Source · Select Committees · Home Affairs Committee
Fifth Report: Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (coronavirus): management of the borders
Home Affairs Committee
HC 563
Published 5 August 2020
Government response
Sixth Special Report: Home Office preparedness for COVID-19 (coronavirus): management of the borders: Government Response to the Committee’s Fifth Report · published 13 Nov 2020
Recommendations & Conclusions
8
Conclusion
Deferred
Para 39
We recognise the difficulties faced by the Government in considering temperature checks, screening or testing...
Conclusion
We recognise the difficulties faced by the Government in considering temperature checks, screening or testing at the border, and we also recognise the limited UK testing capacity at that time. However, given the success of targeted COVID-19 testing on arrivals …
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Government Response Summary
The government explains why it has not endorsed testing at the border to avoid self-isolation, citing efficacy concerns, and states that various screening measures have been considered and discounted. However, it will continue to keep all measures under review and is working to consider future border testing options, including reducing self-isolation.
Home Office
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39
Recommendation
Deferred
Para 196
Greater clarity would also be helpful on the Government’s overall objectives for its border measures...
Recommendation
Greater clarity would also be helpful on the Government’s overall objectives for its border measures and travel corridors as part of their wider strategy against COVID-19, including how it is balancing public health and economic considerations. We heard significant warnings …
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Government Response Summary
The government explains the evolving scientific advice behind its past border measure decisions to balance public health and economic considerations. It states that a Global Travel Taskforce was created to consider future steps and will report in early November.
Home Office
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49
Recommendation
Deferred
Border quarantine restrictions are likely to remain in place for some time, particularly if there...
Recommendation
Border quarantine restrictions are likely to remain in place for some time, particularly if there is now emerging agreement that cases of COVID-19 could increase in the winter months. The UK’s approach to its borders will have to become more …
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Government Response Summary
The government has not endorsed widespread border testing due to concerns about false negatives and discounted other screening methods. However, it states that all measures remain under review and the Global Travel Taskforce is considering whether testing could form part of future border health measures, including reducing self-isolation days.
Home Office
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54
Recommendation
Deferred
Keeping measures in place while closely monitoring travel corridors and other exceptions will be important...
Recommendation
Keeping measures in place while closely monitoring travel corridors and other exceptions will be important to ensure that the UK does not reimport unmanageable levels of COVID-19. This is particularly important when there is doubt about the affordability—both economically, and …
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Government Response Summary
The government states it keeps its border measures under regular review, informed by public health information, and has created a Global Travel Taskforce on 7 October to consider the safe and sustainable recovery of international travel, with a report due in early November.
Home Office
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