The Times - UK (2020-07-27)

8 2GM Monday July 27 2020 | the times

News

British holidaymakers faced travel
chaos yesterday amid anger over the
government’s “disastrous” decision to
introduce a two-week quarantine on
arrivals from Spain.
Passengers told of a scramble to book
last-minute flights back to the UK on
Saturday evening — hours before the
restrictions were imposed — in an at-
tempt to beat the quarantine rule.
Many warned of a complete break-
down in communication from the gov-
ernment and airlines over the change
to travel rules which were suddenly in-
troduced following a spike in coronavi-
rus cases in the country.
An estimated 1.8 million Britons are
either in Spain or due to fly there over
the coming month — the peak of the
summer getaway. Grant Shapps, the
transport secretary, and Paul Scully, the
London minister, are both on holiday in
Spain at the moment.
The tour operator Tui has cancelled
all holidays to the Spanish mainland for
the next two weeks, although airlines
are continuing to operate.
Figures from Cirium, aviation data
analysts, show that 9,835 flights were
due to depart for Spain from the UK
from yesterday until the end of August.
Some people told of being stuck on the
telephone or online helpdesks to air-
lines for up to six hours trying to cancel
or rebook holidays.
The World Travel and Tourism
Council said the decision was “disas-
trous” for the industry in the UK and
Spain. Paul Charles, a travel consultant,
said it would be the “final nail in the cof-
fin” for large numbers of travel agents
that had been hit by a collapse in book-
ings since the lockdown was imposed in
March. Those cancelling holidays in-
clude Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office
minister, who has opted to ditch his
summer break to Ibiza next month.
It was announced late on Saturday
that holidaymakers arriving into the
UK after midnight from Spain would
have to be in quarantine for 14 days. The
Foreign Office also changed its travel
advice to warn against all non-essential
travel to the mainland but not the Ca-
nary and Balearic islands. It risks fur-
ther confusing tourists who are permit-
ted to fly to the islands but still have to
quarantine on returning to the UK.

Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary,

declined to apologise for the late an-

nouncement, made after thousands of

holidaymakers had earlier boarded

flights bound for Spain.

He told Sky News that the govern-

ment “cannot give a guarantee” that

further countries will not be added to

the quarantine list, adding: “There is an

element of uncertainty this summer.”

Mr Raab’s decision received fierce

criticism given most holiday departures

happen at the weekend. About 600,

Britons will face quarantine on their

return from Spain. Other Britons

touched down to news that the rules

had changed, meaning they may now

require three weeks off work for a

week’s holiday.

Travel agents told of a huge surge in

cancellations for holidays to Spain and

other European short-haul destina-

tions including France, Greece and

Italy because of concerns that more “air

People with long-lasting symptoms
after contracting Covid-19 are losing
jobs and struggling to get the care they
need, campaigners say.
Patients have reported more than 170
continuing effects after infection with
the virus, including fatigue, hair loss,
vision problems, incontinence and dis-
rupted menstrual cycles.
Many who were never hospitalised
and did not have a positive test for the
virus early in the outbreak say that
some GPs are refusing to refer them to
rehabilitation programmes.
Louise Barnes, 46, of Saxmundham,
Suffolk, who founded the online Post
Covid Syndrome Support Group, said
that many sufferers had been forced to
give up jobs. Members had reported
employers refusing to believe their staff

The slow to recover are losing their jobs

Kat Lay, Tom Ball were infected by the coronavirus in the
absence of tests, she said.
“I was bombarded with messages
pleading for help from people in the
UK, people that are being fired by their
employers,” she said.
One nursing home carer, who did not
have a staff contract, was told she would
no longer be welcome back to work
after testing positive in early April. The
woman, from Herefordshire, who does
not wish to be named, continues to suf-
fer from breathlessness and fatigue.
Research shows one person in ten
will have symptoms for more than a
month after onset, and one in 20 for at
least 45 days, with many reporting
symptoms for months longer.
A 42-year-old HR professional from
London told The Times that she felt she
had no choice but to resign because of
continuing symptoms, mostly fatigue.

“I didn’t know how long it was going to

go on for, and the project I was on de-

manded a full-time resource,” she said.

NHS England says a new app will be

available later this summer to help

people with rehabilitation. Ms Barnes

said that this will require GP referrals

and fears many people will miss out.

Martin Marshall, chairman of the

Royal College of GPs, said that many of

the symptoms being reported could al-

so be signs of other conditions. “GPs

will want to consider all possible causes

before making a diagnosis, and any ap-

propriate referral,” he added.

An NHS spokesman said: “The NHS

nationally is making available a new

online rehab service... alongside

strengthening primary and community

services... as well as the new Seacole

Centre, which is a dedicated service to

offer people rehab and recovery care.”

Passengers at Birmingham airport after the

Q&A

What has been announced?

The government said on Saturday

that people arriving from Spain would

have to isolate for two weeks. Spain

had been on the quarantine

exemption list but was removed after

recording 2,255 Covid-19 cases on

Friday, way up on the June average.

The Foreign Office now warns

against all non-essential trips to Spain.

The advice does not cover the

Other destinations

France (4, 975 cases

recorded since July 20)

The health ministry said

early progress had been

diluted by people failing

to self-isolate after

testing positive. Jean

Castex, the prime

minister, said France

would strive to avoid a

second lockdown but

that the priority was

“prevention”.

Greece (183 cases)

The first wave of

coronavirus brought

only 202 recorded

deaths. Officials were

therefore wary of

arrivals from high-risk

zones, and direct flights

from Britain were

banned until July 15.

The authorities have not

ruled out a second

lockdown but prefer a

targeted local approach.

Italy (1,648 cases)

Among the worst-hit

European countries,

Italy was the first to go

into national lockdown

but also the first to

reopen to summer

tourists. Last week a

surge in cases forced

the closure of popular

sites in Rome, with

officials warning the

public to wear masks

“or we will have to lock

down again”.

Portugal (1,565 cases)

Mainland Portugal

remains off limits to

British travellers due to

a second spike. The

tourist sector has

lobbied the British

government to allow

visitors but restrictions

have not been eased by

the Department for

Transport.

Croatia (557 cases)

Masks must be worn in

public spaces; the

authorities are keen not

to have a second

lockdown. There is a

reciprocal deal with the

UK for quarantine-free

travel.

Scramble to flee Spain as

1.8m Britons face chaos

Graeme Paton Transport Correspondent
Tom Ball, Ben Clatworthy
Alasdair Fotheringham

bridge” arrangements could be torn up.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow

health secretary, said the government’s

handling of the decision was “frankly

shambolic” and called for financial

support for those forced to isolate for

two weeks.

Baroness Harding, the head of NHS

test and trace, told Times Radio that it

would not exempt people from the

quarantine. “Unfortunately, although

we’d love it to be true that if you have a

test today, we can be confident in saying

you are not infectious and about to

come down with disease, that’s not the

way the virus works.

“A test today is only as good as saying

you haven’t got the disease today. The

incubation period can be a long time.”

Arancha González Laya, the foreign

minister, said Spain was in talks with

the UK to exempt the Canary and Bal-

earic islands from the quarantine list.

Tui has cancelled all holidays to

mainland Spain until August 9, with

customers booked to the Balearics and

Canary islands able to reschedule at no

charge. One Tui customer who was due

to fly from Gatwick to Malaga at 6am

yesterday only found out the flight had

been cancelled at midnight.

Jenny Molloy said: “Just as well I

checked my phone at midnight to set an

alarm. I’d booked it a week ago as it

looked safe to do that, and I’ve had all

my other holidays cancelled during

lockdown. I’m gutted.”

Major airlines are continuing to fly to

and from the country, with passengers

unable to completely cancel and claim

a refund. Jet2 was criticised over its

policy after confirming that passengers

would have to pay to amend holidays to

the Spanish islands. One passenger told

of spending £150 to change a booking.

“People should be able to amend for

free,” said one agent. “People cannot be

expected to have a week’s holiday then

isolate for 14 days.”

Passengers arriving into Heathrow

from Spain spoke of their anger at the

lack of communication from the gov-

ernment and airlines. And Britons in

Spain told of their “panic” after the

sudden change to the quarantine rule.

Emily Harrison, who was flying out

of Madrid, told Spanish TV: “It’s hap-

pened very suddenly, there’s been no

time to prepare, that’s why we’re all

panicking.”

Leading article, page 31

Lockdown trip to Mallorca Times

1,000-2,

Fewer than 1,

2,001-4,

4,001-6,

6,001-8,

8,001+

Total new cases since July 20

Covid-19 hotspots

Portugal

Spain

UK

France

Ukraine

Romania

Italy

Switz

Croatia

Bosnia

& Herz

Poland

Czech Rep

Hungary

Slovakia

Austria

Germany

Belgium

Netherlands

Finland

Estonia

Latvia

Lithuania

Greece

Moldova

Serbia Bulgaria

Macedonia

Albania

Montenegro

Belarus

Denmark

Ireland

Norway

Sweden

Slovenia

Source: World Health Organisation at 8pm yesterday

‘Serious unrest’ if officials

pushed back to workplace

Steven Swinford Deputy Political Editor

Britain’s biggest civil service union has

warned of “serious industrial unrest” if

public servants are pushed to return to

their offices too early.

Alex Chisholm, the permanent sec-

retary for the Cabinet Office, has writ-

ten to Whitehall departments asking

them how they can get more people to

return as early as next month. The

letter made clear it would be at the dis-

cretion of individual departments.

In a letter to the Cabinet Office seen

by The Observer, Mark Serwotka, head

of the Public and Commercial Services

Union, says: “This unnecessary and

hasty push for an upscaling at work

places has the potential to create seri-

ous industrial unrest.” He adds that no

consideration had been given to using

the Covid-19 crisis to rethink how civil

servants could work in future.

“It is clear this is a political decision to

use public sector workers to prop up

and maintain an already decaying eco-

nomic model, regardless of the risks.”

The union is refusing to rule out bal-

loting members on strike action.

Dave Penman, general secretary of

the FDA, which represents civil ser-

vants, said: “Many are coming back to

offices for roles that cannot work re-

motely or they don’t have a suitable

home-working environment. Offices

and transport cannot cope with a full

return and so this next phase needs to

be handled carefully.”

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