Britons should not book holidays at home or abroad - minister

[snoop1130]

Britons should not book holidays at home or abroad - minister

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Transport Secretary Grant Shapps speaks during a virtual news conference, after a COBRA meeting that was called in response to increased travel restrictions amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at 10 Downing Street, in London, Britain, December 21, 2020. Tolga Akmen/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - British people should not book a holiday domestically or abroad until more is known about the success of Britain's COVID-19 vaccination programme, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday.

 

Under new border restrictions, people arriving from countries where coronavirus variants are spreading will have to pay for 10 days of quarantine in hotels. Anyone who breaks the rules could face a heavy fine or a 10-year jail term.

 

Addressing the "shrinking chance" that anyone was considering booking a holiday, Shapps said it would be the wrong thing to do as going on holiday is illegal under current restrictions, he said.

 

"Until you know the route out of lockdown, which we can't know until we have more data, more information on vaccines, please don't go ahead and book holidays for something which, at this stage, is illegal to actually go and do, whether it's here or abroad," he told BBC Radio.

 

Britain has given a first COVID-19 vaccine dose to 12.6 million people but the government has said more information is required about the impact on transmission of the virus or new variants before it can lift the latest lockdown.

 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due on Feb. 22 to announce a plan for easing the lockdown.

 

Shapps said it was too soon to know what that would mean for the summer holiday period.

 

TUI Group, the world's biggest holiday company, has said it needs a summer recovery to relieve pressure on its finances and is banking on vaccinated Britons going abroad in the peak months.

 

It has said it has taken 2.8 million bookings, with 1.5 million from Britain.

 

Shapps said between 16,000 and 20,000 people were arriving in Britain each day, including hauliers.

 

After the hotel quarantine requirement comes into force on Monday, Shapps expects a decrease of arrivals from countries such as South Africa and Brazil where new variants have been detected.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-10

 

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[onebir]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

British people should not book a holiday domestically or abroad until more is known about the success of Britain's COVID-19 vaccination programme, transport minister Grant Shapps said on Wednesday.

Time for promotion to "non-transport minister"?

 

On a serious note, it's kind of shocking he has to say this...

[Natai Beach]

2 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Under new border restrictions, people arriving from countries where coronavirus variants are spreading will have to pay for 10 days of quarantine in hotels.

They just don’t get it do they. Won’t be told. 
 

The effective quarantine period is 14 days, not ten. Proven thousands of times already. 
 

No wonder the UK is such a basket case. Weak half measures for a year now. Slow to introduce rules, and as soon as any improvement they re open again celebrating before actually getting on top of it. 
 

The high numbers have caused the highly contagious UK mutant strain that is causing problems all over the globe now. Thousands are dying from it.
 

If only. Idiotic, they may as well not even bother.

[mrfill]

The multi-named Transport secretary Grant Shapps (aka Michael Green, Corinne Stockheath and Sebastian Fox) says no holidays.

 

Tiny brained Health Secretary, Matt Hancock says he was looking forward to a happy "Great British Summer", and had booked his holiday to Cornwall.

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56019851

[gamini]

PM was so obsessed with getting brexit done he ignored the virus problem

[natway09]

Another Minister tiptoeing around the tulips.

Close the borders, stop airlines transporting them so they have to obey.

No wonder Brexit took so long

[dunroaming]

Once again Britain has become a laughing stock as Boris and his boys continue their dithering.