Quarantine will kill us
» Travel firms warn 14-day rule will destroy industry
BORIS Johnson faces growing pressure from airlines, holiday firms and his own backbenchers to scrap plans to quarantine people arriving in the UK.
New arrivals will have to isolate for 14 days, starting from Monday.
But airlines, travel and hospitality firms warn that the plans are “unworkable” and could devastate the industry.
A letter signed by more than 200 travel firms urges Home Secretary
Priti Patel to think again.
It warns: “The very last thing the travel industry needs is a mandatory quarantine imposed on all arriving passengers, which will deter foreign visitors from coming here, deter UK visitors from travelling abroad and, most likely, cause other countries to impose reciprocal quarantine requirements on British visitors, as France has already announced”.
Airlines are urging ministers to make 45 countries exempt, creating quarantine-free “air bridges” that enable people to travel between nations where the Covid-19 risk is low. The letter was originally written by George Morgan-Grenville, chief executive of tour operator Red Savannah.
It has since been endorsed by more than 200 firms and business leaders, including hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, as well as The Ritz, Connaught and Mandarin Oriental hotel groups, and travel agency
Kuoni. Mr Morgan-Grenville said: “This is not just a group of company bosses complaining but employees from bottom to top calling for the quarantine plans to be quashed. The extent of their pain is deeply worrying for our economy and our country.” But No10 insisted the quarantine will avoid “importing” Covid-19 cases.
But the PM’s spokesman said the Government is considering air