Question reference: S6W-01385
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 14 July 2021
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Current status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 August 2021
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that (a) ministers, (b) officials and (c) its agencies (i) are fully aware of and (ii) follow its guidance regarding three- and one-day COVID-19 testing prior to visiting island communities, and under what circumstances this guidance might not be required to be followed.
Answer
The Scottish Government encourages anyone planning to visit a Scottish Island to test for coronavirus prior to travel, this includes any Ministers, staff or agency employees who are traveling to the islands. Scottish Government staff are not routinely travelling for work purposes and continue to work from home wherever possible.
Pre-departure testing for travel to the Scottish Islands is a voluntary scheme, however, everyone is encouraged to participate in order to reduce the risk of inadvertently carrying coronavirus into one of the island communities. Information on travel, including to the Scottish islands, is set out in the COVID-19 Framework for Decision Making – Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis, which is available at www.gov.scot/coronavirus .