Quarantine update. It seems we’re falling behind, again!

In the last few days, there have been progressive proposals from the EU in regards to a new ‘traffic light’ entry system to replace the ‘quarantine red lists’ we are seeing in countries including the  UK.

This new system would require arrivals from countries with more than 50 Covid cases per 100,000 of the population over the previous 14 days and a positive test rate over 3% to face quarantining, effectively being placed in the ‘red list’. If both criteria are below the suggested amount the country will be in the ‘green list’ and able passengers from there to travel to other countries freely. If a country has less than 50 Covid cases per 100,000 but a positive test rate of over 3% they be in the ‘amber list’.

Finland and Ireland are readying themselves to adopt a version of this model in the coming weeks, with France, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands all in favour of a similar approach to identifying the ‘red list’.

There also seems to be wiggle room with the quarantining if passengers can provide a negative test from up to 72 hours prior to their arrival and then a second negative test which would be taken when they arrive in said country. Iceland already have something similar in place. In fact, there are now more than 30 countries with testing in place on arrival to the airport including, once again, France and Germany.

So, the question is, why are we yet again not being included in these lists of countries that seem to be doing everything they can to get the travel

 industry moving again? Heathrow now has a testing facility available and ready to go, which has been put forward to the Government. But, as of yet there still seems to be no movement on their part. It has the backing from a number of current and former MP’s but not by the people who ultimately have the final decision.

It means we all continue to do what we have been doing for most of this year now. Sit around and wait for the right decision to be made.