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Coronavirus: No quarantine checks carried out on passengers arriving in Scotland Coronavirus: No quarantine checks carried out on passengers arriving in Scotland
(32 minutes later)
Officials have carried out no quarantine checks on visitors arriving in Scotland from overseas, the Scottish health secretary has admitted.Officials have carried out no quarantine checks on visitors arriving in Scotland from overseas, the Scottish health secretary has admitted.
Jeane Freeman said they were unable to check whether passengers were sticking to the rules because they did not have access to passenger details. Jeane Freeman said staff did not have security clearance to access passenger details so they were unable to check arrivals were sticking to the rules.
Staff in Scotland did not have security clearance to access the UK government's system containing details of arrivals. However she added that the security checks were now complete and passenger checks would begin this week.
Quarantine measures have been in place for four weeks. The quarantine measures have been in place for four weeks.
Under the rules introduced on 8 June to prevent the spread of coronavirus, anyone entering Scotland from abroad must isolate for two weeks or face a £480 fine.Under the rules introduced on 8 June to prevent the spread of coronavirus, anyone entering Scotland from abroad must isolate for two weeks or face a £480 fine.
Speaking to the BBC's Politics Scotland, Ms Freeman explained that Public Health Scotland officials had to get security clearance to access the UK government's Home Office system which holds data on people arriving in the UK. Speaking to the BBC's Politics Scotland, Ms Freeman explained that Public Health Scotland officials needed access to the UK government's Home Office system which holds information about new arrivals.
She said that the problem, which was first reported in The Sunday Post, had been resolved and the security checks were now complete.
The health secretary said the quarantine checks on arrivals would begin this week.
"Our officials had to get that necessary security clearance in order to be able to access that data that then allows the follow up calls to be made," she said."Our officials had to get that necessary security clearance in order to be able to access that data that then allows the follow up calls to be made," she said.
"That's now thankfully resolved and those calls begin this week", she said. "That's now thankfully resolved and those calls begin this week."
There was no exact date yet for when the calls would begin but she said it would "definitely [be] this week".There was no exact date yet for when the calls would begin but she said it would "definitely [be] this week".
Asked whether Scotland was the only part of the UK where no checks had been made, Ms Freeman responded: "I don't know about Northern Ireland or Wales. Asked whether Scotland was the only part of the UK where no checks had been made Ms Freeman responded: "I don't know about Northern Ireland or Wales.
"I know Public Health England have been able to do that, but they are part of the Home Office system. We were not part of the Home Office system.""I know Public Health England have been able to do that, but they are part of the Home Office system. We were not part of the Home Office system."
The issue was first reported in The Sunday Post.
Holiday lockdownsHoliday lockdowns
The health secretary was also asked whether holiday-makers would be quarantined if there was a local outbreak while they were away from home.The health secretary was also asked whether holiday-makers would be quarantined if there was a local outbreak while they were away from home.
She said: "It depends on what our infection prevention people tell us is the right things to do."She said: "It depends on what our infection prevention people tell us is the right things to do."
Ms Freeman cited the example of Dumfries and Galloway, where a cluster has led the Scottish government to ask those who live in certain areas - identified by their postcode - not to travel further than five miles.Ms Freeman cited the example of Dumfries and Galloway, where a cluster has led the Scottish government to ask those who live in certain areas - identified by their postcode - not to travel further than five miles.
The Scottish Conservative leader, Jackson Carlaw, said the lack of quarantine checks were the "latest testing and checking failure".The Scottish Conservative leader, Jackson Carlaw, said the lack of quarantine checks were the "latest testing and checking failure".
He added: "We will not be able to exit lockdown safely until the SNP gets its act together on testing. From care homes to NHS workers, the whole testing scheme has been a mess."He added: "We will not be able to exit lockdown safely until the SNP gets its act together on testing. From care homes to NHS workers, the whole testing scheme has been a mess."
The Scottish Liberal Democrats' health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton urged the political parties leading Scotland and the UK to "take a hard look at themselves and do better".The Scottish Liberal Democrats' health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton urged the political parties leading Scotland and the UK to "take a hard look at themselves and do better".
"The shoddy and deteriorating relationship between the SNP and Conservatives is becoming an issue that is endangering our health and the control of this virus," he added:"The shoddy and deteriorating relationship between the SNP and Conservatives is becoming an issue that is endangering our health and the control of this virus," he added: