Bad news for summer holidays: UK DROPS 'air bridges' plan to allow Britons to holiday in low-risk countries and will impose blanket 14 day quarantine for EVERYONE arriving back from abroad
- Downing Street said idea of opening 'air bridges' to some foreign resorts would not form part of the proposal
- Ministers still finalising details of the quarantine regime, but it is expected to include fines of at least £1,000
- Critics asked why the Government is tightening rules when some EU countries are easing travel restrictions
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Families' hopes of a summer getaway were dealt a blow last night as Downing Street played down the idea of opening 'air bridges' to some foreign resorts.
The prospect of quarantine-free travel between the UK and countries with low coronavirus rates had been raised by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.
But with ministers expected to unveil plans tomorrow for a tough new quarantine regime requiring travellers to self-isolate for 14 days after arriving in the UK, No 10 said the 'air bridges' idea would not form part of the proposals.
It would have seen the 14-day rule relaxed for certain countries – and France and Greece had both expressed an interest in the idea.
A drone captures people flooding onto a beach in Potamos, Epanomi, Greece, this weekend as public spaces begin to open across the country. The scenes comes as Downing Street played down the idea of opening 'air bridges' to some foreign resorts
In Paris, France, sun-seekers take to the streets and walk across the River Seine as the government begins to ease its lockdown restrictions
Passengers wear personal protective equipment after landing at Terminal Two of London Heathrow Airport in London
Earlier this week, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps raised hopes that some foreign holidays could be salvaged however the Prime Minister's official spokesman said it was 'an option under consideration but not agreed Government policy'
Families take to the water and sunbathe at a Lido in London as the UK begins to edge out of the coronavirus lockdown
Blanket quarantine measures now appear likely to be introduced towards the end of the month, despite warnings they will wreck the holiday plans of Britons and damage the UK tourism industry.
Visit Britain boss Patricia Yates yesterday predicted the economy would lose £15billion from inbound tourism this year.
Mr Shapps raised hopes that some foreign holidays could be salvaged on Monday when he told MPs he was investigating the possibility of allowing quarantine-free 'air bridges' to countries with low levels of infection.
But yesterday the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'It's an option under consideration but not agreed Government policy.'
A Whitehall source said: 'The quarantine rules will be reviewed every three weeks but I think people would be unwise to book a foreign holiday in the expectation that an 'air bridge' will open up in time for the summer holidays.
'It's the sort of idea you might look at as you exit a quarantine system. But we are just getting started.'
Ministers are still finalising the details of the quarantine regime, but it is expected to include fines of at least £1,000 for those breaching the 14 days of self-isolation.
A minister involved in the talks said all arrivals would be stopped by Border Force agents and told to download the Government's new coronavirus tracking app.
They will be asked to provide their address or details of where they are staying, and police or local authority officials will carry out spot checks to ensure the quarantine is not being breached.
Sources said there would be 'very few' exemptions.
Critics have questioned why the Government is tightening the rules at a time when some EU countries are easing travel restrictions and when many airlines have resumed UK flights.
Greek tourism minister Haris Theoharis had called on the Government to agree a no-quarantine pact with his country.
He told the BBC: 'We feel that this is a time for us to start lifting restrictions and we urge other countries, the UK included, that as soon as we do that we would welcome reciprocity.'
As temperatures began to rise across the UK, Clarice Hui (left) took to London Fields Park in east London with her Corgi while Summer Wallace (right) walked along the seafront in Brighton with her mask
A group of revellers play with a football on Donnant beach in France as the country's beaches gradually begin to reopen
Greece's beaches, including this one at Epanomi , near Thessaloniki, on Saturday, are thriving thanks to a low number of coronavirus cases
Beachgoers enjoy the sun at a public beach in Piraeus near Athens, Greece, on May 18, after weeks of lockdown in the country
Aerial view from a drone of people at the overcrowded beach of Potamos in Epanomi, Greece, during a heatwave, a beach near Thessaloniki and Halkidiki
With the Mediterranean nation's under-pressure economy heavily dependent on holidaymakers it has been making plans to refill deserted beaches and hotels in popular tourist areas like Corfu (pictured)
The Greek islands, visited by three million Britons a year, have been in lockdown since March but hotels are due to open there on July 1.
The country has escaped the worst of the pandemic, with just 165 deaths, and is desperate to welcome tourists back.
Ministers consider quarantine to be a vital part of efforts to prevent a second wave of coronavirus.
But airline bosses fear it will devastate the crippled travel industry. British Airways wanted to restore large-scale operations in July, but this now looks unlikely.
Virgin Atlantic have also indicated that flights will be pushed back to August 'at the earliest'.
There are also concerns for the 20,000 British nationals still stranded abroad.
It is likely many will have to go into quarantine after returning as the rule could come into force as early as May 28.
Latest coronavirus video news, views and expert advice at mailplus.co.uk/coronavirus
Here are how some of UK tourists' favourite holiday and travel destinations compare in terms of coronavirus cases
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2020-05-20 00:17:42Z
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