,
Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, has written to the Home Secretary
calling for Thailand and Vietnam to be urgently added to the
travel Red List.
New research released by Public Health England shows that the
C.36.3 variant linked to Thailand was designated a Variant Under
Investigation on 24 May 2021. 117 cases have been identified in
the U.K., with over 37% of cases originating from travellers in
to the U.K.
Vietnam is also experiencing a significant rises in cases,
potentially as a result of a new variant.
Labour has repeatedly called for the Ambers List to be scrapped,
and, if the Government refuses to do that, calls at the very
least for Thailand and Vietnam to be added to the Red List.
,
Shadow Home Secretary, commenting, said:
“There is a terrible sense of déjà vu witnessing yet more
variants reach the U.K. Outbreaks of the variant first discovered
in Thailand is in addition to those of Brazil, South Africa and
India.
“It beggars belief that Conservative Ministers opened up an
ambiguous ‘Amber List’, causing mass confusion and allowing
thousands of people to travel to the UK from countries, including
Thailand and Vietnam, with rising Covid numbers. They have
recklessly opened the door to new variants and learned nothing
from the crisis, putting at risk the 21 June reopening.
“The U.K. Government must add all countries on the Amber List to
the Red List. Failing that, they should at the very least add
Thailand and Vietnam to the Red List immediately.”
Ends
[Full Text of Letter]
Home Secretary Letter
Dear Priti
I write in relation to the worrying news that there have been
over 100 cases in the U.K. of C.36.3. variant, first discovered
in Thailand.
This is yet more evidence that U.K. border protections the
Government has introduced are woefully and dangerously
inadequate.
The utter failure to guard against the Indian variant should have
stood as a clear warning of the damage caused by lax border
measures. You will remember I have called repeatedly for a
comprehensive hotel quarantine system. Yet not only did you fail
to introduce this, the Government also disastrously waited weeks
to add India to the Red List, which resulted in the virus
reaching the U.K. in significant numbers. As a result, we now see
the ‘Delta’ variant is the dominant strain in the UK and is
threatening hopes of further lifting restrictions in England on
21 June.
New data from Public Health England, published on 3 June, shows
there are a significant number of cases of the C.36.3. variant in
the U.K., with over 37% of cases originating from travellers
arriving into the U.K.
This yet again shows the Amber List system does not work in
preventing strains from overseas reaching the U.K. and it is
reckless to continue with this policy.
As a result, I again call on you to suspend the Amber List
system, which is putting the U.K. at risk of further variants and
repeating the mistakes with the variant first discovered in
India. All those counties on the Amber List should be moved
immediately to the Red List.
At the very least, the UK Government must act urgently and move
Thailand to the existing Red List, as well as Vietnam, which is
also experiencing a significant rise in cases, potentially as a
result of a new variant.
It is beyond reckless that countries with worrying Covid variants
and rising case numbers were not added to the Red List on
Thursday 3 June, at the very least.
It is imperative that lessons are learned from past failing and
urgent action is taken.
I look forward to your urgent reply.
Yours sincerely,
Rt Hon
Shadow Secretary of State for the Home Department
