An Edinburgh MP is calling on the UK Government to introduce border health checks and quarantine measures in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Joanna Cherry, SNP's justice and home affairs spokeswoman, is calling on Home Secretary Priti Patel to introduce urgent "border assessment centres" as the UK death toll soars above 18,000 - including 1,062 Scottish patients.
In an open letter, Ms Cherry urges the Home Secretary to bring UK border controls into line with other countries as the Government looks towards contract tracing with a new NHS app in development to get the virus under control.
She writes: "I am suggesting that it would be appropriate to include some health checks at airports and other points of entry to the UK for those arriving from abroad.
"I would like to propose that COVID-19 assessment points are set up after Border Control, with health checks, including virus testing, and instructions and advice for quarantine as a condition for admission to the UK.
"I fully accept that health checks, even testing, would not catch every case of the virus that comes into the UK before communication.
"However, given the rate of transmission of this virus, any significant interruption of the chain of transmission would be worthwhile."
It is understood over 260,000 passengers continue to arrive in the UK on a weekly basis, while The Herald revealed that more than 8000 visitors a week are continuing to arrive in Scotland without health checks.
Although, as reported by Edinburgh Live, just 16 flights took off from Edinburgh Airport last week - which is drastic a 97% drop in take-offs.
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