SCOTLAND’S Transport Secretary has accused the UK Government of creating a “reckless” loophole to quarantine hotel rules – warning the move could “compromise our vaccination programme” by leaving the door open to mutant strains of the virus.

The Scottish Government has launched an investigation after arrivals from the United States were “wrongly advised” to quarantine in a hotel after a loophole in new rules after the travellers landed via a connection flight from Dublin.

People flying directly into a Scottish airport on international flights have to self-isolate for 10 days in a quarantine hotel room, under new regulations taking effect on Monday.

Unless exempt, a passenger will have to pay £1,750 to quarantine in a room at one of six designated hotels in a bid to avoid importation of the virus.

But 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.

The Scottish Government’s Transport Secretary, Michael Matheson, said his administration’s strategy “is based on expert advice from Sage on the need for a comprehensive approach”.

He added: “While we recognise that a four-nations approach would be preferable, the partial approach as opted by the UK Government risks allowing new variants to enter the country.”

READ MORE: Investigation after US arrivals 'wrongly advised' to quarantine

Mr Matheson said Scottish ministers “will continue to press the UK Government” for the plans south of the border to mirror what has been rolled out in Scotland, stressing he would “again urge UK ministers to work with us” and adopt the same approach that he claimed is “designed to safeguard communities”.

Scottish Labour transport spokesperson, Colin Smyth, pointed to the “predictable loophole” that has emerged and asked Mr Matheson to set out when the Scottish Government asked their Westminster counterparts “for that loophole to be closed”.

Mr Smyth said the Scottish Government “don’t rule out the Scotland-England border” in order to stop mutated strains being imported if quarantine rules cannot be tightened up across the UK and Ireland.

He warned Mr Matheson that “given that there are 22 roads and two railways that cross the border and every day, thousands of people travel mainly from south Scotland to the north of England and back for work, for healthcare, for education”, asking the minister “how an already-overstretched police could enforce the closure of the border to try to stop someone who landed at Manchester Airport – without stopping everyone carrying out legitimate essential travel”.

Mr Matheson told MSPs that he, Health Secretary Jeane Freeman and the First Minister discussed the matter last week with the UK Government – pressing the need “to make sure that robust action was taken to ensure a comprehensive system of hotel quarantines was introduced across the whole of the UK”.

READ MORE: Covid Scotland: International travellers to leave quarantine hotel after one night due to 'loophole error'

He said: “In failing to do so, the UK Government following the reckless approach which they are implementing, risks leaving loopholes for people to circumvent the comprehensive system that we’ve introduced here in Scotland.

“Today, I’ still waiting for a formal response from the UK Government on that request. We will continue to press them on this matter in order to try and address this issue of the loophole that they have created by the approach they are taking.”

Mr Matheson added: “No-one should be in any doubt that the most effective way is a comprehensive quarantine system. That’s why we are looking at other options to try and address this particular issue if the UK Government don’t move in the direction of that clinical advice.

“We are looking at all options to make sure that we minimise the potential risk of introduction of new variants of Covid-19 into Scotland that could compromise our vaccination programme.”

Mr Smyth has claimed the Scottish Government’s quarantine system has been “ill thought-out”.

He added: “The SNP claimed all passengers arriving in Scotland would need to quarantine, but those travelling via English airports or arriving in Ireland before jumping on a flight to Scotland, won’t be required to quarantine in managed hotels.

“It has taken the SNP almost a year to acknowledge the vital role airport testing and proper quarantining could play in reducing Covid transmission, but they’ve still cobbled together a travel policy that is unworkable, riddled with errors and has led to confusion.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: "It's right to take tough measures to stop new strains being imported from abroad but a screw up of this magnitude on day one will seriously risk public trust in this system.

"Tough talk is no use if it is impossible to deliver results. It's ridiculous for the Government to claim that they want travellers from all countries to quarantine when there are so many loopholes built into the system.

"The Transport Secretary must ensure that these opening day jitters are not repeated. In a system already full of exemptions and contradictions, it's imperative that travellers are correctly identified and appropriately directed."