A BRADFORD doctor who regularly writes a coronavirus 'diary' for the BBC says city schools are missing pupils due to travel restrictions to red list countries including India and Pakistan.

Professor John Wright, who is the director of the Bradford Institute of Health Research at Bradford Royal Infirmary, says Bradford families are mostly stuck in Pakistan, where many have relatives who live there, but other UK residents are yet to return from India and Bangladesh. He has been sharing his insights in a special frontline diary for the BBC since the early days of the Covid-19 crisis. 

Passengers returning from red list countries have to pay a total of £1,750 for 10 days when they return to stay in a quarantine hotel in England.

The Philippines, India, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh were added to England's so-called red list last month.

These countries were added after concerns about new Covid variants, such as those earlier identified in South Africa and Brazil.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus:

These new four mean a total of 39 countries are currently on the UK's red list for travel.

In his diary, Prof Wright says he has spoken to Lynette Clapham, head teacher at Grove House and Crossley Hall Primary Schools, who revealed she knows of 11 families who are stuck abroad and unable to return, with the cost of quarantine often to blame.

He says some travellers have an alternative plan, they are going from Pakistan to Turkey, spending 10 days in the latter country, and then returning perfectly legally to the UK from there. They are then able to quarantine at home for 10 days, instead of having to stay in a hotel for this period.

In his BBC entry, Professor Wright said: “However, as we know from the initial spread of the virus from China to Italy and Spain in 2020, travel is a critical, yet highly controllable route of transmission.

“I suspect that during each of our three waves we exported the virus from Bradford to low-incidence countries, and this may well have contributed to subsequent outbreaks in Pakistan, India, Eastern Europe or Turkey.

“Nobody wants to be a prisoner on our island, but until we have effective global vaccine coverage and control of international transmission then importation of cases, and new variants in particular, remains a clear and present danger.

“Red list restrictions for travellers from high risk countries may be disruptive and inconvenient but they are a crucial public health protection measure.”

Prof Wright also revealed information is also being spread among countries across the world as they continue to combat Coronavirus.

He says communication has taken place between his team and medical professionals in Spain, China and Italy, information being shared in forums including WhatsApp groups.

Prof Wright added: “Recently, my Bradford colleague Dr Dinesh Saralaya and his classmates from medical school in India have been helping one another by sharing what they've been able to find out about best practice since the start of the pandemic.”