Air bridges under discussion

The Scottish Government is still considering whether to scrap the 14-day quarantine requirement on international travellers arriving in the UK, leaving foreign holidays in limbo north of the border.

Talks were held yesterday between Scottish transport secretary Humza Yousaf and his UK counterpart Grant Shapps about plans for “air bridges” that remove the need for quarantine between the UK and destinations like Spain, France, Italy and Greece.

However, Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Government was “still considering our response and our own proposals”.

“This is an issue we have tried very hard to work on with the UK Government and the other devolved administration and we do of course see the benefits of adopting a consistent approach across all parts of the UK,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“However, we also know that quarantine measures, albeit on a more targeted basis in future, may become more important in Scotland than less as our infection rates fall, since then the relative impact of cases from outside Scotland potentially becomes greater. The prospect of cases coming in from elsewhere poses a risk not just to health but also our economy.”

Mr Shapps issued a written parliamentary statement last night, confirming he will publish a list of countries categorised under a “traffic light” system this week, based on the spread of the virus.

Despite reports suggesting Greece will get a green rating, yesterday that Greek government extended restrictions on direct flights from the UK for another two weeks, effectively banning them until 15 July. The UK and Sweden are the only countries in Europe still facing restrictions.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese government has responded with anger to reports that arrivals from Portugal may still face quarantine.