Britain belatedly beefs up its borders
With new variants worrying ministers and gaps remaining, stronger restrictions may arrive soon
THROUGHOUT THE covid-19 pandemic, Britain has had some of the loosest travel restrictions in the rich world. It was slow to introduce quarantine, and offered exemptions both to countries with low rates of the virus and to a wide range of travellers (including journalists and executives on business trips). Jeremy Hunt, a former foreign and health secretary, thinks this reflects the national self-image: “It is painful for a country like Britain, which sees its entire economic success as being one of the most international Western economies, to do any restrictions.”
This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Papers, please”
Britain January 23rd 2021
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