Travel
Government asks people to ‘holiday at home’ this summer to avoid foreign travel
‘My advice to people would be holiday at home’
Holidaymakers should choose to visit the ‘great places’ that exist in the UK rather than head abroad, according to a government minister.
The environment secretary George Eustice dashed any slim hopes for a summer holiday abroad this morning, telling Sky News his advice to the British public ‘would be holiday at home’.
He warned against foreign travel unless absolutely necessary, adding that people need to be aware of the ‘risks’ in travelling outside the UK under the current circumstances.
Alton Towers
He told Sky News: “I will be staying at home. I have no intention of travelling or going on a holiday abroad this summer.
“Some people may, but they have to understand that there are obviously risks in doing so because it is a dynamic situation.
“But I think most people will probably decide this year to stay at home, holiday at home.”
When asked if he was advising people to stay in the UK, Eustice added: “I think, my advice to people would be holiday at home.
“We’ve got some great places here, there aren’t many places that are on that list.
“But obviously some people will want to travel abroad. There are still a small number of countries on that green list. If they want to do that they can, but obviously they will have to understand there are risks in doing so as well.”
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While official government guidance says ministers ‘continue to advise against all non-essential travel to some countries and territories’, that doesn’t include all countries and there are still some on the ‘green list’.
The government’s website says: “The Covid-19 pandemic continues to affect international travel.
“No travel is risk-free, and many countries have closed their borders or restricted entry to UK travellers.
“Any country may further restrict travel or bring in new rules at short notice, for example due to a new Covid-19 variant.”
David Dixon / Geograph
According to reports this morning, the easing of lockdown restrictions on June 21st could be delayed by two weeks following the latest Covid-19 data and news of the Delta variant.
England’s chief medical officer, Chris Witty, and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance delivered a ‘downbeat’ briefing expressing concerns about the transmission rate of new strains of Covid-19, as well as vaccination not being able to give 100% protection, the Times reports.
According to a cabinet source that spoke to the Times, the easing of restrictions could be between ‘two weeks and a month’.