Code red for airport terminal

HEATHROW Airport has opened Terminal 3 as a Covid ‘Red List Terminal’ for arrivals from Red List countries.

The list is made up of countries people cannot travel to and from, unless there are essential reasons, because they have high rates of Covid variants.

Current government guidance means if people are travelling from a country on England’s Red List, they must enter a government-managed hotel facility to quarantine at Heathrow and complete three Covid tests.

People are currently able to travel to 12 countries and territories on England’s Green List without the need to quarantine when returning so concerns have been raised on social media about the need to separate passengers returning from safer countries on the Green List and more dangerous countries on the Red List.

Responding to images of crowds at Heathrow arrivals, Lord Bethell, from Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s team, told the House of Lords: “I also saw the images circulating last week of queues at Heathrow Airport and I agree that we do not want to see a repeat of those kinds of scenes. We have taken the necessary steps to ensure safe travel and minimise the circulation of mixed passengers within the terminals.”

Heathrow made the decision to use Terminal 3 in conjunction with the Home Office claiming as well as public health benefits, the separation of passengers will reduce queuing times.

Many of the UK’s other airports only have one terminal for arrivals so cannot ensure there is separation. Most flights from Red List countries go to Heathrow specifically because it has a terminal which can handle the arrivals.