The CEO of Heathrow has criticised the government’s current quarantine model, instead advocating for airport testing to avoid falling off the “cliff edge”.
In an interview with the BBC, John Holland-Kaye said that the recently reviewed guidance on travel to Spain indicated an alternative to the two-week quarantine was required. Holland-Kaye is willing to cooperate with the government in implementing the plan.
Culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, informed the BBC that as yet, there is no appropriate alternative to the two-week quarantine, noting that: "We are not at the point where there is a viable alternative to the 14-day quarantine.” He continued that all options were under review.
Under Holland-Kaye’s model, each passenger would be expected to pay the cost of the test, which currently sits at around £150 if conducted at the airport. While he acknowledged it was "not cheap", he noted that the sum would decrease over time as more people took one.
Holland-Kaye continued: "There are people who are worried about being able to go back to work or get the kids into school, there will be people who are prepared to pay that to avoid the extra period of quarantine."
For Holland-Kaye, the model he suggests would include “a test on arrival. We could have it up and running in the next two weeks, then we need to work with government to see what happens next."
He concluded: “If they were infected, we would be confident that it had shown itself. If it was clear, they would be allowed to go out of quarantine earlier than had been the case. It's very scientifically based."
At present, all visitors coming to the UK from Spain are required to quarantine for a two-week period under new government measures.
