TRAVEL quarantine rules will not be changed in Scotland to exempt high-value business travellers, sports stars and performing arts professionals, the deputy first minister has confirmed.
UK Government Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced yesterday evening that these travellers, as well as journalists and TV production staff, will no longer have to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival into England from 4am tomorrow.
The exemptions are subject to specific criteria being met, including that the trips create or preserve at least 50 UK jobs.
Speaking this afternoon, John Swinney said Scotland will not be following suit.
READ MORE: 'High-value' travellers to be made exempt from English quarantine rules
He told the Scottish Government’s coronavirus briefing: “As you may be aware, the UK Government last night announced a number of changes to the quarantine rules in England.
“Those changes exempt certain categories of people working in certain sectors from the requirement to self-isolate.
“I want to emphasise that these are changes that apply only in England and that they do not apply here in Scotland.
“The quarantine requirements in this country are unchanged.
“Anyone travelling to Scotland from a place that is not on the exemption list will be required to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return.”
The deputy FM also announced another 41 deaths of coronavirus patients and 966 positive cases have been recorded north of the border in the past 24 hours.
He said there are no changes to the destinations on quarantine exemption list this week.
He urged people to avoid unnecessary overseas travel and said the Scottish Government will assess the need for “any further sectoral exemptions” at its next review of the international travel regulations, due to be completed by December 14.
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