Foreign holidays set to restart

The Home Secretary has said UK borders could be reopened now that coronavirus transmission rates were continuing to fall.

It will pave the way for Britons to go on abroad holiday with an announcement to be made in the coming days on “travel corridors” with other European countries where rates of the virus remain low.

“With regard to the public health measures at the border, when those measures were brought in it was to prevent a second wave of the virus being imported in,” Priti Patel told Sophy Ridge on Sky News.

“As we see rates of the virus drop with other countries in the world, and also as we see domestic transmission fall, it is right we look at how we facilitate travel and the air corridors, or the travel corridors, that I and my colleagues have spoken about.

“In terms of the countries where this will be possible, there will be an announcement in the next few days ahead.”

Ms Patel confirmed that negotiations with countries deemed safe for travel were continuing, adding: “These measures won’t come in overnight.

“They will take time because some of this will be down to negotiation, discussion with certain countries but the principle around sharing data, travel data, the locator form that the Home Office has created, to capture a lot of this information, will absolutely still remain.

“We have to keep on top of this disease.”

Ms Patel, asked about whether those seen in crowds on beaches in recent days had been inspired by the PM’S aide Dominic Cummings’ lockdown travels, said: “Quite frankly, my view is no.”

The question came after the Prime Minister warned against people taking “liberties” as the lockdown is eased.

The Cabinet minister added: “That issue has come and gone.”