Sturgeon won't shy away from quarantine on English visitors

Nicola Sturgeon said she will not shy away from taking a decision to impose quarantine on English visitors to Scotland, but neither will it be a decision she takes lightly.

Asked about the possibility of self-isolation for visitors from south of the border, the First Minister said the UK nations need to work together on outbreak management in a way that “mitigates against having to put any border restrictions in place”.

“This is not about saying to people in England you are not welcome in Scotland – of course people in England are welcome in Scotland,” she said.

“This is not about politics, it’s not about a constitutional agenda, it’s just about taking decisions to protect people in Scotland as much as possible from Covid.”

Speaking on the BBC on Sunday, Sturgeon said she would like to see the UK Government be more explicit that it was trying to get to levels of coronavirus that were “virtually elimination levels”.

“We need to be sure that any outbreaks in England are being properly managed just as England will want to be sure that any outbreaks in Scotland are properly managed,” she said.

“It’s when there isn’t that confidence that the concerns about possible importation would grow.”