Dear Reader,

THE question I ask myself every Saturday morning is: ‘Are we in better shape today than we were this time last week?’

Seven days ago, the answer was ‘Not really’, amid reports of new mutations that the vaccine may or may not cope with, and fears that the dastardly EU could slow down our inoculation programme.

Today it’s a different story. Those vaccines are thought to be reliable against new strains, and we’re about to pass the 11 million mark for jabs, with all over-50s possibly receiving one by the end of March. The governor of the Bank of England has delivered his own injection of optimism, too, by raising the forecast for growth next year from 6.25 per cent to 7.25 per cent.

Then, Greece — desperate not to miss out on another summer of tourism, which normally accounts for a fifth of the country’s GDP — dives in with talk of vaccine passports, which could mean holidays to Greek hotspots as early as May.

Only Germany trumps us when it comes to the number of its citizens who visit Greece, but it is some three months behind the UK because of its shortage of vaccines. ‘In Germany we will be stuck at home when other countries can travel again’, says Moritz Schularick, a leading German economist, writing in Der Spiegel magazine.

We needn’t gloat (or rush with quite so much haste to bag a sun lounger), and it’s not completely clear what our government thinks about vaccine passports — especially if you heard Tory minister James Cleverly tie himself in knots yesterday on the radio. But surely it makes sense as a short-term measure?

Fittingly, we feature Zagori in northern Greece (pictured) on pages 62-63, with a trip that should suit over-50s perfectly, as it involves assisted pedalling up majestic mountains and along verdant valleys. Some might be hedging their bets for overseas holidays this year — and we’ve got that covered, too, on page 61, with a first-come, firstserved guide to deals in 2022. Get in early to avoid disappointment.