British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has hinted that anyone arriving at UK airports from any country except the Republic of Ireland will have to self-quarantine for 14 days.
The new restrictions are expected to take effect from the end of the month, and follow similar schemes introduced by Germany, New Zealand and Australia.
However, the announcement has met fierce opposition from the aviation, travel and farming sectors.
Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, the industry association representing UK carriers, said, “We all – including government – need to adapt to the new normal but closing off air travel in this way is not the way to achieve this. Ministers are effectively telling people they can no longer travel for the foreseeable future and airlines will respond to that by grounding their operations.”
The announcement, which was short of specifics, was made as Prime Minister Johnson made a 10-minute TV address to the nation on Sunday night.
In it, he announced a time frame for the gradual reopening of the British economy, under the new slogan, “Stay alert, control the virus, save lives”.
He said quarantine would apply to “people coming into this country by air” but it’s unclear whether it would also apply to those arriving via Eurostar or boat.
In Australia and New Zealand, arrivals must spend 14 days in a hotel after landing, whereas in Germany, they are trusted to stay in their own homes.
The Prime Minister has been criticised in his home country for not taking this measure earlier, with the UK now having the worst COVID-19 death figures in Europe.
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said, “People have been brought back in relatively large numbers and many of them are telling us that they have no information or advice given out about what they should be doing when they get home.”
Other industry groups, however, have warned the move will have a devastating impact on aviation as well as farmers who relay on season labour to make up work shortfalls.
