Britain to quarantine travellers for 14 days to prevent second wave of coronavirus

The British airlines will reportedly introduce a 14-day quarantine period for most people arriving from abroad in a bid to avoid a second peak of the deadly coronavirus. According to an international media outlet, Airlines UK, which represents British Airways, Easyjet and other British airlines, said the move is a ‘credible exit plan’ and will be reviewed weekly. 

The Airport operators also said that the new plan could also have a ‘devastating’ impact on the aviation industry and the broader economy. However, the plan is still a draft plan as UK Prime Minister is yet to announce the final lockdown measures on May 10. Although, several international media outlets reported PM Boris Johnson will be announcing that passengers arriving at airports and ports, including Britons returning from abroad, will have to self-isolate for a fortnight. 

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It is expected that the new measures are likely to come into force in early June. Travellers might have to provide the address at which they will self-isolate on arrival as well. According to a media outlet, the government said that these measures will help protect the British public and reduce the transmission of the virus as while the nation is moving into the next phase of the response. 

‘Clear exit strategy’ 

Meanwhile, the airport operators reportedly said that a quarantine would compound the damage done by the pandemic to the aviation industry as it would put people off travelling when lockdown restrictions are lifted. While speaking to an international media outlet, Karen Dee, who is the Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, said that the quarantine would not only have a devastating impact on the UK aviation industry but also in the wider economy. 

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She also believes that the government should apply a selective basis following the science. Karen reportedly added that the authorities should have a clear ‘exit strategy’ and the economic impact on key sectors should be mitigated. Furthermore, the Airlines UK also believes that the government should also support measures to ensure that the aviation sector gets through the quarantine period. 

Meanwhile, the UK currently has more than 211,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and the deadly virus has claimed nearly 31,241 lives in the country. Despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, UK PM Boris Johnson expressed optimism and said that the rate at which the virus is spreading among people was below one which is the outcome of the general public’s adherence to the social distancing measures. The UK authorities also believe that the virus is almost contained and the government, in the future, could both relax and tighten measures.  

(Image: @maswdl95/Unsplash) 

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