Vaccines for ‘Put holiday hot spots on green list’
Six-hour queue for Heathrow arrivals
PEOPLE in their 30s could start getting jabs in the second half of May after new details of the UK’s schedule were published.
Guidance from the Government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) said the rollout would continue in five-year age groups.
Vulnerable workers such as taxi drivers, hauliers and hospitality staff could be encouraged to come forward first in their groups.
But experts fear complicating the simple age-based priority list will make it difficult to coordinate and slow down shots.
Based on current rates, the 35-39 age group can expect to be invited to book an appointment in the second half of May.
Those aged 30-35 could be called in by late May or early June. Anyone aged 25-29 and 18-24 would be contacted in the rest of June and July.
Up until now the rollout has concentrated on offering over-50s jabs.
More people under 65 are now being admitted to hospital with Covid-19 than older age groups as vaccination protection kicks in.
NHS England statistics show that on average, 51 per cent of virus patients hospitalised daily were under 65 and 49 per cent over.
This is down from two thirds being aged over 65 at the peak of the second wave in January.
However, there are growing concerns that those travelling overseas could bring dangerous coronavirus variants into the UK which are more resistant to vaccines.
Government adviser Prof Peter Openshaw warned that lockdown could be reimposed if new variants get out of control. It came as
Britain’s biggest surge testing operation is underway to tackle an outbreak of the South African variant in London.
The flare-up started when a man flew in to the UK from Africa in February and it has since spread to a care home and two schools.
According to documents seen by the BBC the country he travelled from was not on the red list for mandatory hotel quarantine at that time, but is now.
Prof Openshaw, a member of the Covid-19 clinical information network, said: “This is not good news.
“If we get rapid spread of the South African or other more resistant variants, it may well be that we are going to have to put the reductions of lockdown into reverse.”
Thousands of residents queued for up to two hours for PCR tests at sites in two south London boroughs.
A million people aged over 11 who live, work or travel through Wandsworth, Lambeth or Southwark are being encouraged to get checked.
Variant
And people living in an area of Barnet have also been urged to get a test after a case of the South African variant was found there. Officials will go door-to-door in the N3 postcode to deliver PCR test kits and a mobile unit will be set up at Finchley Central Station.
There have been 533 confirmed cases of the South African variant in the UK and 11 more probable cases, according to Government figures. Lockdown was eased throughout England on Monday, with nonessential retail and pub beer gardens permitted to open. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he has no plans to change the roadmap out of lockdown.The next “waymarks” on England’s plan to ease restrictions are due on May 17 and June 21.
POPULAR holiday destinations such as Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal should be on the Government’s “green list” for travel, says the boss of easyJet.
Chief executive Johan Lundgren said he “would expect almost all major European countries” to be in the low-risk category when overseas breaks resume.
Under the new traffic light system, arrivals from a “green” country avoid isolating but those from an “amber” destination must quarantine for 10 days.
Rules for “red” locations will continue, including the mandatory stay in a quarantine hotel.
Everyone returning to or visiting the UK will be required to take at least one coronavirus test prior to departure and after they arrive.
The earliest date that foreign holidays could be permitted for people in England under the roadmap is May 17. Mr Lundgren was asked if he expects destinations such as France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Cyprus and Turkey to be on the “green list”.
He replied: “Yes, by the time we open up for travel on the 17th of May and if the Government continues to have the plan in place on the two-test system.
“I wouldn’t see a reason why you wouldn’t have the majority of the countries of Europe in there.” The Department of Transport has pledged to categorise countries “by early May”. Assessments will be based on the proportion of a country’s population that has been vaccinated, rates of infection, emerging new variants and local access to reliable scientific data. EasyJet has said it is ready to
“ramp up” services for the summer holiday season by offering more flights from late May after restrictions ease.
The budget carrier said it expects to fly up to 20 per cent of 2019 capacity levels between April and June, with most countries planning to resume flying at scale in May.
It flew just 14 per cent of its 2019 flight programme between October and the end of March.
Asked if the easyJet boss’s expectation that most of Europe will be on the “green list” was “over-optimistic”, aviation minister Robert Courts told the Transport Select Committee: “I can’t commit, I’m afraid.
“It wouldn’t be right for me to speculate as to which countries in which areas of the world are likely to be on which list.
“We will have to look at the right time. It’s too early to say at the moment.”
He added: “I accept this is a cautious unlocking of international travel. It is meant to be because it’s meant to be robust and it’s meant to be something that is sustainable.”