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Fury of airline bosses as Government uses new regional travel corridors to slap restrictions on SEVEN Greek islands Grant Shapps said move to treat islands as separate would bring relief to travel But no islands were made exempt from quarantine under the new rules The change has ruined the holidays of an estimated 70,000 Britons … Read more
Ministers are exploring plans to cut the quarantine time for holidaymakers to just five days by testing them 48 hours before they arrive in the UK, it is claimed. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is said to have ‘warmly welcomed’ the proposal which would more than halve the 14-day self-isolation period. Under plans by industry leaders, tourists … Read more
Grant Shapps today announced that seven Greek islands are being stripped of quarantine exempt status amid fears over a spike in coronavirus cases. The Transport Secretary revealed that Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos are being added to the ‘red’ list as of 4am on Wednesday. However, Mr Shapps told the Commons that he … Read more
British passengers face ‘chaotic scenes’ and lengthy delays at the UK border as they complain about lack of social distancing at Heathrow Airport EXCLUSIVE: British passengers faced 45-minute delays to cross the UK border Long queues of passengers snaked through Heathrow Terminal Five Passengers complained about a complete lack of social distancing at the border … Read more
Aviation bosses last night accused ministers of ‘completely disengaging’ from the industry over airport coronavirus tests. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has not held an official meeting with Heathrow airport in recent weeks despite mounting evidence of an industry in crisis. Derek Provan, the boss of Southampton, Aberdeen and Glasgow airports, said: ‘We are isolated as … Read more
Wales has hit back at Grant Shapps in the quarantine list row as its furious health minister claimed there was ‘very clear advice’ to add Portugal after devolved nations were accused of ‘jumping the gun’. Vaughan Gething also said there had been a ‘rising tide of infections’ coming from the Greek islands and insisted the … Read more
While Britain continues to hold out against introducing coronavirus tests at airports, Germany has nearly doubled its testing rate to screen thousands of passengers returning from Covid-19 hotspots abroad. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps insisted today that testing at airports was not a ‘silver bullet solution’ after the UK’s quarantine policy was thrown into confusion when … Read more
Grant Shapps today admitted that introducing coronavirus testing at airports could halve the 14-day quarantine period. The Transport Secretary told Sky News the government was not ‘ignoring’ desperate warnings that the current draconian curbs could see the ‘demise’ of the aviation sector. And while he made clear routine screening was not a ‘silver bullet’, Mr … Read more
Grant Shapps admitted the government’s coronavirus quarantine rules cause ‘confusion’ today after England kept Portugal on the safe list – despite Scotland and Wales imposing curbs. Amid rising anger from bewildered holidaymakers that the system amounts to ‘roulette’, the Transport Secretary conceded that starkly different approaches within the UK were a problem. But he insisted … Read more
A mother-of-three has paid nearly £1,000 home to fly home early from Portugal to make sure her children don’t miss their first days back at school – only for Grant Shapps to announce the country is staying on England’s no-quarantine list. The Transport Minister said there were were ‘no English additions or removals,’ to its … Read more