Coronavirus: The mission to rescue stranded Britons

The UK is committing £75m to help Britons stranded abroad by chartering rescue flights when there are no other routes available.

Speaking at the daily Downing Street news conference on the coronavirus, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the new plan will help tens of thousands of travellers get back home.

[dukeofpkr]

Stranded ? Or holidaying and partying when they very well knew that the virus is spreading like fire and they all need to stay home . Locked down wasn’t that long ago but how cud they go on holidays when they knew the virus was spreading around more due to travelling ? And now they got stuck out there they want to be brought back home with the tax payers having to pay 73 millions to bring them back home from their holiday ? Cud that holiday not wait ? as a sensible human being with the neighbouring countries so many dying due to disease was it even a wise decision to go on holiday? I hope they know that that 73 million pounds that is being wasted on them cud be used to pay for food for so ma t who are locked at home and so have food or money, to provide for protective gears for our health workers who are having to work on frontline without proper safety gears .shame on these holiday travellers

[paulhoskin]

Make them pay for being stupid enough to go on holiday talk about being selfish

[kinocchio]

They should have been checked the same way Sky journalists were checked on their journey from South Korea to China.

[dukeofpkr]

That 73 millions cud be of so much help to people who are at home without food or money or to buy gloves and mask for our health workers . Shame on these people .that 73 million is wasted cause u guys cud not go holiday for a while .shame

[jh]

Anyone who went on holiday despite warnings should be left where they are for everyone's safety. The world has pressed the pause button and unfortunately they will have to stay out til it's safe to travel again.

[tescoprimark]

These people ....? Didn’t they know it’s been happening since January.... and they still keep going abroad for leisure and holidays.... they have to pay for the cost that has been spent. I’m not sorry for them.

[weeday]

Why are they happy? Things are worse in UK

[todorkolev]

99% of them flew knowing all the reasons why they shouldn't and only managed to do so because it takes time to come out out with border blocks.
Very unfair that the taxpayer should foot the bill.
If they are means tested and not found at risk, they should be charged at least the fair market value of the return flight.

75Million pounds is about 75 lifetimes of a rather successful individual.
It's like 75 people's lives have amounted to nothing.

[silvialogan]

They should had not traveled when they knew that the coronavirus is spreading like wildfire. People at airports should measure all passengers temperatures and check whether they are tested negative or positive for the coronavirus. Good thing that I went to Cuba from Ottawa, Canada on March 4th and came back on the 11th before the pandemic became very serious.

[Mina-tinh]

This just proves that alot of people, were not taking this virus seriously. We have had January, to get ourselves together. Whether it was from the government, to travellers and hospitals, businesses, banks etc. I even stopped ordering online . Haven't ordered anything since last year. I was called crazy and ignored. This is disappointing because it's show how ignorant people are. Lockdown won't be effective if people are still flying from other countries.

[marknorville]

By all means bring home people whom have gone on holiday and are stranded, but for those people such as they brought back from China, e.g the ones that have married the locals and are ex pats who had no intention of going back to the UK, leave them there and save the tax payer money. I would love to move to Spain, but I certainly would not be begging to come back to the UK if I had made my new life in Spain. I would stand with the locals, rather than be a turncoat and a rat deserting the sinking ship.

[Sabrina-dhcg]

Quarantine them for 14 days nearby the airport! FFS! We don’t need them (Big Brother) claiming the virus is getting worse and more strict guidelines because of these. Sorry, but I’m being honest.

[imonlytellingthetruth]

Why is Tax money paying for this ? They decided to go abroad but we pick up the bill
We are all now on a ride we cannot get recession and depression next

[alexboyde]

No sympathy whatsoever they took a calculated risk and lost no one in their right mind has travelled abroad since late December. I sympathise with people who have travelled for business though. Not for anyone travelling for pleasure... sorry

[april-tui]

We’re all paying for people taking holidays many of us can’t afford in the first place, to come home and bring more of this with them? If they left in the last 3 months they should not be brought back on the tax payers dime.

[davidcrow]

NEVER LEAVE YOUR TROOPS IF THERE BRITISH CITIZENS PLEASE BRING THEM GUYS HOME SAFE & SOUND. AMEN

[LorTay-howd]

Who goes on vacation to a hostel when there’s a developing world health emergency!
No one to blame but themselves.
Many of the people in the hostel are either not wearing masks at all or are wearing them incorrectly with their noses sticking out!

[tamcam]

They should have been left there. They have more money than sense to go travelling at times like this. Why should the tax payers pick up this bill.

[parkwayrider]

Why 75 million.? Anything the gov. Does is millions of dollars.

[petstar]

I hope they are all being checked, we have all been locked down while they get stuck on holiday.. international travel caused this in the first place.. LOCKDOWN