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Travelers from Portugal arriving in Scotland must now spend two weeks in isolation, but there are still political divisions over the decision.
The rules came It took effect from 4 a.m. on Saturday, 24 hours after Wales introduced the same quarantine period for those arriving from the country. However, they do not apply to England and Northern Ireland.
Travelers from Greece to Scotland were said to isolate since Thursday.
Portugal had only been removed from the UK’s quarantine list two weeks ago, but there were suggestions that the Department for Transport would choose to re-impose it after coronavirus cases rose above 20 cases per 100,000 people, the threshold used for previous travel decisions.
The Welsh government has already reintroduced new restrictions on the popular tourist destination, but England and Northern Ireland chose not to collapse the so-called travel corridor with Portugal.
Scotland reintroduced quarantine for returnees from Greece on Thursday and Wales did the same for six Greek islands, including Crete and Zante, but England and Northern Ireland held out.
Despite the differences, Prime Minister Boris Johnson insisted that “overwhelmingly the UK is proceeding as one.”
But earlier in the day, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said there was now “confusion” about the different quarantine rules at the union and accused Scotland of having “jumped the gun” by imposing restrictions on Greece.
A Scottish government spokesman responded by saying there were a “disturbing number of people in Scotland who tested positive for COVID-19 and who had returned from Greece.”
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He added: “In the case of Portugal, it was regrettable that the UK government announced its decision yesterday before the ministers of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland met and before considering the latest data from the Joint Center for Biosecurity (JBC ).
“This indicated a significant increase both in the prevalence of the virus in Portugal and in the positivity of the test.”
Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething said Wales was acting “in line with” the JBC risk assessments by imposing a 14-day quarantine on arrivals from the six Greek islands and Portugal.
Tourists in Portugal reacted with confusion when the rules were announced, and many had already booked previous flights home.
Derek, who was visiting Almancil in Portugal, told Sky News that his son and wife did not join him because they feared they would be quarantined and that his brother had rushed back home to return to the work and help your son go to college.
He stated that tourists were getting “confused” and that “it is very unfair because people seem to be given short notice, not only is it very expensive but they do not know if they are coming or going.”
