The UKs new travel rules are confusing – and outright “ridiculous” to some people.
Rules say that people from other countries can come to the UK, providing they self isolate with their travel partners for 14 days. These rules apply to anyone from any country, and it’s literally as simple as this: if you want to travel to the UK, you have to quarantine for 14 days after you arrive. So you might be thinking, what’s confusing about that?
Well, when Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis was discussing the rules to media this morning, he gave some interesting answers to questions when quizzed by presenters.
On the BBC news show, Charlie Stayt, a presenter, asked him: “If you or I wanted to go for a two week break in the Lake District right now – we can’t do that can we? We’re not allowed to do that.
“If a family from Spain wants to come to the UK and spend two weeks in the Lake District next week, can they do that?”
Lewis went on to reply, saying: “As long as they are following the guidance and doing the quarantine as outlined, and giving the details to Public Health England, somebody from abroad can come to the UK but they will have to quarantine for 14 days.”
Mr Stayt continued: “Can you not understand how that sounds utterly ridiculous?
“So you or I – who we know have been following the guidelines – cannot go away and take a break for two nights or two weeks but other people coming in from the rest of Europe can come to this country and they can do exactly that. How does that make sense?”
Mr Lewis then again explained that any travellers would have to quarantine, and explained that “PHE will be checking up on this, there will be substantial fines for people who don’t follow those guidelines, they will have to quarantine, here within the UK we are gradually looking at how we can further ease the lockdown measures.
“We are very keen to ensure that people across the country, with a cautious approach, will be able to enjoy their summer, will be able to take those kind of trips. We’ve got to do that in a very managed and cautious way.”
Many members of the public – and other ministers – have voiced the complexity and strange nature of the rules. One MP described it as like “mental gymnastics.”
The new rules are meant to be in place to try and prevent the spread of the disease, and avoid new infections coming in from abroad.
The new travel rules will be official in place as of Monday, providing there are no new amendments. And those in favour of the new policies say it is the “right time” to implement them.
