Foreign holiday hopes as Europe gets set to re-open
●Travel industry insists Scotland must move with rest of the UK in opening up
Transport industry chiefs have called for Scotland to be part of a “uniform” UK approach to international holidays as the EU Commission recommended easing restrictions on nonessential travel from overseas. Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed yesterday there would be “some opening up” in England on May 17 as he stressed the approach to foreign travel this summer would need to be sensible and cautious to avoid "an influx of disease". But the Scottish government has remained non-committal on any similar relaxation of restrictions north of the border, with the First Minister previously saying non-essential international travel from Scotland was unlikely to resume from May 17.
More details are expected this week to confirm when and how international travel will restart in England.
Ms Sturgeon has said her first major
if the SNP is returned to power in Thursday’s Scottish election, will be to approve changes to coronavirus rules due to come into force on May 17.
An SNP spokesman said in a statement last night the position on international travel would be considered in the next Covid review, expected to be announced next Tuesday.
There is currently a ban on non-essential travel abroad from Scotland under Covid rules.
Under EU plans, anyone who has received the last dose of an Eu-approved vaccine at least two weeks beforehand will be permitted to travel.
Edinburgh Airport management have backed the move, stressing a “uniform” approach to international travel was needed for the UK.
A spokesman for Edinburgh Airport said: “This is a sensible recovery plan that uses data and the success of the vaccines whilst retaining the flexibility to respond to change where necessary.
“The Scottish and Westminster governments should ensure an UK approach mirrors this system, providing a uniform approach across Europe.”
Alan Glen, from the Scottish Passenger Agents Associadecision,
tion, said there was "no way" any foreign travel system would work if Scotland had a different system to England.
He told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: "We have to have a four-nations approach to this.
"There's no way it's going to work [with] Scotland operating a different system to England when you can freely travel across the [Scotland-england] border and fly out of an English airport – and that's exactly what will happen."
Mr Johnson said there would be "some opening up" in England on May 17, but that thingsmustbedoneinaway"to make sure that we don't see the viruscomingbackin"totheuk.
Mr Johnson's cautious tone came as some MPS called for restrictions on foreign holidays to be maintained to protect the country from Covid-19 variants, and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged a "careful" approach.
UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab has confirmed plans to adopt a "traffic light system" in England for international travel.
Mr Glen said he believed foreign holidays this year would be "very much safer" than last summer, with travellers expected to carry out PCR Covid tests on return to the UK.
"For the travel industry, the traffic light system is a cautious approach and a riskbased approach,” he said.
"There's a couple of other things that you've got to factor in now that weren't available last year – one is the vaccine, another thing is testing.
"Even when you're on the 'green light', which will be low-risk countries, you'll have to have two PCR tests to come back ... it's not just throwing the borders open."
Mr Johnson told reporters during a campaign visit to Hartlepool: "We do want to do some opening up on May 17, but I don't think that the people of this country want to see an influx of disease from anywhere else.
Asked if people should be planning foreign holidays, he said: "We will be saying more as soon as we can.
"I think that there will be some openings up on the 17th, but we have got to be cautious and we have got to be sensible and we have got to make sure that we don't see the virus coming back in."
Sir Keir criticised the "chopping and changing" of the travel corridors list introduced last year and said such a situation should be avoided this holiday season. The opposition leader said he would "wait and see" what the UK government announces.
He said: "It's clear that the virus is increasing in some countries around the world, so we have to be very, very careful. What we can't have is a repeat of last summer, where the lists were chopping and changing on a daily or even weekly basis.”
The Labour leader’s comments came as the European Commission proposed to ease restrictions on travel to countries in the bloc amid progressing vaccination campaigns and lower infection rates.
The commission said it was proposing "to allow entry to the EU for non-essential reasons not only for all persons coming from countries with a good epidemiological situation, but also all people who have received the last recommended dose of an Eu-authorised vaccine".
It was not said which countrieswouldbeonitslist,butone unnamed EU official said the UK remains a "question mark".
Discussions on the plans will begin on Tuesday.
One travel firm boss said there had been "great progress" in countries such as Portugal and Spain in preparing for the return of holidaymakers.
Thomas Cook chief executive Alan French told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "When the holidays proper start at the end of June, we are expecting most of the countries that the UK goes on holiday to – Europe particularly – to be open.
"We are expecting Portugal, Spain, Greece, Croatia and so forth to be open, it would be nice if Turkey was open."
Ansnpspokespersonsaid:"if re-elected, one of our first acts will be to conduct the next Covid review which takes place just days after the election, including considering the position on international travel."
The All-party Parliamentary Group on Coronavirus has claimed the importation of new variants could "lead to further lockdowns, and inevitably, further loss of life".
Western Isles health board becomes first to invite under-30s for vaccines
The Western Isles has become the first health board to invite the 18 to 29 age group for Covid-19 vaccination.
With a population of around 27,000 people, the Western Isles has been the fastest board to vaccinate in terms of population.
Almost 83 per cent of the adult population have now been given a first dose, with 47 per cent given a second.
In Scotland as a whole, 62 per cent of adults have been given a first dose and 29 per cent a second.
The second-fastest health board has been NHS Orkney, with 78 per cent of adults given a first dose, followed by NHS Shetland, at 74 per cent.
NHS Western Isles chief executive Gordon Jamieson said last week the health board planned to accelerate the vaccination programme, ahead of an offer for all those over 18 without a first dose
to come forward. “We are looking at strengthening and maximising our vaccination team, as it is our intention to accelerate the vaccination programme for all adults,” he said.
In an update on Sunday evening, Mr Jamieson said: "We delivered just over 435 vaccinations today, which brings our total for the weekend to just under 1,200 vaccinations.
"The programme will continue for the coming weeks, and in the next week if you are 18 years of age or over and wish to arrange for that first and important vaccination, please telephone us or email and leave your details and we will get back to you. I would urge you if you wish to have the vaccination to please make contact.”
More than 80 per cent of 40 to 49-year-olds in the Western Isles have had a dose of vaccine, along with more than 60 per cent of over-30s.
Across the whole of Scotland, almost everyone aged over 55 has been given a first dose, with the 50 to 54 cohort nearing completion at 92 per cent.
These groups are considered complete across Scotland by the Scottish Government, but a nationwide move to under-50s has not yet been made.
Just under 100,000 Scots with underlying health conditions, scheduled before under-50s in terms of vaccination priority, are still to receive a first dose.
Chief medical officer Dr Gregor Smith has previously said he expects Scotland’s vaccination programme to pick up pace in May, after a period of limited supply decimated daily figures.
Daily first doses picked up slightly to between 5,000 and 9,000 per day last week, after record lows the week before dropping to as low as 2,300 first doses in one day.
As a result of the supply drop second doses have been prioritised, with around 40,000 doses a day.
Health boards have urged people to turn up to their second dose appointments.
“Uptake for second doses has been fantastic – we just want to make sure that everyone who received a first dose in the first half of February comes forward now for their second vaccination,” said NHS Ayrshire and Arran interim director of public health Lynne Mcniven.
Dr Mark Russell, lead for the vaccination programme in Lanarkshire, said last week the health board aimed to scale up its vaccination programme, delivering 7,000 doses a day across all clinics.