UK doing everything to ensure people can have summer vacations: minister

 

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Health Secretary Matt Hancock gives an update on the COVID-19 pandemic at a virtual news conference at 10 Downing Street in London, Britain February 8, 2021. Tolga Akmen/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The British government is doing “everything we can” to ensure the public can get a summer vacation this year but could not provide certainty on whether or not people should book breaks now, health minister Matt Hancock said on Thursday.

 

Ministers have faced criticism, including from members of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s own party, about giving out mixed messages on whether people should arrange summer holidays in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

On Wednesday, transport minister Grant Shapps said people should not book vacations either domestically or abroad until more was known about the vaccination programme’s success but others, including Johnson given more optimistic messages.

 

“I do understand the yearning for certainty, but certainty is hard in a pandemic. We are doing everything we can to make sure people can have that holiday in the summer,” Hancock, who said he had booked a vacation in southwest England, told Sky News.

 

He said people “really get that” there was uncertainty following the problems caused by the pandemic over the last year and needed to be patient.

 

“I think that we’ve all been talking in exactly the same terms that there is uncertainty but we want to bring an end to that uncertainty and of course it is the vaccine programme that is our route out of this,” Hancock said.

 

So far, Britain has given a first vaccine shot to more than 13 million people and is also bringing in new strict border controls, which make it illegal to go on holiday, to prevent new strains of the virus entering the country.

 

Airlines and the travel industry have called for clarity and a clear route map out of restrictions, fearing this summer could be make or break for many.

 

Heathrow Airport, Britain’s busiest, said on Thursday passenger numbers had plunged 89% in January compared to the same month last year and warned more jobs were at risk.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-02-11

 

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So that's now clear - book your summer holidays, but don't.

 

Clarity at its best

This is an example of the core problem of populism.

 

Doing/saying what’s popular is not the same as doing/saying what needs to be done.

 

 

since when is lockdown not a vacation?

UK doing everything to ensure people can have summer.........

 

What day they having it this year.......??

2 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

This is an example of the core problem of populism.

Commonly known as politics.

More media help to make everyone happy.

43 minutes ago, sungod said:

Commonly known as politics.

Populist politics.

 

 

17 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The British government is doing “everything we can” to ensure the public can get a summer vacation

to spread the virus......good plan !

Travel agents want clarity.

Here you go,,, Forget about holidays this year,

Never thought I would agree with a Tory MP

 

 

 

 

 the ground hasn't settled in the 100,000 gravesites as yet and they're worried about 'holidays' -  seems to me a few priorities are ****ed up..

13 hours ago, sanuk711 said:

UK doing everything to ensure people can have summer.........

 

What day they having it this year.......??

Local guru says summer will be on a Thursday this year.

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