Heathrow’s Holland-Kaye wants internationally agreed infection screening measures at airports

The Daily Mail reports that Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye has written to Matt Hancock, wanting an internationally agreed standard of measures to check passengers for Covid infection.  Holland-Kaye has asked Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, for mass screening at airports to combat Covid. He wants an internationally agreed standard of measures, including antibody tests and a requirement that all passengers carry health passports proving they are medically fit – so he can get the  airport working and making money again soon.  At present, about 10,000 people are arriving per day through Heathrow. Some are from countries with a lot of Covid and  might be carrying the virus. The UK has a far more lax attitude to people arriving by air than many other countries. All there is for passengers arriving at UK airports is they are handed information leaflets and told to self-isolate for 14 days after landing – although officials admit they have no way of enforcing this. Passengers may leave the airport on public transport. The failure to insist on proper quarantine threatens the health of the nation and makes a mockery of the lockdown conditions imposed on the rest of Britain. The UK is an outlier in its open borders, no quarantine policy.
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Heathrow boss demands mass coronavirus screenings at British airports, including temperature checks, antibody tests and mandatory ‘health passports’

Heathrow chief executive John Holland-Kaye has written to Matt Hancock. 
Wants an internationally agreed standard of measures to check passengers. 
Mr Holland-Kaye will tell Mr Hancock that airports are coming in for unfair criticism over the Government’s decision not to test.

By TOM PAYNE,  TRANSPORT CORRESPONDENT FOR THE DAILY MAIL

23 April 2020

The boss of Heathrow is urging ministers to introduce mass screening at airports, the Daily Mail can reveal.

In a major intervention, chief executive John Holland-Kaye is writing to Health Secretary Matt Hancock to demand stringent regulations to combat coronavirus.

The airport’s bosses want an internationally agreed standard of measures, which could include temperature checks, antibody tests and a requirement that all passengers carry health passports proving they are medically fit.

They also want Public Health England (PHE) to release data proving the Government’s claims that temperature screening is ineffective.

The airport’s boss John Holland-Kaye (left) has written to the Health Secretary Matt Hancock (right) to demand stringent regulations to combat coronavirus

The demand for action from the head of Britain’s biggest airport comes amid mounting anger over the total lack of checks and tests at the nation’s airports – decried by one senior industry figure as a ‘disaster’.

Officials believe about 15,000 passengers are arriving unchecked into the UK every day, including 10,000 at Heathrow.

Incredibly, not a single traveller is being checked for signs of coronavirus – even though thousands are arriving from virus-ravaged countries such as China, Italy and Iran.

Britain’s approach is in stark contrast to other nations which have either closed their borders entirely, or introduced stringent checks on arriving passengers.

These include measures such as mass temperature screening and mandatory quarantining.

In the UK, temperature checks have not been introduced after PHE said they were ‘ineffective’ against a virus that can have an incubation period of up to 14 days.

Experts said entry screening would detect only a small number of cases and the decision not to test was made by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Instead, under a system of ‘enhanced monitoring’ passengers are handed information leaflets and told to self-isolate for 14 days after landing – although officials admit they have no way of enforcing this.

Critics say the decision not to limit arrivals and check passengers threatens the health of the nation and makes a mockery of the lockdown conditions imposed on the rest of Britain.

Last night the powerful transport select committee confirmed plans to investigate the policy on airport testing.

Mr Holland-Kaye will tell Mr Hancock that airports are coming in for unfair criticism over the Government’s decision not to test.

He has called for an international standard of screening to revive confidence in air travel once the pandemic is over, which could include permanent social distancing as well as temperature and antibody tests at British airports.

Other airport bosses have said the absence of checks is creating a false impression that Britain’s airports are more dangerous than others, and warn it could have a long-term impact on passenger numbers.

Public health experts also questioned the Government’s approach.

Professor Gabriel Scally, of the Royal Society of Medicine, told the Financial Times: ‘The UK is an outlier.

‘It is very hard to understand why it persists in having this open borders policy. It is most peculiar.’

A source at the Department for Transport told the Mail: ‘Our initial instinct was ‘oh my God, we should be testing everybody because who knows what they could be bringing in’.

‘At the same time, we were being told that airport testing was probably the least effective way of controlling the arrival of the virus.
‘In the end, we decided to ask airlines to carry out checks on pas before they depart to the UK.

‘This was a bit hit and miss. We could only regulate UK airlines at UK airports, so we had no way of making sure checks were being carried out in places like China.’

PHE said: ‘The decision not to introduce temperature screening was based on the best scientific evidence.’

The Airport Operators Association added: ‘UK airports are following current guidelines on screening of passengers… Should the views of experts change and guidance updated, airports will follow that advice.’

Matt Hancock reveals massive plan to ‘test, track and trace’ coronavirus victims as prelude to ending lock-down and reveals ANY ‘essential worker’ will be able to get a swab test from TOMORROW

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/coronavirus/article-8251283/Heathrow-boss-demands-ministers-push-mass-testing-airports.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490