Angus Macneil MP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar is writing again to the Scottish Transport Secretary and Scotland’s First Minister seeking an exemption from quarantine for Oil & Gas workers and Seafarers returning to their homes in the UK.  He is also writing to the UK Government Transport Minister.

Commenting Mr MacNeil said

‘For quite sometime, I have been trying to get pre-travel testing for these workers close to their homes’ but the Governments have not been interested.  Now, all of a sudden, the Government want to impose 10 days managed isolation on them as they return home to the UK.

Surely we need to have a better approach than this particularly given they are usually working in ‘covid secure bubbles’ while away and have quarantined before they join the rig or ship and present no greater risk than workers coming off ships and rigs in our own waters. Indeed, many are coming from countries with a lower covid risk than Scotland or the UK.

This is a nightmare for these families – one of my constituents is now in a hotel in London till 28^th February having left home for a six week trip on 26^th December. The whole situation is shambolic with chaotic guidelines which even the Governments own agencies struggle to understand!

Hopefully this will be looked at quickly as these industries will struggle to function if current quarantine demands continue.’