British Airways owner chief Willie Walsh warns against two-week quarantine

Airlines and tour operators have reacted furiously to government plans to force all travelers to the UK to remain in quarantine for fifteen days, including British citizens returning from vacation.

The move, first revealed last month by The Mail on Sunday, aims to prevent a second spike in the Covid-19 virus from sweeping the country later this year.

But companies have described it as an effective ‘ban’ on holidays abroad because most people would not be prepared to pay the price of having to isolate themselves for 14 days after each trip abroad.

The measures, expected to be introduced early next month, will require travelers to provide an address where they will stay for the two weeks. Violators caught through random checks would be fined up to £ 1,000 or deported, under the powers introduced by the Coronavirus Act.

Emergency legislation gives immigration officials the power to move a potentially infectious person to a suitable location for detection and evaluation, and for public health officials to impose restrictions on movement.

The new measures would be backed by a global communication campaign to warn travelers what to expect if they come to the UK. Other countries, such as Singapore, introduced similar provisions much earlier in their battle against the virus. The airlines will hold a call with ministers to discuss the proposals later today.

Willie Walsh, CEO of International Airlines Group, the parent company of British Airways, said it would not restart flights if the UK imposed a quarantine. He said, “If there is a 14-day quarantine, I wouldn’t expect us to fly in that situation, or very little.”

He added that he could not see “an environment in which people want to fly to the UK if they are forced to quarantine for 14 days.”

A Gatwick airport spokesperson described the plan as “a massive blow to the aviation industry” that “will have a devastating impact on our ability to maintain vital connections, for commerce and, in general, for tourism.”

The spokesperson added: “ To avoid the catastrophic impact of further job losses, we urge the Government, and in particular the Treasury, to act decisively by providing counterbalanced measures to provide special relief to Gatwick and other airports in the United Kingdom.

“In particular, we ask the government for a clear and time-bound quarantine exit strategy that is reviewed weekly. This proposal runs the risk of decimating air travel.

ABTA, the agency representing travel agencies, said “any new measure must be provided, led by the best possible scientific and medical advice, and able to adapt quickly to accommodate any changes in this advice.”

Karen Dee, executive director of the Association of Airport Operators, said: “If the government believes quarantine is medically necessary, then it must be applied selectively following science, there must be a clear exit strategy and the economic impact on the Key sectors must be mitigated.

Airlines UK, the trade body representing UK airlines, said: ‘This proposal would effectively kill international travel to and from the UK and cause immeasurable harm to the aviation industry and the UK economy in general. No one will go on vacation if they cannot resume normal life for 14 days. ‘

Former ABTA director and founder of Vivid Travel Kane Pirie said: ‘Fourteen days of isolation will be another hammer blow for incoming and outgoing tourism.

‘Confidence will be key to 2021 bookings and that is why travel companies should adequately repay now. There are no excuses. Consumers will vividly remember how their travel company has treated them during this coronavirus crisis. ‘

Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps last night seemed to justify the new expected quarantine rule by stating that it would be unfair to expect the British people to stay home without requiring those entering the country to isolate themselves.

He said: “ Considering the sacrifice the British people have made these past seven weeks and counting, we cannot have a situation where everyone else is asked to stay home, but others may enter the country .

“It is also worth noting that the numbers entering the country are very, very small.”

At the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing, Shapps also rejected claims that the government was risking sending conflicting messages by loosening the rules to allow garden centers to open, but tightening restrictions at the borders.

Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam insisted that the message was “fairly consistent,” suggesting that the government was taking a “more filtered form” rather than a “blunderbuss approach.”

A 14-day arrival quarantine has already been implemented in dozens of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Greece.

Japan and Hong Kong introduced Covid-19 tests for all newcomers in mid-January, with positive tests immediately brought to the hospital, and negative results in isolation. More than 130 countries have introduced some form of travel restriction, quarantine, and travel bans from high-risk areas.

Since January, officials in China and other countries in the Far East and Middle East have been using infrared cameras to detect travelers in high temperatures. Those that appear red on the screen are selected for consultation by health professionals and, in some cases, examined to detect the disease.

Truck drivers bringing vital supplies to the UK could be exempt from the crackdown.

MEP Yvette Cooper, Labor Chair of the Select Committee on Home Affairs, said: ‘Many other countries, including South Korea, Italy and Australia, introduced similar measures many weeks and months ago, making it appear that the government is catching up. at the borders. ‘

Airline bosses have criticized Boris Johnson’s plans to quarantine UK arrivals for two weeks, warning that it could “kill” the industry entirely.

Travelers must complete a digital form with the address of where they will be quarantined. This will be verified at Eurostar airports, ports and stations, although it is not yet clear which agency will provide staff to do this or in which database the forms will be stored.

The scheme will be implemented through spot checks on addresses, but ministers have not said whether this will involve the police, the Border Force or the NHS.

The ISU union, which represents border, immigration and customs personnel, asked for clarity on the policy, and its professional officer Lucy Moreton warned that there was no way for electronic passport doors to register people’s addresses, so they would have than other people do. means, medium.

Piers Morgan tweeted, “ So we are doing this now, three months after @WHO declared COVID-19 a global health emergency … after we let hundreds of thousands of crown-devastated countries fly without controls. … And after more than 55,000 people have already died in the UK? What a sick joke.

Meanwhile, the travel industry reacted in horror to the news, with the head of a company warning it could “kill him entirely.” Industrial group Airlines UK said the deal, reported by The Times, “would effectively end international travel to and from the United Kingdom” and cause “immeasurable damage” to the aviation industry and the economy as a whole.

Executive Director of the Association of Airport Operators Karen Dee said the move would have a “devastating impact” on the aviation industry and the economy as a whole. Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy said she had been asking the government to quarantine travelers “for weeks,” while the Cornwall airport chief criticized the move as “too late.”

Speaking at yesterday’s coronavirus press conference, Transportation Secretary Grant Shapps said the government is having “tailored talks” with sectors of the airline industry in a bid to keep them afloat.

He said: ‘If you think about the sectors that have been affected, obviously, leisure, entertainment, that sort of thing, and aviation will be up to them.

“It is a short-term problem, people are not flying now, and a long-term recovery problem for them.”

‘Then it is worth remembering that the Chancellor has made some very, very important packages available. Not only the staff leave, but also the loans that have been made available.

“But in addition to that, the chancellor and I have approached the entire aviation sector and we have said, see if those things do not work, if that does not fit the bill of this sector, because we recognize what is happening, you can get in custom conversations and that’s happening in several different aviation cases. “

The news will have a great impact on international companies and figures in the entertainment world, who face having to choose whether to locate in their country or abroad.

The tourism industry is also expected to be affected by the ban, as the British avoid popular holiday destinations, such as Dubai or Spain, in favor of local stays for their summer holidays.

The president of the Benidorm and Costa Blanca hotel association, Hosbec Toni Mayor, said: ‘If it is true that all travelers entering Britain would have to isolate themselves for 14 days, as reports suggest, it will be a severe blow to UK aviation and tourism.

“I don’t see international flights resuming until July at the earliest. But if quarantine was introduced and was still in effect in July and August, I think we can bid farewell to any hope we have that British tourists will return to the Costa Blanca this summer.

‘No one would want to fly, I’m sure of that. No one would want to vacation in Spain or Greece or in any other way.

“For places like Benidorm that rely heavily on UK tourists, it would be a disaster.”

A head of a hotel chain who did not want to be named told MailOnline: ‘I think from a UK perspective, the industry as a whole has been hit by Covid-19 and they will be the last to return to normal.

‘With that in mind, the fact is that domestic travel will return first. People should go on vacation.

‘It will take nine to 12 months for international travel to return to normal.

‘Destinations like Dubai will be hit [by the mandatory quarantine]. It would be negligent not to think that your business would be losing 30 to 40 percent capacity. Not all the facilities of the complex will be available.

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The government had previously resisted a 14-day quarantine for returning travelers, such as the one introduced by the US. Because he wanted to keep the borders open so that the British could return to their homes.

The government’s chief scientific adviser, Patrick Vallance, has since admitted that the UK has imported people with coronaviruses “from everywhere.”

The prime minister will reveal the movement in a speech to the nation on Sunday. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry said yesterday: “We do not comment on leaks.” The goal remains to stay home to protect the NHS and save lives. ”

Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy told BBC Breakfast: ‘It is something that we have been asking ministers to clarify for weeks.

On Thursday I raised it with the minister for the fifth time because it caused real confusion. Right now we have many Britons who are still stranded abroad.

‘People have been brought back in relatively large numbers and many of them tell us that they have no information or advice on what they should do when they get home.

‘They travel from the airport on public transport, return with their families and are concerned about putting their families and other members of the public at risk, and some of them come from parts of the country where we are seeing an increase in infection rates, so who are really concerned about that, the general public is really concerned about that, and for weeks we have received mixed messages from the government. ”

The aviation industry is asking the government to reveal details of the proposal amid concerns that the measures could have serious repercussions for the travel and tourism sectors.

Executive Director of the Association of Airport Operators Karen Dee said the plan would have a “devastating impact” on the aviation industry and the economy as a whole.

“If quarantine is a necessary tool to fight Covid-19, then the government should act decisively to protect the hundreds of thousands of airport and travel related jobs across the UK,” he added.

Airlines UK asked the government to detail a “credible exit plan,” with a support package that may include an extension of the job retention scheme and tax breaks.

“We need to see the details of what they are proposing,” added a statement.

Paul Goldstein, co-owner of the Kicheche Safari Camp in Kenya, told the Independent: “ The travel industry has been badly injured by the coronavirus, and now the government seems determined to kill it entirely.

“Even if the measures are lifted after a week or two, it will have done incredible damage.”

Meanwhile, the ISU union, which represents border, immigration and customs personnel, asked for clarity on the plans, and its professional officer Lucy Moreton warned that there was no way for electronic passport doors to record people’s addresses.

Tim Jeans, president of Cornwall Airport Newquay, criticized the government’s handling of the borders and told BBC Radio 4’s Today program: “Possibly it was inevitable, but saying it was too late would be an understatement.”

He said “questioning the management and planning of this is going to be at the forefront today.”

“Now it seems that even though we have potentially exceeded the peak, we are going to close our borders and all the plans that airlines and airports had to start restarting operations are now in the garbage and will have to return to the starting point” , ‘he continued.

“At the moment we have no official confirmation of this new measure, but it appears that it will delay the reopening of the airport.”

“That is the end when it comes to this summer and this will only add to the difficulties business and tourism generally face in the county, and I am sure in other parts of the country.”

Allie Renison, director of Europe and Trade Policy at the Directors Institute, said: ‘Limiting the further spread of the virus is crucial, but given the seriousness of this step for both businesses and consumers, it is important for the government to explain the reasoning. behind any change in policy

‘There are many new questions that need to be answered about implementation and duration, so it is essential that these decisions involve the industry every step of the way.

“Other affected countries are beginning to look ahead to strategies for tourism and trade in the short and medium term, and we hope that the UK will soon be among them.”

Other moves to curb the spread of the infection include requiring companies to order employees to put on facial covers at work. Buyers and passengers on public transportation may also be asked to cover their faces, but it is not expected to be mandatory. Clinical masks would be reserved for doctors.

Plans to allow students to return to school as early as June 1 are now in doubt after unions representing teachers and staff insisted they would refuse to work unless there was an effective “test and trace”. Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford also said he did not plan to reopen the schools as he urged the four nations of the UK to “move forward together”.

It occurred when a leading epidemiologist suggested that the government data was meaningless and that two-thirds of the cases were undiagnosed. Tim Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London, said officials’ refusal to consider common symptoms was to blame.

La Oficina del Gabinete ha pagado las medidas para hacer los revestimientos, que serán ‘no quirúrgicos’ para proteger el suministro de estos para el NHS, informó The Telegraph.

Un ministro del gabinete dijo: “Hay una teoría de que usar máscaras podría hacer que las personas estén menos vigilantes, pero se trata de darles confianza para volver al trabajo”. Si hace que las personas se sientan más seguras utilizando el transporte público, entonces es algo bueno, por lo que nos estamos inclinando hacia él ”.

Para las limpiadoras y niñeras, el bloqueo ya se ha aliviado, de acuerdo con la guía publicada esta semana que establece que las empleadas domésticas pueden ‘continuar trabajando’ en los hogares de las personas siempre que no presenten síntomas.

Se cree que Johnson abandonó el eslogan de “quedarse en casa” durante su discurso televisado el fin de semana, aunque No10 ha estado minimizando frenéticamente la escala de los cambios.

El Secretario de Transporte Grant Shapps está listo para instar a las personas a caminar o ir en bicicleta al trabajo cuando se alivie el cierre, en medio del temor de que las carreteras se bloqueen o que los pasajeros se vean obligados a utilizar el transporte público sobrepoblado.

Se espera que los centros de jardinería sean uno de los negocios que podrán abrir la próxima semana.

Pueden permitir que los clientes vuelvan a visitar a partir del miércoles, siempre que se apliquen medidas de distanciamiento e higiene social. También se instará a los limpiadores y comerciantes como los fontaneros a volver al trabajo.

El gobierno galés anunció ayer que los centros de jardinería en Gales podrán reabrir a partir del lunes.

Sin embargo, el primer ministro escocés Nicola Sturgeon no dio indicios de que la prohibición en Escocia se alivie. Su intransigencia en el tema es evidencia de que el frente único del gobierno se está desmoronando.

Sturgeon no llegó a anunciar ningún aflojamiento en su reunión informativa en Edimburgo el viernes, diciendo que la “única cosa” que están viendo es permitir más ejercicio al aire libre.

También apuntó al Sr. Johnson por abandonar el mantra de “quedarse en casa”, diciendo que ese era su “mensaje principal” y que lo mantendría “para el futuro inmediato”. Debes quedarte en casa. Por favor, quédese en casa ”, dijo.

Los ministros finalizarán un ‘mapa de ruta’ de 40 páginas que establecerá un plan de salida del cierre antes de su declaración.

Esto incluirá poner fin a la restricción de ejercicio diario al aire libre y levantar la prohibición de tomar el sol en los parques, siempre que las personas se mantengan a una distancia segura entre sí. Los operadores de centros de jardinería han advertido que se enfrentarán a la ruina si no pueden cambiar sus existencias.

También se espera que el Primer Ministro aliente a los sectores no directamente afectados por el bloqueo a reanudar las operaciones. Esto incluirá empresas de construcción y aquellas que trabajan en hogares de otras personas, como limpiadores, plomeros y moradores.

Recibirán nuevos consejos para operar de manera segura, incluyendo mantener las puertas internas abiertas y mantenerse a dos metros de los propietarios. También deberán aceptar pagos electrónicos en lugar de efectivo.

Ministers are in discussion with rail firms about increasing services from May 18 as people return to work.  But office workers will be told to continue working from home indefinitely.

And the Prime Minister is not expected to make any immediate change to the bans on social gatherings or the closure of pubs, shops and restaurants.

Speaking at the Downing Street press conference, Environment Secretary George Eustice said: ‘There isn’t going to be any dramatic overnight change. We’ve to be very cautious, we are not out of the woods yet.’

Ministers are also considering increasing fines for people who break the rules and introducing a 14-day quarantine for those arriving from abroad.

The PM wants to continue with a UK-wide approach. But yesterday there were signs this was beginning to fracture.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is hoping to get primary schoolchildren back to school after half-term at the end of this month, although he is yet to set a firm date.

However, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said schools in Wales would not go back at the start of June and Ms Sturgeon said her government was only easing the once-a-day exercise rule.

Mr Drakeford told BBC Radio 4: ‘We’re not convinced at this point that reopening schools in any significant way would be the right thing to do.

‘We continue to work with our teaching unions and local authorities to identify that right moment.

‘Schools in Wales are open now for children of key workers and vulnerable children and we are seeing more children attending our schools in those categories.

‘Schools will remain open over the next three weeks for those young people but we are not going to be reopening schools over the next few weeks, or in June.’

Meanwhile, the Johnson government came within a whisker of its 100,000-a-day virus testing target for the first time this week, conducting 97,029 on Thursday.

Progress has been held back by ‘technical difficulties’ at one of the major testing laboratories.

Mr Johnson has set a target to increase capacity to 200,000 tests a day by the end of this month.

Presently the ‘R number’ – the rate at which the virus is spreading – is between 0.5 and 0.9 across Britain, according to the government. That would indicate the disease is currently under control.

In the community it is said to be considerable lower, perhaps as little as 0.2, meaning it is disappearing quickly.

But there are fears that in care homes that number is above 1, meaning the outbreak there is still growing exponentially, with each infected person in turn passing it on to more than one other.

An expert advising the Scottish government dismissed the prospect of restrictions on outdoor activities being eased.  Professor Devi Sridhar said although there was evidence transmission was less likely outside: ‘I think we need to have actual confirmation of that through multiple studies before easing measures.’

But with the Bank of England warning that the restrictions have sparked the deepest recession for 300 years, some Tory MPs are urging Mr Johnson to act swiftly to prevent an economic depression.