Covid: Scotland's first international guests arrive with new quarantine rules in place

Most passengers will now have to pay £1,750 to quarantine in a room at one of six designated hotels across the country.

The DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Edinburgh Airport which is being used to quarantine passengers (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Arriving at Edinburgh Airport this morning with his eight-year-old daughter Kiernan, Chun Yong said he was happy to follow the rules.

The father-daughter pair had caught a connecting flight at Dublin from the USA.

He said: “I made it, I’m glad I’m here and whatever it takes to stay – I’m good.

“We’ve talked to (my daughter) about it already so it’s going to be a nice hotel stay – if anything we will get our feet settled here.

“I’m just glad that we’ve landed and just getting ready to get settled.

“Even though I’ve got my Covid-19 shots already (I’ll do) whatever it takes to make sure everybody is safe – I’m all for it.”

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He added he would spend his time in quarantine with his daughter playing Guess Who, Uno and maybe poker.

In England, the UK Government will only require hotel quarantine for visitors from a “red list” of 33 countries designated as high risk, meaning travellers arriving from elsewhere could avoid it by entering Scotland via England.

Visitors would still have to self-isolate for the 10-day period, but would not have to do so at one of the designated hotels due to a lack of agreement between Scottish and Westminster governments.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Monday that he is happy to discuss the matter with the Scottish Government.

Six hotels have been block-booked in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow, with up to 1,300 rooms available.

Three of the the hotels are near Edinburgh Airport, two close to Glasgow Airport and one near Aberdeen Airport.

Edinburgh airport had one international flight from Turkey on Monday (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Scottish Government guidance stipulates those subject to quarantine require a negative Covid-19 test no more than three days before travelling and to have booked at a room at a quarantine hotel in advance.

They will also have to submit a passenger locator form to the Home Office declaring which countries they have been to in the 10 days before arrival in the UK.

Airlines have been asked to check for these and they will also be checked by Border Force officers on arrival, who can issue fines of £480 for non-compliance.

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Security will then escort passengers to baggage reclaim and to pre-arranged transport to the quarantine hotel.

On arrival at the hotel, they will be given two home testing kits to be used on days two and eight of isolation.

These are covered by the cost as are three meals per day, fruit and soft drinks.

If they test positive at any point they will be required to stay in the hotel for 10 days after the test, at an additional charge starting at £152 daily for the first adult.

Speaking at today's coronavirus briefing, Nicola Sturgeon spoke about new travel rules.

The First Minister said: “It is of course up to every government to make their own judgment and take their own decisions. But at the moment anyone who lands at an airport elsewhere in the UK and then travels on to Scotland won’t be put into a hotel for managed isolation if their flight is from a destination outside the UK’s list of high-risk countries.”

Instead this group will be required to quarantine at home for 10 days after returning to Scotland, with two coronavirus tests.

Ms Sturgeon said: “The reason why we have decided to adopt stricter rules is because we think it is important to go as far as we can.”

But she stressed a common approach to travel restrictions across the four nations of the UK would be “preferable” as she said Scottish ministers would try to persuade the UK Government “to adopt more comprehensive measures”.