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England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have split to adopt three different policies on quarantine travelers from Portugal and other parts of the world.
The move has left some travelers shortening vacations and paying “exorbitant” airfares to get the first planes to return home angry, and others still overseas or preparing to take off in confusion.
So Sky News has broken the changes and what they mean.
On Thursday, the nations of the United Kingdom divided into three different policies
What changes when?
In England and Northern Ireland, politicians have decided not to make any changes to the usual weekly checkpoint that falls every Thursday around 5pm, so travelers from Portugal to those regions do not need to isolate themselves.
However, the ministers emphasize that updates can be made at any time due to changes COVID-19 levels and people should take this into account before going abroad.
Portugal is now on Scotland’s quarantine list
But changes are happening in Wales, where travelers must isolate themselves for 14 days starting at 4am on Friday if they are coming from:
- Portugal – excluding the Azores and Madeira islands
- Gibraltar
- French polynesia
- Greek islands of Mykonos, Zakynthos, Lesbos, Paros, Antiparos and Crete
And in Scotland, anyone arriving after 4am on Saturday will have to self-quarantine if they have just arrived from:
What is the punishment if someone breaks the quarantine?
The police can impose fines of different amounts, deployed to check if people are isolating themselves according to instructions.
- Scotland – £ 480
- Wales – £ 1,000
- Northern Ireland – £ 1,000
- England: between £ 1,000 and £ 3,200
Fines may be imposed on those who break the quarantine
What happens if you land in a UK nation other than the one you live in?
It is not uncommon for people to fly to airports outside of the country in which they normally live. For example, travelers in Wales can choose to fly from Bristol, or people living in Scotland can take a plane from Newcastle.
In that case, passengers heading straight home after landing must follow the rules of the country where they live.
So someone arriving from Portugal in Scotland on Sunday but living in England does not need to isolate himself for two weeks in the immediate city where he lands. As long as you head straight home, you don’t need to isolate yourself at all, as is the case. not required in England.
If you spend a considerable period of time in the place you have arrived, you must follow the quarantine rules of that country.
Travelers must follow the rules of the country where they usually live.
Will authorities be able to trace passenger information between nations?
All people arriving at UK ports are required to fill out a “returning traveler” form with information on where they came from, their details and the address they plan to isolate from if necessary.
All that information is compiled by the Ministry of the Interior and then the information on the residents of each nation will be shared with the national public health body.
