Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Make ’em quarantine
» Poll Brits want tourists to isolate » Demandspike rises flight prices
THE excitement over summer holidays abroad returning is tinged with fear of Covid variants being brought back to Britain and sending infection rates soaring.
And while lockdown-weary families desperate for a sunshine break will today learn which places they will be allowed to visit, 70% of Brits back making all tourists go into quarantine hotels back at home.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is due to unveil the “traffic light” list, grading countries’ risk for overseas travel from May 17.
Passengers from green zones will not have to quarantine but must test negative for Covid-19 after arriving home. Those countries are expected to include Portugal, Malta, Gibraltar, Iceland and Israel. Tourists from amber nations, likely to include Spain, France, Greece and Italy, must self-isolate at home for 10 days.
And anyone who has been in red nations will have to quarantine at Governmentsanctioned hotels.
An Ipsos MORI poll found 79% of those quizzed were worried about Brit tourists returning with new variants of coronavirus.
And 79% backed stopping people entering the UK from countries with higher levels of infections, while 67% supported stopping people returning from any other place.
Ipsos MORI’S public affairs managing director Kelly Beaver said: “Our latest polling shows that whilst people are generally less concerned about coronavirus, the public remain
A majority support stopping people entering the
UK KELLY BEAVER ON THE IPSOS MORI POLL OF BRITS
concerned about the potential for vaccine-resistant strains knocking our recovery off course.
“We are even prepared to sacrifice foreign travel if needed, with a majority of Brits saying they would support stopping people entering the UK from any foreign country in order to stop variants spreading at home, which may impact people’s summer holiday plans for another year.”
Demands for flights to holiday hotspots is pushing up prices – and there are fears the cost of tests required before travel could make breaks too expensive for many.
British Airways is charging £530 for a flight from Heathrow to the Algarve on May 17. Flying the same route two days earlier costs just £234.
A Ryanair trip from Stansted to Portuguese capital Lisbon is £152, compared with £15 on May 16.
Airlines have urged ministers to slash the cost of coronavirus tests needed for travel, which can be as steep as £500 and called for clarity around vaccination passports.
Britain’s biggest holiday firm TUI
has launched bargain £20 Covid testing kits, a cut of £100. It means a family of four going on holiday to a “safe” nation will pay £80, instead of £480.
The kits have all that is needed under new rules with a pre-departure lateral flow test and two PCR tests to be carried out two days and eight days after returning.
TUI’S UK managing director Andrew Flintham said they would “make travel a possibility this summer and beyond”.
He added: “Customers are looking forward to a much-needed overseas holiday, but affordable testing solutions was imperative to make this a reality.” TUI will also offer passengers Covid tests for travel to amber countries for £50.
Consumer group Which? called on the Government to make kits affordable for all so smaller holiday firms did not miss out.
Its travel editor Rory Boland said: “Larger holiday companies that can afford to subsidise test costs may follow TUI, but medium and small travel firms may struggle to compete, and holidaymakers could face reduced choice as a result.
“People should not have to shop around for mandatory tests if they want to travel,
“The Government must work to reduce the cost of testing across the board, or have their hand forced as to who they book with based on limited provision of cheap tests.”
Benidorm is calling on the UK to give the resort green traffic light status.
The plea is being led by hoteliers across the Valencia region who insist the level of coronavirus in their area is low.
Hotel association Hosbec said: “The British market is essential for the recovery of Valencian tourism, with a special impact on the Benidorm area and Costa Blanca, where it represents 40% of the market.”