Scottish universities in foreign student quarantine pilot

The Scottish Government has given the green light to a plan for universities to use on campus accommodation for international students if they can demonstrate safety measures in place would match those being used at quarantine hotels. However, before it is allowed, a pilot scheme involving two unnamed universities must take place to make sure it is feasible, writes Hugh Daniel for The Scotsman.

At the moment anyone arriving in the UK from red list countries has to quarantine at government-approved hotels at a cost of £1,750 (US$2,400) – a hugely expensive sum for many students. More than 100,000 international students are due to come to the UK in September from red list countries, according to Universities UK International. As well as concerns over cost, it is unclear if there is enough hotel space to accommodate them all.

In April, it was revealed some institutions were in talks with the Scottish Government about participating in a ‘hotel quarantine’ pilot in July to help deal with the influx of foreign students due to start courses in September. The Scottish Government would not confirm if they still plan to run the pilot in July or if it would be pushed back.
Full report on The Scotsman site