Grant Shapps unveils 'trailblazing' plans to cut travel quarantine

• Half-term travel: what the three-tier system means for your holiday ​

• A circuit breaker lockdown could spell chaos for half-term holidays

• How airport testing in Italy works – and what happens if you test positive

• Which country will lose its travel corridor next?

• The countries you can (feasibly) visit right now

• Sign up to the Telegraph Travel newsletter

A “trailblazing” plan to reduce travel quarantine with a single Covid-19 test was announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today; he also ruled out testing on arrival at UK airports and ports.

“We’re proposing a domestic test regime, where people land and wait a week, have a test and get early release,” said Mr Shapps at the annual Abta travel industry conference, which was held virtually.

The test will need to take place "in person," he said. It will be provided by the private sector, in order to prevent putting additional strain on the NHS, and will be paid for by the traveller.

“We’re also proposing an internationally recognised system, in which Britain would be a trailblazer, where tests and isolation take place prior to travel and after travel and would require no quarantine,” Mr Shapps added.

He said he believed the measures described "will result in significantly more people flying in the months ahead". However, Mr Shapps stopped short of providing a start date for the planned testing scheme.

The Transport Secretary announced the launch of the Global Travel Taskforce last week. Its remit includes considering how a testing regime for international arrivals could be implemented to boost safe travel to and from the UK.

Scroll down for the latest updates.

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04:05 PM

What happened today?

Here are the main headlines: 

• 'Circuit breaker' could spell chaos for half-term holidays
• Northern Ireland to start 'circuit breaker' restrictions from Monday

• Wales to ban travellers from UK Covid hotspots

• Catalonia to shut bars and restaurants for 15 days

• Dutch return to 'partial lockdown' as Covid-19 cases soar

Catch-up with the rest below.

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04:00 PM

Which country will be removed from the 'green list' next?

Tomorrow will bring the dreaded 5pm travel corridor update from Grant Shapps, delivered via the Transport Secretary's Twitter account.

So which country's could be struck from the travel "green list" next? Italy, Sweden and Germany have all topped the original threshold at which the UK Government considers imposing quarantine on arrivals. However, when none were added in last week's update, it seemed that the Government may have upped its threshold.

Here we take a closer look at the possible additions to the quarantine list.

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03:51 PM

A postcard from Amsterdam as the city moves back into 'partial' lockdown

From 10pm tonight, Amsterdam will see restrictions reintroduced, Mandie Gower reports from the city.

Oh how things change. At the start of July, the Netherlands had announced the lowest weekly infection rate of 43 countries, my husband and I were apologetically admitting to friends back in the UK that restaurant reservations were back on our calendars, and I was campaigning my lockdown-weary mum to leave Surrey and join us for the summer.

The rather smug sounding Dutch “intelligent lockdown”, during which shops remained open and wedding guests could hit 100 - just don’t hug your mother-in-law as the Dutch Justice Minister was caught doing - appeared to have been enough. Yet following last night’s address by Prime Minister Rutte, our adopted country for the last two years is back in ‘partial’ lockdown. From 10pm tonight [Weds 14 Oct], cafes and restaurants must close, shops can’t sell alcohol after 8pm, groups are limited to four, and team sports for adults are prohibited.

It’s a big blow at a time of year when cafe terraces are usually teeming with puffa-clad Dutchies enjoying a coffee and appel taartje and making the most of the late autumn sun. And it comes with the government’s most decisive threat to date - if things aren’t better in four weeks, lockdown proper it is. Schools, the lot. 

Read the story in full.

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03:43 PM

Britain's lack of Africa travel corridor is 'discriminatory'

Africa has some of the lowest Covid infection rates in the world, so why is the UK Government snubbing it?

Charles Hymas reports:

Britain is discriminating against Africa by refusing to set up a travel corridor to the continent despite it having some of the lowest Covid rates in the world, says a new campaign fronted by South African born England cricketer Kevin Pietersen.

Ambassadors and travel industry chiefs say the top UK destinations in Africa have rates well below the UK threshold of 20 cases per 100,000 – and below other European and Asian nations on the UK's quarantine-free “green” list.

Yet, Britons are barred from travel by the Foreign Office advice – and if they do go, they face a quarantine of 14 days on their return. The countries include Rwanda (which has a seven-day case rate of 0.3 per 100,000 population), Uganda (1.9), Zambia (2.3) Kenya (4.5), Namibia (13.1) and South Africa (19.3).

Read the story in full.

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03:38 PM

Too little too late? London Southend Airport responds to testing announcement

London Southend Airport has responded to the Government's testing plan to open up travel, which was announced by Grant Shapps today. A spokesperson said:

We welcome any positive steps taken by the government, but question whether this is too little too late.

UK lockdown rules were lifted in June. It is now mid-October. It is unclear when these new process will be introduced. If and when this comes in, it’s important that the passenger experience is rapid, reliable and reasonably priced.

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03:27 PM

Hong Kong Tourism launches hygiene protocol for visitors

The Hong Kong Tourism Board has announced the launch of a standardised Covid-19 hygiene protocol.

This will provide unified guidelines on hygiene and Covid-19 prevention measures for tourism-related industries.

At more than 1,800 businesses that have expressed interest in adapting the new protocol, which aims to bolster visitors’ confidence in traveling to Hong Kong. 

However, as it stands, travellers who are not Hong Kong residents are not permitted to enter the territory.

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03:14 PM

Blackpool hits back at Sturgeon's warning

Blackpool has defended its Covid-19 safety after a warning to stay away from the town by Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Ms Sturgeon said at least 180 people in Scotland who tested positive for Covid-19 in the last month have reported a recent trip to Blackpool.

Council leaders and business representatives have pointed out the Lancashire seaside town, which welcomes more than a million Scottish visitors a year, has lower coronavirus rates than many areas north of the border.

Jane Cole, vice-president of the North & Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and managing director of Blackpool Transport, said:

The rate of Covid-19 in Blackpool currently stands at 218 per 100,000, which is one the lowest in the north-west of England and is also lower than parts of Scotland.

We get 17 million visitors a year to Blackpool and have not seen outbreaks in the rest of the UK from visitors to Blackpool, nor are we experiencing outbreaks within our tourism businesses.

Blackpool has stringent Covid secure measures in place.

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03:02 PM

Explained: Shapps' new plans to reduce or even erase quarantine

The UK Government is working on two separate testing regimes in order to get international travel back on its feet, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has today revealed.

These would either see travellers reduce their period of isolation if they test negative after a week, or involve an approach that introduces testing, and potentially isolation, prior to and after travel. 

But how will testing work? How much will a test cost? And will the scheme be ready in time for Christmas? Lucy Aspden has broken down what we know so far.

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02:47 PM

Wales to ban travellers from Covid hotspots

People coming from coronvirus hotspots will be stopped from travelling to Wales, the first minister has announced.

Mark Drakeford said he would use devolved powers to impose the restrictions.

Mr Drakeford said the action was being taken after Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not reply to two letters requesting he introduce the measure across the UK.

Under regulations being prepared, people living in areas with high levels of coronavirus in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland will not be able to travel to Wales.

The new restrictions are planned to come into force at 6pm on Friday.

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02:31 PM

Portugal imposes tougher Covid-19 measures as virus spreads

Tougher measures will be introduced in Portugal from Thursday to slow the spread of coronavirus, including stricter limits on gatherings and heavier penalties for rule-breaking establishments.

From Thursday, gatherings will be limited to five people. Weddings and baptisms can be attended by a maximum of 50, but university parties will be banned.

Fines for businesses which do not comply with the rules will be doubled from an upper limit of 5,000 to 10,000 euros.

Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa will also submit a proposal to parliament to make face masks compulsory in crowded outdoor spaces.

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02:21 PM

How coronavirus is sending cruise ships to an early grave

Putting a whole new meaning to "throwaway culture", ships still in their heyday have been consigned to the knackers’ yard, writes Gary Buchanan. 

Recent drone images show they are fast becoming scrap metal skeletons as the dismantling proceeds at full tilt – in the manner of the sorrowful angle the ships have now assumed.

Read the full story.

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02:07 PM

'Our policy on international travel is doing more harm than good'

Britain urgently needs to catch up to the rest of Europe on testing, writes MP Henry Smith:

As the north of England heads into a potentially devastating second lockdown, it’s vital that we all keep cool heads and assess the evidence for rules that are being brought in.

Covid-19 is a deadly disease and the government is right to do everything it can to prevent its spread.  But the deadliness of the disease does not mean that we should sign a blank cheque for a never-ending series of curtailments to our civil liberties or our economic freedom.

I voted against the ‘rule of six’ in the House of Commons last week, a law that bans more than six people from socialising together in any setting.  It’s a disturbing development, with no scientific evidence published to support it.  But there’s another policy that is kiboshing our economic recovery, with no sensible underlying rationale.

The UK’s air quarantine policy is one of the most cumbersome, backward-looking and bureaucratic set of restrictions in the world.

Read his comment piece in full.

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01:59 PM

Germany seeks tougher Covid restrictions as infections rise

Chancellor Angela Merkel wants to bring in tougher measures to fight a surge in the virus, according to a draft policy paper seen by news wire AFP.

New rules could include requiring masks to be worn in more places and limiting numbers at private events.

The proposals, to be discussed with premiers from Germany's 16 states later Wednesday, would see the restrictions kick in once an area records 35 new infections per 100,000 people over seven days.

Germany is one of just four countries that Britons can currently travel to without restriction (although arrivals from some parts of the UK must be tested, or provide negative test results).

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01:39 PM

Manchester and Liverpool mayors discuss 'circuit breaker' restrictions

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, and Steve Rotheram, Metro Mayor of Liverpool City Region are holding a joint press conference on coronavirus restrictions. Mr Burnham advocated for a national circuit breaker. He said:

"A majority of leaders in Greater Manchester feel it would be a preferable option... at some point, if the cases continue to rise, it would be preferable to go for a national circuit break approach, rather than this regional approach, which we have real doubts about whether it will work.

"That is supported by majority of leaders in Greater Manchester."

However, he is against his region being placed into a tier three lockdown. He said Greater Manchester economy "is already on the brink" and to pressure them into a Tier 3 lockdown without financial support "would push us over the edge"

• Half-term travel: what the three-tier system means for your holiday
• Postcard from Liverpool: ‘We’re facing a long, dark winter of cancellations ahead’

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01:31 PM

'We need to move to a pre-flight testing regime' – British Airways

British Airways has offered comment on the Transport Secretary's announcement that testing would be carried out after a period of isolation in the UK, rather than on arrival at UK airports. A spokesperson for the airline said:

We believe that we need to move to a pre-flight testing regime where travellers arriving in the UK all have a negative test up to 72 hours before flying. This is rapidly becoming the industry model.

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01:22 PM

Catalonia to shut bars and restaurants for 15 days

Bars and restaurants are to be closed across Spain's Catalonia region for the next 15 days to slow the spread of Covid-19, the regional government said on Wednesday.

"The measures will come into force overnight Thursday to Friday and will remain in place for an initial 15 days," said interim regional leader Pere Aragones, describing them as "painful but necessary".

Catalonia initially struggled with a rise in infections as the second wave took hold over the summer, but appeared to take control situation after ordering people to stay home in Barcelona and other cities. 

Spain's seven-day infection rate has reached 161.7 per 100,000 people.

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01:17 PM

Italy, Sweden and Germany could be next in line for quarantine restrictions

Quarantine restrictions could be imposed on travellers arriving in the UK from Italy, Sweden and Germany later this week, the latest figures suggest.

The countries are among the few popular foreign holiday destinations which UK travellers can still visit without needing to isolate for 14 days when they return due to Covid-19.

But Italy is recording a seven-day rate of 58.3 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people. Sweden and Germany have rates of 36.1 and 34.3 respectively.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is due to deliver his weekly update to travel corridors at 5pm on Thursday.

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01:14 PM

Watch: Second World War bomb goes off in Poland during defusal operation

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01:06 PM

Hedge fund circles British Airways owner

One of Britain’s most powerful hedge funds has taken a major stake in the British Airways owner as the flag carrier braces for a turbulent winter.

Marshall Wace, which has bet against the fortunes of bailed-out airlines on the Continent, disclosed a 3pc stake in IAG worth about £140m.

The disclosure, which comes 48 hours after BA boss Alex Cruz stepped down, catapults the Mayfair fund among the ranks of IAG’s biggest backers. 

Read the full report, here.

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12:55 PM

Need a Covid test before you fly this half-term? Here's how to avoid a week-long nightmare

Ben Mccormack's fit-to-fly certificate didn't turn up in the time frame promised, meaning he couldn't fly to the Maldives.

This is what happened.

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12:47 PM

A circuit breaker lockdown could spell chaos for half-term holidays

Half-term holidays could be under threat, with the Prime Minister reportedly considering a “circuit breaker” lockdown if his three-tier system fails to slow the spread of Covid-19, Greg Dickinson reports.

Under a circuit breaker lockdown, pubs, restaurants and other businesses could be forced to close, and non-essential travel could be prohibited.

A decision is expected to be made towards the end of next week, meaning new restrictions could come into force when the state school half-term break begins on October 26.

Parts of the country are already facing limitations as the three-tier restrictions came into effect today – in those places under the highest tier, travel is restricted unless it is for school or work.

One option under consideration is for regional circuit breakers, which might be preferred by the Prime Minister after he likened a second national lockdown to a “nuclear deterrent”. One senior source said the chances of a circuit breaker were “at least 80 per cent”.

Northern Ireland is to bring in a partial “circuit breaker” with schools there to close for two weeks from Monday. This will also mean the closure of the hospitality sector for a fortnight, excluding deliveries and takeaways.

Here we take a look into what a national circuit breaker, or regional circuit breaker lockdowns, could mean for our half-term holidays.

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12:38 PM

Decision on restricting travel to Wales due 'within days'

A ruling on limiting travel to Wales from other areas of the UK that have high levels of Covid-19 is to be made in the coming days.

Welsh ministers have been asking for controls, but none were providing in Monday's announcement from Boris Johnson on the three-tier system.

Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething told the BBC it would work in a similar way to the "stay local" rule enforced by police during the initial lockdown. That saw people from England being turned away from entering Wales.

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12:31 PM

UK travel businesses face half-term cancellations

As Government advisers recommend a "circuit breaker" lockdown over half term or Christmas, businesses in the hospitality sector explain what ongoing changes to UK travel restrictions mean for them.

Piers Baker, owner of The Sun Inn, Dedham, Essex said:

Hospitality is supportive of government measures to restrict the spread of Covid-19 providing they give adequate support for hospitality and our supply chains.

What is currently on offer isn't going to cut it and will result in a lot of business going under. Will a two week lockdown really work? Might do for a month or s, but then we're back to the same place once schools, universities and [the] workforce go back. Cases in hospitality account for only 4 per cent of all cases.

William Griffiths, owner of The Angel Hotel (in Abergavenny and Walnut Tree Inn in Wales said:

The difference in rules between Wales and England is causing huge confusion for people wanting to book with us and has led to many cancellations, in an already difficult climate. 

Local lockdowns, which surround us in Abergavenny, have had a huge impact on our f&b trade. Our forward bookings are significantly down on last year with half term week looking the same as the previous and following weeks, rather than standing out as being a busier week for both the hotel and restaurants, as you would usually expect. Decisive, united actions and support are needed from the government now, as advice around non essential travel is almost more damaging than a time-defined, complete lockdown.

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12:15 PM

Diving in the Azores: Finally, a family holiday we can all agree on

The Azores are one of the few quarantine-free destinations still available to British travellers. Lucy Dunn agrees to a marine adventure in the islands and ended up a convert.

You would be hard pushed to find a British traveller who knows where the Azores are, so little known are they. While Ryanair has been flying there from the UK since 2014, it is perhaps the unpredictable weather and lack of sandy beaches that have deterred the sunshine-and-sangria hordes – their loss, quite frankly, because the islands are a delight.

What they don’t have in beaches they make up for in spectacular scenery, great food, and the sheer variety of things you can do: cycling, canoeing, mountain hiking, canyoning and surfing, to name a few. Nature lovers will appreciate the Azores too – the archipelago is a stopping-off point for blue whales and dolphins on their migration route, and more than 20 species of cetacean have been spotted there. 

Read the full story.

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11:58 AM

UK 'circuit breaker' would be 'devastating,' says hotelier

The prospect of a "circuit breaker" lockdown over the half-term holiday could disrupt the UK travel plans of thousands of families.

But a "circuit breaker" at any time would be "devastating" for some hotels, according to Mark Chambers, the managing direct of the Eden Hotel Collection, which has six properties in the UK.

He said:

Any circuit breaker, particularly at half term, would be devastating as we have only just restarted and this would deny us the opportunity to capitalise in a high-demand period. The damage to consumer confidence created by such a measure will undoubtedly put more jobs at risk, too.

We see the benefits of the circuit breaker, but scheduling it in with as much notice as possible in a lower demand period, such as November, would allow the industry to manage it for effectively.

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11:46 AM

Time circuit breaker with half-term or Christmas holidays, Government advisers say

A two-week circuit-breaker in December could save thousands of lives in the short-term and allow the UK breathing space to control the Covid-19 epidemic, Government advisers have said.

Graham Medley, professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it may be too late to implement a two-week circuit-breaker over the October school half-term but December could be an option.

He and Matt Keeling, who advises the Government and is a professor of maths at the University of Warwick, said that a short, sharp lockdown would enable Test and Trace to improve as well as ensuring NHS hospitals do not become overwhelmed with coronavirus patients.

He said any circuit-breaker should ideally be timed with school holidays to minimise disruption to education.

"So, half-term or potentially over Christmas," he said.

Follow the coronavirus live blog.

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11:40 AM

Virgin Atlantic is testing staff before boarding

The airline's staff take a Covid test before boarding, with results delivered in 30 minutes, Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic's chief executive, told the Abta travel convention.

He added that without an efficient test and trace and track and then isolate system, "this country will not emerge from this pandemic ahead of a vaccine".

The airline has found two virus cases among its crew. Those crew members were asymptomatic and were put into isolation.

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11:30 AM

How to get a Covid test for your holiday

As holidaymakers are set to wait longer for a UK testing system, many destinations already require travellers from the UK to present negative test results on arrival. NHS tests are not to be used for travel purposes, so how can you secure a private test? And how much do they cost? Emma Beaumont has the answers.

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11:21 AM

Virgin Atlantic has lost half its workforce due to the pandemic

Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive Shai Weiss is among the other leaders speaking at today's Abta travel convention. 

He told the attendees the airline had cut half of its jobs due to the pandemic and resulting travel restrictions.

[It has been] devastating for our people, I know they’ve provided us with tremendous support and huge sacrifice.

We’ve treated them like adults with absolutely clarity on the truth, and despite the all harm we’ve caused and the situation has caused us I think that even the people who have left us, and will hopefully come back, feel that Virgin Atlantic is still as special place for them.

From April till June, a period of 90 days, we did not take onboard one passenger. If I’d told this industry or anyone that this would the case before this they wouldn't have believed it.

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11:10 AM

When will the new travel testing system start?

Grant Shapps was asked: when will this system come into play? It seems, based on Mr Shapps response, that the travel industry and its customers, are in for a continued wait. He said: 

We’re working very proactively to get that in place… November is two weeks away, that’s not a long time away to get to the outcomes and practicalities of putting something like this programme in place.

The most important thing we can do is get the sector moving again. To do that things like being able to open up more travel corridors by enabling test and release and indeed removing quarantine entirely would be bluntly better than anything the taxpayer can do to support.

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10:59 AM

EU unveils 'traffic light' system, but not a single country qualifies as green

While the UK proposes steps towards cutting travel quarantine, the EU has brought in a new "traffic light" system to allow free movement across the bloc. However, not a single country is marked as green, reports Greg Dickinson.

There will be no restrictions on arrivals from countries designated ‘green’ status. National governments will then be able to provide their own restrictions on arrivals from amber or red zones, whether it be quarantine or testing.

However, based on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s figures, not a single one of the EU’s 27 member states will qualify as ‘green’ at this moment in time.

Read the full story.

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10:49 AM

Government has been 'dragging its feet.' say travel bosses

Mr Shapps claims the Government is working “flat out” and “at pace,” but travel bosses believe that the fact it took six months for a travel task force to be announced is signs that the Government is “dragging its feet.”

Shapps said in response:

The work that has gone behind that [the global travel task force] has been immense. You’ll all be familiar for example with the testing that has been going on at Heathrow airport [the] science that’s gone behind working out whether it is the case that you can test effectively on day zero and get an accurate test.

That’s information that simply hasn’t been available. So we’ve been busily working with scientists and our colleagues in other countries to track what their experimentations have been and to work out what does and doesn't work.

We now know for certain that if you were to test people on day zero that isn’t going to help - it is true to say, and this has been hotly disputed, that you’d only pick up around 7 per cent of those that are asymptomatic.

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10:41 AM

Testing and releasing on arrival could lead travellers to bring Covid to UK, claims Shapps

Mr Shapps told travel industry representatives that "a day-Zero, on-arrival-test, could allow for significant numbers of people to wrongly believe they are not bringing Covid-19 back with them – we believe this is a situation that has occurred in other countries."

He added: "There is a better and safer avenue to be explored - that’s why last week we launched our global travel taskforce."

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10:34 AM

Shapps: Self-isolation could take place before departure

The Transport Secretary said:

In addition to that new domestic test and release model we’re also working on schemes with partners and countries to establish whether self isolation could take place before departure.The main point being that we’ll consider all options that will increase tourism and business travel but to do so safely and thereby help the sector recover from this pandemic.

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10:32 AM

55,000 staff in aviation industry benefitting from furlough scheme, says Shapps

Mr Shapps told the Abta travel convention that some 55,000 within in the aviation industry alone were benefitting [from the furlough scheme]. 

He added that the Covid Corporate Financing facility has provided £1.8 billion to the aviation industry – that is in fact 11 per cent of total national funding.

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10:27 AM

'Circuit breaker' could prohibit half-term holidays

Half-term holidays hang in the balance with the Prime Minister to consider a “circuit breaker” lockdown if his three-tier system fails to slow the spread of the virus. 

Pubs, restaurants and other businesses could be forced to close under such measures with a decision to be made towards the end of next week. The half-term break for state schools begins on October 26 and could be the start of such restrictions. 

Regional "circuit breakers" are under consideration; parts of the country are already facing limitations as the three-tier restrictions came into effect today – in those places under the highest tier, travel in and out of those areas is restricted, with the exception of school or work. 

Northern Ireland is to bring in a partial “circuit breaker” from Monday, which will include shutting schools for two weeks and closing the hospitality sector. apart from deliveries and takeaways.

Meanwhile, tourism authority Visit Wales told Telegraph Travel on Tuesday: “The First Minister of Wales is calling for travel restrictions to be put in place to ensure coronavirus cannot travel from areas where there are high levels of infection in the UK to areas where there are low levels of the virus in the UK.

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10:02 AM

Grant Shapps has ruled out testing on arrival

The Transport Secretary has said that instead of Covid-19 testing on arrival, the UK will use a "test and release" strategy.

Passenger will take one test seven days into quarantine. It is is negative, they can end their self isolation. Tests will be at the expense of the passenger.

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09:56 AM

Grant Shapps: 'Self isolation could take place before departure'

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced a Global Travel Taskforce last week. Its remit will include considering how a testing regime for international arrivals could be implemented to boost safe travel to and from the UK

Speaking at the Abta travel convention this morning, Mr Shapps said:

Any new testing regime can’t impact on NHS capacity. We are also working on schemes to see whether self isolation could take place before departure

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09:46 AM

Government must act urgently to support the £60bn travel industry, says Abta

Today, Abta – The Travel Association – is holding its annual travel convention (virtually) and has said the Government must provide urgent support to the sector. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is now speaking. 

Abta revealed new figures today showing the impact of the coronavirus crisis on overseas travel. They include:

• Only 15 per cent of people took a foreign holiday between February and July 2020 compared to 51 per cent over the 12-month period, and 64 per cent the previous year.
• More than half  of people said they took fewer overseas holidays this past year compared to the previous year, with 87 per cent of those saying they took fewer holidays because of coronavirus.
• The current government restrictions around international travel are a major contributing factor in people’s reticence to travel, with 93 per cent of people concerned about potential last-minute changes to foreign office travel advice
•  4 in 5 people are concerned about having to quarantine when they return from holiday to the UK.

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09:38 AM

Your pub needs you... to order chips with your beer and save a British institution

Our love for pubs is ingrained in our soul. Now they’re under threat, we must fight for them – with food as our weapon of choice, writes William Sitwell.

It’s another curious spectacle of 2020. Landlords of Britain’s drinking pubs queuing up in their local supermarkets, their trolleys laden with Cornish pasties and oven chips.

As a new layer of Boris fog descends on the country’s hospitality industry, the wily owners of pubs that don’t serve food – unless it’s crisps, pork scratchings and pickled eggs – are fighting to stay open in the wake of new government restrictions. The Prime Minister’s new local Covid alert levels specify that pubs and bars in areas in the ‘very high alert level’, according to the government: ‘must close, and can only remain open where they operate as if they were a restaurant – which means serving substantial meals.’

When pressed on exactly what constitutes a ‘substantial meal’ Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick suggested that it could be a Cornish pasty, but only if it came on a plate with salad and chips; the government’s website stipulates that a meal is ‘like a main lunchtime or evening meal’.

Read William's call for Britons to support their locals.

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09:33 AM

Half-term travel: what the three-tier system means for your holiday

While we await further updates on "circuit breaker" lockdowns in the UK (Northern Ireland has announced one, starting on Monday), the three-tier system is creating confusion for half-term breaks. 

Telegraph Travel's consumer expert Nick Trend breaks down what the system means for UK holidays.

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09:26 AM

Wales could impose circuit breaker, First Minister says

Wales could impose a circuit breaker-style lockdown, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said. 

"We want to act now in order to prevent the worst from happening, to give us a better chance of getting through the rest of the autumn and the winter, and if a circuit-breaker is the right way to do it then that is what we will do," he told Sky News.

"We're very actively talking about and preparing for that should it be necessary."

Mr Drakeford said "detailed work" was ongoing to allow Wales to take the same decision as Northern Ireland if figures continued to go "in the wrong direction" this week.

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09:16 AM

Comment: Is this the end of the traditional British boozer?

The Government's three-tier restrictions are bad news for businesses in the areas facing the toughest rules. Adrian Tierney-Jones writes that days could be numbered for pubs under tier three restrictions, if they cannot serve a substantial meal with drinks:

Liverpool is one of England’s great pub cities. The last time I was there, I spent time in a traditional backstreet pub, where the beer was glorious and the company gregarious. Then it was off to  The Philharmonic with its splendid Victorian architecture, where the gents are as ornate as a palace.

However, as of Wednesday October 15, the beating heart of this vibrant pub culture will fall still, since the majority of drinking venues will have to close their doors following the announcement of the government’s  three-tier system.

Liverpool has been placed into tier three (for areas with a very high level of infections), which means that all licensed venues must close unless they have a substantial food offering (thus the city's Wetherspoons pubs, incidentally, can remain open).

Ever since the first lockdown began, back in March, it has felt like the British hospitality industry has been put through the wringer. Even though financial support was available for many (and the small breweries that supply them), there has been a steady stream of closures. Liverpool is the latest blow.

Read the piece in full.

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09:06 AM

'Irresponsible and colonialist' – Welsh blast English visitors as tension mounts over travel rules

Speaking of Wales, my colleague Emma Cooke reports on tensions between Welsh locals and English visitors who are still travelling to the country. 

Much of Wales is currently under lockdown, with citizens unable to leave or enter 15 of Wales' 22 local authorities, as well as the town of Llanelli.

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08:56 AM

Wales' hotspot travel demands 'not a border issue', says First Minister

Wales' First Minister has stressed that his demand for the UK Government to restrict people from areas with high levels of coronavirus from travelling into places with lower levels is "not a border issue".

People in areas of Wales under local lockdown restrictions are not able to travel to other parts of the country without a reasonable excuse, which does not include a holiday.

Mark Drakeford has repeatedly called on Boris Johnson to impose restrictions on people travelling from coronavirus hotspots in England - something the Prime Minister has ruled out. 

"It is a simple, straightforward, practical action that prevents the flow of the virus out of areas where there is a great deal of it into areas where there is very little of it, and I'm baffled why the Prime Minister continues to resist this idea," Mr Drakeford told Sky News.

"All we're asking is for fair play, for people in high volume areas outside Wales not being able to do things that people in Wales who live in high coronavirus areas are already prevented from doing."

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08:41 AM

What's the situation in Italy?

After being spared in last Thursday's quarantine list update, Italy could loose its travel corridor this week. The country's seven-day infection rate has continued to rise and now sits at 53 per 100,000 people. The UK Government considers imposing quarantine when cases top 20 per 100,000.

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08:36 AM

Airport testing may not be in place by the end of the year

Baroness Dido Harding, head of NHS Test and Trace, gave no reassurance to the travel industry that border testing will be available at airports before the end of the year, reports industry publication Travel Weekly.

Harding, executive chair of NHS Test and Trace and interim chair of the newly-announced Health Protection England, was responding to a question from Focus Travel Partnership chief executive Abby Penston, who raised the issue of the Government's new Global Travel Taskforce.

Harding, a former Thomas Cook marketing director, said that NHS Test and Trace was “working very collaboratively with the borders team on testing [on international arrivals]”.

Harding said: “A negative test at a point in time only proves that you are not infectious at that point of time.

“If you have been travelling from a very high risk environment then I would expect that the clinicians will still advise that some kind of quarantine is necessary, so testing will help us, but I doubt it will be a silver bullet to fighting the virus and changing the need for us to be very cautious if people are travelling from very high risk environments.”

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08:26 AM

Exclusive: Rocco Forte launches UK testing partnership, as confusion leads to 'significant' cancellations

Rocco Forte Hotels has responded to the continuing confusion surrounding testing for travellers from the UK by launching its own innovative 'Fit to Travel' partnership service, reports Rachel Cranshaw.

The group, which operates luxury properties in locations including Sicily, Rome, Florence and Puglia, has partnered with Blue Horizon, which will arrange for self-test kits to be couriered to and from people's homes, entirely bookable online – affording maximum convenience for families in the run-up to half-term. A guaranteed certificate is then produced within 72 hours of travel. The test costs £169, or £129 for Rocco Forte guests who will be given a £40 discount code upon confirmation of reservation.

Chairman Sir Rocco Forte said: “These are trying times but I am keen to do anything that will enhance travel and allow our customers to holiday and enjoy themselves. Testing in the UK before traveling to Italy reduces much of the hassle and helps make the trip as seamless as possible. Upon arrival guests will find our usual hospitality and service.”

Read the full story.

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08:14 AM

Dutch return to 'partial lockdown' as Covid-19 cases soar

The Netherlands will return to a “partial lockdown” on Wednesday, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said, closing bars and restaurants as it battles to control the coronavirus in one of Europe’s major hotspots.

“Today we are announcing new and sturdy measures and in fact we are going to a partial lockdown,” Rutte said in a televised news conference. He said public gatherings of more than four people would be prohibited and alcohol sales in the evening would also be banned.

Schools were to remain open and public transport would keep running, in contrast to measures imposed during a partial lockdown earlier this year.

The measures will last at least four weeks, with a review of their impact after two weeks. If they prove ineffective, tougher restrictions may follow, said Health Minister Hugo de Jonge.

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08:06 AM

What happened yesterday?

Here are the biggest headlines from Tuesday: 

• EU member states agree ‘traffic light’ system for travel 
• Visit Wales: ‘We’re asking some people not to visit’
• Cruise lines end 2020 sailings over Scotland's alcohol ban
• Heathrow drops out of Europe's top 10 busiest airports
• Ryanair could be ‘last person standing’ after Covid-19

Now onto today's news.