I recently got unpleasant comments and even personal messages after daring to suggest that the UK government needs to look at ways to allow travel safely other than quarantine. A study recently showed that countries using testing for entry were not showing any substantial increase in cases over those that use quarantine.
It would appear that I do actually know something about what I was writing about since the government has now said this morning that they wish to introduce airport testing (likely double testing) as soon as possible. What remains to be seen is how the model would work. They have also introduced regional travel corridors for islands.
In this post:
UK government says it wants to introduce airport testing ASAP
Matt Hancock told LBC this morning: “We are working to try to find a way to allow for the quarantine to be reduced, but done in a way that also keeps people safe.”
He explained that one test at the border “doesn’t work”. The issue is particularly for those returning to the UK that have travelled abroad. If you think about an average 7 day holiday, you may have picked up the virus during the week, but would it show up on your return if you caught it very recently? However, the government is keen on a two-test strategy.
It is “one of the things we’d like to bring in as soon as it’s practical to do it”, Mr Hancock added, confirming: “It is something we’re working on.”
If they go for double testing they could either do a test on arrival followed by a test around 5-7 days later which would cut quarantine in half. Some travel industry experts are calling for a model with the need for a test before arrival in the UK which so many countries now require. Then one test on day 4 which effectively gives two tests a week apart. The issue with this model is how people would get a test abroad as in many places this would not be easy. In other places such as Dubai, it would be very simple since you need one to fly anyway. I must admit I do like the idea of everyone being tested before they get on a plane – when the new saliva tests become available which gives results in under 30 minutes, this could well be the way forward.
Grant Shapps also talked about this in parliament today. He said that they are working on the practicalities of a two-test strategy to cut the quarantine policy.
“For the reasons described, this could not be a pure test-on-arrival option, it would not work, but my officials are working with health experts with the aim of cutting the quarantine period without adding to infection risk or infringing our overall NHS test capacity – which also now needs to cater to schools going back and universities returning.
“The islands policy itself becomes actively immediately and I will, of course, update the House on quarantine testing in the coming weeks.”
Whichever the government chose, anything is better than the current blunt unenforced quarantine. Given the cost of PCR tests, I am guessing it is likely to be a choice of quarantine or testing which you either have to pay for in full or in part.
Regional travel corridors finally introduced, but sadly we won’t be off to the Canaries or Balearics just yet!
I am not surprised by today’s announcement by Grant Shapps that the UK would adopt regional travel corridors. The previous week’s shenanigans with both Wales and Scotland adopting different policies. This was as well as using regional travel corridors to include Greece but not some Greek Islands as well as allowing Madeira and the Azores but not Portugal. This forced his hand somewhat.
I am disappointed that it has not gone further although I accept that not all countries would be easy to assess figures for particular regions. However, in countries like Australia and the US that are huge and have separate administration of states, this still needs to be an option in my opinion. For example, there have apparently been some initial discussions about New York which has a very low rate of the virus and requires quarantine if you travel from most other states.
Grant Shapps said that the government did not have the correct level of detail to do regional quarantine but they now have a more “forensic” level of detail. He was still concerned that within mainland countries it would be too easy to travel around a country to areas with higher rates.
Instead the government will immediately introduce an islands policy to allow islands to be treated separately from the mainland of a country. There will be four requirements for the policy:
- the land must have clear defined boundaries with the country in question which pretty much means an island
- the data collected must be robust
- the island must have direct flights or transport from a non-quarantine country
- the FCO advice should aline
Mr Shapps also said that the Balearics and Canaries currently have too high a rate to add them to the travel corridors.
7 Greek Islands removed from travel corridors
From 4 am on Wednesday seven Greek islands will be removed from the English travel corridor list.
The islands are: Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos.
If you return from one of these islands you will need to quarantine for 14 days.
7 comments
its really quite comical how thin your skin is. You’re a blogger – nothing more and nothing less. Your opinion is as worthy or worthless as mine. The sooner you realise that the better.
The real problem is we are being led by a buffon surrounding by sycophants and in the case of Mr Shapps a sycophants with a rather low intelligence
It’s nothing to do with being a blogger. I do not agree with people being unpleasant to anyone online whoever they are and running several Facebook groups I see far too much of this. People who sit behind a keyboard hurling insults have no idea of the mental state of the person they are attacking. I honestly don’t understand why people can’t just disagree in an intelligent and constructive way. Or simply move on.
Michele works really hard to provide an excellent blog which has saved her readers thousands of pounds in air fares . She is perfectly entitled to her opinion and it is up to her readers to agree or not with what she says . Your post is abusive and useless and irrelevant -why don’t you do us all a favour and spend your time doing something useful to help others instead of harming them . ? And learn how to spell buffoon .
Whether or not someone’s opinion is more or less worthy is not the point.
And nobody should be defined purely by their job, chosen or not.
Giboooo – what a horrible message to post. If you don’t like this page don’t read it. No need for nasty comments.
Michele keep on with what you do. This page is brilliant. I look forward to reading it every day.
I agree totally with Sarah, in all that she says. Unpleasant comments are never justified, and reflect badly on the person making the comments. I think you do a terrific job, Michele; informative, timely, interesting. Keep up the great work, please.
The problem with the UK policy of islands is hoping the general public are honest enough to state their holiday destination and be willing to quarantine for 14 days thereafter.
For instance, I fly back from Chania, Crete then I have to quarantine.
Lovely Tinos does not have an international airport. If I get the ferry or dolphin back to Athens – from where I don’t have to quarantine – and return to the UK and don’t want to quarantine (which is slightly different from self isolate but in effect means the same thing) then I don’t declare it and the authorities are not looking for me. So the corridors to islands idea isn’t necessarily as ideal as a countrywide ban.
I want to travel at the moment as much as any one and have cancelled two trips to Greece this year. But the guidance from government has to be clear and unambiguous with no wriggle room. That’s not the case here.
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