The Britons whose holidays to France now hang in the balance: Tourists beg for clarity after Rishi Sunak hinted they could return to quarantine in UK after their hop across the Channel
- France yesterday recorded 1,695 coronavirus infections amid fears over looming second wave of the disease
- Speculation thousands of British holidaymakers may have to cancel or cut short trips to avoid quarantine
- Spain and Luxembourg have both recently been added to the Government's list of quarantine countries
- Ministers have announced Belgium, The Bahamas and Andorra will have air bridges stopped from weekend
Holidaymakers pleaded for ministers to make a decision today after Rishi Sunak refused to quell speculation France could be the next destination to face coronavirus curbs.
Amid rising cases across much of the continent, the Chancellor warned that travellers needed to be aware that the situation was under 'constant review' and there was the 'risk' of disruption.
He said the government 'will not hesitate' to take action by imposing restrictions on flows from countries if necessary.But lockdown-weary sunseekers angling for a summer break in France have begged for clarity after claims the country is 'highly likely' to be added to the 14-day quarantine list following a dramatic rise in infections.
Some said a potential quarantine would risk children not starting school in September.
Others said they were 'praying' that the Foreign Office's travel advice does not change and that the country's border remains upon for British travellers.
Jane Stone said her family of six, including two grandparents, their daughter and three grandchildren booked to go to a holiday park in France in August, as they do each year.
Their holiday from August 21 was booked last October, long before any mention of coronavirus.
Jane Stone said her family of six, including two grandparents, their daughter and three grandchildren booked to go to a holiday park in France in August, as they do each year. Pictured: Jane Stone sent in this picture of her family
Mother-of-two Becca Pountney said she is 'ready for a break and now it's looking increasingly unlikely we will make it'
Ms Stone told MailOnline today: 'We cannot cancel, without losing our money, and find ourselves stuck waiting for a Government decision.
'Our son is already in the Dordogne, and as far as I am aware, oblivious to the current situation.'
Mother-of-two Becca Pountney, of Bedfordshire-based Engage Weddings, said her parents have an apartment in the South of France and she was due to drive to the country for the end of the summer holidays.
She decided to go there because it was much cheaper for her than trying to holiday in the UK 'where the prices are high and there are so many people'.
Ms Pountney added: 'I own my own business as a wedding blogger and consultant to the wedding industry, so I have spent the last four months supporting couples and business owners who have had their whole year in business destroyed or had their wedding days cancelled.
'I'm just ready for a break and now it's looking increasingly unlikely we will make it. I have two children who haven't been to school since March and I don't want the quarantine to impact their return to school.
'I understand it's risky trying to holiday in a pandemic - but we just need the government to make a decision soon so we can work out what happens next.'
Matt Richards wrote on Twitter today: 'Yes, a potential quarantine for me and my wife is not the end of the world. But 14 days quarantine would mean my children would miss the first week back at school and they've been off since March.'
Families demand clarity on the rules before thousands of them go on holiday and risk children not starting school in September
Rachel Arnold, of Cheshire, said: 'We want to go to France next week, Charente area, low Covid. Staying at a secluded house, no one else there. Thinking now not to go as 'threat' of quarantine looming. Ironically can't afford to do a ten-day holiday here.'
And Sarah Eaves, from North London, tweeted: 'Please make a decision on France in the next 24 hours before thousands of us with families go on holiday and risk children not starting school. Quarantine means we can cancel and get ££ back.'
Another worried holidaymaker, Emma Lewis, tweeted: 'We're due to drive through France to get to Italy in early September. Praying the French border stays open and FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) advice for France doesn't change.'
But Michael Porter, of Halifax, West Yorkshire, said he had cancelled a trip on Tuesday to go to France this Saturday for his wife's 60th birthday.
And Twitter user Jamie, from London, said: 'As father of the bride I have a wedding to attend in France on the 17th, so yes I'll be going but need to work on my return or go bankrupt. So pay the fine or hire a pedalo.'
Meanwhile Matt Groombridge, from Deal, Kent, said: 'Two-week quarantine imminent travelling to/from France... holiday was timed well, and it means I'll get some peace and quiet on the ferry again.'
The number of daily coronavirus cases in the country has risen in recent days, with 1,695 new infections being recorded just yesterday, as it battles to avoid a second wave of Covid-19. The seven-day rolling average of confirmed cases has doubled from under 10 per million of population on Jul 21 to 19.33 yesterday. By contrast the UK's is around 12 cases per million people.
On a visit to Glasgow today, Rishi Sunak delivered a stark warning to Britons amid fears France could be the next holiday destination to face coronavirus curbs
It is thought that if the decision is made to add France to the list, thousands of British holidaymakers may cancel their trips in order to avoid the two-week quarantine. Pictured: Beach-goers in Saint Jean de Luz, southwestern France, yesterday
Cases of coronavirus measures per million of population have been running higher in France than in the UK recentlyTransport Secretary Grant Shapps announced last night that the Bahamas, Andorra and Belgium are being taken off the UK's quarantine-exemption list with little more than 24 hours' notice.
In a round of interviews on a visit to Scotland this morning, Mr Sunak said: 'It's a tricky situation. What I can say to people is we are in the midst of a global pandemic, and that means there is always the risk of disruption to travel plans. People need to bear that in mind.
'It is the right thing for us to do to keep everything under review on a constant basis to be talking with our scientists, our medical advisers.
'If we need to take action, as you have seen overnight, we will not hesitate to do that. But in the meantime people should just continue to look at the guidance and take everything into account.'
The developments in France come after its scientific committee stated earlier this week that the situation was 'under control, but precarious. We could at any moment tip into a scenario that is less under control.'
It added: 'The short term future of the pandemic mainly lies in the hands of the population. It is highly likely that we will experience a second epidemic wave this autumn or winter.'
The statement said the virus 'has recently been circulating more actively, with an increased loss of distancing and barrier measures' since France emerged from its strict two-month lockdown in May.
'The balance is fragile and we can change course at any time to a less controlled scenario like in Spain for example,' it said.
Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: 'Unless France takes further significant steps to reduce its case numbers, then it's highly likely to be added later next week as the increase must be causing worries in Westminster.
'There are several hundred thousand British tourists in France at the moment so the government must give plenty of warning if it does change its advice later next week.'
The uptick in infections in France has been bolstered by fresh coronavirus testing troubles as dozens of labs closed to allow staff a summer holiday despite signs that a second wave is building.
Doctors have warned that the vacation crunch is just part of a larger web of failures in France's testing strategy which was described earlier this week by the government's own virus advisory panel as disorganized and 'insufficient'.
'First, there is a lack of workers to do the testing. If we don't ask all the health workers to be available by mobilizing all of them, there are just not enough people,' emergency services doctor Christophe Prudhomme at a hospital in Bobigny, Paris.
Two months of strict lockdown seemed to put the country on track in its fight against the pandemic - but it is now once again recording around 1,219 new cases a day (graphic showing growing number of daily coronavirus cases in France)
There are still a number of destinations on the government's quarantine-free list - but ministers have warned that the situation can change quickly
'And then it's a matter of organization,' he said, urging regional health agencies 'to organize testing so that it's not the citizen who has to take his phone and try to call seven or eight labs in order to get an appointment that will take place only next week.'
It is worrying news for the country which saw its hospitals nearly drown with Covid-19 patients in the first wave - in part due to inadequate testing.
The country has already lost more than 30,300 lives to the pandemic and yesterday alone recorded 1,695 new infections.
A decision by the Government is expected to be announced within the next 24 hours after ministers consider the latest data as part of their weekly review of quarantine.
Travellers from France could soon face a 14 days of self-isolation on their return to the UK following a dramatic rise in coronavirus cases. Pictured: Tourists wearing face masks in Brittany earlier this week
Meanwhile, the Bahamas, Andorra and Belgium will be taken off the UK's quarantine-exemption list.
Mr Shapps said people arriving in Britain from the three nations will have to quarantine from 4am on Saturday.
In a tweet he said: 'Data shows we need to remove Andorra, Belgium and The Bahamas from our list of coronavirus Travel Corridors in order to keep infection rates DOWN.
'If you arrive in the UK after 0400 Saturday from these destinations, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days.'
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has designated all Belgium as a 'code orange' for the new coronavirus, meaning the number of cases per 100,000 inhabitants is 20 or above for two weeks.
Separately, Malaysia and Brunei have been added to the UK's safe list
It comes after travellers from Belgium were also told they could face quarantine for 14 days following a dramatic rise in coronavirus infections there. Pictured: People wearing face masks walk through the shopping district of Brussels earlier this week
In Wales, the restrictions come into force from midnight tonight August 6.
Belgium has suffered a consistent increase in cases in recent weeks, rising to 27.8 new cases per 100,000 people.
This towers over the UK's latest rate of 8.4 per 100,000, and is higher than Spain's 27.4 level around the time when the UK introduced travel restrictions there.
Belgium's prime minister, Sophie Wilmes, was last week forced to put a halt to the nation's Covid-19 exit plan by introducing drastic new social distancing measures in the hope of avoiding a new national lockdown.
Contacts outside every household were limited to the same five people for a month, in an effort to curb the spread of the virus.
In Andorra, new cases per week have increased five-fold since mid-July, while in The Bahamas the weekly case rate peaked at 78.6 last week, up from 3.1 in the middle of last month.
The countries follow Spain – which was put on the quarantine list a fortnight ago, wrecking the holiday plans of millions – and Luxembourg, which was added last week.
The number of new cases in Belgium doubled in a week following earlier success in bringing the virus under control in the country
Men walk through the entrance of meat processing plant Westvlees, in Westrozebeke, part of Staden, Belgium, on Wednesday after several employees of the plant were tested positive for coronavirus
The biweekly map shows how most countries in Europe have reported between a 25 and 200 per cent increase in cases in the past two weeks
The British Government has been under pressure to introduce airport coronavirus tests for arrivals.
Ministers are looking at whether people coming to the UK from at-risk countries such as the US and Spain could be given tests to reduce the number of days they have to quarantine for.
And the boss of Heathrow airport has proposed a double-testing regime that would see passengers tested at their point of entry to the country, and again five to eight days later.
If given the all clear in both tests, they would no longer be required to stay at home for 14 days and could go back to normal life.
How the UK's quarantine rules work
Anyone entering or reentering the UK from the continent, or further afield, must fill out a form.
This gives details of identity and contact information, travel itinerary, and an address where you will be staying.
If you come to the UK from a country that is no exempt from quarantine, you are required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Anyone who has arrived in the UK from an exempt country, but has recently been in a quarantine country, must self-isolate for the balance of 14 days.
So if you drive through Belgium, stay in France for 10 days, and then come to the UK, you must isolate for four more days on arrival.
France's covid testing teams down tools – for summer holidays: Laboratory staff head off on vacation just as signs of a second wave strike leaving country struggling with demands for tests
France is facing new coronavirus testing troubles as dozens of labs close to allow staff a summer holiday despite signs that a second wave is building.
Doctors have warned that the vacation crunch is just part of a larger web of failures in France's testing strategy which was described earlier this week by the government's own virus advisory panel as disorganized and 'insufficient'.
'First, there is a lack of workers to do the testing. If we don't ask all the health workers to be available by mobilizing all of them, there are just not enough people,' emergency services doctor Christophe Prudhomme at a hospital in Bobigny, Paris.
'And then it's a matter of organization,' he said, urging regional health agencies 'to organize testing so that it's not the citizen who has to take his phone and try to call seven or eight labs in order to get an appointment that will take place only next week.'
It is worrying news for the country which saw its hospitals nearly drown with Covid-19 patients in the first wave - in part due to inadequate testing.
The country has already lost more than 30,300 lives to the pandemic and yesterday alone recorded 1,695 new infections.
A second wave also appears to be sweeping across the rest of Europe as countries such as Germany, Spain and Greece all see spikes in their infection rates with the global death toll yesterday topping 700,000.
France is facing new coronavirus testing troubles as dozens of labs close to allow staff a summer holiday despite signs that a second wave is building (biologist pictured earlier this week taking a swab sample from a man in Lille, northern France)
In France, doctor's offices and labs have joined dozens of other businesses in closing for staff to enjoy a summer vacation.
Those labs that have remained open have seen lengthy socially-distanced queues building up outside as people struggle to book a test appointment.
It is worrying news for the country which saw renowned hospitals nearly drown with Covid-19 patients in the first wave - in part due to inadequate testing - and has already lost more than 30,300 lives to the pandemic.
Two months of strict lockdown seemed to put the country on track in its fight against the pandemic.
But it is now once again recording around 1,219 new cases a day when, just two weeks ago, the seven-day rolling average was 719.
Yesterday, France recorded 1,695 new infections.
The number of patients in intensive care is also edging up for the first time in months.
In France, doctor's offices and labs have joined dozens of other businesses in closing for staff to enjoy a summer vacation (poster pictured shows special summer opening hours at a medical laboratory in Ville D'array, France)
The government did not order anyone to skip vacation, which French workers see as a hard-won, fundamental right. Pictured: Two women wearing face masks leave a temporary testing centre for coronavirus in Ripollet earlier today
The nation's scientific committee recently said that the situation was 'under control, but precarious. We could at any moment tip into a scenario that is less under control.'
It added: 'The short term future of the pandemic mainly lies in the hands of the population. It is highly likely that we will experience a second epidemic wave this autumn or winter.'
The statement said the virus 'has recently been circulating more actively, with an increased loss of distancing and barrier measures' since France emerged from its strict two-month lockdown in May.
'The balance is fragile and we can change course at any time to a less controlled scenario like in Spain for example,' it said.
France is in better shape than last time to keep ahead of new infections but experts have warned that testing is key.
'The virus didn't disappear at all... The contamination is continuing, and amplifying in some regions,' said Francois Blanchecotte, president of the Union of Medical Biologists, who has been in the forefront of French testing efforts.
'We have to adapt the testing strategy to this evolution.'
France is not the only country which appears to be suffering a second wave as Covid-19 cases rise across Europe including in Germany, Greece and Spain
He is now pushing for a more targeted policy that takes into account lab capacities, such as organizing tests at beach resorts or tourist sites where young people are congregating.
Blanchecotte said he was particularly annoyed at a blanket government campaign to test 1.5 million Parisians to better understand how the virus is spreading.
The free test vouchers were distributed just as dozens of labs shut down for vacation which has worsened bottlenecks.
'We are at a crossroads. We've seen a situation of disorder in Paris, in which labs were not ready to face thousands of people at the same time. It's a nightmare to get an appointment,' Blanchecotte said.
The government did not order anyone to skip vacation, which French workers see as a hard-won, fundamental right.
But it issued a special decree late last month authorizing certain medical students, firefighters and rescue workers to administer coronavirus nasal swabs in their absence.
That was too late to stop an outbreak in the town of Quiberon in the western region of Brittany which was seemingly spurred by a night club party last month.
Authorities urged everyone in the area to get tested — a mammoth task on a peninsula where the population swells from 5,000 to 60,000 in the summer.
Some partygoers were foiled by long lines at a makeshift testing station and gave up, allowing the virus to continue spreading.
In Paris, City Hall is trying to relieve the summer strain on labs with a mobile testing site at a beach venue on the La Villette canal, where crowds lined up Wednesday even before it opened.
Some labs have adjusted their hours to stay open late into the evening, or open on Sundays - both unusual for France.
After coming under fire for its limited testing capacity in the first wave, the government now says it can test up to 700,000 people a week, and last week hit a record high of 457,000 tests.
But the number of new positive cases is growing twice as fast as the growth in test rates, according to data from the national health agency.
Blanchecotte is worried but defended the decision to let lab staff take holiday time.
'For months, they worked overtime to keep up with virus testing needs', he said with many staggering holiday departures or scaling back their vacation plans.
But he warned that autumn may be even worse: 'We know that September, October, November are difficult months. We need to be prepared.'
France is not the only country which appears to be suffering a second wave as Covid-19 cases rise across Europe with the global death toll yesterday topping 700,000.
The head of Germany's doctors' union declared on Tuesday that the country is already in the midst of 'a second, shallow upswing' because people have flouted social distancing rules.
Two weeks ago the average number of new daily infections was 460 but just yesterday the country recorded 1,024.
Ms Johna said there was a danger that a longing to return to normality and a suppression of containment measures would fritter away the success Germany had achieved so far, urging people to stick to social distancing and hygiene rules and wear masks.
Similarly, cases in Greece have spiked to a three-month high of 121 new infections on Tuesday with a further 119 recorded yesterday.
Greece's prime minister warned earlier this week that new restrictions may be needed if a worrying rise in daily cases does not abate.
'Any form of complacency is unjustified,' Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. 'We still don't know how... many months we will be forced to live with the virus.'
Spain, which is currently the worst-hit nation in Europe, saw 8,500 new cases over the weekend and recorded another 2,953 just yesterday.
An all-inclusive resort in Majorca was shutdown after ten staff fell sick with the virus and two towns north of Madrid have been put under strict lockdown.
Italy - once the sickman of Europe - has managed to avoid an uptick but two cruise ships are now quarantined in the Civitavecchia port in Rome.
No comments: