Hundreds of travellers have been shown bunching up in a queue with a lack of social distancing at Heathrow’s new red list terminal.
The picture taken by a passenger touching down from Egypt on Sunday shows the type of scene the facility was introduced to avoid. A 90-minute wait ensued as an estimated 300 people crammed into line at the arrival hall in Terminal 3, which opened for red list passengers on June 1.
Nadia El-Awady, who took the picture, was among those held up at immigration after arriving on a flight from Egypt.
The journalist said: ‘It took about 90 minutes to get through the queue as there weren’t many border officials for a long while. Then they suddenly added a group and the queue finally started moving.
‘There was no social distancing as it wasn’t really possible and there was no attempt from the airport staff to enforce it. But on the positive side everyone was wearing masks and a staff member came around with water, although there wasn’t enough for everyone. The experience wasn’t ideal,
‘I would have felt safer with less people, a faster queue and social distancing. Another question is whether all the Covid tests presented by people from red list countries are legitimate.
‘It’s concerning to be stuck with so many people for a long time in a crowded space. I think the UK can do better at the airport.’
The blogger, from Leeds, who travelled out via Cairo while Egypt was still on the amber list, also raised concerns about social distancing on the transfer bus to her quarantine hotel in London.
Although the first few rows behind the driver were empty, passengers were sat in relatively close proximity one behind the other further back on the coach, she told Metro.co.uk.
Terminal 3 was opened as a dedicated entry point for red list passengers after fears that they were mixing with passengers from green and amber destinations under the existing system.
Under the latest travel changes, which come into effect on Wednesday, Malta, the Spanish Balearic Islands, the Portuguese island of Madeira and some Caribbean islands will join the green list.
Holidays are allowed to these countries without travellers having to quarantine on return to the UK, with the Government advising against travel to amber and red destinations.
A spokesperson said: ‘To protect the public and the UK’s vaccine rollout, as international travel resumes the Government will maintain its enhanced borders regime, which includes 100% checks and a traffic light system for international travel.
‘While we do this, wait times are likely to be longer and we will do all we can to smooth the process, including the roll-out of our e-Gate upgrade programme during the summer and deploying additional Border Force officers.
‘Arrangements for queues and the management of returning passengers are the responsibility of the relevant airport, which we expect to be done in a Covid-secure way.’
Terminal 3 was reconfigured after concerns were raised by the GMB trade union that passengers from different lists were getting stuck in a bottleneck.
In the UK, the Border Force law enforcement command carries out passport control checks at all airports on behalf of the Home Office.
A Heathrow spokesperson said: ‘Red list routes will likely be a feature of UK travel for the foreseeable future as countries vaccinate their populations at different rates.
‘We’ve adapted Heathrow by opening a dedicated arrivals facility for red list passengers arriving on direct flights.
‘This system has been designed by the Government and has several layers of protection to keep passengers and colleagues safe – including mandatory negative COVID tests for all international arrivals, mandatory use of face coverings, social distancing and enhanced cleaning regimes and ventilation in immigration halls.’
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