BA backs airport testing campaign, as four countries join quarantine list - The Telegraph
BA backs airport testing campaign, as four countries join quarantine list - The Telegraph |
| BA backs airport testing campaign, as four countries join quarantine list - The Telegraph Posted: 12 Sep 2020 12:00 AM PDT  British Airways can only survive if Government works with it, including through support for airport Covid-19 testing, according to the carrier's chief executive and chairman Alex Cruz. "These are the toughest times in the history of the aviation industry," writes Mr Cruz for The Telegraph as four more countries are added to the UK's travel 'red list'. "Coronavirus has hit our business hard, and the sector is fighting for its very survival," he adds. "What is hugely frustrating is that we know people want to travel, to fly, whether to see friends or family, to see business contacts face-to-face or to recharge on the beach, but without a rigorous, reliable Coronavirus testing programme – together with a sensible approach to quarantine – people's plans are being unnecessarily grounded." Ongoing changes to the holiday quarantine-list have seen hundreds of thousands of Britons race back to the UK, or cancel trips, to avoid two-weeks of self-isolation at home. Portugal, Hungary, French Polynesia and Reunion are the latest four countries to face quarantine restrictions – it is just three weeks since Portugal was granted a travel corridor with the UK (Madeira and the Azores are exempt from quarantine rules for arrivals to England and Wales). The Telegraph is campaigning for quarantine to be replaced with airport testing. Scroll down for the latest travel updates. What happened today?Here's a recap of the main stories:
Catch-up with the rest below. Cuba imposes new restrictions due to Covid-19 fearsCuban state media reported on Saturday that interprovincial transportation would be shut down and a curfew in Havana extended until the end of the month as a surge virus cases in the capital spreads to other areas. While most of the country remains at a new normal with schools and retail activity open, local authorities have been tightening enforcement of wearing masks, social distancing and other measures for fear of spread and imposing quarantines wherever cases appear. Cuba had mostly contained its novel coronavirus outbreak by the end of June, by isolating patients and contacts, and eased lockdown restrictions. It tightened them again in Havana in August and has yet to contain a spike in cases in the city.  Thomas Cook online travel agency receives Atol licenceThe Thomas Cook online travel agency being launched by the Chinese conglomerate Fosun has received its Atol licence from the Civil Aviation Authority, reports Travel Weekly. On its thomascook.com website it is possible to sign up for updates about the company. The new online travel agency will reportedly carry fewer than 50,000 passengers in its first year. The initial licence is for 364 passengers to the end of September. Myanmar residents barricade city streets as coronavirus cases riseSome residents of Myanmar's biggest city used pieces of wood and corrugated iron to make barricades around their neighbourhoods late on Friday, trying to keep out Covid-19 as the country grapples with a second wave of infections. The Southeast Asian nation has reported a total of 2,625 coronavirus cases and 15 deaths. The number of infections has quadrupled since mid-August, when the virus resurfaced in the western state of Rakhine after weeks without a domestic case. Many of the recent cases have been in Yangon, the commercial capital and biggest city. Residents started erecting the makeshift roadblocks to stop people freely entering and leaving their districts. Last week, government authorities issued stay-at-home orders for residents, and airlines and buses suspended services in and out of the city. The countries you can visit right now, without any quarantineFast-changing travel restrictions can make it tough to choose a holiday destination. We've rounded up all the places you can, for now, visit without quarantine.
Daytrippers head to the beach as temperatures reach 21CVisitors to Brighton beach could be seen making the most of the September sun today as temperatures reached 21C in some parts of the UK. The mercury is set to rise further to 31C in southern England on Tuesday, while the Met Office has issued a weather warning for western Scotland where as much as 150mm of rain could fall in hilly areas.   Irish police given power to close pubs breaching Covid-19 rulesGardaà (Irish police) have been granted legal powers to close restaurants and pubs not adhering to regulations during the Covid-19 pandemic, the BBC reports. It comes as the Taoiseach (Irish PM) warned his Government would not be afraid to implement special restrictions in Dublin, after more than half of the new cases on Friday were recorded in the city. Micheál Martin said ministers had learned from their actions during earlier clampdowns in Kildare, Offaly and Laois. One further death and 211 cases of Covid-19 were recorded in the Republic on Friday. Missed out on summer? Fear not, autumnal holidays are so much sweeterOctober is the perfect month for a trip to Europe, so start planning, writes Anna Hart:
The best hotels to book in Europe for quarantine-free holidaysWith travel still haltingly opening up across Europe, more and more hotels are reopening, bringing hope not just for economic recovery across the continent but for some much-needed holidays. Tom Mulvihill has rounded up the best hotels in Europe for a quarantine-free trip.  Late night discos and sauna socials pushing Covid rate to soar further in SpainSpain is pleading with young people to stop socialising at illegal parties as the country's monunting Covid caseload continues to lead the way in Europe's impending second wave of infections, reports James Badcock. In spite of the warnings from authorities to rein in expansive social behaviour, in the early hours of Thursday Madrid police caught and fined 73 people who had sidestepped a ban on late-night discotheques by partying in a basement sauna in the capital's main business district. No one was wearing a face mask. Last weekend, a few blocks away, 75 people were caught in an unlicensed premises operating as a bar and brothel, openly defying Spanish government orders to close down bordellos. The city is one of the worst-hit places in Spain, with hospitals recording an alarming rise in admissions. How to get travel insurance should you choose to ignore Foreign Office adviceContrary to popular belief, you can visit a country to which the Foreign Office (FCO) advises against travel without invalidating your insurance – you just need to contact one of the few providers willing to offer cover. What's more, it shouldn't cost much more than an ordinary policy. How Covid-19 infection rates are looking across EuropeAs research shows that the R rate may be as high as 1.7 in England, what does the picture look like elsewhere in Europe. Here's a snapshot from countries that are and aren't on the UK's quarantine list. Quarantine restrictions apply Quarantine-free Remote workers petition for a Bali 'digital nomad' visaA number of countries, including Barbados, Estonia and Bermuda have created new incentives to attract foreign residents amid the pandemic-induced move towards remote working. Now a group of nomadic workers in Bali is pushing for long-term visas with least one year of residence. While Bali has become known as a popular spot for this type of workers, visa policies have left many living in the country on a semi-legal basis. The petition has gathered over 2,000 signatures and garnered enough traction for review by the Ministry of State Secretariat of Indonesia. Venice Film Festival, the first Covid-era cinema showcase, comes to a closeThe 10-day Venice Film Festival draws to a close today. Critics, filmmakers and actors cheered organisers for holding the festival. Once the virus spread, the Cannes Film Festival was canceled, and other big international festivals in Toronto and New York opted to go mostly online.   UAE reports 1,007 new cases, highest since outbreakThe United Arab Emirates health ministry has today reported 1,007 new coronavirus cases, its highest daily number of infections since the start of the pandemic. The Gulf Arab state has seen cases surge over the past six weeks from 164 cases on August 3, a trend Government officials have blamed on people not adhering to social distancing measures. Case numbers had been generally falling after peaking at 994 on May 22, though there had been some periodic rises before the recent surge. The UAE has recorded 78,849 infections and 399 deaths from Covid-19 so far. Heathrow at risk of going the same way as '80s mining towns', warns airport bossHeathrow's CEO has warned that an entire area of West London is at risk of becoming like "a mining town in the 1980s" if airport testing is not approved. Urging the Government to replace quarantine with Covid-19 tests for international arrivals, John Holland-Kaye said: "[Air travel] really has been killed by quarantine. What we have seen is that when people can fly, they will. "Other countries – even Jersey – have introduced testing, very successfully. We don't understand why the government doesn't do similar things, not just to support aviation but all the businesses that depend on it." Having posted losses of £1.1 billion in the first half of 2020, Heathrow bosses are now working on plans to downgrade the contracts of thousands of staff in a bid to stave off collapse. "We are such as big part of the local economy, if we have large-scale redundancies that would have a similar impact to what we saw with mining towns back in the 1980s, and we want to do everything we can to avoid that," Holland-Kaye added. 'Mykonos was a paradise without tourists, but if things don't pick up it will be a struggle to survive'Mykonos finds itself back on the UK's quarantine list, spelling tough times ahead for the island's business owners. Despite a half-decent summer season (all things considered), the drop-off in tourist numbers is causing plenty of anxiety among shopkeepers, bar owners and restaurateurs.  Lebby Eyres spoke to some of the locals to hear how the pandemic and the UK's "unfair" quarantine rules have affected the island A postcard from Hull, where culture will prevail over the 'rule of six'New restrictions will come into force in England on Monday that ban people from meeting up in groups of more than six, inside or outside. This has been a blow to those running cultural celebrations. However, the organisers of Freedom Festival in Hull were among the clever ones who pivoted online as soon as lockdown was announced in March. Lottie Gross went along to try the festivities at a distance. Fancy a spot of wild camping? Here's Britain's best adventure for anyone tired of homeThe ban on wild camping in Dartmoor has been lifted – Chris Moss offers an example of how you can (responsibly) enjoy a stay in this glorious spot. 
Holidaymakers brand quarantine rules a 'shambles'British holidaymakers who faced a dash back from Portugal on Friday to avoid 14 days of self-isolation have branded the Government's quarantine rules a "shambles". "I'm stuck in Portugal and a NHS worker. Why is it ok for the restrictions in [the] UK to start from Monday but I need to get back by 4am Saturday and have to pay £980 for a flight I cant afford?," wrote Tracey Lambert, from Essex, on Twitter. Tens of thousands of Britons were forced to cut short or cancel holidays to Portugal when Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Thursday that mainland Portugal would be added to the travel "red list", just three weeks after the country was granted a travel corridor with the UK. Wales and Scotland had reimposed quarantine on arrivals from Portugal the previous week (Wales for mainland Portugal and Scotland for Portugal and its islands). Simon Garner, from Ipswich, was among the Britons who rushed back from Portugal. He told the Daily Mail: "It's a shambles, they don't give you enough notice to come back, they should give you a week to come back safely." Is your UK holiday now illegal?The UK has taken a step back into lockdown, with England outlawing gatherings of more than six people from Monday. But what does that mean for your staycation? And who exactly will police your holiday, if it is now illegal? Hazel Plush has taken a closer look at how the rules apply to UK breaks, from camping trips to hotel stays. Hundreds of data security risks on travel firms' websites, claims Which?Some 98 travel companies have security vulnerabilities on their websites, according to an investigation by the consumer champion Which? The investigation looked at the websites of household names, such as easyJet and Lastminute.com, and Which? claims to have found thousands of data security vulnerabilities that could make it easy for cyber criminals to access customer data. The findings, said Which?, included:
The companies included in the research responded to the Which? claims. Empty cruise ships in Scotland on offer as moored holiday homesThe majority of the world's cruise ships are unable to sail right now due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and have been left docked in ports or anchored off coasts around the world. However, one small, family-run Scottish outfit has come up with a solution to the temporary suspension of sailing and turned its ships into summer holiday homes. Oban-based St Hilda Sea Adventures' three ships – St Hilda, Seahorse 11 and Gemini Explorer – normally take up to 15 passengers around the world famous Sounds that separate the isles of the Outer and Inner Hebrides, and Argyll. But the bruising coronavirus hiatus has led the 13-year old operator to offer cruise lovers, miserable at being landlocked, the chance to book any one of its vessels as an exclusive, self-catering holiday home.  Comment: Why must we be punished by airlines for using comparison sites to book?I booked a BA flight through Kayak, and waved goodbye to any hope of good service when things went wrong, writes my colleague Annabel Fenwick Elliott:
Covid marshal schemes that began in Devon and Cornwall 'did more than monitor queues at Greggs'The Covid marshal scheme that inspired Boris Johnson's UK-wide announcement did more than "monitor the queues in Greggs," a police chief has said. A Downing Street spokesman said that Covid marshals had already been used in Cornwall and Leeds, and "can be volunteers or existing (council) staff ". But Devon and Cornwall's 10-week scheme was funded by a £400,000 cash injection from the Police and Crime Commissioner's office and relied solely on professional, fully trained and registered security staff who were hired from private companies. Alison Hernandez, Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: "In our case the largest issue they had to deal with was around people who might have had a bit too much to drink, so experience of de-escalating situations involving drunk people, and using powers of persuasion, was vital. Hungary sees record daily high of new Covid-19 casesHungary's daily new coronavirus cases reached a record 916 on Saturday, the highest since the start of the pandemic as schools reopened. Even as the number of cases rise, the number of people dying from the disease has remained fairly low, with only two elderly patients with chronic pre-existing conditions dying from complications of the coronavirus in the past 24 hours. The Government's coronavirus task force said active cases reached 7,134, but Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who attended a session of the task force early on Saturday, said schools can stay open and life must go on. Hungary has been added to the UK's quarantine-list. Holidays to Sweden are now quarantine-freeAs holidays to Portugal are put on hold, trips to Sweden are back. After a long wait, Sweden has been granted a spot on the UK's travel "green list," effective 4am today. Chris Leadbeater has round-up 15 fine reasons to go this country of glorious scenery, giant lakes and white sand beaches. Three other countries added to quarantine list todayHungary, French Polynesia and Reunion were added to the travel "red list" today, alongside Portugal. Arrivals to the UK from these nations will now have to self-isolate for 14 days. If you're planning a trip overseas in the coming weeks, it pays to keep an eye on Covid-19 infection rates. The chart below gives an idea of which countries could be next on the quarantine list. How have infection rates risen in Portugal?Portugal rejoined the UK's travel "red list" this morning, meaning anyone arriving in England, Wales or Scotland from mainland Portugal will now have to self-isolate for 14 days. Those travelling from the islands of Madeira or the Azores to Scotland will also be required to quarantine. The seven-day infection rate per 100,000 residents had reached 28.3 in Portugal on Thursday, ahead of the UK Government's quarantine decision. When a country breaches a threshold of 20 cases per 100,000 the Government considers imposing adding it to the quarantine list. Guernsey plans regional quarantine restrictions for EnglandGuernsey is to introduce regional travel restrictions for England from September 15. The Civil Contingencies Authority has outlined its recommendations for the classification of each region. Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have not been broken down into regions, but, as it stands,are classified as whole countries. The CAA is proposing a traffic light system, with these suggested regional splits:
The following quarantine restrictions would apply to inbound visitors to Guernsey:
Comment: Airport testing teams are standing idle while our Government sits on its handsThese are the toughest times in the history of the aviation industry, British Airways chairman and chief executive Alex Cruz writes for Telegraph Travel:
First European 'travel bubble' bursts as coronavirus cases rise in EstoniaThe first European pandemic "travel bubble", created in May by Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, burst on Friday, as Latvia said it was mandating a 14-day quarantine on everyone arriving from Estonia, reports Reuters. Estonia has had 21 novel coronavirus infections per 100,000 population over the previous two weeks, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, passing the 16 threshold set by Latvia for mandatory quarantine. Latvia, which has one of the lowest levels of infection in the European Union, has rejected the European Commission's recommendation to raise threshold for quarantine to 25 new cases per 100,000 population over two weeks. "This is a decision I am not ready for ... I do not think that society is ready to allow more people to enter Latvia," Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins said on Friday, according to LETA agency. What happened yesterday?
Now onto today's news. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from "best-travel-package-sites,cheap-couples-holidays,sun-city-holiday-packages" - Google News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
Comments
Post a Comment