Coronavirus: UK decision not to quarantine Portugal travellers goes against official scientific advice

Downing Street says it is for ministers to decide whether to follow Joint Biosecurity Centre recommendation

(EPA)

The UK government's decision to leave Portugal and some Greek islands off its quarantine list goes against its own official scientific advice, it has emerged.

The Welsh government and Scottish governments imposed travel restrictions on the two countries yesterday after experts at the Joint Biosecurity Centre gave them "clear advice" to do so.

But despite action from the devolved governments, the countries were not taken off the UK government's list covering travel back to England, despite ministers' repeated claims to be "following the science".

Asked about the decision, Boris Johnson official spokesperson told journalists: "The Joint Biosecurity Centre set out risk assessments, we study the data carefully, and the minister this morning set out why there were no changes to the list".

He added that it was "for ministers to make assessments of that data" and recommendations provided by the experts.

Vaughan Gething, the Welsh government's health minister, said he had made the decision to impose restrictions after having "considered the clear advice from the Joint Biosecurity Centre report that travel from the ... countries and territories constitutes a public health risk".

But UK government Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “We continue to keep the Travel Corridor list under constant review and won’t hesitate to remove countries if needed. However, there are no English additions or removals today.

“Nonetheless, holidaymakers are reminded – 14-day quarantine countries can and do change at very short notice.

“Travel Corridor factors taken into account by JBC & Ministers inc: Covid-19 prevalence; level & rate of change; extent of in-country tests, regime & test positivity; extent of contained outbreak as opposed to general transmission; govt actions and other epidemiological information.”

Transport secretary Grant Shapps (REUTERS)

The prime minister's spokesperson said that the government had been consistent thus far in only updating the quarantine list on a weekly basis – hinting that travellers would not be required to quarantine for at least another week.

Portugal recorded 23.0 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to Wednesday, a substantial rise from 15.3 a week earlier.

In Greece there were 13.8 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people over the same period, down from 14.9 a week earlier – though there are thought to be significant regional variations with outbreaks on some islands.

The UK government has said it considers imposing quarantine restrictions if the seven-day rate is over 20 per 100,000 people.