Quarantine hotels should be extended to communities
Proposed quarantine hotels for international travellers should be extended to communities to allow people to self-isolate when needed, the Scottish Greens have said.
The Scottish Government has been considering the use of hotels to boost self isolation numbers since the Scottish Greens first raised it last May, yet today confirmed they are seeking hotel provision for international visitors to allow them to quarantine on arrival.
Responding to the announcement by Deputy First Minister John Swinney, Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “Limiting the influx of the virus into the country is important, but so too is the effectiveness of the test and trace system. Quarantine hotels have been used successfully in other countries.
“But for months the Scottish Greens have been asking the Scottish Government to use our hotel capacity to help those who do not have the financial or practical resources to self-isolate. The Deputy First Minister acknowledges that most hotel rooms lie empty, so it’s not good enough to say they are still considering it nine months later. It’s time to use them to ensure as many people can self-isolate as possible and drive down the infection rate.”