Our View – The Great British quarantine debate

Red list rage

AIR bridges, red lists and the Great British quarantine debate. What on earth is going on? Country in, country out, country back in again. No wonder holidaymakers are tearing their hair out with confusion.

After UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s comments on British TV last week travellers already in Portugal started panic buying flats to get them back as soon as possible, his vague replies, when questioned about an imminent quarantine decision, left them second-guessing Parliaments decisions.

Then, what happens, they leave it alone, well kind of. They left it for travellers to England and Northern Ireland but Scotland and Wales decided to make their own decision and lower the drawbridge on the air bridge, they put a quarantine in place for those coming from Portugal.

Now holidaymakers or those who wish to return to second homes or families are living in an added fear or confusion if they too will be put under this strain and uncertainty.

The Scots were already hoping for the quarantine to be lifted between them and holiday favourite, Spain, but in adding Portugal to a red list the chances of that happening are slim to none.

Sure, people understand that as Covid figures rise in each or any country there is a fear of transmission between countries. Should people be able to make up their own minds about travelling? Especially if it puts their livelihood or even mental state at risk.

The news of a testing facility at Heathrow sitting unused was a revelation, who knew? If that was a way of allowing you in without quarantine you can be sure that everybody would be heading there, wouldn’t they?

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