France and Malta added to UK quarantine list
France placed on UK travel quarantine list as coronavirus cases rise again
Quarantine threat sparks surge of Britons racing to get back before deadline
How to get travel insurance should you choose to ignore Foreign Office advice
Wizz Air offers more services as Britons continue flying to Spain
Why students are swapping a sanitised university experience for a Covid gap year
'Here in New Zealand, our team of five million is happy to keep the borders closed'
Travellers arriving from France after 4am on Saturday will be required to quarantine for 14 days due to fears over rising numbers of coronavirus cases in the country.
The move came after Boris Johnson said ministers would be "absolutely ruthless" in deciding on whether to impose the self-isolation requirement.
The Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos and Aruba have also been added to the quarantine list from 4am on Saturday.
The decision to add France will cause dismay for thousands of British holidaymakers currently in the country.
It was made in response to the spread of the virus, with the latest 14-day cumulative figures showing 32.1 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in France, compared with 18.5 in the UK.
The move will come as a bitter blow to the hard-pressed French tourism industry which relies heavily on visitors from the UK.
Before the announcement was made, Mr Johnson said: "We have got to be absolutely ruthless about this, even with our closest and dearest friends and partners.
"I think everybody understands that."
Read on for the latest news.
04:05 PMThe biggest stories from today
The biggest stories from today
- Cases are on the rise in Germany, the Netherlands, Malta and France
- Wizz Air offers more services as Britons continue flying to Spain
- The world's biggest tour operator announces $1.3 billion loss
- Algarve fights back against UK travel restrictions with 'Covid-safe' television ad campaign
- Jersey announces it will quarantine French tourists for at least five days
- Thailand's elephant sanctuaries face crisis without tourists
Read on below and join us tomorrow for all the latest updates.
03:57 PMSt Kitts and Nevis will require visitors to take a COVID-19 test prior to arrival
St Kitts and Nevis will require visitors to take a COVID-19 test prior to arrival
St Kitts and Nevis have announced that as of August 10 all international visitors must take a RT-PCR test 72 hours before arriving in the country. The result must then be submitted via email.
These regulations come into place as the islands prepare to reopen to tourism; the borders are currently closed and in the first phase of reopening only nationals and their spouses, investors and students enrolled at institutions on the island will be allowed in.
So far, there are just 17 recorded cases of coronavirus in St Kitts and Nevis and no deaths.
Find out how to get a Covid test for your holiday here.
03:41 PMThailand's elephant sanctuaries face crisis without tourists
Thailand's elephant sanctuaries face crisis without tourists
"There are no tourists in Thailand, which elephant tourism relies on to feed elephants at camps and sanctuaries. A high percentage of the elephants are going hungry, many are chained most of the day, with some camps on the verge of closure," said Louise Rogerson, the Project Director at Tree Tops Elephant Reserve in Phuket.
On a regular day, Tree Tops would welcome about 40 visitors a day, each spending £70 to enjoy a hands-off ethically-led experience with elephants rescued from riding camps and the illegal logging industry. But with Thailand's borders closed since 25 March and the tourist tap turned off, funds have dried up.
"It is very worrying for us here at Tree Tops with seven elephants to feed and mahout salaries to pay. We need 200,000 (£5000) just to feed our seven elephants each month," says Rogerson. Veterinary costs would come on top of that.
03:18 PMViking becomes the latest cruise line to scrap all 2020 sailings
Viking becomes the latest cruise line to scrap all 2020 sailings
Viking Cruises have cancelled all voyages for the rest of 2020 as the cruise industry continues to find its restart a challenge, reports Benjamin Parker.
The Switzerland-based operator was the first to suspend all operations in March as coronavirus rapidly spread around the world, and it became an industry-wide halt. A number lines have resumed sailing – mainly in Europe – but the vast number are still not welcoming passengers.
Viking’s chairman, Torstein Hagen, said that when his company chose to pause he “would not have imagined that in August we would still not be sailing.”
“Every day I am encouraged by the scientific advancements toward Covid-19 therapeutics and a vaccine. But as you well know, recent events have shown us that the recovery from this pandemic will be sporadic, and the ability to travel freely across borders remains some time away. As keen as we may be to get back to exploring, for now, international travel must wait.”
03:06 PMBarbados announces year-round daily direct service from London Heathrow
Barbados announces year-round daily direct service from London Heathrow
After a hiatus of more than 15 years, Barbados will once again be serviced by British Airways from London Heathrow with a year-round direct daily service commencing October 17, 2020.
Minister of Tourism and International Transport, Senator the Hon. Lisa Cummins, made the announcement
For more than 15 years, Barbados has been engaging British Airways on the re-establishment of London Heathrow as the gateway to Barbados, following the retirement of its Concorde service. We are thrilled therefore to see this finally come to fruition as it opens the door for us, quite literally, for growth opportunities in cities and continents that were once out of our reach.
Post-COVID-19, with British Airways seeing the contraction of various routes, the opportunity presented itself for this service and we were determined to secure it. Understanding the challenges currently faced by our industry, it is critical for us to be both smart and aggressive with our growth strategy, and this represents that.
Find out more about which Caribbean islands are reopening to UK tourists here.
02:52 PMManchester named the UK city whose residents are most likely to holiday abroad this year
Manchester named the UK city whose residents are most likely to holiday abroad this year
People from Manchester are the most likely to look abroad for their next holiday destination, new research shows.
The Sun for Spend Study, created by Island Cottage Holidays, reveals the top UK destinations for sunseekers based on temperature and sun hours.
Manchester had the highest volume of searches for city breaks, last-minute holidays, cheap flights, cheap holidays, and pound to euro terms combined.
Other findings include that holidaymakers in Leeds are most likely to look for a last-minute getaway, while Glasgow residents favour city breaks.
02:46 PMHow to stay safe on your gap year
How to stay safe on your gap year
As thousands of students consider an adventure before university, Natalie Paris offer advice on staying safe.
Check travel advice
It is more important than ever to be aware of the current travel advice for the part of the world you are in. Travel restrictions can be put in place or taken away at the drop of a hat and this could mean travellers being forced to rush home at very short notice. The Foreign Office issues email alerts for when its travel advice changes, so it is a good idea to sign up to these. Also, make sure you have the number for your embassy or consulate for the country that you will be in.
Beware social media
Reduce your chances of being tracked and becoming a target for people with bad intentions by only posting updates once you have moved on from a particular place or event. Never post plans of where you are heading next or where you are staying.
Buy a door stop
Wedge it under the door of your accommodation (from the inside) for added in-room security.
02:30 PMThe countries most reliant on tourists, and how they are coping post-lockdown
The countries most reliant on tourists, and how they are coping post-lockdown
More than 330 million jobs worldwide depend on travel; contributing to about ten per cent of global GDP. In some countries, it is much more; the Carribean being the starkest example.
In the island nation of Antigua & Barbuda, 91 per cent of employment last year was in the travel and tourism industry – the highest share in the world, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).
Beyond the Caribbean, the Chinese casino enclave of Macau is next, with 66 per cent of jobs relying on tourism; followed by the Maldives (60 per cent) and the Seychelles (40 per cent).
In Europe, Croatia - which has seen a huge boom in tourism over the past decade - takes the top spot, with foreign visitors contributing to more than 20 per cent of its GDP. That’s followed by Iceland, Greece, Malta and Portugal.
It is hard, therefore, to understate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on these economies, and why these countries have been prepared to open their borders as soon as possible to countries with far higher infection risks than their own.
Annabel Fenwick Elliott has the full story.
02:09 PMJersey announces it will quarantine French tourists for at least five days
Jersey announces it will quarantine French tourists for at least five days
A report by AFP has revealed that Jersey will quarantine French tourists arriving on the island for at least five days. During that time, the travellers will be tested twice for coronavirus.
Travellers will be required to remain in isolation until they receive a negative coronavirus result, and will have to pay for their own accommodation.
"The French will have to self-isolate at their hotel for at least five days, and even probably seven, as they will have to wait for the results of the second test," the Jersey Tourism Office told AFP. "Tests conducted abroad are not considered to be valid for countries classified as orange."
The measures are a result of a surge of new cases of coronavirus in France over the past week.
01:46 PMWill I be able to go skiing next winter?
Will I be able to go skiing next winter?
A ski holiday could be the first taste of travel many Britons get to experience in over a year and luckily resorts have plenty of time to plan ahead.
That said, anything could happen, lockdowns could be reinforced and travel could be stopped, but for now hopes are high that we could be back on the pistes next season.
Those keen to start researching and booking their ski holidays for next winter can find all the latest travel information here, including an outline of the current advice for British travellers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, as well as specific guidelines from ski resorts across the world as they release plans for next winter and begin to welcome visitors back.
01:24 PMSoldiers disinfect the Christ the Redeemer site in Brazil
Soldiers disinfect the Christ the Redeemer site in Brazil
As health restrictions in Rio de Janeiro are eased, soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces begin to disinfect the Christ the Redeemer site, which was previously closed due to the pandemic.
01:13 PMTravel insurance and coronavirus: Everything you need to know about 'Covid cover'
Travel insurance and coronavirus: Everything you need to know about 'Covid cover'
Travel insurance has never been more important. The global lockdown left millions of holiday plans in tatters, while ongoing uncertainty about the virus, along with the prospect of having your destination removed from the UK quarantine-free list, remain major issues.
In the spring, in the face of rising cancellations, many firms took the decision to stop selling travel insurance. According to consumer guide Which?, almost half of the UK’s major insurers had removed their travel policies from sale by April.
Now travel is back, holidaymakers need to be protected should Covid-19 interrupt our overseas trips. Unfortunately, insurance providers are still in struggling to formulate policies that address all the risks associated with the crisis.
Find out everything you need to know about travel insurance during the pandemic here.
12:52 PMRoss Clark: We are massively overreacting to new Covid 'outbreaks'
Ross Clark: We are massively overreacting to new Covid 'outbreaks'
Governments are being led by fear, not facts, putting the economy (and your holiday) in danger, says Ross Clark:
What the official recorded statistics on Covid cases are really measuring is the extent and effectiveness of a country’s testing programme. The more tests you conduct, the more of those silent Covid infections – the 90 per cent which would previously have gone unrecorded – you will pick up.
As Luxembourg protested last week when people travelling from there to Britain were ordered into quarantine, there was a very straightforward reason why the duchy appeared to have suffered an upsurge in recorded cases: the previous week it had tested 10 per cent of the population. It was a Herculean effort, the reward for which was to have a metaphorical yellow cross slapped on its door.
There is a moral here. If you are a country whose economy relies on UK tourists, don’t test more people than you need to; let those very mild and asymptomatic cases go unrecorded. If you are resident in Britain and value your freedom to meet relatives, go down the pub and so on, think twice about getting yourself tested – your reward may well be to have your whole town locked down.
12:44 PMThe question everyone is asking
The question everyone is asking
Forget quarantine and lockdown, what we really care about is the best place for a holiday dip. Obviously.
Golly it’s hot out there. But where’s your favourite place for a holiday swim?
— Telegraph Travel (@TelegraphTravel) August 12, 2020
12:42 PMCases on the rise in Germany
Cases on the rise in Germany
Germany recorded 1,319 new cases in the last 24 hours, the most since May 1 and in excess of 1,000 for the third straight day. Officials said the rise was due, in part, to people returning from holidays, and Germany recently warned against non-essential trips to parts of Spain.
12:36 PMWhy you really should consider taking a gap year in Britain
Why you really should consider taking a gap year in Britain
You might not have much choice, of course, but there are a few ways to make a difference without schlepping all the way to south-east Asia. Gavin Haines has some suggestions.
12:32 PMCovid under control
Covid under control
Fancy a holiday that isn't going to end in a surprise two-week quarantine?
The following travel corridor countries have seen 6 or fewer new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people over the last week:
- Estonia (5.7)
- Finland (2.5)
- Italy (4.7)
- Latvia (2.9)
- Liechtenstein (5.2)
- Lithuania (5.4)
- Slovakia (4.5)
- Slovenia (3.9)
- Barbados (3.8)
- Bermuda (3.2)
- Jamaica (4.3)
12:29 PMAre trips to the Netherlands at risk?
Are trips to the Netherlands at risk?
Another country that could enter the Government's quarantine conversation this week is the Netherlands. Cases – but not deaths – have risen sharply in the last week. A further 654 were announced on Wednesday. Our correspondent in Amsterdam, Greg Dickinson, reported recently on the introduction of new face mask rules in the city's busiest areas.
12:27 PMThe world's biggest tour operator announces $1.3 billion loss
The world's biggest tour operator announces $1.3 billion loss
And that's only for the 2nd quarter of 2020.
Bloomberg has the story:
Revenue fell 98% for the three months through June after business was essentially shut down by the Covid-19 outbreak, the German company TUI said on Thursday in a statement. Summer bookings are off 81%, reflecting the impact of ongoing travel restrictions.
Like other travel companies, TUI has been slammed by the outbreak, which forced lockdowns and brought air travel to a virtual halt. Recent surges of the virus in Spain and elsewhere forced countries to pull back from a reopening, spoiling the chances of airlines and hotels to salvage part of the busy summer season.
In a sign there may be better times ahead, bookings for summer 2021 stand at 145% of what they should have been in 2020 had the pandemic not happened, Chief Executive Officer Fritz Joussen said on a call with journalists.
The reinstatement of some travel restrictions to reflect new virus surges hasn’t led to a lot of cancellations, Joussen added. “We see customers going elsewhere. Those who said ‘I’m going on vacation,’ they really want to go and we have enough destinations that are open.”
12:22 PMWhy doesn’t Egypt have an air bridge?
Why doesn’t Egypt have an air bridge?
The seven-day infection rate in Egypt is a miserly 1.1 cases per 100,000 residents, and it is welcoming tourists, but the FCO continues to advise Britons against non-essential travel to the country and still requires all arrivals to self-isolate for 14 days. What gives? Telegraph Travel is investigating.
It isn’t the only supposedly “unsafe” country with far fewer weekly cases per capita than the UK (9.6 per 100,000). There’s lockdown-free Belarus (8), Nicaragua (3.2), Uruguay (2.4) and Georgia (2), among others.
12:12 PMItaly reopens for cruise ships but Britons aren't invited
Italy reopens for cruise ships but Britons aren't invited
Italy will be lifting its ban on cruise ships from August 15, with MSC Cruises planning to resume sailing a day later, reports Kaye Holland.
“We are very pleased to be able to start welcoming back guests for full-experience cruise holidays this summer, on board two of our most popular ships including our flagship MSC Grandiosa, and in the Mediterranean, the very region where our company’s roots are,” said Gianni Onorato, the chief executive of MSC Cruises.
Despite the restart, British travellers will not be welcome on board yet – the line is only open to residents of countries in the Schengen Area, which does not include the UK.
12:07 PMSpain bans smoking in public places
Spain bans smoking in public places
From today the Galicia region of Spain has banned smoking or vaping in open public spaces where a social distance of 2m cannot be guaranteed. This effectively means restaurant terraces and busy streets, reports James Badcock.
Several other regions are reported to be considering following suit. Health authorities in Spain have said smoking enables the spread of Covid-19 due to droplets from the lungs in exhaled smoke. An anti-smoking campaign group had gathered more than 80,000 signatures on a petition asking for a nationwide ban on smoking in outdoor public places.
Coronavirus cases and hospitalisations in Spain continue to rise steadily. New cases registered on Wednesday totalled 3,826, up from 3,632 on Tuesday, and after Madrid's 12 de Octubre hospital yesterday cancelled operations there are now reports that A&E is becoming saturated due to closed wards and staff shortages in summer.
11:56 AMThe future of travel: Will holidays ever be the same?
The future of travel: Will holidays ever be the same?
With new quarantine restrictions and travel corridors in place, the pandemic has certainly changed the way we are able to holiday this summer.
British holidaymakers might now have to quarantine when coming home from another 14 countries, including the Netherlands, Gibraltar and Malta. But will the pandemic have a more lasting impact on travel?
To find out about the future of travel, with expert insights from industry bigwigs and Telegraph Travel's very own Ben Ross, watch the video below.
11:52 AMA golden age of rail travel to Europe is ready to depart
A golden age of rail travel to Europe is ready to depart
The idea of unexpected lights in the otherwise impenetrable gloom of 2020 may yet take a more useful form than the chance to catch up with all five seasons of Breaking Bad – in real changes to the way we travel long distances. Might the new concerns about the safety of plane journeys, and being cooped up in a sealed cabin for three hours in the era of an easily-transmitted virus – coupled with the ongoing need to lower carbon emissions – mutate into a new love of the train as a way to cross continents?
It might, if you listen to this week’s whispers (and, for now, they are just whispers) about the pandemic being an opportunity for a revival of sleeper trains – the doughty rail services, both romanticised in 20th-century films and maligned as relics of a lost age, that were once the first choice of travellers wanting to slip easily from one country to another.
Earlier this month, a body called the High Speed Rail Group (rail-leaders.com) released a report titled “Decarbonising Transport: Setting The Challenge”. It is a weighty document, running to 24 pages, but it makes a number of interesting observations. Two of them bear closer inspection. The first, that Britain is overly reliant on air travel, is controversial. The second – that the Channel Tunnel is a significant resource, but is vastly underused – is not.
Chris Leadbeater has the full report.
11:34 AM'Here in New Zealand, our team of five million is happy to keep the borders closed'
'Here in New Zealand, our team of five million is happy to keep the borders closed'
Travel writer Bryn Reade shares what the situation on the ground in New Zealand is like as more restrictions are imposed.
The Government’s rapid and wide-ranging response — greater Auckland is straightaway in lockdown and the rest of the country is distancing — illustrates the determination to regain what we’ve just lost. In April 87% of New Zealanders approved of the government’s tactics. Current grumblings and schadenfreude expressed by ex-pats on social media are not representative of how most of us feel. Leader of the opposition National Party, Judith ‘Crusher’ Collins, while loath to waste a good crisis, is focussed on pushing back the timing of the general election rather than any suggestion that the country change its elimination approach. As insufferable as it might sound, we remain the team of five million.
There is disappointment and anger, but it’s the type we might direct at an All Black for making an unforced error: we should have been more careful to protect what was hard won, the government should have pushed harder for New Zealanders to adopt their contact-tracing strategies.
11:17 AMAlgarve fights back against UK travel restrictions with 'Covid-safe' television ad campaign
Algarve fights back against UK travel restrictions with 'Covid-safe' television ad campaign
The tourism board of the Algarve has announced that it is running a television advertisement campaign on Channel 5, reports James Badcock. The aim is to assure British travellers that the resort region is a Covid-safe destination and persuade the UK government to lift its quarantine requirement.
The UK decided last month not to include Portugal on its list of countries with safe “air corridors”, meaning that travellers from that country must undergo 14 days of isolation on entering Britain.
“We are strongly committed to reversing the negative effects of the UK’s decision and this means strengthening and repeating our message that the Algarve is a safe destination and is totally prepared to once again welcome UK tourists,” said Algarve tourism chief João Fernandes.
Mr Fernandes said he believed the ads, due to be aired from August 20, “will have a significant impact” and that the British government “will change its decision very soon”.
British tourists are the largest market for the Algarve and Portugal as a whole.
The country has registered 53,223 cases of Covid-19 and 1,764 deaths.
Read the latest advice on travel to Portugal here.
11:08 AMIs my holiday to Greece safe?
Is my holiday to Greece safe?
Greece's prime minister warned of new restrictions last week if a recent rise in daily cases did not abate, and this week it announced that arrivals from a clutch of countries, including the Netherlands, would need to show evidence of a negative Covid test on arrival.
Strict restrictions have been imposed on the island of Poros, and until August 23 food and drink outlets will remain closed from midnight to 7am in the following areas: Crete; East Macedonia and Thrace; Thessaloniki; Halkidiki; Larissa; Corfu; Mykonos; Paros; Antiparos; Santorini; Zakynthos; Kos; Volos; Katerini.
The FCO says:
The Greek authorities are likely to impose local coronavirus-related restrictions in certain areas if they perceive a heightened case-rate or other valid reason.
Fresh infections remain low compared with the likes of Spain and France (and deaths are still few and far between) but a steady increase is clear to see from the graph below.
Those who do choose Greece for their summer holiday should be sure to fill out its mandatory passenger locator form at least 24 hours before departure or face being turned away at the airport.
Find all the latest advice on holidays to Greece here.
10:58 AMTrain fares from London to Scotland slashed in attempt to lure back passengers
Train fares from London to Scotland slashed in attempt to lure back passengers
The nationalised rail operator, LNER, has cut ticket prices on the East Coast main line to try and win back passengers who have been avoiding public transport.
The short-term promotion, which will be valid on journeys from Monday to Thursday until September 3, sees the line’s notoriously expensive train fares reduced to 20th-century levels. Passengers departing from London can snap up tickets to Leeds and Edinburgh for £10 and £20, respectively. Meanwhile, first class fares to the Scottish capital are available for as little as £40 – this journey can cost upwards of £250 at peak times.
Note that the sale will end at midnight on August 19 and additional railcard discounts won’t apply.
10:48 AMItaly orders virus tests for holidaymakers travelling from Spain, Malta, Croatia and Greece
Italy orders virus tests for holidaymakers travelling from Spain, Malta, Croatia and Greece
According to a report by Reuters, all travellers arriving in Italy from Spain, Malta, Croatia and Greece will now have to undertake mandatory coronavirus testing. Additionally, visitors from Colombia have been banned.
Health Minister Roberto Speranza said:
We must continue to be cautious in order to protect the results obtained thanks to sacrifices made by all in recent months.
The new rules will be in place until September 7 at the earliest.
A review of the UK Government's policy is also expected today, but it remains to be seen whether they will follow Italy's lead in imposing restrictions on countries that have been on the "green" list up until now.
10:34 AM'It's a broiling mass of sticky bodies' – a postcard from the Kent Riviera
'It's a broiling mass of sticky bodies' – a postcard from the Kent Riviera
Right now, post lockdown, and on some of the hottest days of the year, you might be wise to aim for a beach that isn’t the poster child of the Kent tourism board. Botany Bay is a broiling mass of sticky bodies with just a couple of toilets, a kiosk and a tiny parking area. As the tide edges in, those sticky bodies edge closer together.
Local residents are up in arms and parking tickets are being issued like raffle tickets at a country fayre. You can only imagine the council rubbing their hands in glee at the additional summer bonus to their coffers.
Rachel Mills has the full picture of a holiday on the Kent Riviera here.
10:24 AMWill Portugal get a reprieve?
Will Portugal get a reprieve?
Britons returning from Portugal must self-isolate for 14 days, but the seven-day infection rate in the country has fallen to 12.4 per 100,000 (Aug 6-12).
This puts it behind many countries that do have travel corridors, including Switzerland (13.3), Denmark (15.3), France (18.1) and the Netherlands (23.1). Tourism businesses in the Algarve will certainly be hoping the Government reconsiders its stance this week.
10:16 AMThe countries pursuing a zero-Covid strategy – and what it means for tourism
The countries pursuing a zero-Covid strategy – and what it means for tourism
New Zealand recorded its first four community-transmitted cases of Covid-19 for 102 days on Tuesday. In response, it locked down the city of Auckland (where the cases where detected) and placed the rest of the country under tighter restrictions.
This may seem somewhat extreme. By comparison, the UK saw 1,148 new infections on Tuesday, yet the majority of the country is enjoying eased restrictions, with the exception of those in local lockdown, and even popping over to Europe for their holidays.
Of course New Zealand had already demonstrated its intolerant approach to the virus. The country is pursuing a zero-Covid strategy whereby it seeks to eliminate all cases. Measures to achieve this include shutting its borders to all but New Zealand citizens and residents (plus their children and partners) and requiring all arrivals to enter managed self-isolation or quarantine (in a government-run facility) for 14 days.
But how long does the country, which usually hosts around 200,000 British visitors each year, plan to stay shut? And which other tourist destinations have both kept Covid cases to a minimum and aim to retain their record by keeping barring foreign arrivals?
Emma Featherstone has the answers.
10:04 AMCruise ship passenger suspected to have coronavirus turns out to be false alarm
Cruise ship passenger suspected to have coronavirus turns out to be false alarm
A passenger who tested positive for Covid-19 on the only cruise ship sailing in Alaska during the pandemic does not have the virus, reports Benjamin Parker.
Wilderness Adventurer, with 66 crew and passengers on board its first voyage of the season, was forced to turn back to port in Juneau last week in light of the diagnosis. However according to operator UnCruise, subsequent tests returned a negative result, and no other people who sailed on the same trip have contracted coronavirus.
The line has so far declined to comment on whether the test produced a false positive, and a press conference is scheduled for later today. Robert Barr, planning chief of Juneau's emergency operations centre, told local media that all they can do is "rely on the science of the tests, and they’re not perfect, but they’re pretty good."
In light of the positive coronavirus test UnCruise cancelled all of their planned 2020 sailings in Alaska.
09:46 AMHow fast are cases rising in Malta?
How fast are cases rising in Malta?
Ireland removed Malta from its "green" list last week – meaning arrivals from the island must now quarantine for 14 days – while Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have taken similar steps.
Far more concerning for Malta, however, is the fear that the UK might follow suit, dealing a huge blow to the EU’s smallest nation which derives nearly a third of its GDP from tourists, many of them British.
The Malta Tourism Authority has been at pains to point out that the country is doing more testing than almost all other European nations. "Tourism is important for us, but the safety of our people and the people who visit us is more important and we would never put people in jeopardy," it said in a statement.
Malta recorded 46.7 new cases per 100,000 during the last week (Aug 6-12), up from 7 per 100,000 for the period Jul 23-29.
09:38 AMWhy students are swapping a sanitised university experience for a Covid gap year
Why students are swapping a sanitised university experience for a Covid gap year
Tour operators are reporting a huge demand for gap year travel despite the coronavirus closing international borders and bringing existing trips to an abrupt halt. With A-level results released today, operators report that – rather than being put off travelling – students are pursuing potential projects while keeping an open mind about which country they may end up in.
“Covid stopped gap year travel in its tracks, but there is a huge, pent-up demand,” David Stitt, the founder of Real Gap Experience told us. Milly Whitehead, co-founder of The Leap, agreed, saying she is experiencing more than double the amount of interest in trips than she usually does this time of year.
“We have never been so busy with online gap year consultations,” she said. “Gappers are keen to get a place on any programme that’s running as clearly there is going to be limited availability for 2020-21. They are not hanging about.” She has seen a lot of students who would normally wait to travel in January say that they are now prepared to travel from September onwards, in case there is a second wave of the virus. What is more, these students say they are prepared to go anywhere that is open.
Natalie Paris has the full story.
09:25 AMExclusive: Wizz Air offers more services as Britons continue flying to Spain
Exclusive: Wizz Air offers more services as Britons continue flying to Spain
Wizz Air is launching a new base in Doncaster Sheffield Airport and seven additional destinations, including Spain and Portugal, as demand has proved strong despite the pandemic.
Speaking exclusively to Telegraph Travel, Owain Jones, managing director of Wizz Air UK, said that since being the first carrier in Europe to relaunch flights post-lockdown, its routes to Spain and Portugal have proved “a runaway success”.
After the Foreign Office (FCO) dropped Spain from its ‘green list’ of quarantine-exempt countries, demand did go down, Jones says, but it still continues to maintain fairly steady numbers for trips to the country. Wizz Air plans to fly at 80 per cent capacity by the end of the year, a higher number than any other European airline has announced.
Annabel Fenwick Elliott has more here.
09:12 AMWhich countries could lose their ‘travel corridor’?
Which countries could lose their ‘travel corridor’?
While all the talk is of France, a clutch of other destinations are at risk of being taken off the UK’s quarantine-free list this week.
An analysis of the latest data by The Telegraph shows that while new cases in France rose to 18.1 per 100,000 for the period August 6-12, several other countries with “travel corridors” have a higher infection rate.
They are the Netherlands (23.1 per 100,000), Gibraltar (35.6), Monaco (38.2), Malta (46.7), San Marino (53.0), the Faroe Islands (198.5), Turks and Caicos (278.9) and Aruba (547.9). The UK government may well reason that the likes of San Marino and Aruba attract too few British tourists to warrant action, but the likes of Malta and Gibraltar are popular summer options.
Below France, Denmark (15.3 per 100,000), Iceland (14.7), the Czech Republic (14.0), Switzerland (13.3) and Poland (12.7) could also enter the quarantine conversation when the Government reviews the policy this week. All have now overtaken Portugal (12.4), which remains on the list of countries from which all arrivals, including returning holidaymakers, must self-isolate for two weeks.
09:01 AMThree dead following Stonehaven derailment
Three dead following Stonehaven derailment
An investigation is underway to establish the cause of a rail disaster that left three people dead.
The 6:38am Scotrail service between Aberdeen and Glasgow Central is thought to have encountered two landslides on tracks, following a night of thunderstorms and torrential rain.
When the driver saw the first landslide it is believed that he managed to stop in time to avoid a collision. It was when he was returning to Aberdeen, after finding the track blocked, that he hit a second “at speed”, a rail industry source told The Telegraph.
The driver, along with a conductor and a passenger, were among the dead.
Daniel Sanderson and Danielle Sheridan have the full story.
08:45 AMHow fast are cases rising in France?
How fast are cases rising in France?
Yesterday’s figure of 2,524 positive cases was the highest for more than two months, and the country has seen 18.1 new cases per 100,000 residents during the last week (Aug 6-12) – up from 7.6 last month (Jul 16-22). Much of this rise is down to increased testing, however, and the majority of cases are asymptomatic. Daily deaths remain relatively low compared to the height of the pandemic.
Nevertheless, with thousands of Britons likely to visit France in the coming days and weeks, the Government may feel it needs to act – if not this week then soon.
Can I visit France? Read the latest advice here.
08:37 AMHoliday quarantine: Which country will be next?
Holiday quarantine: Which country will be next?
It's the question on everyone's lips – is your holiday choice safe or will you be forced to self-isolate on your return?
The Government threw many plans into chaos last month by removing Spain from its list of quarantine-free destinations at just a few hours' notice.
Since then, Luxembourg, Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas have also found themselves added to the holiday naughty step, and, with infection rates rising across Europe in recent weeks – due, in no small part, to increased testing – other countries may join them.
Telegraph Travel's Oliver Smith analyses the most likely contenders here.
08:28 AMThe biggest stories from yesterday
- BA plans to introduce optional testing for passengers
- Switzerland to allow mass gatherings again
- UK attractions warn of decimation without support
- Customers still waiting for refunds from March, report finds
The biggest stories from yesterday
- BA plans to introduce optional testing for passengers
- Switzerland to allow mass gatherings again
- UK attractions warn of decimation without support
- Customers still waiting for refunds from March, report finds
