Hundreds have expressed their outrage at the transport minister’s announcement that only UK residents will be able to not quarantine when travelling from amber list countries.
On Thursday, Grant Shapps said: “Thanks to our successful vaccination programme, our intention is that later in the summer UK residents who are fully vaccinated will not have to isolate when travelling from amber list countries.
“We’ll set out further details next month.”
One Twitter user said the measure would be “completely unfair and near unethical not considering fully-vaccinated people who have families in other countries.”
She urged the government to make exceptions for special events and family reasons, adding: “Happened during the first lockdown but now that we’re fully vaccinated we can’t even do that?!”
Another user said: “Haven’t seen my immediate family in over 2 years!!! My entire family is fully vaxxed.
“We are getting desperate. This is not a beach holiday. Please consider separated families!”
“What you should be doing is allowing everyone who is double jabbed to be allowed to travel anywhere not on the red list without the need to quarantine from 19 July when all restrictions should be ending,” Gemma Gillespie said.
One person asked a lot of questions left unanswered by Shapps: “Why does it take a month to decide if FULLY VACCINATED citizens need to isolate? It’s a no brainer. Follow US EU lead and give us our freedom!
“When will we get the details, roadmap, dates and details of the UK/US taskforce set up in Cornwall? We’ve waited 16 months already!”
And another urged the government to give people an exact date for them to be able to plan, adding: In many cases, it’s a time sensitive issue. Families are kept apart because you don’t act.
“EU countries, USA and Canada have already exempted fully vaxxed from quarantine. Do it ASAP!”
Another person said if people are vaccinated, they should be allowed to travel without quarantine no matter where they live: “UK residents being able to avoid quarantine is an idiotic proposition. Why would only UK vaccinated people avoid quarantine? If you are vaccinated it does not matter what your residency is.
“Don’t they want tourists to spend money here? They just want furlough cash spent abroad?”
And Celia Glenn hinted at the fact that the government shouldn’t be expecting anyone to be grateful for the lifting of restrictions after Hancock and Cummings were amongst officials breaking Covid rules.
“Don’t expect people to be grateful you evil bunch of people.
“I think you’ve now realised we are not going to stand for this one rule for you and different one for us. The British government stinks,” she said.
And some pointed at medical “apartheid” and “discrimination” for lifting restrictions only for the fully-vaccinated.
Matt Carr said “The vaccine doesn’t prevent transmission or even catching this virus, it only lowers the effects the virus has on you. This is illegal surely??” whilst Andy Sherratt chipped in “I don’t remember your manifesto saying you would introduce medical apartheid.”
Related: Govt travel rules are just another xenophobic affront to our EU neighbours
EXCLUSIVE: Government refuses to say if EU travellers to UK will also benefit from ‘no quarantine’
