are putting British citizens in more danger.”

Travel agents have questioned why the islands have been included because they have lower Covid-19 infection rates than on the mainland, where there has been a spike in cases, particularly in the regions of Navarra, Aragon and Catalonia.

Neal added: “The economy will take a big hit over there, tourism is a huge part of life for Canaries and I think around sixty per cent plus are UK tourists per year.”

The Foreign Office is advising against all non-essential travel to mainland Spain and the Canary and Balearic Islands. Travellers returning to the UK must self-isolate for 14 days at a registered address or risk being fined up to £1,000 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Spain’s tourism minister Reyes Maroto said on Monday that she was optimistic that the UK Government would lift its quarantine measures for the islands.

But a British Government source said that while regular reviews take place, there were no current plans to change the rules for travellers from Spain.