Mayor won’t tell people to cancel travel plans

THE Mayor of Manchester wouldn’t tell people in Indian Covid hotspots not to travel to Wales for the bank holiday weekend when he was questioned about it on live television.

Andy Burnham’s comments came as ministers backtracked over travel advice for eight areas worst-hit by the Indian Covid variant, after a change in guidance led to widespread confusion.

The amended advice asks people to minimise travel into and out of Bolton, Blackburn, Kirklees, Bedford, Burnley, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside.

Earlier advice had asked people to avoid non-essential travel altogether.

Mr Burnham, pictured, said that people should stick to journeys that are “essential”, or for things that they had planned “in good faith”.

When asked on BBC Breakfast if families from the hotspot areas who had booked to go to Wales over the Bank Holiday weekend should cancel their trip, he said: “They will have to make their own judgement in terms of their own situation.

“Have they had the jab? There is clear evidence coming through now that people who have been double jabbed are in a much stronger position.

“I would say judge your own circumstances, do try and minimise travel, but if people have got things booked, I am not going to say to them that they should rip up their plans.

“What the government has issued is guidance, it is advice. It is asking people to be more vigilant and be sensible, and that is right. But we don’t believe telling people they can’t is proportionate at this moment in time.”

Earlier, transport secretary Grant Shapps admitted communication over the advice could have been “clearer”.

Mr Shapps said the government would “learn from that”, but added he did not believe the change in advice was “actually all that complicated”.

“This is not a new lockdown, this is not law, this is just some advice,” he told BBC Breakfast. “You can do exactly as you can elsewhere in the country.

“Some additional advice was provided in order to remind people that they happen to be living in areas where the risk of transmission is higher.”

Earlier this week, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon banned travel to three areas in England from Scotland. She announced a temporary ban on travel to Bedford, Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen on Monday (May 24).

No ban has been put in place by the Welsh Government, but they have said they are monitoring the situation “closely”.