Ryanair chief vents fury at ‘idiotic’ government coronavirus quarantine plan

Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary today launched a savage attack on the government’s plans for 14-day quarantine on arrivals to the UK.

The new rules are set to be finalised by ministers, with any hopes of summer holidays expected to be dashed as exemptions are largely limited to lorry drivers.

However, Mr O’Leary dismissed claims it will prevent his aim of resuming flights in July, saying he believes the policy is so ‘defective’ and impossible to enforce that the public will merely ignore it.

He insisted the government is ‘making stuff up as they go along’ and face masks are the best way to protect the travelling public – despite many scientists saying they are of limited benefit.  

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden signalled this morning there is little prospect of holiday destinations being spared, saying the exceptions will be ‘very limited’. 

In the latest developments in the coronavirus crisis: 

• Thousands more people have gone back to work as the transport network capacity is ramped up to help social distancing; 
• People should self-isolate if they lose their sense of taste or smell because it is a definite symptom of coronavirus, the government has announced today; 
• China is facing mounting pressure as the UK joins international demands for an independent inquiry into the handling of the disease at the World Health Organisation assembly; 
• Unions are facing calls to work with ministers to reopen schools amid warnings the poorest children are doing 75 minutes less home learning every day than their better-off counterparts; 

It is understood that hauliers will make up two thirds of those not required to self-isolate for two weeks.

The remaining exemptions will be agreed at a cabinet committee chaired by Michael Gove, although it is not clear any announcement will come today. 

They are expected to include people who ‘work supporting national security or critical infrastructure and to meet the UK’s international obligations’, officials said. 

Scientists researching coronavirus may also be exempt. Last week Downing Street denied that travellers from France would be excluded, despite previously suggesting that was an option. 

Ireland will not be covered by the rules due to the Common Travel Area’s role in the Northern Ireland Peace Process.

But Mr O’Leary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the plans are ‘unimplementable, unmanageable and unpoliceable’. 

‘People will simply ignore something that is so hopelessly defective… Let’s have some effective measures like face masks,’ he said. 

‘All you get back out of the UK government is ”we don’t know”.’ 

‘It’s laughable that this government can come up with any plans for a quarantine that would be strict and fully enforced… 

‘It’s idiotic and it’s un-implementable. You don’t have enough police in the UK.’

He added: ‘Two-week lockdown has no medical or scientific basis to it in any event. If you want to do something that’s effective, wear masks.’ 

Mr O’Leary said the policy had ‘no credibility’ and predicted that it would be axed by June.  

He insisted research had suggested face masks could reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection by 98.5 per cent.

He told Sky News the government is ‘making stuff up as they go along’. 

‘I think they are frankly just making stuff up as they go along,’ he said. ‘They are stumbling along grabbing whatever they think will make a headline.

There is no scientific or medical basis for a 14-day isolation for air passengers when you are not applying that equally to London Underground or London commuter train passengers.’   

Mr Dowden said quarantine rules for people travelling to the UK will be enforced by law.

He told Today: ‘We would look at the relevant enforcement mechanisms just as we have done with other measures.

‘So for example, the measures that we took when we introduced the so-called lockdown – those were underpinned by regulations which had consequences in law, and I’m sure we’ll do the same thing.’

He said there would be ‘very limited’ exemptions to the rules.

John Holland-Kaye, the boss of Heathrow, raised hopes of looser rules yesterday, telling Sky News: ‘If two countries are at very low risk of having transmission within each country, there should be a free flow of passengers. 

‘But if a country has very high risk with rising infection rates and poor controls, then there would be very tight controls on anyone accessing the UK from those markets. 

Meanwhile, a government adviser has urged ministers to make councils reopen public toilets and car parks, and stop ‘terrorising’ those who want to visit beauty spots.

Professor Robert Dingwall, who sits on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group, said the risk outdoors was ‘minimal’ and people did not need to be so anxious.

The government eased draconian limits on exercise last week, with Boris Johnson saying the public is free to drive distances and enjoy public spaces as many times a day as they want. 

However, tourist boards have joined local authorities in saying visitors should stay away from beauty spots and seaside resorts.

Weston-super-Mare has changed its slogan from ‘Visit Weston’ to ‘Don’t Visit Weston’

Tubes ‘miss Sadiq Khan’s 75% target and only hit 50%’ as commuters wait up to 15 minutes for rush hour services after 30 drivers refuse to work 

Sadiq Khan has claimed that Tube services would hit 75 per cent of pre-lockdown levels from today – but the true figure may have been closer to 50 per cent because of a lack of drivers, industry sources have told MailOnline.

Commuters also questioned the Mayor of London’s figures as they still had to wait long periods for trains on packed platforms where social distancing was impossible during rush hour.

The Aslef union today revealed that more London Underground trains could have been running today but some drivers were sent home after they raised concerns about ‘health and safety’. While the RMT Union also shared CCTV images of packed trains during rush hour this morning where most people were not wearing masks.

Tens of thousands more Britons are heading back into work today but gaps between trains in the capital were still up to 15 minutes with critics demanding to know why the Mayor of London is not running a full service now common in European capital cities such as Berlin.

Transport for London, which is run by Mayor Khan, said today that Tube services would be back at 75%, DLR and London Overground at 80% and buses at 85% of pre-lockdown capacity as Boris Johnson encouraged as many people as possible to return to work.

But as the morning peak ended a senior Tube source told MailOnline: ‘That might be the aim but in reality, across the entire Tube network, it was about 50 per cent of service.’ At least 30 Tube train drivers refused to work on Health and Safety grounds saying not enough had been done to protect both them and passengers from the virus, the insider said. MailOnline has asked Transport for London to comment.

ASLEF chief Finn Brennan also tweeted: ‘Bizarre situation this morning where Underground managers are sending home drivers who raise H&S [health and safety] concerns..meaning fewer drivers available..so fewer trains!’ He added: ‘It’s disappointing and worrying that so many people are still using the tube without face covering this morning. They are risking the safety of staff and other passengers’.

There was also confusion growing over whether commuters should wear masks and it was revealed that stations will be shut if they get too busy with security teams brought in to manage crowds.

Sadiq Khan has said that people catching the Tube or bus should cover their faces but in contrast Sir Peter Hendy, chairman of Network Rail, said that face coverings are not mandatory on mainline trains with commuters claiming ‘hardly anyone’ is wearing them.

Sir Peter said: ‘We are relying on people to be sensible. We want people to stay apart if they humanly can and if they can’t, then a face covering is a quite sensible thing to do for the brief moments when you might be getting on or off a train or moving through a station’. He added: ‘We have processes to close stations if they become too full’.

Roads also appeared busier today as Sadiq Khan brought back the congestion charge two weeks early – before the price rises from £11.50 to £15 next month and is imposed on weekends for the first time.