Aberdeenshire MSP welcomes change to exemption list for oil and gas workers

Aberdeenshire East MSP Gillian Martin has welcomed confirmation North Sea oil and gas workers travelling from Norway will be exempt from quarantining after the Scottish Government’s exemption list was updated.

It comes after Ms Martin wrote to the Scottish Government on behalf of constituents impacted by changes made to quarantining.

In an update from the Scottish Government it was confirmed that workers retuning from installations in the North Sea who have to travel via a “non-acute risk country or territory” will not have to quarantine in managed accommodation – such as an hotel – and will instead be able to quarantine at home when returning from offshore work.

Commenting, Gillian Martin MSP said: “I would like to thank the constituents of mine who got in touch about this issue which will affect many workers in the north-east who travel for work in the Norwegian sector. I wrote to the government support them as soon as quarantine hotels policies were announced.

“Allowing workers returning from this sector to quarantine at home instead of in a managed accommodation means that workers will be able to isolate with their family members as they quarantine at home.

“Many people who work in the oil and gas industry work in two and three-week rotations and this allows workers who are already spending time away from home the chance to spend the time they are onshore safely with family.

“I welcome the Scottish Government’s decision and I would like to thank them for listening to the concerns of North Sea oil and gas workers.”

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