Recommendation 9

We asked DfT why government granted exemptions for one-off events such as Euro 2020, London Fashion Week and the COP 26 summit. It said that government had put in place bespoke measures to reduce the risk of transmission at these events. For example, it explained that COP 26 attendees had to take tests every day, wear face coverings when required and follow social distancing requirements. We asked whether there was a risk that people seeing groups such as footballers, fashionistas and the COP 26 attendees getting special treatment might undermine public confidence, and therefore compliance. DfT told us that Ministers had to take difficult decisions to get the right balance between protecting public health and maintaining the economy. It stated that most exemptions were made to ensure critical products such as food, medical products and vaccines could be imported.15 Supporting the travel industry