10m cars clog roads in the great getaway
TAILBACKS and queues marked Super Saturday as more than 10 million motorists hit the road and businesses reopened.
On the M5 near Exeter huge traffic jams built up as holidaymakers, including many with caravans and campervans, headed for Devon and Cornwall.
Alton Towers also reopened its gates while England’s beauty spots saw a huge influx of tourists as lockdown eased on the
UK’S own Independence Day.
Only Leicester missed the boat – the city is in renewed lockdown following a spike in Covid-19 cases – as pubs, restaurants and hairdressers elsewhere in England threw open their doors.
In Wales, residents were urged to adhere to the stay local advice and not travel more than five miles until lockdown is lifted tomorrow.
First minister Mark Drakeford said those living close to England could pop over the border for a drink but would not be possible for the majority of people in Wales.
Underwelsh government plans some pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants will be able to reopen outdoors from July 13.
Air bridges from the UK to quarantineexempt countries also came into force yesterday, meaning travellers do not have spend 14 days in isolation if they return on or after this coming Friday.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office listed 67 countries including France, Spain,
Greece, Italy, Turkey, Malta, various Caribbean islands,australia, New Zealand and certain other Asian Pacific countries.
But Portugal was excluded, except for travel to and from The Azores and Madeira. Foreign minister Augusto Santos Silva said yesterday: “It it is absurd for a country like the United Kingdom – which has seven times more cases than Portugal and 28 times more Covid-19 related deaths than we do – to impose quarantine on the return of passengers from Portugal.
“It would be nothing more than an absurdity if it didn’t have real consequences.”
However, travellers were left unsure whether some holiday destinations will permit Britons to arrive at all. Greece has announced direct flights from the UK will be allowed from July 15, while New Zealand is on the list but is closed to almost all arrivals.
Guidance also did not specify whether the countries on the list will reciprocate the quarantine-free arrangements.travellers need to check the FCO list country by country. Alarm bells sounded in Spain after an area inside the Catalan region was put back into lockdown after a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. Segria is an agricultural area that includes the city of Lleida – 81 miles west of tourist hot spot, Barcelona.