Then in July, when it moved abruptly to introduce a quarantine on travelers from Spain, it embarrassed the minister responsible for aviation policy, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, who learned of the decision while he was on vacation in Spain.
Under the rules in place last summer, travelers from a range of lower-risk countries were exempt from the requirement to isolate themselves. But the list was reviewed each week, making the decision to travel a gamble for vacationers, thousands of whom found themselves abroad while changes came into force.
Britain was slow to introduce requirements on travelers to show a negative coronavirus test result and, when it did so recently, struggled to provide enough staff to check those arriving, causing crowded scenes in some airport arrival halls.
Some critics argue that the problem with the British system is lackluster enforcement, not just of quarantining travelers but of Britons asked to stay home after testing positive for the virus, or being in contact with someone who had.
The elephant in the room here is the number of people domestically who we need to be self-isolating who arent and weve really got to address that, the former health secretary, Jeremy Hunt, told Sky News.
