Coronavirus: Heathrow boss says UK risks 'playing a game of quarantine roulette'

The CE of Heathrow airport said the UK government must urgently introduce a passenger testing regime or face playing a game of “quarantine roulette”. The renewed call for testing came as Heathrow reported a £1bn loss in the first half of the year after passenger numbers plummeted because of coronavirus. “Today’s results should serve as a clarion call for the government,” John Holland-Kaye said. “The UK needs a passenger testing regime and fast. Without it, Britain is just playing a game of quarantine roulette.” He added that other European countries were much further ahead in developing passenger testing regimes while the government’s inaction threatened the UK’s global economic position. “As many of our customers have experienced, it’s difficult to plan a holiday that way, let alone run a business,” he said. “Testing offers a way to safely open up travel and trade to some of the UK’s biggest markets which currently remain closed. Our European competitors are racing ahead with passenger testing; if the UK doesn’t act soon, global Britain will be nothing more than a campaign slogan.” Responding to the criticism, the culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said he understood Heathrow’s frustration. He said: “There’s not a silver bullet of just testing immediately at the border” because the virus can incubate over a period of time. <br/>