Coronavirus: Brit just back from north Italy reveals worrying lack of checks in UK

9 March 2020, 13:24

This caller has just got back from an infected part of northern Italy and told James O'Brien he was alarmed they got no checks when they landed in the UK.

Ed returned from his holiday in the region beside Lombardy - the area in Italy most affected by coronavirus. And he revealed that unless passengers specifically said they were ill, they were given no checks at all.

He said: "On arrival in Italy, we were temperature tested. When we left Italy, we were temperature tested.

"On arrival in Birmingham, there was nothing.

"I flew through arrivals, picked up my bags and out into the wide world along with everyone else who had a cough."

James clarified: "So unless you brought yourself to the attention of the flight crew, absolutely nothing happened?"

Ed confirmed: "Literally nothing."

He said that despite not being given any advice, he has decided to self-isolate, despite being told only to do so if he felt unwell.

He added: "I'm not going to see my parents or grandparents for two weeks because I don't want that on my conscience. I'm taking my temperature three times a day, because that's the first sign of fever."

James told him: "Thank you for taking this so seriously. A lot of people I'm sure would say you're over-reacting.

"I would rather everyone takes it too seriously, rather than not seriously enough."