This is to prevent a second wave of coronavirus infections. “We all want to get back to normal as quickly as possible. But that cannot be at the cost of human life, ”Interior Minister Priti Patel said on Monday. The measure applies to travelers using planes, trains or ferries.
The new regulations have met with fierce criticism from companies in the travel industry. Airlines in particular are going on the barricades. Even in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's conservative government party, there is considerable displeasure with the arrangement. A government spokesman confirmed that there are considerations to remove the quarantine requirement for individual travel destinations.
Exceptions to quarantine in the UK
Entrants now have to leave their address and contact details at the border. Anyone who does not adhere to the 14-day obligation to self-isolation must face a heavy fine. The quarantine requirement applies to all immigrants regardless of their citizenship. Only a few professional groups such as truck drivers, medical staff and harvest workers as well as travelers from Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands are excluded.
The 14-day self-isolation was “hasty and not feasible,” criticized the Quash Quarantine campaign. According to their own statements, 500 travel companies belong to it. "There are more holes in this impractical, poorly thought-out and economically harmful government policy than in a sieve," the Telegraph quoted the campaign's deputy head, Paul Charles. Airlines such as British Airways had also complained about the regulation. As a result, they fear further losses.
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Johnson is looking for loopholes
According to media reports, Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to use airlifts to bypass the quarantine measures for many air travelers. Accordingly, passengers do not have to self-isolate when entering the country if they come from a country with a low risk of infection. Johnson believes that this is the best strategy to keep the virus at bay while allowing travel again. According to reports, the scheme may be introduced in July.
The government in London has been heavily criticized for months about dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. She is accused of reacting too late and incorrectly to the pandemic. No other country in Europe has had as many deaths as the UK. So far, more than 40,000 people have died there after being tested positive for the coronavirus. Experts assume that the number of unreported cases is high.