‘Time To Drop Quarantine Rules To Get Tourists On The Move'

Coronavirus: Summer Holiday Plea

- Michael Knowles and Elly Blake

Minister want to relax quarantine plans for travel as soon as possible, it emerged last night.

The news came amid growing pressure from Tory MPs, airlines and tourism chiefs to ditch the proposed 14-day self-isolation rule for those arriving in the UK.

Officials are already exploring how so-called air bridges between the UK and countries which have suppressed the spread of the virus could kickstart the economy and allow people to enjoy a summer holiday.

Air bridges are agreements between individual countries that allow holidaymakers to travel quarantine-free.

The current quarantine plan, announced by Home Secretary Priti Patel, could be tweaked within weeks of being introduced on June 8.

But officials insist the measure is essential at the moment to prevent a second wave of cases.

The Government’s plan to force all international arrivals to self-isolate will be “severely damaging” and “kill off” the slight green shoots of recovery within the travel industry, firms told the Daily Express yesterday.

Kickstart

More than 200 travel and hospitality businesses have joined a campaign urging the Government to overturn its planned quarantine for all arrivals.

The group of major hotels, travel companies and restaurateurs claim the policy is “unworkable” and have endorsed a letter sent to the Home Secretary.

Downing Street confirmed officials are looking at air bridges in a bid to kickstart the economy and allow people to go on holiday.