Quarantine 'massively increased' Border Force exposure from air passengers

The chief executive of Scotland's leading airport has condemned the UK’s new quarantine system as ‘incredibly badly implemented’.

Passengers arriving at Edinburgh Airport on Monday as the quarantine restrictions were introduced. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.

Gordon Dewar said he feared for the safety of Border Force staff after the controversial 14-day restriction for arriving passengers was introduced on Monday.

He said: “We have massively increased the exposure of Border Force staff to incoming passengers and given them no protection.”

Speaking on the BBC Scotland channel’s Debate Night, Mr Dewar said most passengers had failed to fill in the required new quarantine form before arriving at the airport.

This had trebled the time it took them to pass into the terminal.

Mr Dewar said: “It has not worked particularly well, but we have got away with it because of such low [passenger] volumes at the moment.

“If we had significant numbers, this would not work.

“It was implemented incredibly badly without any consultation with the industry.

“We were only getting guidance on how to employ it in Scotland on Monday itself – on the day of it going into operation.”

Mr Dewar also attacked the rationale for introducing the measure.

He said: “There isn’t any science that says there is any sense to bring it in now.

“It’s really worrying no one has got a plan as to how we are going to decide it’s time to take it off, because we do not seem to know why we put it there in the first place.

“Just as we are trying to unlock the economy and get people back to work, just as other countries are releasing their border controls, we are going in the opposite direction, which is going to have very profound and long-lasting economic impacts.”

Glasgow Airport said there had been confusion among some passengers about the quarantine process.

A spokesperson said none of the 50 passengers arriving on one flight from Budapest had completed the form, which had delayed them by two hours.

Police Scotland chief constable Iain Livingstone has described the quarantine scheme as “very challenging” and said his force would only be taking a “backstop” role in enforcing it.

He told MSPs this week: "I have reservations about the demands they potentially put on policing.

“I also have reservations about that relationship or trust... if you like, the police knocking on peoples' door who were in essence not committing any level of offence or committing any level of harm.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The safety of the public and our staff is of paramount importance, which is why all Border Force staff have been provided with the necessary personal protective equipment, including face masks at all ports.

“We have also installed protective screens at ports and are ensuring social distancing is maintained in passenger arrivals areas.”

“It’s important to remember what these measures are all about - protecting public health, avoiding a second peak of this deadly virus and that means managing the risk of cases being imported from abroad.”

“Now that domestic transmission within the UK is coming under control, it is the right time to prepare new measures at the border.

“As the UK moves to a situation where domestic transmission is much lower, imported cases and onward transmission from these cases could become a higher proportion of the overall number of infections.

“Requiring arrivals to the UK to self-isolate for 14 days will reduce the risk of transmission from this group.

“These measures will be subject to review every three weeks to ensure they are in line with the latest scientific evidence and remain effective and necessary.”

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