Race against time to get out of Dubai
Influencers sunning themselves in Gulf state caught out by ban on return flights that comes in today
MODELS and social media influencers were among thousands of British travellers facing a race home last night to avoid being stranded in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
It came after ministers added the United Arab Emirates to the so-called red list of countries from where travel to the UK is prohibited.
They acted following evidence that the more infectious South African strain of Covid-19 had been detected there.
The ban on direct inbound passenger flights from the UAE to Britain into comes into effect at 1pm today.
Up to 10,000 UK residents are thought to be in the country, which is popular with wealthy winter sun-seekers for its luxurious hotels and beaches.
Scores of social media influencers and millionaires have flocked there recently.
Ministers announced the move at 5pm yesterday, giving holidaymakers less than 24 hours to scramble for tickets on the handful of direct flights scheduled to arrive in the UK before the deadline. Britons will
‘No travel to boost Instagram profile’
still be allowed to come back on indirect flights. Business trips to the UAE will no longer be considered essential.
Thanks to other rules introduced on Wednesday, adding UAE to the red list means Britons returning from there face having to quarantine in airport hotels for ten days. It was still unclear yesterday when this will come into force, but officials are thought to be considering the week beginning February 8.
Arrivals from countries not on the red list will still be required to quarantine, but at home instead.
In addition to the ban on direct flights that comes in from 1pm, another set of restrictions came into force today from 4am.
UK residents must self-isolate at home with all members of their household for ten days if they return from the UAE, and non-UK residents are banned from entering Britain if they have been in the UAE within ten days.
The latter does not apply to British, Irish and foreign nationals with UK residence rights.
Former Geordie Shore star Chloe Ferry, 25, is among the scores of influencers who have flocked to
Dubai in recent weeks. Others include Sophia Peschisolido, 23, the daughter of Tory peer Karren Brady, who posted Instagram snaps of herself in Dubai.
Love Island stars such as Laura Anderson, who has since flown back, were also among those to jet off to the Gulf state before the third national lockdown began. One influencer caused fury this week by claiming to be there as an essential worker.
Sheridan Mordew, 24, who has been in Dubai since the start of January, said she was there for an ‘essential work trip’ to provide sunny content for fans in lockdown and ‘motivate them’. Home Secretary Priti Patel criticised influencers in the Commons on Wednesday as she unveiled the measures for quarantine hotels.
She blasted them for setting a bad example by holidaying in the sun when Britons have been told to stay at home.
The UAE joined the existing red list of 30 countries – mainly in South America and southern
Africa – along with Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa.
It could have a much wider impact for British travellers returning from further afield because Abu Dhabi and Dubai are also major international transit hubs. Thousands more planning to travel back from Asia and Australasia will now see onward flights axed.
Asked yesterday what now constitutes essential travel, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘I think if it’s an essential humanitarian reason, if there is a powerful business reason, we can look at specific case by case reasons why people should travel. But we’re very clear that people should not be travelling abroad to go on holiday, to boost their Instagram profile... for anything other than essential reasons.’
The travel industry warned yesterday that the UAE move raised fears of more countries being added to the red list.
Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency, said: ‘The Government will need to be clear on why countries are being added.
‘If it grows each week it will sap consumer confidence in future travel.’
‘It will sap confidence’
Is January over yet? It seems to have gone on for half a century.
Everything is either annoying or depressing or if it has to do with the SNP, it’s all of those things and more.
should we be surprised that nicola sturgeon is promising to help the Eu rather than the UK over the row about Covid vaccinations? no, for there is clearly no end to her wanton skulduggery.
Having an independent scotland is no longer enough for nicola; she wants to do actual harm to the hated Boris in particular and the English in general in the process. after all this time, her politics have barely evolved from the petty hatreds of the playground. The events of this week have been most revealing.
Meanwhile, I liked the photographs of celebrities being vaccinated over in america — with the likes of sean Penn, Donna Karan, steve Martin, arnold schwarzenegger and Harrison Ford all queuing up, just like ordinary Joes.
Heartening that fairness and decency still count for something. although clearly not in sturgeon-land.