• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Travel Travel News

‘Extremely unlikely’ that overseas summer holidays will happen this year

“I think we are running a real risk if we do start to have lots of people going overseas in July and August because of the potential for bringing more of these new variants back into the country."

Joe Mellor by Joe Mellor
2021-03-20 15:36
in Travel News
Credit;PA

Credit;PA

FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Holidays to foreign destinations will be “extremely unlikely” this summer due to the risk of new Covid-19 variants being brought back into the UK, a scientist has warned.

Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of the Spi-M modelling group which advises the Government, said there was a danger that new variants could jeopardise the vaccination programme later in the year.

It comes as a rise in coronavirus infections has led to countries across Europe imposing tougher restrictions, with scientists concerned about outbreaks of the South African variant.

Other experts have warned there could be a third wave of Covid-19 infections in the UK and advised people not to consider overseas holidays when restrictions ease later this year.

Data

That is despite Government data up to March 18 suggesting that 49.9% of the UK population aged 18 and over had received a first dose of the vaccine, with an estimated 73,000 more jabs needed to pass the halfway mark.

HEALTH Coronavirus Vaccine
(PA Graphics)

Infectious disease expert Dr Tildesley told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I think that international travel this summer is, for the average holidaymaker, sadly I think, extremely unlikely,

“I think we are running a real risk if we do start to have lots of people going overseas in July and August because of the potential for bringing more of these new variants back into the country.

RelatedPosts

EU to drop requirement to wear masks in airports and on planes

Brexit: Eye-watering sum in cancelled holidays due to passport delays is revealed

Shapps’ promise of cheap train tickets already rubbished by Burnham

Brexit thread outlines problems Brits face in Schengen area

“What is really dangerous is if we jeopardise our vaccination campaign by having these variants where the vaccines don’t work as effectively spreading more rapidly.”

Government sources said the UK needs to be wary of what is happening in Europe “because in the past that has led to a rise here a few weeks later”, although how things will pan out is uncertain.

European countries are seeing pockets of the South African variant, with studies suggesting vaccines work less well against this variant.

In the UK, hospital admissions and deaths are still coming down due to the effect of vaccines, but there are worries that cases could rise quickly once restrictions are eased.

Another wave

Professor Andrew Hayward, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said while another wave was “likely” in the UK, the impact could be less deadly than previous ones.

He told Times Radio: “I think another wave is possible. Likely, even.

“I guess the difference is that another wave will cause substantially fewer deaths and hospitalisations because of high levels of vaccination across the sorts of people who would have ended up in hospital or unfortunately dying if they haven’t been vaccinated.

“So the consequences of another wave are less. I think the challenge is of course we don’t know exactly how much less.”

Experts believe there will be an increasing “disconnect” between cases and hospital admissions and deaths going forward, as vaccines work to keep people from dying.

Regarding foreign holidays this summer, Government scientists say it is still unclear what will happen, but the risk of importing cases and variants comes from countries with a higher prevalence than the UK.

Professor Dirk Brockmann, an epidemiologist at the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin, said British holidaymakers should not be considering European breaks when lockdown restrictions ease.

He told Times Radio: “International travel is a means of new variants to distribute themselves across the globe.

“That’s how we do it. That’s how it got everywhere in the world. As long as there’s no massive immunity due to vaccination it is certainly not a factor that would help the situation especially when new variants are introduced and variants of concern in various regions in the world.”

Asked if he was saying “no” to Brits travelling to Europe, Prof Brockmann replied: “I’m saying no, in a long way.”

In Europe, the French government announced that new lockdown restrictions would be imposed on Paris from midnight on Friday due to an increase in cases.

Global Covid-19 cases and deaths
(PA Graphics)

Prime minister Jean Castex said France was facing a “third wave” of the pandemic, adding the new measures will last for four weeks.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany may need to apply an “emergency break” on relaxing restrictions amid a rise in infections.

Poland begins a new three-week lockdown on Saturday, with shops, hotels, cultural and sporting facilities closed, while other countries including Italy and Spain have opted for curfews in a bid to reduce the rate of transmission.

Blood clot

Countries including France, Germany and Italy have begun restarting their vaccine programmes with the AstraZeneca jab – reversing earlier decisions to suspend them over blood clot concerns.

The rollout of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine will resume in Ireland on Saturday, the Health Service Executive announced.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson after receiving the vaccine
Prime Minister Boris Johnson after receiving the vaccine (Frank Augstein/PA)

On Friday, Boris Johnson gave a double thumbs-up to mark his vaccination as he was given the jab at Westminster Bridge Vaccination Centre at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London shortly after 6.30pm.

Leaving hospital he told reporters: “I literally did not feel a thing and so it was very good, very quick and I cannot recommend it too highly.

“Everybody, when you get your notification to go for a jab please go and get it. It is the best thing for you, best thing for your family and for everybody else.”

Related: Covid: Government’s furlough scheme handing millions to tax exiles and foreign states

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Teenage boy knifed to death in broad daylight in South London

Donald Trump is right, his new British counterpart is cut from the same cloth

Groom almost late for wedding rescued by police who towed his classic AC Cobra car

LATEST UPDATE: Shocking self harm reported as police called to protests at scandal-hit G4S detention centre

Taylor Swift now the NYC & Company New York City’s Global Welcome Ambassador

5 Tips to Mitigate Risks when Buying a Condo in Phuket

Use of civil servants to give advice to Conservative backbenchers over Brexit “should be investigated”

Elevenses: ‘Cut Through’

Unique dining experience London In The Sky returns this July

Hordes of Brits head to the coast with more sun on its way

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.