Covid: Poland and Turkey have been added to the UK’s isolated list when fines increase
Passengers arriving in the UK from Poland, Turkey and the three Caribbean islands must be self-isolated for 14 days from 04:00 on Saturday.
Poland’s infection rate has risen, while the UK government said it had removed Turkey due to concerns over the way its data would be reported.
Failure to self-isolate can result in severe fines – up to a maximum of £ 10,000 in the UK.
An airport team says it is a “further blow” to a “fighting” sector.
A further 6,914 corona virus cases and 59 deaths were reported in the UK on Thursday, and drastic measures to control a spike were announced. In parts of northern England.
Announcing the changes to the isolated list, Transport Secretary Grant Shops said Polish data “doubled the test positive from 3.9% to 5.8%, with a rapid increase in weekly events”. There are 25.9 corona virus cases per 100,000 people in Poland, up from 15.6.
Those from the Caribbean islands of Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Sabah should also be isolated from Saturday, he said.
Those countries reported 142.4 new cases per 100,000, up from 142.4 the previous week.
Meanwhile, the Scottish government announced that immigrants from the Portuguese islands of the Azores and Madeira no longer needed to be isolated in Scotland.
Its statement said “it is clear that case numbers in Turkey are under-reported.”
Turkey’s infection rate has dropped to 12.9 per 100,000 from 14.2 in the previous week.
It has been reported that the fine for the first offense of failing to isolate oneself when needed will start at 1,000 and then increase to £ 2,000, then up to a maximum of 4 10,000 in the UK for 000 4,000. Previously, the upper limit for repeat offenses was 200,200.
The penalty increase will take effect on Friday.
Since the introduction of the travel isolation regime in the summer, police officers have investigated more than 4,000 violations.
More than 200 were found to be ignoring the isolation requirement, but escaped the fine because they listened to the officer at the door. There were only 38 fines in total for violating holiday isolation.
Judging by the official data coming out of Turkey, it sits comfortably below the UK standard of using 20 cases of isolation for every 100,000 people.
But revelations that the number of cases in Turkey is low have added the country to the “red” list.
Turkey and Poland are major destinations for airlines and airports, so this is another blow to the travel industry.
The Department of Transportation is still considering whether tests can be used at airports to reduce the isolation period from 14 to seven days.
It is almost impossible for the police to enforce isolated rules, so it is hoped that again offenders will be fined more, and fewer people will break the rules.
‘Massive blow’
The Manchester Airport Group, which owns Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports, has removed “Poland and Turkey from the safe travel list”.
The announcement was “a further blow to the already struggling aviation industry,” a statement said.
The panel said it was “essential” for the government to establish an experimental regime that would allow it to safely reduce isolated periods for foreign travelers.
The British Travel Agents Association (APDA) said it was “the biggest blow to the travel industry”.
“This, along with popular winter-sunny spots like the Canary Islands – which are still on the isolated list – only puts pressure on the combat industry,” the travel industry trade body said.
“Many travel industries are in danger and it will be difficult to survive if the government does not act with support now to help the travel industry.”
Tomas Liz, who has lived in London since moving to the UK from Poland 23 years ago, runs a travel agency that offers trips to her home country. He says the new rule will cost him thousands of pounds.
The 43-year-old said: “This is already an impossible year. The government will do a better job of checking the temperature at airports, for example, testing those who have it instead of introducing those ridiculous rules.”
Mr Liz is also a concert pianist who canceled a show in Poland on Sunday due to regulations, meaning he would lose 3,000 and the cost of his flights.