I am South African, with dual Nationality, and have worked as a Doctor in the UK for 20 years. I am as resilient as our type gets. Relentlessly working on a Covid ward and in General Practice throughout the pandemic, keeping our UK population safe.

During the first lockdown I buried my Dad over Zoom, he did not have Covid, but died as a result of it. Covid restrictions and isolation collapsed his support network, his decline went unnoticed until he was found dead.

We have not been home for over 2.5 years, bursting with excitement to go to SA in December, when the rug was pulled from under us.

I have little time off, but may be able to cut our trip short to isolate and work from home if that is really necessary. Hotel quarantine on the other hand is completely out of the question. We cannot imprison ourselves and two teenagers in a grubby hotel room for 10 days and pay £6 575.00 for the privilege. 

It is soul-destroying, we cannot afford it. Financially, but far more importantly emotionally, it will nullify the benefit of our trip completely. Enforcing Government approved private hotel quarantine is unethical, particularly when there is little evidence that it actually prevents the spread of corona virus. The government is abusing our human right of freedom of movement and is severely effecting the well-being and mental health of thousands of expat South Africans hoping to be reunited with their families over Christmas.

We call on the UK parliament to hastily reconsider travel restrictions and scrap enforced hotel quarantine.

Dr Wilma Kotzenberg