The decision back in the summer on 25th July to impose quarantine on the whole of Spain, despite the much lower rates in the Canaries, was a shock and unjustified. But last night’s decision by the UK government to remove the Canary Islands from its travel corridor list really is beyond belief.
At 17:00 each Thursday the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps informs the nation which countries and islands are on the good list and which are on the naughty list. In adopting a more sensible island approach, the government was able to remove the requirement to quarantine on return to the UK from the Canaries in October (coming in to place on 24th October). Now, as of 12th December, arrivals will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days (now 10 days). However, in England you are able to shorten that isolation with a negative coronavirus test (the cheap, rapid ones are included) on the 5th day as part of the new ‘test to release’ scheme.
Are the rates in the Canaries alarming?
No. The rates over the last 7 days per 100,000 are:
Lanzarote: 25
Fuerteventura: 15.4
Gran Canaria: 16.2
Tenerife: 99
La Palma: 7.3
La Gomera: 14
El Hierro: 0
Compare that to the UK;
England: 153
Scotland: 100.6
Wales: 340.5
Northern Ireland: 159.4
If you absolutely insisted, you could perhaps make a case for Tenerife being removed from the safe list. Even so, it’s demonstrably safer than much of the UK. You have to assume that’s why the decision has been made.
What I find particularly frustrating is that the Department for Transport have used an individual island approach for the Greek islands, yet for the Canaries they haven’t. Currently, for example, Corfu is on the travel corridor list. Yet, Mykonos isn’t. Throughout much of September and October there was a lot of chopping and changing on the status of the Greek islands.
Imagine heading home this weekend from a week’s stay in a private villa in Lanzarote and returning to your home in Swale in Kent, where the current rate is 968 per 100,000. That’s nearly 1 in 100 residents in that area that currently have coronavirus. Also, don't forget the fact that you will have had a negative Covid-19 test in order to fly to Lanzarote. Frankly, you would have done yourself and your neighbours a favour taking yourself out of the circulation of the Swale population. Nevertheless, on arrival back in the UK you would be asked to quarantine. You have to wonder how many people will actually comply with this nonsense.
Is quarantine keeping the UK population safe?
Really, is the requirement for many travellers to self-isolate having much of an impact? Well, now the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) have both said it’s pointless. All it does is destroy an already troubled travel industry.
The joint report by the two bodies says “the prevalence of the new coronavirus among travellers is estimated to be lower than is the case for the general population.” Given the fact that the epidemiological situation is pretty similar across the major European countries (perhaps it is different for isolated islands like the Canaries, however), travelling from Amsterdam to London is only like travelling from Manchester to Birmingham. The ECDC and EASA says “imported cases account for a very small proportion of all detected cases and are unlikely to significantly increase the rate of transmission” and that “Travellers should not be considered as a high-risk population, nor treated as contacts of Covid-19 cases, unless they had been in known contact with a confirmed positive case.”
Given this, the quarantine rules in place for returning passengers are as effective as asking a random sample of the UK population walking the streets to isolate. It would be treated with ridicule. Now, we must regard the measures for travellers in the same light.
Can we still go?
Yes! The borders are open, you must still comply with the entry requirements regarding a negative test and a health form. But, on the Canarian side, nothing changes following the UK decision.
If you can, you should absolutely still travel. The Islands are desperate for visitors and have worked hard to make a safe environment for responsible tourism. Luckily, the quarantine in the UK is now only 5 days with a negative test. The festive season promises to be a great time to visit. You really can warm up your winter with the longer days, sandy beaches and the many open bars and restaurants.
Ryanair and easyJet will likely still fly a healthy schedule to the island. They have same fantastically priced flights at the moment.
Search for a holiday rental here.
What can we do about the crazy judgement?
If you are a UK resident, you should write to your Member of Parliament.
Also, consider writing to the Department for Transport (the Whitehall department responsible for the travel corridors policy).
The glimmer of light the previous situation offered UK-based travel companies like Jet2 and Tui, as well as the many thousands of small agents, across a bleak winter was enormous. Now, those travel companies will continue to bleed cash and very good jobs.