The UK government has announced further action for outbound and inbound passengers to minimise travel across international borders and reduce the risk of Covid-19 transmission – but Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says the measures just don’t go far enough.
While the focus is on protecting the UK’s world-leading vaccination programme, this action will reduce the risk of a new variant of the virus being transmitted from someone coming into the UK.
The measures announced today include:
For those wishing to travel out of the UK
- Declaring reason for travel: anyone who does not have a valid reason for travel will be directed to return home and may face a fine. The reason for travel will be checked.
- Increased police enforcement: there will be an increased police presence at ports and airports, fining those in breach of the stay at home regulations. Anyone without valid reason for travel will be directed to return home and may face a fine.
- Reviewing travel exemptions: the list of travel exemptions will be urgently reviewed so that only the most important and exceptional reasons are included.
For those seeking to enter the UK
- Managed isolation in hotels: this will be for those arriving from countries where we have imposed international travel bans and who cannot be refused entry. They will be required to isolate for ten days without exception and more details will be provided in due course.
- Police checks: police are carrying out more physical checks at addresses to make sure people are self-isolating.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “There are still too many people coming in and out of our country each day. The rules are clear – people should be staying at home unless they have a valid reason to leave. Going on holiday is not a valid reason.
“As we have done throughout this global health emergency, we will continue to take all steps necessary to protect the public and help prevent the spread of the virus.”
These new measures are on top of the restrictions already in place, all of which help reduce the risk of importing a new variant.
- Refusing entry: we will continue to refuse entry to non-UK residents from red list countries which are already subject to a UK travel ban.
- Entering the UK: passengers arriving in the UK need to provide evidence of a negative pre-departure Covid test. There is also the requirement for people arriving from abroad to self-isolate on arrival, and the requirement to complete a passenger locator form, with fines for those who fail to comply.
- Detecting new variants: we will help other countries to access to the UK’s world-leading gene sequencing capabilities to help with early identification of any new and dangerous variants of the virus.
All measures will be kept under review and further action will be taken to protect the public if needed.
Pre-empting the Westminster announcement, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told yesterday’s media briefing that she feared the UK Government’s plans don’t go far enough and that Scotland may introduce tougher measures.
Miss Sturgeon said: “Now, the second point I want to cover today relates to travel, since there is a lot of speculation about a UK Government that will be made later on this today. So I want to reiterate some of the points the Deputy First Minister made to parliament yesterday that some of you may have heard.
“Travel restrictions will be very vitally important in the coming months. Travel restrictions will be a key way in which we help to stop new cases and in particular, new variants of this virus being imported into Scotland.
“As we found out to our cost over the summer, the virus travels when people travel – and there will be a need for restrictions even after vaccination is much more widespread.
“And indeed at a time when there is rightly a focus on lessons learned, that we should be learning from earlier stages of the pandemic, this is one that I would highlight that we should have perhaps done more of at an earlier stage to restrict travel across our borders.
“We have been in discussions with the UK Government for some time about improving border controls. In those discussions, we have raise the issue of Quarantine Hotels, where people who are returning to the UK can self-isolate.
“The Scottish Government believes that a comprehensive system of supervised quarantine is required for this next stage of the pandemic, to mitigate against the risk of new cases and new variants being imported into the country.
“I’ve just taken part in a 4 Nations call and I’ve been briefed on what the Prime Minister is likely to announce later on. I’m not going to preempt his announcement. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to do so but clearly there is speculation in newspapers.
“But I think I do have a duty at this point to say that I am concerned that the proposal does not go far enough and I’ve made that point very strongly in the 4 Nations discussions that we’ve just had today.
“So while the Scottish Government will initially emulate the UK Government’s steps on enhancing quarantine arrangements, we will be seeking urgently to persuade them to go much further and indeed to move to a comprehensive system of supervised quarantine.
“Given the obvious practical issues involved, we are very clear that our preference is to have consistent quarantine rules across the UK. But if there is no agreement to go further on a 4 Nations basis, we will be considering going further ourselves and we will set out any such additional measures next week.
“I know that talk of travel restrictions is tough to hear, for everybody, but particularly tough for many businesses and so we’re also asking the UK Government to work with us to provide additional support for the aviation sector, which is of course directly affected by further restrictions.
“Fundamentally, though, we believe that tougher travel restrictions – however unwelcome they are for all of us – are essential to managing the risk posed by new variants, and to new cases coming into Scotland.
“And, as I said, I think that they will become increasingly important, as case levels in Scotland, we hope, continue to fall and that makes it all the more important that we do everything that we can to protect against the risks of reimportation.
“As I said, we are likely to set out further steps next week but for now, let me reiterate that no one should be travelling overseas right now unless for absolutely essential purposes.“
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