High risk countries for travel

HEATHROW Airport passengers will now be charged an extra £8.90 to fly from the airport as part of a "pandemic tax". The fees will be enforced from April to cover costs lost during the pandemic. The new charge will be charged by airlines who claim the fee is due to costs being increased from the airport including baggage, handling and other costs. This means a family of four face an extra £35.60 on top of their flights due to the new tax. The airport said no profit was being made as it was only to cover the additional operating costs, and may only run until the end of the year. While other airports including London Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester has said they won't be following suit, experts have warned it may set a trend. Deputy chairman of the Association of Independent Tour Operators (AITO) John Tangney said: "If Heathrow gets away with it, most other airports worldwide are likely to copy this highly unwelcome initiative." Heathrow Airport has lost more than … [Read more...] about Heathrow Airport to charge travellers extra £9 passenger levy to due Covid costs

SPAIN is looking at introducing UK travel corridors again this summer for Brits if the vaccine passport scheme doesn't go ahead. Secretary of State for Tourism, Fernando Valdés said if the immunisation certificate does not succeed, Spain is willing to consider bilateral agreements and corridors "with third countries", according to the Spanish press. This would include the UK. He explained: "The way to allow travel in Europe must be decided at the level of the European Union but if those decisions cannot be taken, we will think of other solutions such as corridors, green corridors with third countries that can help us to restart tourist flows." He said that the vaccination rollout in the UK meant that the summer is looking likely for Brits to return . Bookings to Spanish hotspots are already soaring following Boris Johnson's announcement of his roadmap to freedom which could see life return to normal by June 21. Mr. Valdés said decisions on allowing travel must … [Read more...] about Boost for Spanish holidays as country plans ‘green corridors’ for UK travel if vaccine passports don’t go ahead

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines are both highly effective at preventing over-80s from being admitted to hospital, according to a new study. Researchers in Bristol found that 14 days after one dose of the Pfizer vaccine, it was 79.3% effective at preventing people in that age group from developing symptomatic illness severe enough to be admitted. For AstraZeneca 's COVID-19 jab, the effectiveness was 80.4%. Live COVID updates from the UK and around the world What EU leaders said about AstraZeneca vaccine - and the data forcing a rethink The study tallies up with the Public Health Scotland (PHS) and Public Health England (PHE) reports released in February and on Monday respectively. Advertisement Professor Adam Finn, professor of paediatrics and chief investigator of the study at the University of Bristol, said his team took a different approach, using a smaller geographical area and … [Read more...] about COVID-19: Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines ‘highly effective’ at preventing hospital admissions in over-80s, study finds

CAMPSITES across the UK are seeing such a surge in demand for holidays this year that they are desperately adding more pitches. A booking boom for staycations has seen prices jump as availability runs out following the government announcement that group trips can resume from May. Camping website Pitchup.com has added 130 more sites since the start of the year due to demand, with more than 2,500 still available. The lockdown dates allow holidays to resume from April 12, but only with your own household and if at self-catered accommodation. This means some campsites are unable to open until May 17, due to shared facilities such as shower and toilet blocks, leading to thousands disappointed at missing the Easter break. Away resort camping pitches - from £4pp per night Camping pitches with Pitchup.com - from £16 per night Park Holidays camping pitches - from £20 per night Despite this Dan Yates, founder of Pitchup.com who has daily bookings as high as 6,500, … [Read more...] about UK campsites are adding hundreds more pitches due to soaring holiday demand – here are some of the best deals

AS MANY as 90 per cent of summer holidays are sold out as UK tour operators warn that bookings are still soaring. Brits opting to stay in the UK for a holiday this year are likely to be left disappointed with little left on the market. The government announced that domestic holidays can start as soon as April 12 as long as cases continue to drop, but this is only for one household, and at self-catered accommodation. From May 17, group holidays can go ahead while hotels will reopen, and June 21 is the earliest that travel restrictions may be fully eased. This has led to surging demand for UK holidays especially in popular destinations such as Cornwall , Devon and Dorset. According to the Telegraph , self-catered accommodation website Unique Homestays has warned that 92 per cent of summer holiday dates are booked up, with Oliver's Travels has just eight per cent of properties still available during the summer season. Last month, Sun Online Travel revealed that … [Read more...] about Up to 90% of UK summer holidays are now sold out following booking boom – here is how to still find a great deal