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Italy imposes quarantine on UK arrivals

rome - Reuters
rome - Reuters

Italy has introduced a mandatory five-day quarantine for visitors from Britain, Health Minister Roberto Speranza said on Friday, as concerns grow over increasing cases of the highly contagious Delta variant.

Meanwhile, the country is lifting restrictions on travellers from the United States, Canada, Japan and other European Union states provided they have a 'Covid-19 green pass.'

The new rule will be in force from tomorrow (Saturday), and follows crackdowns from France, Germany and Austria; all of which have introduced curbs on British tourists due to the Indian 'Delta' variant this month.

It comes as Germany announced today that the Delta variant only accounts for 6 per cent of cases in its country, while in the UK it now makes up 91 per cent.

As a result, more countries in Europe and around the world could well join Italy and enforce similar measures on British travellers in the coming weeks.

Scroll for more of the latest news as it happens.


04:38 PM

A recap of today's travel news

The main headlines:

  • Italy imposes quarantine on UK arrivals

  • Spain and France ditch masks as restrictions ease across Europe

  • Wales delays easing lockdown restrictions

  • Disneyland Paris reopens

  • Holidays in doubt for cruise ship passengers

Catch-up with the rest below and join us again on Monday for more travel news.


04:35 PM

'Britons envy our summer holidays': Germany mocks UK over travel restrictions

Country's highest selling newspaper gleefully described the rules preventing foreign holidays as a 'twist in the towel war', writes Justin Huggler.

germany - Frank Heuer/laif/CAMERA PRESS
germany - Frank Heuer/laif/CAMERA PRESS

Germany on Friday claimed victory in the perennial battle for Europe’s sun loungers as coronavirus restrictions left Britons stranded at home.

“Brits envy our summer holidays,” Bild, the country’s highest-selling newspaper, taunted the UK as Germans sunned themselves on Mallorca.

The newspaper had not forgotten the headlines predicting British tourists would have Mediterranean beaches to themselves this summer when the UK was far ahead in the vaccine race over the winter.

In what Bild gleefully described as a “twist in the towel war”, Britain’s continuing travel restrictions mean it has squandered this lead even as Germany has reopened travel to most of Europe.

Read the full story.


04:19 PM

Ryanair calls for Ireland to give travellers access to Covid certificates

Ryanair has urged the Irish government to grant vaccinated travellers immediate access to their EU Digital Covid Certificates.

Ireland announced it has moved to a 'ready' state for the issue of the Covid Certification, yet over one million fully vaccinated Irish citizens are still awaiting access to their Covid-19 certficates.

The airline says they should be allowed to travel restriction-free immediately.

"All of Ireland's vulnerable groups are fully vaccinated and over 60% of adults have received a first dose vaccine, yet Ireland continues to impose the strictest travel lockdown in Europe," the airline said


04:07 PM

The blustery, untamed corner of France that is the nation's answer to Cornwall

A nostalgic road trip around southern Finistère in Brittany leaves Nicola Williams confounding Cornouaille with the Cornish coast.

Cap Sizun, a wild, lesser-known stretch of Brittany's coastline  - Getty
Cap Sizun, a wild, lesser-known stretch of Brittany's coastline - Getty

Phare Ar-Men took 15 years to build (1867-1881) and was instantly known as l’enfer des enfers (hell of hells) by its courageous keepers. The lighthouse remains a powerful testimony to the guts and determination – sheer lunacy some might say – of Breton craftsmen and fishermen who went through hell and high water to construct it, on a rock in the treacherous Iroise Sea, on the west coast of Brittany. Herculean currents and swells dictated when it was safe to brave reefs separating the lighthouse from le continent, and shipwrecks pepper maritime logbooks here.

As cataclysmic waves dwarf the historic stone beacon, I am immediately reminded of the 130 recorded shipwrecks around England’s own Land’s End where a trio of lighthouses light up the waters cradling the over-touristed Cornish cape.

My gaze shifts from the toy-like lighthouse to the rugged coastline fingering Pointe du Raz – a soul-stirring sweep of vertiginous granite rockfaces chiselled to serrated perfection over the centuries by the elements. Tufts of sea thrift sprout like summer daises atop the cliff edge and a dolly mixture sprinkling of spiny wild gorse and bell heather blazes gold and purple across the wind-brushed heath.

Read the full story.


03:56 PM

US companies rush to change their calendars for new Juneteenth holiday

US companies scrambled to put in place policies that would allow employees to take a day off after President Joe Biden signed a bill late on Thursday to recognize June 19, or "Juneteenth", as a federal holiday.

Juneteenth has been a holiday in some US states, but the move has pressured more companies to declare the day a holiday.

With Juneteenth, the first new federal holiday created in nearly four decades, falling on a weekend, some companies, including JPMorgan Chase & Co and Bank of America Corp, have allowed U.S. employees a floating day off.

Many US companies had observed Juneteenth last year, when the United States was rocked by protests against racism and policing following the murder of George Floyd, an African-American man, by a Minneapolis police officer.


03:45 PM

Britain's best surf spots to rival California

There are plenty of places to surf on Britain's coast, from the heartland in Newquay to simulated waves in Snowdonia, writes Rachel Mills.

They include:

fistral beach - iStock
fistral beach - iStock

Newquay, Cornwall

Newquay has nine beautiful surf beaches but Fistral Beach, half a mile west of town, is considered the home of British surfing. Book-ended by rocky headlands, the scoop of golden sand is backed by sand dunes and overlooked by a string of hotels. All the UK pro contests are hosted here and in summer it’s packed out, but the consistent hollow waves stand up to the hype. The Cribbar, Cornwall’s legendary big wave spot, can be found off Towan headland at the northern end of Fistral. When the conditions are right, waves here break at more than 24ft and attract pro surfers from across the globe.

Read the full story.


03:26 PM

Relaxing rules for vaccinated travellers is 'long overdue'

The tour operator Trailfinders has written of the company's frustration with the UK's failure to recognise our swift vaccine rollout (thus far) when making decisions about overseas travel rules.

It says:

The UK have been world leaders in the vaccine rollout, but are now taking up the rear in recognising it, with 33 countries already excusing fully immunised travellers from being forced into quarantine. This overdue initiative will also help to address the unacceptable Border Force bottlenecks. Remarkably, as it stands, we are set to have a summer with greater travel restrictions than last year.

Why do the fully vaccinated have to endure the cost, hassle and anxiety of PCR tests in order to re-enter the UK, when returning from countries with lower cases than the UK?

For this to be logical a test would also be required when getting the train from Bristol to Manchester? Huw Merriman (Chair of the Transport Select Committee) has rightly called on the government to reveal the criteria for decisions for green and amber countries. Currently it is impossible to logically relate the data to the decisions.

It singles out Malta as an example of a country that should be green.


03:06 PM

The global elites' exemption from travel restrictions will become a problem for the Tories

They think nothing of gathering on a Cornish beach for a barbecue while the rest of us risk £10,000 fines for doing the same, writes Ross Clark.

As I write, the government is in talks with Uefa and Fifa to exempt 2500 VIPs and officials from the need to quarantine when they travel to Britain for the final of the Euros on 11 July. Uefa has threatened to take the final away from London and hold it in Budapest instead unless it wins an exemption.

Will the government resist the demands of football’s great and good in favour of maintaining the integrity of a traffic light system for overseas travel which it insists is essential to prevent the importation of new variants of Covid? Like hell it will. You can bet the Prime Minister’s desire to be up there in Wembley’s royal box on 11 July rubbing shoulders with other leaders will trump any fear of new variants and any intent to apply consistent rules.

Read his comment piece in full.


02:59 PM

Canada extends US travel restrictions through July 21

Canada has confirmed it will extend restrictions that bar non-essential travel at US land borders until at least July 21.

The United States is expected to issue a new extension of restrictions at the Canadian and Mexican borders that are set to expire June 21.

The restrictions were first imposed in March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic and have been extended in 30-day increments.

United States officials held initial working group meetings this week with both Canadian and Mexican representatives to resolve the issue, sources told Reuters.


02:45 PM

In pictures: tourists today around the world

lisbon - AFP
poland - Grzegorz Momot/EPA-EFE
california - PATRICK T. FALLON

02:32 PM

Norway eases Covid curbs on travel, sport, bars and more

Norway will lift a slew of measures to fight Covid-19 in the coming days, the prime minister said on Friday, opening up travel, sport and partying.

"We are on the way. It's time to move to the next level," Prime Minister Erna Solberg said.

With vaccinations progressing, she announced a step up to the third of four phases of the reopening plan.

From Sunday alcohol will be on sale in bars again after midnight and up to 5,000 people will be able to watch sports events.

Parties and weddings will also be allowed to take place with as many as 100 people attending.

And the number of guests who can attend house parties will be doubled to 20 without taking into account vaccinations against coronavirus.

Adults will no longer be required to keep a safe distance from each other when they play sport and advice against travelling within the Nordic country will be lifted.

The foreign ministry will from July 5 lift recommendations not to visit European territory unless it is essential.

Quarantine rules are being eased from June 21 when travellers from within Europe will no longer have to spend the period in a specific hotel.


02:10 PM

The British seasides that are worth a visit in the rain

The joy of a heatwave is always short-lived in Britain – yet holidaymakers who fall foul of the weather needn’t despair, writes Emma Featherstone.

Should a free weekend or chunk of annual leave coincide with more rain then seek out coastal art, indulge in our seasides’ very best culinary offerings or peek into the habitats of our coastal wildlife...

Guide: the British seasides that are worth a visit in the rain.

rain
rain

01:57 PM

New Australia-UK working holiday visa deal 'a timely lifeline' for young British travellers

The UK's new trade deal with Australia includes a change to the visa process which enables all Britons under the age of 35 to live and work Down Under for up to three years.

Here's what Sam Willan, General Manager StudentUniverse, has to say:

We are thrilled to hear that the UK and Australia have agreed upon this historic trade deal and new youth visa rules, which will enable thousands of young Brits and Aussies to make their overseas travel dreams a reality. We’re also really pleased by the decision to extend the length of the visa by a year, taking it to a total of three years, as well as the increased age limit to 35; this will enable more young people to travel, and really make the most of their time abroad.

Many young people have been forced to delay their working holiday plans until travel resumes, therefore this is a timely lifeline to those who may be nearing the previous age limit of 30. A survey of our customers showed that of the respondents who said they wouldn’t apply for a working holiday visa to Australia, 44% revealed that this was because of the age limitation – therefore, we hope that this new agreement re-ignites the interest of young Brits who want to head down under.


01:43 PM

Holidays in doubt for cruise ship passengers

Hundreds of holidaymakers have had domestic cruises cancelled because the delay in lifting capacity constraints means ships are overbooked.

P&O Cruises, MSC Cruises and Royal Caribbean International are among the firms that accepted bookings in excess of the current 1,000-person limit.

They hoped the rule would be relaxed from Monday, but Boris Johnson's decision to delay the end of all coronavirus restrictions for up to four more weeks means the constraint remains.

Ships operating domestic cruises are only allowed to carry up to 1,000 passengers, or 50 per cent of their capacity if that is lower.


01:31 PM

Italy: what is the current coronavirus situation?

Cases and deaths in Italy are down by 32% and 34% respectively over the last week.

Its seven-day case rate per 100,000 citizens is currently 16.35. The UK's is now considerably higher at 86.66 per 100K.

This is despite Britain being further ahead on the vaccination race, having jabbed 76% of the population once and 55% twice. Italy has only administered a first jab to 57% of its people, and 27% have had both.


01:11 PM

Spain and France ditch masks as restrictions ease across Europe

Face masks in France are no longer mandatory in outdoor settings, and as of Sunday the night-time curfew will end, 10 days earlier than expected.

The acceleration in France's easing of lockdown is down to “the health situation improving faster than we had hoped," according to its Prime Minister Jean Castex.

The country also added the US and Canada to its green list on Thursday, and reopened Disneyland Paris after nearly eight months of closure.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has also confirmed it will be ditching face masks outside from June 26 while in Germany the work-from-home order will lift on June 30, and Austria is reopening nightclubs on July 1.

The UK, on the other hand, faces another four weeks of restrictions after the Government postponed “Freedom Day” to July 19 – with travel curbs likely to last for the foreseeable future.


01:01 PM

Germany removes holiday destinations from travel risk list

Germany has taken popular summer holiday destinations such as France, Greece, Switzerland and parts of Spain off its list of coronavirus risk areas, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases said on Friday.

People arriving in Germany from these regions will no longer be required to self-isolate for 10 days.

Belgium, the southern part of Denmark, Estonia, Jordan, Lithuania, three provinces in the Netherlands, Norway, the Palestinian Territories, several regions in Slovenia and S. Lucia were also struck from the list.


12:47 PM

The forgotten UK county that's reminiscent of the American Midwest

Simon Parker has turned north on his 3,000-mile journey around Britain by bike, and discovered Lincolnshire, the ‘wildest corner of England’. He writes:

On my cycle tour around this plague island, I’ve seen the best and worst of Britain. I’ve cycled into rows and fisticuffs, and seen more fly-tipping than your average bin man. At first, I found a cagey, socially awkward country, but now – on the ground, in the flesh – normality is fast returning.

This trip has reminded me of just how lucky we are to live in Britain, and every couple of days I cycle into a new county; some of which I’ve never visited before. Cornwall, Devon and Yorkshire get a lot of attention, but Lincolnshire truly lives up to the cliché ‘hidden gem’. When this is all over, I’ll be rushing back for a holiday, to be enjoyed at a significantly more sedate pace.

Entering from Norfolk, the county immediately reminded me of the American Midwest, hot and flat, but with fertile topsoil the colour and texture of cocoa. In fact, Lincolnshire produces one eighth of the UK’s food and processes 70 per cent of its fish. Remarkably, though, it has some of the lowest tourism numbers in Britain.

Read on, here.


12:34 PM

Vietnamese island to vaccinate entire population so tourism can resume

The entire 100,000 population of Vietnam's largest island is to be vaccinated to allow for the resumption of tourism.

Phu Quoc, which was fast growing in popularity as a holiday destination before the pandemic hit, will then open to vaccinated visitors, or those who are willing to quarantine in insolated resorts.

Lam Minh Thanh, chairman of the province, confirmed the news, claiming that the island hopes to be ready to receive foreigners from September or October this year.

In 2019, Phu Quoc received over five million visitors.

The rest of Vietnam has been closed to overseas arrivals since March 2020.

Phu Quoc - Getty
Phu Quoc - Getty

12:16 PM

Boris Johnson 'very confident' for July 19 unlocking

We've heard this one before.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has insisted he is "very confident" that the remaining coronavirus restrictions in England will be lifted on July 19, after the June 21 unlocking was delayed because of the Indian/Delta variant.

Speaking at Kirklees College in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, Boris Johnson said:

I'm very confident that we'll be able to go through with step four of the road map on the timetable that I've set out with treating July 19, as I've said, as a terminus date.

I think that's certainly what the data continues to indicate.


11:59 AM

Sturgeon announces travel ban on Manchester and Salford for Scots

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced new travel restrictions for residents of Scotland today, stating:

I regret that we are introducing restrictions on travel between Scotland and two cities in England.

Manchester and Salford currently have high levels of Covid and so from Monday onwards non-essential travel between Scotland and those cities is not permitted. Non-essential travel is already prohibited between Scotland and Bolton and Blackburn with Darwen.

Anyone travelling elsewhere in the Greater Manchester or Lancashire area, I’d ask you to think carefully about whether your journey is really necessary because we do see cases rising across that region.


11:45 AM

Drakeford confirms pause in easing restrictions

First Minister Mark Drakeford has confirmed a halt on the planned further easing of restrictions in Wales.

He said a third wave of Covid-19 is underway and that it is leaving the country facing a "serious public health situation".

He added:

Our scientific advisers believe the UK is now in the pre-peak stage of a third wave of the pandemic.

Wales may be two to three weeks behind what is happening in England and in Scotland, where tens of thousands of cases have been confirmed, there is widespread transmission and reports of increased hospital admissions.

In the last week, the First Minister of Scotland and the Prime Minister have both paused their plans to relax coronavirus restrictions because of concern about the delta variant.

And today, I have to announce, we will be doing the same.


11:39 AM

The activities coming to city rivers, docks and canals this summer

Water-based attractions are opening at home and beyond, from open-water swimming clubs to hot-tub boats and floating saunas, writes Suzanne King.

slide - Albert Dock
slide - Albert Dock

At Duke’s Dock on the Liverpool waterfront, the former Adventure Dock aqua park has been reborn as Wild Shore Liverpool, and now offers stand-up paddleboards, pedalos, kayaks and mini boats as well as a floating assault course. On the other side of the Mersey, New Brighton’s Marine Lake is about to get a Wild Shore of its own, complete with inflatable playground, wakeboarding and open-water swimming sessions, right next door to the sandstone walls of Fort Perch Rock.

Read the full story.


11:22 AM

Norway prepares for next stage of reopening

Norway will begin the third major phase of its plan to reopen society this week as Covid-19 infections continue to decline, Prime Minister Erna Solberg announced on Friday.

Starting on June 20, Norwegians will be allowed to receive up to 20 guests in their homes, double the current level, while bars and restaurants will no longer have to close at midnight, she said.

"Norway is on track and we're ready for step three," she told a news conference.

The latest set of relaxations were part of the government's four-step plan, introduced in April, to gradually unwind the national lockdown. The fourth step, which could still leave some local restrictions in place, could be introduced next month, depending primarily on infection rates and vaccinations, the government said.


11:14 AM

Spain to ease face mask rules

This is to be the last weekend of mandatory use of face coverings in outdoor public spaces in Spain.

The measure will come to an end on June 26 after approval in the Council of Ministers next week, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Friday.

We are getting closer to normal every day. We want the economy to recover and be a fair and lasting recovery. This will be the last weekend with masks in the open air.


11:00 AM

In pictures: the Las Vegas hotels that never were

Behold, 3D renderings of hotels in Las Vegas that were planned and then cancelled.

Starting with Desert Kingdom, which should be one of the most iconic hotel resorts on the Vegas Strip, and at the time, would have revolutionised Sin City. Instead, investors purchased and tarted up Caesars Palace...

desert kingdom - Bet Victor
desert kingdom - Bet Victor
Xanadu - Bet Victor
Xanadu - Bet Victor

See the rest here.


10:44 AM

What are the mask rules now in France?

The French have been religiously wearing masks in public, until yesterday, and have been under curfew from 11pm for the past eight months.

Masks will remain compulsory inside shops, public transport and other closed public areas, and President Jean Castex warned the French they must continue to wear them "in crowded places, in queues or in markets".


10:30 AM

Comment: Why is it selfish to holiday abroad, but virtuous to staycation in the UK - Europe's Covid hotspot?

That's the question Pravina Rudra is grappling with today. She writes:

It’s selfish to go on holiday to Portugal - but piling into Cornwall along with the rest of the M5 for a virtuous “staycation” is laudable while much of the isles attain the veritable status of Europe’s Covid hotspot. No-one cares about the logic, nor - God forbid - the consequences - we defer to the “rules”.

The virtue-signalling points to a sense that Covid has become a “moral” issue - something which you must be with or against. It’s the latest iteration of cancel culture - “silence is violence” as they say - which is why people must demonstrate that they are against Covid. Did you play your part if you didn’t get a selfie with your vaccine card (which, incidentally, helps the fake vaccine card black market create false documentation for anti-vaxxers)?

Read Pravina's full piece here.


10:19 AM

US National Parks swamped as states emerge from lockdown

American National Parks are overrun as the US continues to drop restrictions and emerge from lockdown.

The parks are reporting a huge spike in visitor numbers, leading some to close to new visitors. Utah's Arches National Park counted 194,000 visitors in April; up 15% compared to the same month in 2019, before the pandemic hit.

Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park, meanwhile, saw its busiest May on record, with almost half a million visitors. And California's Yosemite National Park has introduced booking systems for the first time to deal with the influx.


09:59 AM

BA Dreamliner collapses on Heathrow runway

A British Airways plane has succumbed to a nose gear collapse on the tarmac at London's Heathrow Airport.

The Boeing Dreamliner 787 was being loaded for a cargo flight bound for Frankfurt, Germany, when the incident took place.

A statement for BA as follows:

A freighter aircraft has been damaged while stationary on stand. As a freighter-only aircraft there were no passengers on board. Safety is always our highest priority and we are investigating the matter.


09:45 AM

What's the travel situation in... Greece?

Status: Amber

FCDO advice: Essential travel only, except to Rhodes, Kos, Zakynthos, Corfu and Crete

Greece is straining to get on the UK’s green list, chiefly by racing against the clock to get its 6,000 islanders vaccinated by the end of June. In the meantime, it’s welcoming jabbed-up Britons with open arms. Proof of double vaccination at least 14 days before travel will get you in with no further tests or quarantine; you’ll just need to fill in a Passenger Locator Form before travel.

Here's Greece's current caseload:


09:37 AM

Notting Hill Carnival cancelled for second year running

Here is an update from the organisers, who have cancelled the event due to 'so much uncertainty'...


09:23 AM

Feature: How millennials made caravanning cool again

Forget the old stereotypes of cramped living conditions and drab interiors – exploring the UK in your own mobile space is back in vogue, writes Alice Hall:

Amber Yates isn’t your typical caravan owner. A far-cry from the “socks and sandals” stereotype, the 24-year-old is a regular at the pub with her friends on Friday nights, and prefers a bubble bath with Netflix to a cold shower.

But in May last year, Yates, who works in a residential care home for teenagers, and her husband James, 24, paid £4,800 for a caravan, a 2006 Swift Bridgemere, which they have since taken on holidays all over the UK.

Yates is part of a growing number of millennials intent on making caravanning cool again. The Caravan and Motorhome Club says its membership increased by 14 per cent last year, and the growth has continued in 2021. Meanwhile, Young Caravanners, a club which holds rallies around the UK, has seen sign-ups to their Facebook group, and club membership, rise by 68 per cent in the past 12 months.

Read the report here.


09:13 AM

What's the travel situation in... Spain?

Status: Amber

FCDO advice: Essential travel only, except to the Canary Islands

Since May 24, UK holidaymakers have been able to enter Spain without taking a test or proving vaccination status, and there’s no quarantine on arrival either. Convenient, it being our favourite holiday destination and all.

The only exception to the rule is the Canary Islands, where you must arrive with proof of two jabs in your arm (administered two weeks prior to travel), a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before travel, or proof you’ve recovered from Covid-19 up to six months before travel. Here's how their current case count looks:


08:58 AM

UN was wrong to oppose banning China flights last year, says WHO boss

The head of a World Health Organisation expert panel investigating the pandemic has said the UN body was wrong to oppose bans on flights from China last year, writes Ben Farmer, South Asia Correspondent.

Helen Clark, the former prime minister of New Zealand and a former top United Nations official, said her country and neighbouring Australia had been right to block travel soon after the Wuhan outbreak became known.

"We did that even though it was against the advice of the WHO and the international health regulations, which discourage constraints on travel," she said according to the Washington Post.

She said the UN's health body's rules were outdated and "written in 2005 before anything like the level of global connection via travel", stating:

It’s not appropriate when there’s a dangerous respiratory pathogen on the loose, as with this one, to say you don’t have to do anything about travel — of course you do.


08:49 AM

What's the travel situation in... Portugal?

Status: Amber

FCDO advice: OK for non-essential travel

The fall guy of the UK’s topsy-turvy travel policies over the past 12 months, Portugal may have been demoted to amber just weeks after turning green, but the country is doing everything it can to welcome us in with minimal hassle. Everyone with two doses of the vaccine at least 15 days prior to travel will be exempt from any testing requirements, and there’s no need to quarantine on arrival. Obrigado.

As for Portugal's case count, it's looking good:


08:42 AM

Comment: None of us knows how long we’ll live so we’ll take our chances and flee the country to see our son

Very few things in life are worth more than one’s family – and Guy de la Bédoyère is navigating the travel minefield to be reunited with his. He writes:

We face many more threats than Covid-19, yet to read the mainstream press or to listen to broadcast media you’d be forgiven for thinking that there is little else that faces us either individually or collectively. Bombardment with meaningless statistics, invariably out of any context, has bullied many of us and subjected us to the whims of a class of scientist desperate to control our every waking moment.

We have four sons. One lives in England. We can see him and his children. The second lives in Hanoi with his wife and two children. They are completely beyond our reach. The third lives in Belfast which, thanks to the recent collapse of Aer Lingus’s subsidiary, might almost be on the other side of the world. The fourth lives and works in Mexico City.

Read the rest here.

Guy de la Bédoyère
Guy de la Bédoyère

08:30 AM

Delta variant hasn't gripped Germany

The Indian Delta variant only accounts for 6% of cases in Germany, according to Lothar Wieler, president of the Robert Koch Institute.

In the UK, this figure is around 90%. Based on this, it seems unlikely that Germany will be lifting its travel ban on Britons for some time.


08:15 AM

The ultimate Covid vaccination travel guide – where will the jab get you?

The Telegraph understands that Government officials are drawing up plans that will allow anyone who has received a full course of the vaccine to sidestep quarantine after returning home from amber destinations, with some testing measures still in place.

If this goes ahead, it will be the silver bullet for the travel industry, effectively opening up holidays for tens of millions of Britons to our favourite destinations such as Portugal, Spain and Greece. Our flimsy green list – comprising Iceland and Gibraltar – will thus be sidelined to obscurity.

So where will your jabs get you? Greg Dickinson has the list.


08:01 AM

In photos: Disneyland Paris reopens, with plenty of rules

Disneyland Paris reopened yesterday after eight months of closure. Here's what it looked like it on its first day...

Disneyland - CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA-EFE
Disneyland - CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA-EFE
disneyland - CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA-EFE
disneyland - CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA-EFE
disneyland - CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA-EFE
disneyland - CHRISTOPHE PETIT TESSON/EPA-EFE

07:49 AM

Deal: Wizz Air launches 24-hour flash sale

Budget carrier Wizz Air has announced a 15% off promotion on selected routes on flights booked today and departing on or before October 31, 2021.

Customers must book using the app by 11pm tonight, and WIZZ Flex passengers can cancel their flight up to three hours before departure and receive 100% of the fare immediately reimbursed in airline credit.


07:40 AM

The Tudor castle which hosted Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn is now a luxury hotel

Thornbury Castle in Gloucestershire has unveiled the first phase of a major refurb that will see its status as the country's only Tudor castle-turned-hotel. Jane Knight reports:

Henry VIII certainly liked a dollop or two of grandeur. So it’s not surprising that he bagged the best bedroom when he and Anne Boleyn pitched up in the courtyard of Gloucestershire’s Thornbury Castle with a retinue of hundreds on their royal progress in 1535.

You too can stay in his magnificent bedchamber, in the castle’s octagonal tower, with its ornate ceiling, four-poster bed, stone fireplace, and loo in the old garderobe (these days happily plumbed).

Read on, here.

Thornbury - Lee Searle
Thornbury - Lee Searle

07:27 AM

Sydney told to mask up again in bid to contain cluster

Australia's New South Wales has made the wearing of masks mandatory on public transport in Sydney, as a cluster of the highly-infectious Delta variant expanded to a fourth person.

Authorities said all planned outdoor events with good Covid-19 safety plans can proceed in the country's largest city.

The latest cluster, the first in the state in more than a month, was traced back to a driver who occasionally used to transport overseas airline crew.

Health officials said the latest case likely picked up the virus through minimal contact with an infected person in a Sydney shopping centre.

Our coronavirus live blog has more.


07:16 AM

Wales follows England by delaying easing lockdown restrictions

Wales is delaying further easing of coronavirus restrictions for four weeks after seeing a spike in cases of the Delta variant of the disease first identified in India.

First Minister for Wales Mark Drakeford will make the announcement on Friday and is expected to encourage people to go for their second doses of the vaccine.

The nation is aiming to roll out more than half a million doses over the next four weeks.

The change comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday that the final stage of England's lockdown road map - which would have seen all restrictions lift and international travel resume on June 21 - would be delayed until July 19 due to a spike in cases.

Latest figures show there are nearly 490 cases of the Delta variant in Wales, while more than four out five new Covid-19 cases are the Delta variant, according to the Welsh Government.

Two-thirds of these are not linked to travel or contact with another case, it added.


07:12 AM

What happened yesterday?

Before we start, a quick recap of yesterday's top stories:

  • Isle of Man set to reopen borders

  • American travel soars amid vaccine rollout

  • UK flights to resume to South Africa

  • Green list Faroe Island relaxes entry requirements