Coronavirus: DUP rejects call to quarantine travellers from GB

Sinn Féin's call for travellers from Great Britain to Northern Ireland to quarantine is a "non-starter", DUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill had said travellers from Great Britain should self-isolate for 14 days when they arrive in Northern Ireland.

Ministers were advised that GB-NI travellers posed the "greatest risk" of spreading the virus in NI, she said.

Sir Jeffrey rejected that and accused Sinn Féin of "playing politics".

"It is my understanding ministers have not been given medical or scientific advice to the effect that quarantine should be introduced for travellers from GB - no such recommendation has been made," he told the BBC's Talkback programme.

Earlier, Northern Ireland's Department of Health said there is "some increased risk" of Covid-19 from travellers arriving into Northern Ireland from places with more virus cases.

The department added that, to date, "very few travel-associated Covid cases" had been identified in Northern Ireland.

Speaking on Talkback, Sir Jeffrey said: "There is a far greater risk to populations along the border from people travelling back and forward every day from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland for work or social engagements, so we would have to look at that also if the deputy first minister is in the basis of pushing these issues.

"We clearly have a lot of visitors coming north of the border, there is a much higher risk there of the spread of infection, which is why I think Michelle O'Neill stood on a political landmine when she made this statement yesterday, I really don't think she thought this through at all."

He said the DUP would not support any such proposal to make GB-NI travellers quarantine and he said the medical and scientific advice did not support the move.

Ms O'Neill had said that Northern Ireland "can't become a backdoor for travellers entering into this island".

Asked on Monday if she will be asking the executive to impose quarantine on visitors coming from Britain, she said: "When we look at where is the greatest risk posed, the greatest risk that we have been told is from travellers coming from Britain.

"So the executive has to have a discussion about that issue and make a call on that. But certainly, it is my view that given that's where the greatest risk comes, then we need to act on that."

The Department of Health was asked about Ms O'Neill's comments by BBC News NI and whether it was considering the possibility of quarantine between Northern Ireland and other parts of the UK.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "There is some increased risk of Covid for any travellers coming to NI from any country or region where the virus is more common.

"All new cases of Covid identified in Northern Ireland are asked about their travel history in the last 14 days, and to date very few travel associated cases have been identified.

"Currently, no more than 1 in 2,300 travellers from England are likely to have Covid, meaning that the possibility of a traveller from England bringing the virus to Northern Ireland is very low in terms of absolute risk."

Earlier in July, the executive agreed changes to regulations allowing for people arriving from more than 50 countries to avoid the need to self-isolate for 14 days.

However, advice remains that people should not travel unless it is "essential".

And although there is free movement between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and for Irish nationals to travel to Great Britain, travellers from Great Britain to the Republic are still subject to restrictions.

First Minister Arlene Foster, however, said Northern Ireland is in a common travel area with the rest of the UK and "we'll respect that".

"It is important for business, for family life, for social life, for political life let's face it as well, that we continue to have the UK working together and making sure that we can have that travel across the United Kingdom," she said.

Speaking on BBC NI's Good Morning Ulster, Ulster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said there should be sensible regulations on travel across Great Britain and Ireland.

The risk posed by travellers from Great Britain into Northern Ireland was very low, he said, and he also did not believe in imposing controls with the Republic of Ireland.

Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney met the five main Stormont parties on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing Covid-19 response.

It is expected that the Irish cabinet will meet on Tuesday evening to approve its green list of countries that will be exempt from quarantine regulations.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ has reported that fewer than a dozen countries are expected to make the so called 'green' list of places that are safe to travel to, with Mr Coveney having previously said it was "unlikely" that Great Britain would make the list.