Most European countries ought to be on ‘inexperienced’ travel list, says EasyJet boss
Holiday-makers will lastly be taught which locations they will go to this summer season with out having to quarantine for coronavirus upon return to the UK, when the federal government publishes its travel “inexperienced list” at the moment.
The new visitors gentle system, with locations rated inexperienced, amber or crimson, is predicted to have a number of countries, such as Gibraltar, Israel, Portugal and Malta, listed as travel areas which don’t require self-isolation on return.
Assessments for the list will be primarily based on a variety of things, such as the proportion of a rustic’s inhabitants that has been vaccinated, charges of an infection and rising new variants.
It got here as The Independent’s travel knowledgeable Simon Calder answered questions from our readers about which countries are probably to make it onto the UK’s “inexperienced list” and potential testing rules for holiday-makers.
Meanwhile, there are rising fears over the unfold of the Indian Covid-19 variant within the UK after clusters have been present in a number of areas of England.
The Covid variant has been elevated to a “variant of concern” by Public Health England as circumstances have been present in colleges, care properties and locations of worship within the North West, London and the East Midlands – though numbers stay comparatively low.
Key Points
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No ‘massive improve’ in summer season holidays forward of inexperienced list announcement
Prices for summer season holidays haven’t jumped forward of the federal government’s announcement of a inexperienced travel list, the UK’s largest holiday agency insisted.
Tui’s managing director for the UK and Ireland, Andrew Flintham, mentioned it is going to be “a very long time” earlier than travel corporations can contemplate boosting revenue margins.
He informed BBC Breakfast: “Our costs are very, very secure. They’re just about like for like, flat, 12 months over 12 months. There is not an enormous improve in there.
“We’ve acquired loads of holidays to promote. I believe all people within the business has.
“It’ll be a very long time earlier than the thought of attempting to improve costs to make more cash. We need to get folks away on holiday, having a good time, as a result of we predict they genuinely all deserve it.”
Samuel Osborne7 May 2021 14:07
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PM says UK should be ‘very cautious’ about Indian variant
Boris Johnson has mentioned the UK should be “very cautious” concerning the Indian variant of Covid-19 which is now “of concern” for public well being officers.
“I believe we have to be very cautious about that,” the prime minister mentioned on Friday.
“We’re doing an enormous quantity, clearly, to ensure that the place we do discover outbreaks of the Indian variant that we do surge testing, that we do door-to-door testing and isolate it.
“And even have very powerful controls on transport and on folks coming in.”
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 13:52
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Nepal going through ‘human disaster’ related to India amid Covid-19 surge
Nepal is going through a “human disaster” related to its neighbour India due to a wave of Covid-19 circumstances that has seen file day by day infections recorded.
In a joint assertion, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned a number of hospitals have been full and overflowing with Covid-19 sufferers and southern cities close to the Indian border have been unable to deal with the rising variety of circumstances.
Our reporter, Mayank Aggarwal, has the total story beneath:
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 13:32
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You can discover extra breaking information on the considerations concerning the Indian Covid variant beneath:
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 13:14
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The JCVI’s assertion on providing under-40s an alternate vaccine to the AstraZeneca jab, the place potential, can be discovered in additional element beneath:
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 13:08
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Indian Covid variant escalated to ‘variant of concern’, Public Health England confirms
A coronavirus variant first detected in India has been escalated to a “variant of concern” due to a pointy rise in circumstances, Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed.
Figures present circumstances of the variant have elevated from 202 to 520 over the past week, with virtually half of those circumstances associated to travel or contact with a traveller.
The infections are unfold throughout the nation, with the bulk in two areas – the North West, primarily in Bolton, and London, PHE mentioned.
It added that the choice to reclassify the variant was primarily based on proof which suggests it’s a minimum of as transmissible as the so-called Kent variant.
However, PHE mentioned there was presently “inadequate proof” to point out that any of the variants just lately detected in India trigger extra extreme illness or make the vaccines out there any much less efficient.
Surge testing for the variant, which has been reclassified as VOC-21APR-02, will be deployed in areas the place there’s proof of neighborhood transmission.
“We are monitoring all of those variants extraordinarily carefully and have taken the choice to classify this as a variant of concern as a result of the indications are that this VOC-21APR-02 is a extra transmissible variant,” Dr Susan Hopkins, Covid-19 Strategic Response Director at PHE, mentioned.
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 13:02
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‘Very small distinction’ rising in uncommon blood clots in women and men, MHRA chief says
There is a “very small distinction” rising in occurrences of uncommon blood clots in women and men, MHRA chief government Dr June Raine has mentioned.
“It’s one thing that we on the MHRA are monitoring very rigorously certainly,” Dr Raine informed a briefing on Friday.
“As you most likely recall, we initially thought that an obvious distinction in these extraordinarily uncommon blood clots with low platelets – extra preponderance in ladies – was due to the way in which that the vaccine was deployed.
“But we now know there’s a very small distinction rising, and that’s one thing we’re wanting into very rigorously certainly in order that the suitable recommendation can be given.”
She added: “There are two key factors there – one is that these are extraordinarily uncommon, and [the other is] that any distinction we’re now could be a small distinction and one which we’d like to totally examine.”
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 12:50
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Simon Calder’s knowledgeable holiday suggestions forward of travel ‘inexperienced list’ announcement
With information on the federal government’s visitors gentle system for travel restrictions just some hours away, our knowledgeable Simon Calder has answered a few of the key questions from our readers about holidays this summer season.
From which countries will make it onto the UK’s “inexperienced list” to potential testing rules, yow will discover his recommendation beneath:
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 12:39
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UK regulators working with different countries on Johnson & Johnson vaccine negative effects
UK regulators are working with different countries utilizing the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine to “be taught as a lot as potential” about potential side-effects for the jab, the chief of the Medicines & Healthcare merchandise Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has mentioned.
The European medicines regulator mentioned final month that there was a “potential hyperlink” between the vaccine, additionally identified as Janssen, and really uncommon blood clots.
The jab has not but been accepted for use within the UK, in contrast to the AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines.
“There are pointers which will point out an identical security profile [to the AstraZeneca jab],” Dr June Raine informed a televised briefing.
“What we’re doing is working internationally with the jurisdictions the place that vaccine is getting used to be taught as a lot as potential, whereas our personal approval course of strikes ahead.”
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 12:33
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Covid circumstances in personal households down once more in England, ONS estimates present
About one in 1,180 folks in personal households in England had Covid-19 within the week to 2 May, down from one in 1,010 within the earlier week, in accordance to the newest estimates from the Office for National Statistics.
The determine is the bottom degree for the reason that week to 5 September 2020, when the estimate stood at one in 1,400.
Meanwhile, the estimated fee was about one in 2,070 in Wales, down from one in 1,570 within the earlier week, and about one in 750 in Northern Ireland, up from one in 940 within the earlier week.
The estimate for Scotland was about one in 760, down from one in 640 within the earlier week.
Conrad Duncan7 May 2021 12:25
