Scots returning home from the Czech Republic and Jamaica will be required to quarantine when new rules come into force early on Saturday, the Justice Secretary announced.
Humza Yousaf announced the latest changes to travel regulations, as MSPs demanded answers from him over how many reports have been made to Police Scotland in relation to “quarantine issues”.
MSPs on Holyrood’s Health Committee are also keen to find out how many Scots who are in quarantine have gone on to develop Covid-19 symptoms and test positive for the virus, and which countries they visited.
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In a letter to the Justice Secretary, committee convener Lewis Macdonald said they would also “urge further consideration” of a regional approach to quarantine being developed and would “welcome further detail on how that could be achieved”.
The committee has given Mr Yousaf a week to respond, asking for a reply from him by September 3.
The letter came as Mr Yousaf announced that from 4am on Saturday, travellers returning from the Czech Republic and Jamaica will be required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Meanwhile, Cuba is to be added to the list of destinations where travellers are exempt from quarantine requirements.
Announcing the changes, the Justice Secretary said: “It is important to remember that we remain in the midst of a global pandemic and the situation in many countries can change suddenly.
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“With Scotland’s relatively low infection rate, importation of new cases from abroad remains a significant risk to public health.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation in all parts of the world and base the decision we make on the scientific evidence available.”
He added: “Regular discussions continue to be held with the other three governments in the UK.
“Requiring travellers arriving from a non-exempt country to quarantine for 14 days on arrival is vital to helping prevent transmission of the virus and to suppress it.”
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