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Scotland’s Covid travel ban extends to Manchester and Salford from today
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has slammed the decision as ‘hypocrisy’
As of today, June 21st, ‘non-essential’ travel to Scotland from Manchester and Salford is prohibited.
Announcing the ban on Friday, June 18th, the Scottish government stressed that their decision was made after ‘careful consideration.’
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stated: “I realise that for those with family or friends in Manchester or Salford, or anyone who was simply planning a visit, this is disappointing but rates of COVID are particularly high in these cities at the moment.”
PL Chadwick / Geograph
A government spokesman said Scottish rules on travel were ‘kept under active review’ and could ‘sometimes happen at short notice’ after receiving the latest data.
He added that Covid rates in Manchester and Salford were ‘particularly high at the moment and these restrictions are intended to minimise the risk of either exacerbating the situation there or indeed allowing more virus to come back here to Scotland.’
However, the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has expressed his frustration over the decision, confirming he’d written to Sturgeon to seek ‘compensation for the individuals who might lose holidays and the businesses who might lose bookings.’
Speaking on BBC News yesterday, Burnham slammed the decision as ‘hypocrisy,’ saying: “They’ve done to us exactly what they always complain that the UK government does to Scotland.
“Why should a couple from Salford who are double-jabbed who are about to go on a walking holiday in Scotland not be able to go? It’s completely disproportionate in my view.
“We could have come up with a different arrangement if the First Minister had been in touch with us.”
On Sunday, the UK recorded another 9,284 Covid cases – including 7,778 cases for England and 1,205 for Scotland – and a further six deaths within 28 days of a positive test.
Both nations have seen a rise in the the seven-day infection rate with the Scottish infection rate at 128 per 100,000 people and 86 per 100,000 people in England.