Jim McMahon MP, Labour’s Shadow Transport Secretary, commenting on the news the UK is to bring in a 14-day air passenger quarantine, said:

“The Government needs to work closely with airlines, airport operators and Border Force to implement practical solutions to stop the spread of this virus. Ill-thought through proposals will fail as soon as they are rolled out, leaving the country back in a precarious situation.

“This sort of policy should have been worked through weeks ago. It’s systematic of a Government that was too slow to enter the lockdown, too slow to get vital protective equipment to NHS, social care and other key workers, and too slow on testing and tracing to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

“It will take a long time to recover from the impact of the virus. The Government must come up with a comprehensive financial support package for the aviation sector and its supply chain which supports almost a quarter of a million jobs.”