“Airports are a breeding ground for infection and the importation of variants could lead to further lockdowns and inevitably further loss of life,” said the All-Party Parliamentary Group.
The APPG is also calling for airline passengers to be separated when they come back from holidays abroad to prevent those returning from ‘Green’, ‘Amber’ and ‘Red’ from mixing.
"It's staggering that the Government is even contemplating encouraging overseas holidays when airports are already struggling to keep the virus and new variants at bay,” APPG Chair and Lib Dem MP, Layla Moran told Sky News. "Urgent measures are needed to better detect fake Covid test certificates, reduce overcrowding in arrival halls and separate those arriving from ‘Red’ and ‘Amber’ list countries, the country's biosecurity cannot rely on border staff spotting a spelling error."
Paul Charles, chief executive from the PC Agency completely disagrees.
“The best financial support the Government can now offer the travel sector is to open up overseas travel as planned from 17 May,” he said. "Not only can this be done safely with widespread testing, but it would also unlock much-needed revenues from business and leisure travellers keen to see family they haven't seen for a year. Better digital technology would certainly enable more seamless travel through our borders and I'd urge the Government to invest in this more quickly so as to avoid airport queues in future."
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Most medics and 'working age' people in the UK have been vaccinated with AstraZ vaccine, showing only 10% effectiveness against the SA/Brazil variants and 70% effectiveness against Danish/UK October/January variant. Germany and France now use Pfizer and Moderna and are hitting the same supply problems which the UK originally encountered (hence switching to Astra). Nothing going to waste, just nothing being used where it is seen as ineffective. Travel happens regardless, just not at Heathrow, but at Biggin Hill or Farnborough.
A very good idea keep people from the UK until we all had the vaccine next year will be better
Europe is far from ready for mass tourism migration this summer ! It’s obvious what airlines and hotels want but its not worth the risk making the small gains made in some parts of the EU . Airles and hotels etc have all received masses of money as aid during covid so they should stop pushing governments who know very well the negatives after a short gain of allowing mass tourism
France average case rate 10 times U.K. level. Spain average case rate 5 times U.K. level with much smaller population. Most of European holiday destinations will not be Green listed by U.K. once seen the default U.K. holiday will be chosen by U.K. citizens. If Spain Majorca gets its vaccine rollout accelerated it may get trade from the oldies in the autumn but that’s a big if. The chance of a major infection surge when it seem the common travel area holidays start will I think costs lives and livelihoods in Majorca. Spain’s govt should be ashamed of the way it has treated the islands people. Vaccine stocks being waisted in Germany and not being used in France shameful betrayal of humanity.
I watched this parliamentary discussion when it was live last week. They tried desperately to put words in the scientists mouths. Then finished with speculation about airports being breeding grounds for the virus and variants completely ignoring the facts presented and lack of any evidence. It was all conjecture around precautionary principle.
Same old.... Money versus health..