Question reference: S5W-33191
- Asked by: John Finnie, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
- Date lodged: 11 November 2020
-
Current status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 November 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with CalMac Ferries Ltd on measures to track and trace (a) passengers and (b) employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
Transport Scotland is in regular dialogue with CalMac Ferries Ltd on a range of issues including Covid-19 procedures.
CalMac follows both NHS advice and Scottish Government guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus for both their staff and passengers, and have measures and mitigations in place to keep passengers and crew safe. On the routes that are bookable, CalMac can share the information captured with the NHS if requested. On some shorter routes, there is the option for people to stay in their vehicles during passage.
Transport Scotland is exploring the feasibility of QR code scanning on ferry journeys, to compliment the NHS Test and Protect contact tracing service, and are liaising with CalMac to implement a pilot Test and Protect QR code system.