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
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




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.'




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