Nicola Sturgeon has warned that the UK Government’s looming restrictions on international travel do not go far enough as she urged Scots not to book holidays.
The First Minister declined to say what Boris Johnson’s Government would announce today, but insisted her Government is prepared to go further.
She said the UK plan was "minimal", adding that it was the "least" that can be done.
A hotel quarantine system aimed at arrivals from high-risk countries is expected to be announced soon by the home secretary, Priti Patel.
Johnson reportedly rejected calls for a blanket policy and is instead believed to support a targeted system for a limited number of countries such as South Africa and Brazil.
Critics believe the policy does not go far enough.
At her media conference, Sturgeon said travel restrictions will be a “key way” to suppress infections, and said more should have been done on the issue last year.
Sturgeon said a “comprehensive” system of supervised quarantine is required for the next stage of the pandemic.
She said she had been briefed on the UK Government’s announcement, adding that she would not pre-empt what was going to be said:
“I think I do have a duty, at this point, to say that I am concerned the proposal does not go far enough. And I have made that point very strongly.”
She said the Scottish Government would initially “emulate” the UK Government’s steps, but also urged them to go “much further”.
Sturgeon said her preference is to have “consistent” quarantine rules across the UK, adding that they would consider additional measures next week.
She said: “No one should be travelling overseas right now, unless for absolutely essential purposes. And I’m afraid you should not at this stage be booking holidays overseas.”
Speaking generally, she said New Zealand’s travel restrictions would be in place for much of the year.
