Question reference: S6W-00966
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 22 June 2021
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Current status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 July 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gives to the COVID-19 testing and safety regimes oil and gas workers returning to Scotland have faced while working overseas when deciding their quarantine arrangements.
Answer
The testing and safety regimes that oil and gas workers have faced before arriving into Scotland do not negate the public health measures they are required to complete in Scotland.
There is no exemption anywhere in the UK for oil and gas workers arriving from red list countries. There is an exemption for oil and gas workers arriving from amber list countries to undertake work on critical infrastructure in Scotland. They are still required to take a pre-departure test before travel, complete a passenger locator form before travelling to Scotland, book and take a testing package for days 2 and 8, self-isolate at home for 10 days when not at or travelling to and from a place where they are required to undertake the activities this exemption applies to and show a letter to Border Force from their employer outlining the work they will be doing.
Since the outset of the pandemic, the Scottish Government has taken an evidence-based approach to our measures on overseas travel, informed by the latest data and evidence provided on a UK-wide basis by the Joint Biosecurity Centre (JBC), as well as Scotland-specific data from Scotland’s Test and Protect system, and clinical advice from Scotland's Chief Medical Officer.