‘No tests’ for arrivals at UK airports
of Britons are believed to be stranded amid claims Ryanair passengers were unable to re-book flights.
Norwegian Air yesterday laid off 5,000 staff, having said it would cancel more than 4,000 flights. And Scandinavian carrier SAS axed 10,000 temporarily – 90% of its staff.
The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s Richard Moriarty said: “This is the most challenging period for aviation we have witnessed. The threat to survival of some businesses is real.”
Passengers returning here yesterday slammed the “zero checks” at Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick airports.
David Unesco tweeted: “Been in Manila, temperature taken 2 times a day. Flew back to Manchester and wasn’t a single check. They couldn’t care less.” And Arj Naik added: “Landed in Manchester from Barcelona not seen one corona sign or been asked where I have travelled, no temperature check.”
In Spain, its 47 million citizens are now banned from leaving home except for work or groceries. PM Pedro Sanchez imposed travel restrictions on Saturday with 5,700 people infected and 120 deaths.
Streets were almost deserted yesterday, with masked police telling people to go home – and even using a drone to blare out the message at a popular spot in Madrid.
Spain was the second European nation to adopt extreme measures, following Italy – the worst-hit country outside China with 17,000 cases and 1,000 deaths.
Pope Francis held services at the Vatican yesterday without the faithful attending, in a move that was believed to be unprecehundreds
China Italy Iran S. Korea Spain Germany France USA Switzerland UK Norway Netherlands Sweden Belgium Denmark Austria Japan Malaysia
24,747 13,938 8,162 7,843 5,813 5,423 3,621 2,217 1,391 1,250 1,135 1,040 886 864 860 839 428 +3,590 +1,209 +76 +1,452 +924 +678 +842 +251 +141 +176 +79 +197 +28 +205 +35 +190 1,809 +368 724 75 292 11 127 63 14 35 3 20 3 4 2 1 24 0 +11 +3 +96 +2 +36 +6 +1 +14 +1 +2 dented. France is also in lockdown with all non-essential public locations closed. It has shut ski resorts and efforts to repatriate 30,000 Brits were under way amid alerts of “widespread failures” in the travel sector.
Germany will impose temporary controls on its borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark and Luxembourg today.
Austria has banned gatherings of more than five and Denmark has shut its borders, while Poland plans to shutter at midnight.
In China, where the outbreak started in Wuhan city, officials tightened restrictions on arrivals in Beijing to cut imported cases.
And 300 passengers on a Dubai-bound Emirates jet had to get off in India after a British national tested positive for Covid-19.
Meanwhile, 682 mostly British passengers and 381 crew remain stranded on the Braemar cruise ship in the Caribbean after five passengers tested positive. Owner Fred Olsen said 19 more passengers and 16 crew are now in isolation with flu-like symptoms.
I am 66 and retired. I have Type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis, plus other health issues. I inject drug cMetoject weekly for my RA and this leaves my immune system vulnerable.
I am due to take a short trip in the UK staying in a hotel. Should I consider cancelling? Martin, Wiltshire
Dr Miriam: Yes, due to your age and chronic medical conditions you would be classed as “vulnerable” and you shouldn’t be on the move. The current advice is that someone like you should not be travelling.
Also, you should avoid staying in a hotel in close contact with other people. I think the best thing for you to do is to stay at home and more or less self-quarantine.
It’s hard but you shouldn’t be seeing visitors and not even family who are mixing with the outside world.