Boris Johnson acknowledges aviation is ‘having a terrible terrible time’
Boris Johnson declined to say whether he would back new proposals to cut the quarantine for people arriving in the UK from high-risk countries during Prime Minister’s Question Time today.
Conservative MP Huw Merriman told the Houses of Parliament that he believed the PM would soon receive a recommendation from the health and transport departments that the 14-day quarantine be reduced for those who test negative for Covid-19.
The Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and Health Secretary Matt Hancock are jointly chairing a taskforce set up to examine ways to reduce the quarantine. It is due to report back to the PM any day.
Mr Merriman, MP for Bexhill and Battle asked Mr Johnson when a decision will be made and if he will look favourably on the proposal [to cut the quarantine period].
In response, Mr Johnson said the UK has the third biggest aviation industry in the world and he acknowledged that it was having ‘a terrible terrible time’, adding that he sympathised with all those working in the industry.
He said one of the benefits of the country ramping up its Covid PCR testing capacity to 500,000 a day – which was surpassed last Saturday – was that there are ‘new possibilities for testing of all kinds across the country’.
However, he did not say if he supported reducing quarantine times for those who test negative, adding only: "We will be bringing forward new measures and new proposals just as soon as they are finalised."
By Linsey McNeill, Editor (UK)
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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