I’d suggest that the U.K. quarantine plan is noting more than another political diversionary tactic.
The fact is that U.K. nationals, and those departing from the U.K. are going to be some of the last to be permitted into very many other nations, unless they have residency there.
Why on earth would countries that have weathered the storm, many far more successfully than the U.K., actively risk importing infection again?
The notion of ‘air bridges’ is pure fantasy with regard to the U.K., again probably designed to distract. Many countries are setting them up, but none with the U.K.
The U.K. quarantine plan therefore appears to me to be designed to make it look like it’s the U.K. Government being ‘strong’ and ‘taking back control’, in the hope that folks won’t spot that vast numbers of other countries simply won’t let us in.
France has already reversed the plan (if there ever really was one) to not impose quarantine inbound from the U.K., and Greece is back-pedalling hard on its suggestion that British travellers will be welcome soon.
Australia and New Zealand have semi-officially said that it’ll be October at the earliest before U.K. arrivals are permitted.
Italy might be open to us a little sooner, but it’d have to maintain land border controls to stop us bleeding elsewhere in the Schengen Zone.
There’s no scientific evidence to support quarantine in a highly affected area post-outbreak; the Police have said that they can’t enforce it; the airlines have obviously made it clear that it’ll delay the resumption of their operations to anything like a comprehensive flying programme and as long as the FCO advises against all but essential travel, most holiday insurance won’t provide cover when travelling abroad.
To add to the challenge, for all the notions of ‘staycations’, there is simply not the board, lodging, transport, parking and numerous other service provisions in the U.K. to support a stay at home summer.
The U.K.’s current tourist hotel provision is largely centred on major cities, not coast and country. Unless folks want a fortnight in London or Edinburgh, they’re likely to be bang out of luck.
There aren’t going to be twelve carriage summertime specials to excursion platforms at the big resorts. Whitby will probably still only have two carriage DMUs four times a day.
Many large hotels in coastal locations were long since demolished or turned into flats. Many that remain are aimed at a largely older market, often arriving by coach. They do not have spas and leisure clubs and kids’ entertainment, etc., etc.
Last time I looked, there were only two officially-rated five star hotels on the entire coastline of Great Britain.
Unfortunately, we are being perceived as the sick man of Europe and I think that we’re therefore likely to see even more daft and diversionary proclamations from the U.K. government as the summer goes on.