...and summer hols likely to be off, too

FAMILIES have been warned not to expect to go on a holiday this summer.

Nicola Sturgeon reiterated yesterday measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus are likely to continue for months.

The First Minister sounded a warning to those hoping the epidemic will have cleared in time for a sunshine break.

She also advised that the peak of the crisis may be several weeks away, and rejected claims by UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock that it may be recorded on Easter Sunday.

Although she admitted it is too early to know for certain how long the lockdown or other restrictions will be in force for, Miss Sturgeon said: ‘I don’t think anybody should be under any great expectation that summer holidays will be happening as normal this summer. I wish I could say otherwise but right now I don’t think that would be a safe assumption to make.’

Dr Catherine Calderwood, Scotland’s chief medical officer, warned that cases could jump up when lockdown restrictions are lifted. On the prospect of summer holidays, she said: ‘I would not be thinking those summer holidays are likely to be as they were in the past, but we don’t know.’

On Thursday, Dr Calderwood said that the lockdown could be in place for 13 weeks – and would only be lifted if the spread of the disease slows down.

Yesterday, Miss Sturgeon said in a Clyde 1 radio interview she did not know if the lockdown would continue beyond the summer, adding that she has been clear it could continue for ‘at least 12-13 weeks’.

She added: ‘When I announced the closure of schools, what I said then was don’t expect the schools to be coming back after Easter and I can’t guarantee they will be back before the summer. We’ve said this is at least a 12-13 week period.

‘We won’t keep the country in these measures for a single minute longer than we think is necessary. But we’re not going to be reckless in lifting them too early because that would squander all of the hard work people have been doing.’

A spokesman for ABTA, the trade body for travel agents and tour operators, said: ‘It is essential that the Government does everything in its power to support the travel industry through this crisis, to safeguard tens of thousands of jobs and ensure healthy businesses make it through.’