Holidays: Britons should be ‘confident’ for ‘great British summer’ says Matt Hancock

Matt Hancock hopes for a ‘great British summer’ post-lockdown

Holidays have been put on the back burner for many months now due to the coronavirus crisis. After months of cancellations and postponements, it’s hoped the vaccine rollout will result in the resumption of travel. Today, in the latest government covid briefing, Matt Hancock gave reassurance for holidays this year.

He explained that Britons should be “confident” about a “Great British Summer” in his travel advice today.

Hancock also shared he had his own summer getaway booked.

“On the summer holidays, I’m going to Cornwall,” he said.

“And I said before, I think we’re going to have a great British summer.”

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However, the road to an easy holiday never did run smooth.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do between now and then,” Hancock cautioned.

“What we can do is see the line of sight to vaccinating everybody by September, and anything before that would be a bonus.”

“As the Foreign Secretary said yesterday, we’re driving this as fast as we possibly can.”

Experts have mixed opinions on when international travel will resume.

Television’s Dr Hilary today urged hopeful holidaymakers to be “realistic” about their plans when he appeared on ITV’s Lorraine.

He suggested travel might not be a possibility until the “autumn”.

“We have got to be realistic, the vaccination process is going to take some time,” said Dr Hilary.

“We might encounter some new variants. We might need to tweak it.

“I think people thinking about holidays this summer are barking up the wrong tree, I really do.”

A staycation may be somewhat more likely, the doctor told TV host Lorraine Kelly, however, even then he appeared hesitant to confirm their possibility with absolute certainty.

New travel restrictions came into force today.

“From 4am on January 18, if you intend to travel to England, Scotland, or Wales, including UK nationals returning home from travel abroad, you must provide evidence of a negative COVID-19 test result taken up to three days before departure,” detailed the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

“If you do not comply (and you do not have a valid exemption) your airline or carrier may refuse you boarding and/or you may be fined on arrival.

“All other current entry requirements and restrictions continue to apply.”

The FCDO went on: “From 4am on January 18, you must also self-isolate when you enter the UK from any foreign country except Ireland, unless you have a valid exemption.

“All other entry requirements and restrictions continue to apply. Read the guidance on self-isolation for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”

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