UK ditches quarantine for arrivals from low COVID-19 risk countries

 

FILE PHOTO: Passengers arrive at Heathrow Airport, as Britain launches its 14-day quarantine for international arrivals, following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), London, Britain, June 8, 2020. REUTERS/Toby Melville

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will ditch a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving from countries it deems to be lower risk for COVID-19 , the government said on Friday.

 

Official travel advice against all but essential travel outside Britain will also be eased for some countries and regions.

Taken together, these changes will make it easier for Britons to travel abroad for summer holidays.

 

The relaxations are the latest taken by the government to unwind emergency measures put in place to stop the spread of COVID-19, as ministers look to limit the economic damage caused by the virus.

 

An expert panel will put nations into three categories: green, amber and red. Passengers arriving from green and amber countries will no longer have to quarantine themselves for 14 days after their arrival.

 

"Our new risk-assessment system will enable us to carefully open a number of safe travel routes around the world," a government spokeswoman said. "But we will not hesitate to put on the brakes if any risks re-emerge."

 

The rules for red-category countries will not change.

 

The quarantine policy, introduced on June 8, has been heavily criticised by airlines, airports and the hospitality sector who say it deters international travel at a time when they had been hoping for it to recover.

 

The categories are due to be announced next week, with the rule changes expected to come into effect the week after. They will be based on factors including prevalence of COVID-19, the trajectory of the disease and the reliability of data.

Britain said it is likely to discuss this with countries including France, Greece and Spain.

 

The Foreign Office will next week announce those countries where it considers the public health risk is no longer unacceptably high.

 

(Reporting by William James; editing by Stephen Addison)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-27

 

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So looks like we may get out soon to UK. But we we get back again? 

I wonder what color the UK would assign to itself.

5 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

I wonder what color the UK would assign to itself.

The rainbow baby, share the love.....

It looks like things are getting better there:

 

 

https://covid19.who.int/region/euro/country/gb

 

Might be best to give the Americans a Deep Red designation the way they are going.

34 minutes ago, pegman said:

Might be best to give the Americans a Deep Red designation the way they are going.

Yup. US completely botched the response.

If you arrive by rubber dinghy across the English Channel, there has never been any quarantine. 

11 minutes ago, sukhumvitneon said:

Yup. US completely botched the response.

Botched it twice. Whereas the UK only once. At least so far. Let's see how the reopening goes.

1 hour ago, twocatsmac said:

If you arrive by rubber dinghy across the English Channel, there has never been any quarantine. 

Not true. Quarantine regulations, as they were, applied to all subject to them no matter how you arrived. 
 

Show me a link that excepted dinghies. 
 

Unless of course, you were making an off topic comment promoting false claims on immigration...

 

 

Edited June 27, 20206 yr by Bluespunk

5 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

Not true. Quarantine regulations, as they were, applied to all subject to them no matter how you arrived. 
 

Show me a link that excepted dinghies. 
 

Unless of course, you were making yet another off topic comment on your false claims on immigration...

 

 

Problem is the borders never closed and the quarantine regulations were introduced far too late

26 minutes ago, twocatsmac said:

I wouldn’t normally reply to your comments, I’ve never considered them worthy of a reply but here we go.

 

Pay special attention to the words “not routinely testing new arrivals”

 

V

Ooh, such an insult to start, I’m so hurt...

 

That picture, not link I notice, does not say they were not subject to quarantine regulations.

 

I won’t pay special attention to not testing new arrivals as that was not what your original claim was.
 

And that picture says the government was not testing new arrivals, it does not mention if this testing policy applied to any set group, whether they were migrants, citizens or travellers.

 

Neither does that picture refer to dinghies in any way...

Edited June 27, 20206 yr by Bluespunk
Grammar

2 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Ooh, such an insult to start, I’m so hurt...

 

That picture, not link I notice, does not say they were not subject to quarantine regulations.

 

I won’t pay special attention to not testing new arrivals as that was not what your original claim was.
 

And that picture says the government was not testing new arrivals, it does not mention if this testing policy applied to any set group, whether they were migrants, citizens or travellers.

 

Neither does that picture refer to dinghies in any way...

How dare you Sir! The Sun newspaper is a highly respected organ commended for its accuracy in reporting. Full details on Page 3 of each issue.

 

Just the government backtracking as they know the quarantine regulations they were promoting are unenforceable. 

 

It makes far more sense but with the UK being the worst country for restricting travel in the first place, any attempt to catch up is too little, too late.

2 minutes ago, nickmondo said:

so even in the worse hit countries, the amount of deaths as a percentage is absolutely tiny!

Well maybe. If these stats are derived from mostly hospital deaths then the unknown or unacknowledged body count in some countries could show a very different picture.

 

Europe is largely the same all over, sure there are small differences between each countries reporting methods but each country has been through a big pandemic event and they're now emerging on the other side of the worst of it.

 

I think the advanced health systems in many countries keeps people alive longer which provides COVID with its victims. The better the health system, the more will die.

 

Unless it 'comes back' in significant numbers there's no real reason to prohibit travel at all.

 

The US, Brazil and others are still relatively early on in this process compared to all the European countries and for them too it will pass, however as they're such large countries both in land mass and population I would expect it to take longer.

7 minutes ago, ukrules said:

Europe is largely the same all over, sure there are small differences between each countries reporting methods but each country has been through a big pandemic event and they're now emerging on the other side of the worst of it.

 

I think the advanced health systems in many countries keeps people alive longer which provides COVID with its victims. The better the health system, the more will die.

 

Unless it 'comes back' in significant numbers there's no real reason to prohibit travel at all.

 

The US, Brazil and others are still relatively early on in this process compared to all the European countries and for them too it will pass, however as they're such large countries both in land mass and population I would expect it to take longer.

It was already way down in the US. And then lots of states, primarily republican ones. ended the lockdowns and social distancing provisions early. It came roaring back.

Well done England bravely leading the way........open for business

 

And I note above there are still desperate people, though not desperate enough to stop in wonderful EU states, making their way to live in good old England

 

All good keep moving forward

10 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

It was already way down in the US. And then lots of states, primarily republican ones. ended the lockdowns and social distancing provisions early. It came roaring back.

Cheer up a bit, might as well try to enjoy your remaining days however few you appear to think there may be!!!

 

Meanwhile let the the young get the economy moving, and, keep contributing to the old age pension funds ????

looks like the 2nd wave they all predicted will be along soon and cruises are  being promoted once again with BOGOF being offered !

5 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Not true. Quarantine regulations, as they were, applied to all subject to them no matter how you arrived. 
 

Show me a link that excepted dinghies. 
 

Unless of course, you were making an off topic comment promoting false claims on immigration...

 

 

Depends where they land.

The UK still having over 1000 new covid 19 cases daily and 200 deaths . Social distancing and gatherings rules being ignored .  This is not a recipe to beat the virus , in fact probably the opposite if the virus is still there in the autumn . I watched a top medical scientist who said that there is doubt concerning immunity from the virus as the bodies immune system appears to taper off to zero after 3 months . He was concerned that a second wave was imminent . The world is panicking as countries economies collapse and industries struggle to recover . A long term vaccine protection seems to be the best hope but with international travel opening up there is bound to be an increase in the virus cases .

BTW why is it that Thailand is not on the safe list to visit the UK ?

2 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Stop fear-mongering. The overwhelming majority of people who are infected have mild or no symptoms and their chances of dying unless they are above pensionable are miniscule.

Because it isn't just the people with Covid who are at risk. Once ICU beds are full it's not just sufferers from covid who will be getting substandard care. Not to mention being cared for by exhausted medical personnel. There's a magnifying mortality effect during a pandemic.

Can someone please tell Boris that the virus does not differentiate between races or countries & the virus is colour blind,

Good strong 2nd wave assured in the UK in...........3 weeks ?

5 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

Because it isn't just the people with Covid who are at risk. Once ICU beds are full it's not just sufferers from covid who will be getting substandard care. Not to mention being cared for by exhausted medical personnel. There's a magnifying mortality effect during a pandemic.

Mortality was "magnified" in the UK all right - by the failure to protect the vulnerable elderly in care homes and ensure the chronically sick under house arrest for months could access the treatment they needed. 

 

Hospitals were never stretched, as the viral videos of nurses and orderlies doing the conga around deserted corridors and wards demonstrated all too clearly.  Maybe those high jinks account for your reference to "exhausted medical personnel"!

 

 

 

 

24 minutes ago, superal said:

 

BTW why is it that Thailand is not on the safe list to visit the UK ?

What list, if you read the op ,the list will not be announced  until next week.

1 hour ago, johnpetersen said:

It was already way down in the US. And then lots of states, primarily republican ones. ended the lockdowns and social distancing provisions early. It came roaring back.

and it will in the UK also, the pubs are opening and then the rules are basically out the window...

59 minutes ago, Krataiboy said:

Depends where they land.

Nonsense.

 

They are subject to the same regulations as everyone else.

7 hours ago, twocatsmac said:

If you arrive by rubber dinghy across the English Channel, there has never been any quarantine. 

Neither if you turn up dead in a 'reefer' truck.

4 hours ago, PETERTHEEATER said:

How dare you Sir! The Sun newspaper is a highly respected organ commended for its accuracy in reporting. Full details on Page 3 of each issue.

 

On the BBC Radio program 'Desert Island Discs' where in addition to music, the guest is asked to list three things essential if they were a castaway on a deserted island, the comedian (the late) Tommy Cooper asked for, "A copy of the Sun, a newspaper and something to read."