UK govt warns against holiday bookings as restrictions may tighten

Britons should refrain from booking holidays overseas, warned the minister responsible for the Covid-19 vaccination programme on Tuesday, as tighter mobility restrictions could be on their way.

An announcement on tougher border measures is expected as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is said to be looking into the option of introducing quarantine hotels for tourists arriving to the UK.

This would prevent the risk of “vaccine-busting” new coronavirus variants entering the country. Minister Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News there would be an announcement on the matter later on Tuesday.

Asked if the possible measures meant it was too soon for the public to book holidays, Zahawi said: “Absolutely”.

“I think it’s far too early. There’s still 37,000 people in hospital with Covid at the moment, it’s far too early for us to even speculate about the summer.”

These new measures will be yet another hard hit for the travel industry which is struggling to stay afloat.