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CRACKDOWN TO FIGHT NEW COVID STRAIN

As 2 infected in UK by variant, Scots hit by strict measures

By Georgia Edkins and Ian Gallagher

SCOTS last night faced a travel crackdown and heightened testing as Ministers unveiled plans to fight the new Covid Omicron variant.

Tens of thousands of winter holidays will be affected as those returning from anywhere in the world must take PCR tests and self-isolate until receiving a negative result.

Last night, as it emerged that one of the two people infected in the UK was double jabbed, scientists at Porton Down, the UK’s top-secret germ warfare laboratory, were urgently studying swabs from the two cases to determine how the ‘super mutant’ strain reacts to vaccines.

In another significant development, it was announced that anyone in contact with someone infected must self-isolate for ten days regardless of their vaccination status.

Outlined by Boris Johnson at a press conference yesterday, the new rules – set to be in place for at least three weeks – were met with dismay by the travel industry, with one chief executive saying it was the ‘worst Christmas present ever’.

Further details, including when the measures will come into force, are expected to be revealed by

Ministers today. It is understood that Scotland will impose similar restrictions.

Last night, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that ‘we all have a part to play in beating this new threat’.

In other developments:

■ Arrivals in the UK must take a PCR test, then self-isolate until they provide a negative test, likely to be in three days;

■ The two UK cases – in Nottingham and Brentwood, Essex – are linked, with both people having recently returned from southern Africa. The race was on last night to trace their contacts;

■ Masks must be worn on all public transport in England, but there are no plans to extend restrictions to pubs, restaurants or cinemas. In Scotland, masks are already worn on public transport and in shops;

■ Officials added four more southern African countries – Angola, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia – to the red list, taking the total to ten. South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe and Eswatini – formerly Swaziland – were red-listed on Friday.

Mr Johnson offered something of an apology to travellers for the new test and isolation entry requirements, saying: ‘I’m afraid that is just the way it’s got to be.’ He described the rules on masks and border controls as ‘targeted and proportionate measures’ and said they were needed to give scientists time to understand how transmissible the Omicron variant was, and how much it might evade vaccine protection.

He said: ‘First, we need to slow down the seeding of this variant in our country. We need to buy time for our scientists to understand exactly what we are dealing with, and for us to get more people vaccinated and to get more people boosted, as well as to help our NHS prepare in what is an already challenging winter.’

Scots Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said that Scotland would follow England’s lead on introducing stricter testing protocols for travel.

He added that people should act as if the new Covid variant is ‘already here’.

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, said tour operators, travel agents and airlines are ‘deeply concerned’ by the new travel bans, which threaten the industry’s fragile recovery.

He said: ‘Just as we thought we’d moved on, the industry has the worst Christmas present ever. Ministers have left consumers in utter limbo because why would you take the risk of booking holidays knowing the Government could put in place more restrictions? This leaves the industry teetering on a cliff-edge again.’

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said it will be three weeks before the Government reviews the travel curbs.

Meanwhile, a UK Government drive to avert a winter Covid crisis sparked a row after civil servants blocked the use of the term Christmas for fear of offending minority religions. As part of the attempt to suppress a winter spike, Ministers are preparing a publicity blitz telling students not to ‘take home Covid for Christmas’ by taking tests before going back to their families.

But the campaign, to run between December 3 and 17, is being held up by the Cabinet Office on the grounds that it is not ‘inclusive’ enough.

Last night, a Muslim Tory MP blamed ‘the Blob’ – the disparaging name used by Ministers to describe obstructive, ‘woke’ Whitehall officials.

The row centres on plans to use ‘social media influencer’ activity, through sites such as TikTok, to urge the 1.2 million students travelling home at the end of the term to take tests.

The original plan to use the

‘We must slow down the variant seeding’ ‘Stop waging war on Christmas’

slogan ‘don’t take Covid home for Christmas’ was vetoed by the Cabinet Office, known as ‘the engine room’ of Whitehall.

In an email sent on Thursday, an official wrote: ‘We have been advised by Cabinet Office that we should not use the word Christmas as some religions don’t celebrate Christmas.

‘We’ve gone with “Don’t take Covid home for the holidays” as it links to school and university Christmas holidays.’

Last night Saqib Bhatti, the Tory MP for Meriden, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘As a Muslim, I find it ridiculous we can’t enjoy this special time of year.

‘The idea you can’t mention Christmas is completely ridiculous. The Blob needs to stop waging war on Christmas and get on with delivering for the British people.’

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