Border restrictions here for foreseeable future, SAGE member tells LBC

24 January 2021, 12:20 | Updated: 24 January 2021, 12:23

Border restrictions are in place 'for the foreseeable'

By Joe Cook

A member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies has told LBC’s Swarbrick on Sunday he believes border restrictions “make complete sense” and will be here for the foreseeable future.

Professor Kamlesh Khunti told Tom Swarbrick he believes the plans for stricter border controls “seems to be positive”, adding “I think that makes complete sense”.

The comments from the SAGE member come as the government reportedly plans to introduce a compulsory 10-day hotel quarantine for all travellers entering the UK.

Ministers are expected to discuss the plans on Monday, which could also apply to British travellers, whose hotel stays, guarded by security, will have to be paid from their own pocket.

The measures are being prompted by concerns over new variants of Covid-19 entering from abroad.

Read more: Hotel quarantine plan to be discussed by ministers - but how would it work?

Read more: Countries consider tougher restrictions on UK due to new Covid-19 variant

Collaboration will alleviate vaccine hesitancy, SAGE member suggests

Professor Khunti told LBC new variants have been found in Japan, Brazil, South Africa and the UK, but these are “only countries that are sequencing the virus”, warning “we probably don’t know about new variants that are appearing in other countries” due to a lack of genome sequencing capabilities.

Once the numbers of Covid cases are down “the chances of a new variant replicating are much, much lower”, however, the risk of new variants is likely to mean restrictions on international travel will be here for the foreseeable future, the SAGE member added.

This could spell disaster for the UK’s travel industry, which has already been hit hard by the pandemic.

However, the government is under pressure from scientists and Labour to introduce stronger border restrictions.

Read more: Health Secretary 'hopes' schools will reopen by Easter

Read more: Police issue over £15,000 fines during Covid-19 raid on rave in east London

Stricter border measures will slow spread of Covid-19 varients

Shadow Home Secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, told Swarbrick on Sunday: “The government has been too slow throughout, they need to get a plan in place as soon as possible.”

“The initial quarantining system the government introduced, the formal system, wasn’t until June last year. The UK was a total international outlier,” he added.

“In May last year it was only the UK, Iran, Luxembourg and the US Virgin Islands without travel restrictions.”

“They need, in my view, to move to a system of hotel quarantining and they need a comprehensive plan for the border to stop the chaotic scenes - we have seen these awful chaotic scenes at Heathrow Airport over the weekend.”

Read more: Police advise against travel and snowball fights as snow falls across UK

Read more: Former health secretary Lord Lansley tells LBC he thinks lockdown will last until May

Shadow Home Sec. calls for 'comprehensive plan' at borders

On Saturday, Heathrow bosses were forced to defend their social distancing measures after pictures shared on social media showed hundreds of passengers queuing in close proximity at the border.

Heathrow has said that with social distancing in place, a queue for just one aircraft would stretch to over 1km in length.

Read more: UK records 1,348 more Covid deaths as warnings emerge new variant is deadlier

Passengers at Heathrow have complained of long waits at border control with little social distancting.
Passengers at Heathrow have complained of long waits at border control with little social distancting. Picture: Pia Josephson

Amidst complaints that queues were building at the border due to a lack of border officials, Emma Moore, Chief Operating Officer at Border Force, said: “We are in a global health pandemic which is why every traveller is subject to enhanced monitoring at UK airports in line with the public health measures at the border.

“Every essential check from pre-departure testing, to the Passenger Locator Form and the suspension of travel routes is to strengthen our borders and prevent the spread of coronavirus into the UK.

“People should not be travelling unless necessary. Every airport across the UK has a responsibility to comply with social distancing and Covid compliant measures on site.”

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

The boyfriend of tennis ace Aryna Sabalenka has died aged 42

Former NHL player boyfriend of tennis star and Australian Open champ Aryna Sabalenka dies suddenly aged 42

Who is Aaron Taylor-Johnson?

Who is Aaron Taylor-Johnson the man expected to become James Bond and what films has he been in?

Australia Cyber Safety

Google, Meta and others face questions in Australia over cyber extremism threats

Police were called to Harrow Road, Wollaton, Nottingham, on the evening on 14 March

Man, 27, charged with attempted murder after man and woman stabbed at home in Nottingham

People-Ariana Grande

Ariana Grande and Dalton Gomez divorce after nearly three years

Kate and William were pictured visiting a farm shop in Windsor together

'Remarkable' Princess of Wales deserves privacy as she recovers, minister says as video emerges of farm shop trip

Japan Economy

Japanese central bank raises interest rate for first time in 17 years

Exclusive
The incident happened at the Harbour

Police refuse to investigate NHS worker who filmed and shared video of naked patient

The new football regulator is set to be introduced

Football regulator to 'put fan voices front and centre', but Premier League warns against 'weakening competition'

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is said to have been chosen as the new James Bond actor

Aaron Taylor-Johnson 'chosen as new James Bond', with actor 'to sign deal to take over from Daniel Craig this week'

File photo of a dentist

Hardly any dentists think government's plan to fix NHS dentistry will work, survey finds

The Queen alongside her grandchildren and great-grandchildren

Revealed: Princess of Wales' photo of Queen Elizabeth II, grandchildren and great-grandchildren was also edited

United Nations Nuclear Weapons

US and Japan seek UN resolution banning nuclear weapons in outer space

Keir Starmer has doubled down on his calls for an election as soon as possible

Keir Starmer vows to 'fix broken Britain' as he repeats calls for general election as soon as possible

Harry and Meghan have been demoted on the site

Harry and Meghan's profiles 'downgraded' on Buckingham Palace website alongside Prince Andrew

The government saw off 10 amendments from peers to the Safety of Rwanda Bill

MPs reject Rwanda Bill amendments as Sunak faces fresh battle with Lords over migrant plan