Coronavirus UK: Britons in Dubai race to reach home before today’s 1pm deadline

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Models, social media influencers and reality TV stars have defiantly stayed at the poolside in Dubai and Abu Dhabi after thousands of other British travellers raced home to beat the travel ban which began this afternoon.

The likes of Mia Sully from Absolutely Ascot and Love Island stars Joseph Garratt and Anton Danyluk were pictured on Instagram enjoying life in the sunshine today, despite the UK Government adding the United Arab Emirates to the so-called red list of countries from where travel to Britain is prohibited during the coronavirus pandemic. 

Others including Only Fans model Honey Evans from Leeds said they would stay out in Dubai despite the ban. She tweeted: ‘Flights from Dubai to the UK are banned. Guess I have no choice but to stay out here. Shame.’

Due to border closures caused by Covid-19, Dubai to London was the world’s busiest international route in January with 190,365 scheduled seats this month.

Many Britons are staying out in Dubai because they know they will only have to quarantine at home for ten days upon their return – and a rule forcing them to stay in a hotel will not come in until February 8 at the earliest. 

But some including make-up artist Amy Wilson from Sheffield said they had just managed to get home just before the ban on direct inbound passenger flights from the UAE to Britain came into effect at 1pm today.

Ms Wilson tweeted: ‘Can’t believe how lucky me and Jack have been with flights. Got back from Turkey two hours before the quarantine deadline and getting the last flight home from Dubai before the UK closes its boarders to the UAE. Someone’s looking out for me.’ 

Three flights from Dubai and two from Abu Dhabi were due to land at Heathrow before the 1pm curfew. One flight arrived at Manchester Airport from Abu Dhabi, and one landed in Glasgow from Dubai.

Emirates and Etihad Airways said all UK passenger flights from the UAE have been suspended, although British Airways told passengers that some were still running. It comes as:

• Britons can still return on indirect flights from the UAE but business trips are no longer considered essential;
• UK residents must self-isolate at home with the rest of their household for ten days if returning from the UAE;
• Non-UK residents could travel to another country not on the banned list, stay for ten days, then come to UK;
• Those arriving from red list countries face having to quarantine in airport hotels for ten days from February 8.

And in other developments related to the pandemic today: 

• A fourth Covid-19 vaccine to be produced on Teesside could be approved for use in the UK within weeks;
• The row between the European Union and AstraZeneca over vaccine supply shortages in the bloc deepened;
• The Government said a further 1,239 people died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 yesterday;
• Primary age pupils’ performance in reading and maths was found to have plunged following school closures.

UK Athletics believes there are about a dozen British athletes in Dubai, including long-distance runner Charlotte Purdue and middle-distance runners Jake Wightman and Eilish McColgan. 

Dundee-born McColgan, who competes in the 3,000 metres steeplechase and 5,000 metres races, wrote on Instagram yesterday: ‘Today has been a nightmare – hours in the airport trying to sort out our visa.’

At Dubai International Airport today, the early morning flights to London were unusually full as Britons clamoured to be on the last direct services home. ‘It was pretty chaotic,’ admitted one returning businesswoman. 

The woman, who asked not to be identified, said: ‘I wouldn’t say it was panic stations, but quite a few people who were due to fly back in the next few days certainly changed their plans in a hurry after the news came through.

‘After all, how long is it going to be before we have to quarantine in a hotel for ten days when we return? No-one fancies that. Some people were asking about standby tickets, but I think most travellers will have to find alternative indirect routes back to the UK.’

By lunchtime in Dubai the main Emirates departure hall had returned to its lockdown norm of being eerily quiet with the vast marble-tiled terminal only processing small groups of passengers on a handful of flights.

One passenger arrived at Dubai Airport early this morning to discover her Emirates flight to Manchester had been abruptly cancelled.

Charlotte Jones, 31, from Liverpool told MailOnline: ‘The airline told us it was because the UK government had refused that specific flight, so they had reallocated passengers to the Birmingham and London Heathrow flights, leaving us all to find our own way home!

‘Our new flight to Birmingham was 50 minutes delayed and people were hurrying on at the last minute after boarding was meant to close – loads of people not filled out passenger locator forms and all the Manchester forms are now incorrect because we’d all put Manchester Airport rather than Birmingham but Emirates didn’t seem bothered.

‘But because of this change, loads of people will have to travel on public transport rather than in their car which is so silly, especially as the whole reason for this is because they’re worried about a strain of Covid that may be resistant to the vaccine. All they’ve done is increase the possibility of spreading it which is just ridiculous.’

Speaking via wifi on her plane, Ms Jones added: ‘Now we’re cutting it fine to get in before the deadline – we’re due to land at 11.55am – only an hour before the ban comes in.’

The solicitor said she and her husband Andrew, who works in finance, and their ten-month-old daughter Olivia had left Britain before the lockdown began and therefore broke no rules.

At London Heathrow Airport this morning, travellers from Dubai spoke of panic as they rushed to make last minute changes to their journeys before the ban on flights from the country comes into effect.

Ian Parkes, 50, was originally meant to return on Saturday on a flight from Dubai to Manchester, which was cancelled, arriving instead at Heathrow so that he could get home before the ban kicks in.

Mr Parkes, who had been fitting Covid testing machines in Dubai, said: ‘My company rang me up and said get back as quick as you can. That was the first I knew about the travel ban from Dubai.

‘I had been in Egypt for ten days before that and was supposed to come home on a flight to Manchester. I’m just glad that I’ve made it back in time, even though I’ve arrived in London but that was the only flight Emirates Airline could book me on.’

Mr Parkes added: ‘I think this ban is a good move but it’s a bit late. Dubai is a very popular destination and a lot of people have been travelling there. I don’t understand why the Government is taking this action now, they should have done it about a year ago.’

Sidd Raj, 23 who had been in Dubai for the past two weeks visiting relatives, told MailOnline that he heard about the travel ban at 10pm local time yesterday, which prompted him to immediately change his ticket. He was originally scheduled to return to London next Saturday.

Mr Raj: ‘I was at Dubai airport by midnight, I’m lucky to get back because I think I got the last seat. The ban was a bit rushed and I feel that travellers could have got a bit more notice. I totally understand why it’s been introduced and the need for a lockdown, but it could have been planned better.

‘Luckily I already had a valid recent Covid negative test which meant I could board the flight. But imagine if I didn’t have this. It would have meant a very complicated journey getting home.’

Nick More, 42 had been in Dubai for the past month with his family. Mr More, who works in finance said: ‘We were having a great time. I was working while the kids were by the pool and we were hoping to spend a bit more time in Dubai. 

‘As soon as I heard about the travel ban, I got onto the airline and it was very easy to change our tickets. It’s a great time to be in Dubai. Top class accommodation is quite cheap and the weather’s wonderful, so I think this ban is going to spoil a lot of people’s plans.’

William Ross-Anderson, 23, was waiting for his brother Hamish who had been stranded in Dubai as he was unable to get on the Emirates flight to Heathrow.

Mr Ross-Anderson had flown in from Zambia and was busy on the phone helping his brother make alternative travel arrangements.

He said: ‘There were no seats left on the direct flight and now my brother is trying to figure out a way of how he can get to London. We were coming from different countries, but our flights were arriving at more or less the same time, so we arranged to meet at the airport before travelling to our home in Cheltenham.

‘It’s caused a lot of problems for my brother because he was due to be going back to university on Monday. We haven’t worked out how he’s going to get to the UK, but I hope he’s not waiting around at Dubai airport for too long.’

One passenger revealed how he abandoned his travel plans to Dubai after learning about the travel ban while seated in the business class lounge watching television.

Chris Eggeling, 61, was waiting to board the 9.10am Emirates flight to Dubai from London when he decided not to continue with his journey because of the problems he might face getting home. His company paid £5,000 for a business class ticket.

Mr Eggeling, a pilot who flies private jets for wealthy clients said: ‘I had cleared immigration, was having some breakfast and watching the television in the business class lounge and then I saw the news about the Dubai travel ban.

‘Not being able to get back on a direct flight would have created a lot of problems for me because I’m on a very tight schedule. I was supposed to be in Dubai until February 5 but decided not to get on the plane.’

Mr Eggeling added: ‘The airline staff were a bit shocked. I then had to go through the whole process of going through immigration and customs so that I could get out of Heathrow. The whole thing has been badly managed by this Government, it’s a bit of a farce.’

Ministers in Britain acted to enforce the ban following evidence that the more infectious South African strain of Covid-19 had been detected in the UAE. 

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 still be allowed to come back on indirect flights. Business trips to the UAE will no longer be considered essential.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted last night: ‘From Friday 29 January at 1pm, we’re extending our travel ban with the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda all added to the UK’s red list. 

‘This means people who have been in or transited through these countries will be denied entry, except British, Irish and third country nationals with residence rights who must self-isolate for ten days at home. 

‘Passengers must still have proof of a negative test and completed Passenger Locator Form before arrival – or could otherwise face a £500 fine for each.’

Thanks to other rules introduced on Wednesday, adding the 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.

The restrictions mean UK residents who arrive from the UAE after 4am today will have to quarantine for ten days along with their whole household.

They are not entitled to early release after five days with a negative test under the Test and Release scheme. 

A Department for Transport spokesman said: ‘The decision to ban travel from these destinations follows the discovery of a new coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa, that may have spread to other countries, including the United Arab Emirates, Burundi and Rwanda.’

British arrivals from ‘red list’ countries are also facing having to quarantine in airport hotels for ten days under new measures announced on Wednesday.

It was still unclear yesterday when they will come into force, but it is understood officials are eyeing the week beginning February 8.

Arrivals from countries not on the red list will still be required to quarantine, but at home instead.

Under the new measures, anyone wanting to leave the UK will also have to complete and present a declaration form at the border stating why their reason for travel is essential.

Border Force and police numbers will be boosted at ports and airports to question outbound passengers. 

Carriers will also be responsible for barring any passengers who don’t have the declaration form or whose reason for travel does not meet Government requirements.

Due to border closures caused by Covid-19, Dubai to London was the world’s busiest international route in January with 190,365 scheduled seats over the month, according to airline data provider OAG. 

Emirates and Etihad normally carry large numbers of passengers connecting from Britain to destinations like Australia through their airport hubs, meaning the decision to cancel those flights will have far-reaching implications.

The Australian government said it will add more charter flights from Britain if needed as a result of the Emirates and Etihad cancellations.

Eran Ben-Avraham, an Australian stranded in Britain due to strict limits on the number of arrivals in Australia, said his options for getting home were continually shrinking.

‘At the moment it is only giving us three options of flying Qatar, ANA or Singapore Airlines,’ he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ‘Every day it is making it more difficult to get home. The flights back are anywhere from like £4,000.’ 

Asked yesterday what will constitute ‘essential’ travel under the new rules, senior 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… [or] for anything other than essential reasons.’

He was asked several times when the new measures will come into force, but failed to answer. 

The travel industry warned that the UAE move raised fears of more countries being added to the red list. 

Paul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: ‘I think the Government will need to be clear on why countries are being added to the high-risk list.

‘If it grows each week, with new countries being added, then it will sap consumer confidence in future travel and no-one in the travel sector wants to see blanket hotel quarantine introduced via the backdoor.’  

Meanwhile, after opening itself to New Year revellers, Dubai is now being blamed by several countries for spreading the coronavirus abroad, as questions swirl about the city-state’s ability to handle record spikes in Covid-19 cases.

The government said the kingdom is doing all it can to handle the pandemic, though it has repeatedly declined to answer questions about its hospital capacity.

In a statement, the government said: ‘After a year of managing the pandemic, we can confidently say the current situation is under control and we have our plans to surge any capacity in the health care system should a need rise.’ 

However, Nasser al-Shaikh, Dubai’s former finance chief, offered a different assessment on Twitter, and asked authorities to take control of a spiralling caseload. 

‘The leadership bases its decisions on recommendations from the team, the wrong recommendations which put human souls in danger and negatively affect our society,’ he wrote, adding that ‘our economy requires accountability’.

Dubai, known for its long-haul carrier Emirates, the world’s tallest building and its beaches and bars, became one of the first travel destinations to describe itself as open for business last July.

The move staunched the bleeding in its crucial tourism and property sectors after lockdowns and curfews had hit the economy.

As tourism restarted, daily reported coronavirus case numbers slowly grew, but mostly remained stable through the autumn.

But then came New Year’s Eve – a major draw for travellers from countries otherwise shut down over the virus who partied without face masks in bars and on yachts.

For the last 17 days, the United Arab Emirates as a whole has reported record daily coronavirus case numbers as queues at Dubai testing facilities grow.

In Israel, more than 900 travellers returning from Dubai have been infected with the coronavirus, according to the military, which conducts contact tracing.

The returnees created a chain of infections numbering more than 4,000 people, the Israeli military said. 

Tens of thousands of Israelis had flocked to the UAE since the two countries normalised relations in September. 

Israeli health ministry expert Dr Sharon Alroy-Preis was quoted by Channel 13 TV as complaining in a call with other officials that a few weeks of travel had been more deadly than decades of no relations with the Arab nation.

Since late December, Israel has required those coming from the UAE to go into a two-week quarantine. Israel later shut down its main international airport until through the end of the month over rising cases. 

Denmark already discovered one traveller coming from Dubai who tested positive for the South African variant, the first such discovery there.

In the Philippines, health authorities say they discovered a British strain infecting a Filipino who made a business trip to Dubai on December 27. He returned to the Philippines on January 7 and tested positive. 

He ‘had no exposure to a confirmed case prior to their departure to Dubai’, the Philippines department of health said.

In the time since, Filipino authorities have discovered at least 16 other cases, including two coming from Lebanon.

As daily reported coronavirus cases near 4,000, Dubai has sacked the head of its government health agency without explanation.

It stopped live entertainment at bars, halted non-essential surgeries, limited wedding sizes and ordered gyms to increase space between those working out. 

It also now requires coronavirus testing for all those flying into its airport. 

The UAE had pinned its hopes on mass vaccinations, with Abu Dhabi distributing a Chinese vaccine by Sinopharm and Dubai offering Pfizer-BioNTech’s inoculation.

The UAE says it has given 2.8 million doses so far, ranking it among the top countries in the world.

Dr Santosh Kumar Sharma, the medical director of Dubai’s NMC Royal Hospital, told the AP ‘the number of cases (is) ever-rising’, with over half its beds occupied by coronavirus patients.

The World Health Organisation said that before the pandemic, the UAE had nearly 13,250 hospital beds for a country of more than nine million people. 

It said Dubai and the UAE’s northern emirates built field hospitals amid the pandemic with some 5,000 beds, with Abu Dhabi building more.

But Dubai closed its 3,000-bed field hospital in July – the same day it reopened for tourism. Both Dubai and the UAE’s health ministry now advertises for nurses on Instagram.

‘The sad thing is that great efforts have been made since January 2020 for us to come and undermine them with our own hands,’ former finance minister Mr al-Shaikh wrote.

‘What makes things worse is the lack of transparency.’

Earlier this week, the UAE’s autocratic government told those who are worried to ‘refrain from questioning the efforts of all those who have worked to contain this pandemic’.