Scots families could miss summer getaway under new rules
FAMILIES may not get the chance to book a summer holiday abroad this year as quarantine rules are likely to remain until the Scottish school break begins.
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock ruled out any earlier reconsideration of the 14 day isolation rule for people coming in to the UK, with June 29 the earliest it could be reconsidered – two days before Scottish summer holidays start.
While this could potentially allow English families the chance to get away for summer sun, Scottish families whose summer holidays start earlier, are likely to miss out on booking a break unless they do so without knowing if quarantine restrictions will remain.
As English school holidays start three weeks later than the Scottish ones, it would give people south of the border more chance of going abroad as lockdown restrictions and quarantine rules are more likely to have been further relaxed later in the year.
Mr Hancock said the quaratine decision was “a decision that we took consistent with scientific advice. And we’re therefore implementing the policy at what we judged to be the right time in the spread of the pandemic.”
He added: “For those who aren’t able to go abroad for a holiday, I know the impact that will have this summer.
“I understand that. And I just hope that we will be able to get to a position where people will be able to go on holiday, including domestically, safely, carefully and a Covid-secure way. So, that’s the approach that we’re taking on the quarantine policy.”
During the Downing Street press conference, Mr Hancock said the virus was “in retreat” and it could mean that further easing of lockdown restrictions could be forthcoming.
He said the figures on deaths, recorded positive tests and an almost 50% fall in the number of new care home outbreaks were “good news”.
Mr Hancock added: “When you look across the board, it is clear that coronavirus is in retreat across the country. But we must be vigilant and we must be cautious, and we are taking a safety first approach.
The new quarantine policy came into effect yesterday, and will see people having to isolate themselves at one location for two weeks when they arrive in the UK.
Some professions are exempt, including medics and freight workers.
The move is being challenged by the aviation industry, with leaders saying it will further destroy their business.
Mark Tanzer, chief executive of travel trade organisation Abta, called on ministers to outline a “coordinated plan” for encouraging people to travel to and from the UK.
He said: “We must restart international travel as soon as it is safe to do so, and businesses and customers would benefit from the Government outlining when this is likely to happen.
Yesterday Ryanair boss Michael O’leary said the policy would cost millions of tourism jobs, adding that his airline was suffering a “collapse of inward bookings” for summer flights to the UK.
He also said that the legal challenge he is airline has mounted against the Government, along with Easyjet and British Airways, could be heard as early as this week.
He said: “We would hope to have it heard before the end of this week but we are at the mercy of the courts with this.
“I think the courts will hear it quickly because it is an injunctive-type measure.
“We don’t see how the Home Office will be able to put up any defence whatsoever. There is no way that they can argue in court that this is an effective quarantine or that this has any scientific basis at all.
“It is an irrational measure that does untold economic damage to British tourism, to millions of jobs in British tourism.”
Despite a decrease in bookings for flights coming to the UK, the Ryanair boss said there had been a surge in bookings from the UK.
Johan Lundgren, Easyjet boss, said there was a strong case against the Government and the policy had been “rushed”.
He said: “We think that there’s enough evidence and there’s a strong case here that this should be challenged.”