Spain could introduce its own ‘green corridor’ for vaccinated British holidaymakers, if there is no collective EU decision on vaccine passports, the country’s Tourism Minister Fernando Valdés has said.
Mr Valdés confirmed that Spain was in “discussions” with the UK and told Bloomberg: “For us the British market is our main market. But obviously since we are a member of the European Union, the solutions have first to be part of the discussions in the EU.
“And obviously if that cannot be reached, we will be thinking of other corridors like green corridors with third countries that can help us restart tourism flows.”
The news comes after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said yesterday that plans for an EU-wide Digital Green Pass would be proposed this month and that it could be a first step towards a passport facilitating travel from outside the EU.
However, the EU plans were later labelled as “confusing” by Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Sophie Wilmès.
At last night’s Downing Street press briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock signalled that the Government was working with various countries on potential vaccine passports.
He said: "We are working with international partners. The EU is part of those discussions, as are several other countries around the world, and it's obviously important work.”
Scroll down for more of today's travel news.
05:36 PM
What happened today?
A recap of the top stories:
Thailand’s travel industry lobbies for July 1 reopening
More summer music festivals cancelled
Israel trials swapping hotel quarantine for tracking devices
Germany starts French border checks
Rome's Mausoleum of Augustus reopens to tourists
Isle of Man enters 21-day lockdown
Join us tomorrow more for breaking travel news.
05:20 PM
Northern Ireland outlines 'careful, cautious and hopeful' lockdown exit plan
Northern Ireland's lockdown exit strategy offers a "careful, cautious and hopeful" plan for charting a journey out of restrictions, Michelle O'Neill has said.
Outlining the Pathway to Recovery plan to the Stormont Assembly, the deputy First Minister said the region would turn a corner in the battle against Covid-19 in 2021, but she stressed "we are not out of the woods".
"This is a day very much of hope," said Ms O'Neill.
Unlike in England, the blueprint does not include any target dates, with ministers instead insisting decisions on moving between stages will be based on scientific and medical evidence.
05:16 PM
What the roadmap means for spa hotels in Britain
When can I visit a hotel spa?
The government guidance states that personal care facilities and close-contact services including “hair, beauty and nail salons [...], spas and massage centres (except for steam rooms and saunas), holistic therapy (including acupuncture, homeopathy, and reflexology) and tanning salons” can reopen from the second stage of the roadmap with Covid-secure measures such as social distancing, regular cleaning regimes, use of PPE, and bookable slots. So in short, spas can open from April 12 but not all facilities will be available. Steam rooms, saunas, and other types of thermal suites are to remain closed until at least May 17.
The Scarlet Hotel, Cornwall
What facilities will be available?
Outdoor pools can reopen from March 29, but most hotels are opening theirs when indoor pools are allowed to reopen, from April 12. There is little evidence to suggest that coronavirus can be passed through water, and according to the World Health Organisation chlorine kills it. This includes hot tubs, whirlpool baths and hydrotherapy pools. Indoor gyms will also be permitted to reopen from April 12 (outdoor gyms from March 29).
Airline accused of anti-Semitism after flight cancelled due to mask row
A Frontier Airlines flight from Miami to New York was cancelled on Sunday after the carrier claimed a large number of passengers refused to wear face masks.
However, the airline has now been accused of anti-Semitism by several Jewish groups after videos were posted online which appeared to show passengers, who included a family of Hasidic Jews, wearing face coverings.
Family member Martin Joseph told the New York Times: “We’re law-abiding citizens, law-abiding people.
“We have small children. We understand that the mask has to be worn, and everybody has to wear a mask and that’s the law. We comply one million per cent.”
He said his daughter argued with a cabin crew member who asked her to put a face mask on her 15-month old son, which is not required by US law.
A Frontier Airlines spokesperson said in a statement that “a large group of passengers repeatedly refused to comply with the US government’s federal mask mandate."
“Based on the continued refusal to comply with the federal mask mandate, refusal to disembark the aircraft and aggression towards the flight crew, local law enforcement was engaged. The flight was ultimately cancelled.”
04:52 PM
Can I visit Portugal? The latest travel advice as red list hangs over holiday prospects
Lisbon - Getty
The Government has confirmed that overseas holidays will be permitted (pending a review) from May 17. Time to book that trip to Portugal, then? Not so fast.
While holidays may be legally permitted after that date, travellers could still face restrictions, including a quarantine, when they return to the UK, while Portugal may not even be welcoming British holidaymakers. This is the current state of affairs, and while it could change in the coming months, any booking for travel, even in summer, comes with an element of risk.
Paris Mayor, Anne Hidalgo, has branded French government plans to shut the capital down at the weekend, in an attempt to limit the spread of Covid, as "inhumane".
She said that residents need to be able to access green spaces such as parks, gardens and riverside areas as many live in flats with no outdoor areas.
“These places are vital for us to breathe in our city,” she added, arguing that it was safer for Parisians to be outside rather than holed up inside flats and offices, which can be high-risk environments due to being poorly ventilated.
04:15 PM
82 temples and 50,000 statues – A travel through Augustus's Rome
As the Mausoleum of Augustus reopens, Harry Mount guides us through five other sights around Rome associated with the Roman emperor. Find the full tour here.
The Mausoleum of Augustus reopens today - Getty
One of (many) statues dedicated to Augustus Caesar - Getty
04:04 PM
Germany starts French border checks
German police have started carrying out checks on people entering the country from France’s north-eastern Moselle region, after concerns over the South African coronavirus variant spreading there.
Anyone wanting to enter Germany from the region must now present proof of a recent negative Covid test. Around 16,000 people commute from Moselle daily.
Germany has previously imposed controls on its borders with Austria and the Czech Republic.
03:47 PM
How did these British cruise ships end up on the scrap heap in India?
Last summer the cruise industry began downsizing on an unprecedented scale in an attempt to stem declining revenues from fleets languishing in ports and anchorages around the world.
Cruise ship Marco Polo off the coast of Falmouth last year before it made its final voyage - Getty
A recent investigation by the BBC’s File on 4 programme has revealed that when it comes to scrapping a cruise ship, codes of conduct and protocols lie deep in murky waters. With opportunities to enhance their value, virtually overnight, the routes the ships take on their way to the scrapyard are worthy of an episode of Only Fools and Horses.
Most cruise ships take their final bow at the killing beaches of Pakistan and Bangladesh. In recent months Aliaga near Izmir in Turkey has been the knackers’ yard of choice for many cruise ships still in their prime. For a variety of reasons, the chart-topper when it comes to ship-breaking is Alang on the Gulf of Cambay in India.
Scottish Government could accelerate roadmap, Nicola Sturgeon says
The Scottish Government will consider in the next week if the easing of restrictions can be accelerated, Nicola Sturgeon has said.
Updating MSPs in Holyrood, the First Minister said figures in the past week were encouraging, and said she and ministers would be considering if the exit from lockdown can be moved forward.
She said: "I have always said if we can go further and faster, then we will not hesitate to do so. All of us want to move on as quickly as possible - and, as a priority, to see friends and family again. I hope that day is now not too far away.
"But to make sure we don't see any reverse in our progress that would put that in jeopardy, it is really important that, for now, we all need to abide by the lockdown rules. So please continue to stick to their letter and their spirit"
Dubai has proved popular throughout the pandemic - Getty
The emirate was the most searched for destination for summer travel, according to new data from Booking.com.
Surprisingly, city breaks, which have certainly fallen out of favour during the pandemic, featured highly in the most popular destinations, with Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona and New York all ranked in the top 10.
Spain also proved popular with the likes of Malaga, Marbella, Palma and Benidorm all making the cut.
Here’s the booking platform's top 20 most searched for destinations:
Dubai
Amsterdam
Paris
Barcelona
Benidorm
Albufeira
New York
Laganas
Marbella
Ayia Napa
Palma de Mallorca
Rome
Sorrento
Malaga
Split
Orlando
Venice
San Antonio
Marrakech
Dublin
03:04 PM
Italy's Sanremo Music Festival kicks off
We're still a long way off big events in the UK, but in Italy it's a different story.
Today, the 71st Sanremo Music Festival opened in northwestern Italy, albeit with special Covid-19 preventative measures in place...
italy - Stefano Guidi/Getty
italy - Stefano Guidi/Getty
italy - Stefano Guidi/Getty
02:56 PM
Sweden is heading into a third wave, Covid czar warns
Sweden appears to be headed into a third wave of the pandemic, its Health Agency said on Tuesday, as it tightened crowd restrictions for shops amid a recent rise in new Covid-19 cases and a rapid spread of virus variants that are considered more infectious.
Sweden, which has shunned lockdowns throughout the pandemic, registered 11,804 new coronavirus cases since Friday, health agency statistics showed today, an increase on the 10,933 cases reported during the corresponding period last week.
"It certainly looks like we're heading into a third wave," Chief Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell told a news conference. "It's starting to have an impact on intensive care. We don't see a dramatic increase but not the decrease we had for a time."
The Health Agency recommended that crowds at shops be limited to 500 people, adding to a string of new restrictions in recent week, such as limited opening hours for bars, cafes and restaurants and stricter rules for wearing face masks.
There is no guarantee that Germany will be welcoming Britons as soon as we're permitted to leave the country from May 17. The country has been especially reticent to reopen at various stages throughout the pandemic, and unlike Greece, Spain or Italy, does not have an economy that is heavily reliant on tourism.
As it stands, since January 30, 2021, and up until at least March 3, the UK is on Germany's list of 'virus variant areas', which makes it near impossible to enter, except in 'individual, well-founded cases'.
It is unclear when this status will be revoked, but the ban has thus far been extended twice, and looks likely to be extended again tomorrow.
Still imposing after 2,000 years, a vast funerary monument that was once the resting place of Rome’s emperors is to reopen to visitors on Tuesday after a €12 million restoration, writes Nick Squires.
It has taken five years to restore and make safe the Mausoleum of Augustus, a fortress-like tomb for one of the greatest of all Roman emperors, as well as his successors.
It is a place that, despite being right in the heart of the capital and just a stone’s throw from busy shopping streets, restaurants and hotels, has rarely been open to Romans during the last 80 years.
Matt Hancock has been delivering a statement to the House of Commons this afternoon.
Asked whether more countries need to be included in the UK hotel quarantine programme – even all countries – as a result of the 'Patient X' case, the Health Secretary defended the policy:
There is a quarantine in place for 100 per cent of arrivals or passengers in this country, and in fact this episode in which all those we've successfully contacted all five who have fully isolated and quarantined at home as required demonstrates that policy demonstrates that policy working.
Now, we have further strengthened it, and introduced hotel quarantine. And that will no doubt, give further reassurance.
02:00 PM
Africa's elusive black leopard: the story behind the rare photos
Photographer Will Burrard-Lucas has devoted years to capturing the black leopard at night - Will Burrard-Lucas
Photographing any subject in the pitch dark is tricky. A moving animal? Even harder. With stars in the background? Very problematic. One of the most elusive big cats in Africa? Now that's a challenge. But Will Burrard-Lucas has managed to achieve it.
The photographer's latest images, just published in a new book, capture a rare melanistic black leopard – the result of a recessive genetic condition that causes a dark coat – in Kenya under the starry sky; a feat which took six months to pull off, using a sophisticated camera trap set-up and plenty of patience.
Brazil variant: Labour's Jon Ashworth says tougher border restrictions needed earlier
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is currently fielding questions in the Commons.
Jon Ashworth, the shadow Health Secretary, notes that despite the lockdown "people were allowed to fly in from abroad, bringing in the P1 variation".
All epidemics exploit international travel, he adds, saying "surely it is obvious that tougher border controls should have been in place sooner".
01:37 PM
Will I be able to go on holiday this summer if I haven't been vaccinated?
In recent months it has moved from a hypothetical to a near-enough certainty that vaccine passports will be the key to opening up our holidays in the post-lockdown era.
But discussions over vaccine passports as a means to reopen international travel have opened up a question among those in younger age brackets, as well as those who cannot or will not get a jab: what happens if you haven’t received two doses of the jab by the time summer comes round?
Shipments of coronavirus vaccines distributed via the Covax scheme have arrived in Nigeria and Colombia this morning, as the global roll-out ramps up.
Brazilian health officials have called for nationwide lockdowns and curfews, with hospitals running short of intensive care unit beds as Covid-19 claims more than 1,000 lives each day.
Germany looks set to extend its lockdown until the end of March.
Restaurants and schools have reopened in Turkey.
01:20 PM
No 10 attacks Pontins over blacklist of 'undesirable guests'
Downing Street has condemned Pontins' use of a blacklist of "undesirable guests", after staff were told that people with surnames including Boyle, Delaney, Gallagher, McGinley, McMahon and O’Donnell were "unwelcome".
An investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) found that the company had been using the blacklist of mainly Irish surnames as part of a policy of refusing bookings by Travellers to its holiday parks.
The Britannia Hotel Group, which owns Pontins, has now signed a legally binding agreement with the EHRC to comprehensively address the issues raised.
The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "This is completely unacceptable. No-one in the UK should be discriminated against because of their race or ethnicity.
"It's right that the Equality and Human Rights Commission and Pontins investigate and address this."
01:09 PM
Leering Italians and heady freedom: What hitch-hiking across Europe in the 1980s was really like
What do you remember of Europe in the Eighties? Was travel better back then, and, if so, why? Please leave your comments below.
01:01 PM
Grant Shapps has chaired the first #GlobalTravelTaskforce meeting
Just chaired 1st meeting of new #GlobalTravelTaskforce marking start of journey to reopen international travel safely & securely once restrictions are lifted 🚈⛴️✈️. We'll report back April 12. May 17 is earliest int. travel could start. Leisure & holiday travel currently illegal pic.twitter.com/rj5RfFjAP2
— Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP (@grantshapps) March 2, 2021
12:48 PM
Hollywood celebrities boycott Hyatt Hotels after Nazi symbol claims
Actors Rosanna Arquette and Debra Messing signalled their support for a boycott of the Hyatt hotel chain, after one of its properties hosted the CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) last weekend.
They claim that the conference stage, where former President Trump spoke among others, was designed to resemble a Nazi symbol, something the organisers strenuously deny.
Hey Hyatt hotels. Highly inclusive ,does not mean hosting people who are NOT highly inclusive ,hosting a fascist Nazi convention is the antithesis of inclusiveness .you have made a grave error in judgement .the imminent Boycotts you are going to feel for years to come.
Variant found in Brazil can cause high rates of reinfection
The Manaus variant of coronavirus detected in the UK could cause reinfection for between 25 per cent and 61 per cent of people who have previously had Covid, a new study suggests.
Research on the P1 variant among people living in the Brazilian city of Manaus found potentially high levels of reinfection, and that the variant was more transmissible than the original pandemic strain.
British experts have cautioned that the study cannot be used to predict what may happen in the UK, and say it does not suggest that vaccines will not work against the variant.
12:21 PM
The 50 greatest hotels in Spain for a summer holiday
From sleek city hotels to hilltop castles and grand mansions in pretty villages, Spain has accommodation to suit everyone’s taste, whether you want to sleep in a remote lighthouse or a place with so much to do on-site that you never have to step outside the gates.
For rural relaxation try Belmond La Residencia in the Mallorcan hills:
Belmond La Residencia
For a city break, the slick Mandarin Oriental Barcelona is hard to beat:
See what your fellow readers have had to say and then share your thoughts in the comments section below.
'South and West Wales is just as beautiful without the crowds’
@Peter Russell
“Had 3 days in January at Newquay and 4 days down near Redruth last October during 2020. Place was rammed. Parking was always a problem, traffic queues everywhere even out of season. Just isn’t worth the hassle. South and West Wales is just as beautiful without the crowds. Cardiganshire in May for us this year!”
Wild flowers in Wales – where Peter will be heading instead this year - Getty
‘We swore never to return’
@Mary Riley
“We had our honeymoon in Cornwall in 1972 and swore never to return and indeed never have. The scenery was as expected but not as picturesque as Filey but the local tradespeople were rude and unhelpful. They clearly resented having to share the county with tourists but grabbed our cash without ever managing even a small smile. If we want a short seaside break we go to the east coast of Yorkshire where we always receive a warm welcome”
Watch: Mount Sinabung volcano in Indonesia erupts, sending hot ash into sky
Indonesia's Mount Sinabung erupted on Tuesday morning, spewing a massive column of smoke and ash up to 5,000 metres into the sky.
11:49 AM
How one tapas bar's spring clean unearthed a hidden medieval wonder
What should have been a gentle sprucing up turned into a sizeable excavation, writes Chris Leadbeater.
The Cerveceria Giralda decided to undertake a spot of renovation last year - AFP
One of the very few silver linings to emerge from the cloud of Covid-19 has been our urge to spring-clean. Or indeed, summer-clean, autumn-clean and winter-clean to boot. With repeated lockdowns and unexpected time at home on our hands, we have sorted out and decluttered. Household tasks left neglected have been given new attention. Walls in need of re-painting have been given fresh coats. Gardens have been weeded, lofts cleared.
But over in Andalusia – and in the notable case of one Seville tapas bar – this reenergising process has gone much further than filling a few boxes for charity donation and kerbside recycling. It has led to a fabulous rediscovery – and a journey back into the 12th century.
Another one bites the dust. The organisers of Spain's Primavera Sound festival, which is particularly popular with British music fans, have announced it will be postponed once again.
Popular Primavera Sound is cancelled again - Getty
In a statement the festival planners said: “We have reached this painful decision due to the uncertainty surrounding the legal framework for large events on the original dates of the festival – from June 2 to 6 –, which, added to the restrictions that currently exist, mean that we cannot work normally on the preparation of the festival nor ensure that, once the date arrives, it can be celebrated.
"Although it is painful, we know that this is the right decision, especially for those of you who have to plan your trip in advance.”
There had been some hope that the festival would go ahead after organisers ran successful small-scale concert trials back in December.
11:21 AM
‘Green corridors’ – ten remote spots to avoid the crowds in Spain
Les Fonts d’Algar - Getty
This week, Spain has made the most promising sounds yet that it is in negotiations to set up a ‘green corridor’ with the UK to unlock summer holidays.
For anyone looking to take a punt on an escape to Spain this summer, we have mined the knowledge of three of our Spain experts – Sally Davies, Annie Bennett and John Wilmott – who have picked out ten beautiful spots to avoid the crowds in Spain.
Isle of Man to enter three-week ‘circuit-breaker’ lockdown
The island was the envy of many last month, being the only place in the British Isles with no social distancing measures in place.
However from tomorrow it will enter a 21-day lockdown, after a sharp rise in Covid cases thought to linked to an infected ferry crew member. There are currently 52 active cases on the island.
Under the new rules, residents must stay at home, with exemptions for essential travel or exercise.
10:54 AM
People without vaccinations should be banned from travelling on planes, says public
The vast majority of people want bans on non-vaccinated people travelling on planes – and would be happy for their vaccination details to be shared for a digital travel health app, an exclusive survey has revealed.
More than six in ten (61 per cent) say they are in favour of flights which only accept passengers who have been vaccinated, according to the survey of more than 2,100 people for the travel think tank Thrive.
Eight in ten (79 per cent) said they were happy for their vaccination details to be passed on by the NHS to a digital health app, for examination by airport officials in other countries.
The findings come as EU leaders indicated that the UK would be included in the EU-wide “vaccine passport” scheme which is designed to open up travel in time for this year’s summer holidays.
Discovering Britain's 'other' ancient wall, the wild edge of the Roman Empire
The Antonine Wall stands alongside its more illustrious sibling on Unesco’s World Heritage list; unheralded and begging exploration, writes Robin Mckelvie.
A stretch of the wall near Croy Hill - Alamy
The Antonine Wall was one of the first great feats of construction in a nation that became synonymous with world-class engineering. This sturdy turf fortification on solid stone foundations rose to 4m high and was 5m wide, topped with a wooden palisade, and a hulking defensive ditch guarding its northern flank. Bristling with 16 forts and numerous fortlets, over 7,000 legionnaires tightened a noose around Scotland’s great firths – the Clyde and the Forth.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that hotel workers are now eligible for Covid vaccines in the state.
A statement from Mr Cuomo’s office said: “Hotels in many parts of the state serve as quarantine areas for Covid positive persons to isolate from their families. In turn, the staff at these facilities are being exposed regularly.
“Given the overall increase to the state's supply and the essential health care service that these hotel workers provide, the Governor is granting localities the flexibility to add hotel workers to the vaccine prioritisation group.”
Approximately 10 million New Yorkers are currently eligible to receive the vaccine, but the state's vast distribution network and large population of eligible individuals still far exceed the supply coming from the federal government.
10:27 AM
Restart international travel at Easter to avoid £27bn loss, says WTTC
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called for international travel to resume by Easter, arguing that waiting until mid-May could cost the UK economy a staggering £27 billion.
WTTC president and chief executive Gloria Guevara said: “While the Government’s announcement that international travel could resume on May 17 gives us grounds for optimism, it will come as cold comfort to struggling SMEs and travel and tourism businesses up and down the country.
“Our economic modelling shows the brutal impact the £27 billion loss could have, caused by delaying the restart of international travel by just seven weeks.”
She added: “It would be far less economically damaging to invest in testing and biometric technology which could safely reopen the doors to travel and save the millions of jobs at risk.”
10:13 AM
Emirates offers passengers opportunity to buy discounted extra seats
Emirates has announced that it will offer economy passengers the option of purchasing up to three adjoining seats at a heavily discounted rate.
The airline says the new option has been introduced to meet the needs of passengers seeking “extra privacy and space” while flying during the pandemic.
Empty seats will only be offered for purchase at the airport check-in counter prior to departure, with costs ranging from AED 200 to AED 600 (£39 to £117) per empty seat, plus taxes.
09:59 AM
Poll: Do you think vaccine passports are a good idea?
09:56 AM
Comment: 'I am prepared to swap my privacy for the freedom to travel once more'
We readily give up our private data on a daily basis so if a vaccine passport helps everything get back to normal then so be it, says Suzanne Moore.
I long to travel even though I think the world will never return to the “before times”. Because of this not only do I want a vaccine passport, I want everyone else to have one too. Before, I thought my freedom could be curtailed by the state having too much information about me, now I will happily give it, just as I give my blood to be analysed for the medical trial I am currently on. If that means everyone knows where I am and where I am going, then so be it. I will swap my privacy for the privilege of seeing more of the big wide world. For me, that’s a freedom too precious to lose.
Thailand’s travel industry lobbies for July 1 reopening
Could holidays to Thailand be back on the cards this summer? - Getty
Major tour operators and hoteliers in Thailand have launched a campaign to reopen the country's borders from July 1.
The Open Thailand Safely petition is backed by 15 leading players, including Capella hotels and the Minor Group, and argues that the beginning of July is the appropriate date to reopen given that the majority of travellers from key markets, such as Europe and the US, will be vaccinated by then.
The campaign is keen to confirm the date now to give both holidaymakers, hotels and travel companies time to plan.
Under the plans, travellers could be asked to show proof of Covid vaccination and/or a recent negative test result.
Anyone can sign the petition for Thailand to reopen on July 1 at OpenThailandSafely.org.
09:38 AM
Prof Van-Tam: 'Great uncertainty' about overseas holidays
Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said we are in “a zone of great uncertainty” when asked if there was any chance of foreign summer holidays at the Downing Street press conference last night.
The Deputy Chief Medical Officer said European countries are running behind the UK in their vaccination programmes.
A lot will depend on what policies they impose, so there is “great uncertainty” about what will be possible, he added.
09:25 AM
Vast mausoleum of the Roman emperor Augustus reopens after decades of neglect
The inner sanctum of the mausoleum, surrounded by its high outer walls - city of Rome
Still imposing after 2,000 years, a vast funerary monument that was once the resting place of Rome’s emperors is to reopen to visitors today after a €12 million restoration, reports Nick Squires.
It has taken five years to restore and make safe the Mausoleum of Augustus, a fortress-like tomb for the one of the greatest of all Roman emperors, as well as his successors.
It is a place that, despite being right in the heart of the capital and just a stone’s throw from busy shopping streets, restaurants and hotels, has rarely been open to Romans during the last 80 years. Over the centuries the monument was used as a fortress, a bull-fighting arena and a concert hall.
Israel trials swapping hotel quarantine for tracking devices
Israelis returning home from abroad can now choose to swap two weeks in hotel quarantine for a bracelet that monitors their every move.
The pilot scheme began yesterday with 100 tracking systems available at Ben Gurion airport, where few flights are arriving due to severe travel restrictions.
All arriving passengers have previously been forced to self-isolate at hotels (paid for by the government) in an attempt to stop new Covid variants from spreading in the country.
The new system – which includes an electronic bracelet, a smartphone and a wall-mounted tracker – allows travellers to quarantine at home, notifying authorities if someone removes the bracelet or strays too far from the home monitor.
09:06 AM
Download Festival cancelled for second year due to Covid
The organisers of the heavy metal-focused festival, which was due to take place in early June, said they had realised it was "not possible" to make the event happen due to ongoing restrictions.
The move follows the cancellation of other high-profile festivals, most notably Glastonbury, which was scheduled for the end of June. However, a number of other UK festivals, including Reading/Leeds Festival and Camp Bestival, both in August, are aiming to go ahead as planned.
The Government’s roadmap out of lockdown sets June 21 as the date that all legal limits on social interaction will be lifted, after which point large gatherings should be able to take place.
Download Festival is cancelled again
08:57 AM
'We need to move away from the obsession of each variant', says Oxford Vaccine group prof
Professor Andrew Pollard of the Oxford Vaccine group has said we need to trust in the effectiveness of the jab instead of worrying about new variants.
He told the BBC's Radio 4 Today programme: "To some extent we've got to move away from the obsession of each variant as it appears."
The expert said work is underway to see if one tweak to the vaccine could be effective against both the South African and Brazilian variants due to them being similar.
The focus on potential new variants imported from abroad has led to fears from the travel industry that overseas holidays could be curtailed long after the virus is under control in the UK.
08:52 AM
What happened yesterday?
A recap of the main headlines:
What you need to know about the Brazilian variant
'There is no logic behind keeping campsites closed until May 17'
Yvette Cooper calls for testing arrivals coming into the UK
One third of Europeans hopeful of a summer holiday
Vaccine passports possible for Britons, says Brussels
Dan Wetzel, Ross Dellenger & SI’s Pat Forde react to the huge performance this weekend by Texas QB Arch Manning, Michigan and Notre Dame's spring games, Jaden Rashada entering the transfer portal, and more
Our final 2024 mock draft projects four quarterbacks in the first five picks, but the Cardinals at No. 4 might represent the key pivot point of the entire board.
Trump is entitled to an additional 36 million shares if the company's share price trades above $17.50 "for twenty out of any thirty trading days" over the next three years.
Arch Manning gave Texas football fans an enticing look at the future, throwing for 355 yards and three touchdowns in the Longhorns' Orange-White spring game.
