Advertisement

Portugal 'likely' to lose its travel corridor this week

Greg Dickinson
·17-min read
Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Portugal (pictured) and Greece
Covid-19 cases are on the rise in Portugal (pictured) and Greece

Britons in Portugal, or those with a holiday booked, could be in for disappointment as Covid-19 cases in the country rise once again.

Figures published today show the number of cases per 100,000 over seven days – the metric used by the Government to determine which country is on the UK’s travel corridors list – is now at 18.1.

Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told the Telegraph: "Portugal is likely to go back on the UK’s quarantine list this week and the country itself is now preparing a 'State of Contingency' from September 15.

"It has been unable to manage its caseload over the last two weeks as more tourists have entered Portugal, especially Lisbon and Porto."

The UK Government has said that 20 cases per 100,000 over seven days is the threshold after which travel corridors are reassessed.

Grant Shapps announced on Thursday that Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Jamaica have been removed from the UK's travel corridors list after crossing this threshold. Anyone returning from these countries after 4am this morning must go into quarantine for 14 days. Cuba, where cases are on the decline, has been given the green light for holidays.

Yesterday, Portugal recorded 401 cases of Covid-19, the highest tally since July 11. The rise comes just one week after Portugal was removed from the UK’s quarantine list, to the relief of business owners in Portuguese destinations like the Algarve, reliant on British holidaymakers.

The numbers are on the up in Greece, too. The number of cases per 100,000 is now 15.5. In the beginning of August (1st–7th), the weekly tally was 6.9 cases per 100,000.

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, has said that anyone travelling abroad needs to do so with their “eyes open” to the possibility that they may need to go into a 14-day quarantine on their return.

Scroll down for more updates.

03:50 PM

What have we learnt today?

What have we learnt today?

  • France sees exponential rise in cases
  • Twenty-second Covid tests being trialled at Heathrow
  • 'Worsening picture' in Portugal, says travel expert
  • Namibia to kickstart international travel in September

Scroll down for more on these stories. And join us tomorrow, for travel news from around the world.

03:41 PM

How to have a holiday in France – on British soil

So near geographically, yet – culturally – so far. France has always offered travellers a fabulous transformation – a taste of the exotic only a few short miles away across the Channel. For many of us, it was our first experience of abroad: of the excitement of a different language, different food and, well, a different attitude to life.

Nick Trend explains how to have a holiday in France, on British soil.

03:22 PM

Finally, some good news...

 Wolverines have returned to Mount Rainier National Park after more than 100 years, Lonely Planet reports.

03:21 PM

The 'computer says no' quarantine approach is beyond a joke

Oliver Smith writes:

I’m not advocating a global travel free-for-all. Given the high case numbers in Spain, for example, removing the Spanish mainland (but not the virtually Covid-free Canaries) was forgivable. But scuppering travel to the likes of Switzerland and Austria, because they’ve poked a toe past some arbitrary threshold, is farcical. Does the Government really believe we are more likely to catch the virus visiting Vienna’s museums, or tackling the peaks of the Bernese Oberland, than we are exploring crowded Salcombe?

Read his full article here.

03:04 PM

Cases in Northern Ireland up by 89

Cases continue to rise in Northern Ireland as 89 more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the past 24 hours.

The health department's daily dashboard shows that 444 people have been diagnosed in the last seven days. In total, 7,138 people in Northern Ireland have tested positive.

Seventeen people remain in hospital with Covid-19, with two patients in an intensive care unit.

There have been no further deaths reported and this total remains at 560.

There are currently fifteen active outbreaks of the virus in care homes, the BBC reports, while 180 outbreaks have been closed.

Eighteen intensive care beds remain free, while 82 per cent of hospital beds are occupied.

02:46 PM

Twenty-second Covid tests being trialled by Heathrow

Covid tests that provide results in as little as 20 seconds are being trialled by Heathrow under plans to replace quarantine with mass-screening of its 78 million travellers a year, The Telegraph can reveal.

It is working with Oxford and Manchester universities on three cutting-edge rapid tests to screen people on arrival and departure to minimise the risk of flying in or out of the airport.

A Covid test at Charles de Gaulle airport

It believes the scheme would help unlock travel to and from the Government’s “red list” countries from which travellers have to quarantine for 14 days in the UK.

Heathrow is to submit the results to Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, and Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, in a bid to persuade them to replace quarantine with a comprehensive testing regime that could kickstart international travel and trade.

See the full report from Charles Hymas here.

02:34 PM

Will we be going on holiday to France or Spain, any time soon?

In a word. Non. 

The cases in France are on the rise – now 48.8 per 100,000 (7-day tally).

 The cases in Spain are also going up – 113.4 per 100,000 (7-day tally).

02:23 PM

Meanwhile, in Colombia

 Colombia has launched a pilot plan to reopen restaurants, after months of being closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Colombia
Colombia
Colombia
Colombia

02:02 PM

Commuters will be enticed back on to trains with three-day season tickets

Commuters will be offered three-day season tickets under plans being studied by ministers to get Britain back to the office.

Rail firms believe the part-time tickets are the only way to entice home workers back on to trains to give them the flexibility of going to their workplace for a few days a week.

An announcement on new types of ticketing could be made as soon as next month if, as expected, the Government extends the current emergency funding for the railways.

Read the full article here.

01:52 PM

The wave of staycations helping to turn the tide for coastal resorts

Over the past 50 years, coastal towns have been hollowed out by a huge decline in visitor numbers that has left many coastal areas among the most deprived in the UK. Some hope a revival can be kick-started by new industries, Brexit and the levelling up agenda.

Blacpool

Thomas Rees asks: can this summer help trigger Britain’s coastal comeback?

01:45 PM

Bob Marley's Britain

In the 1970s Bob Marley saw Britain as his second home. From places he lived, to the venues he performed with the Wailers and even where he played football, a new BBC documentary airing tonight at 9.45pm on BBC2, When Bob Marley Came to Britain, celebrates the connection, offering a glimpse of the footprint he left in this country, the impact of his music and an insight into how crucial Britain was in facilitating his rise to superstardom.

As Marley said in a 1980 BBC interview in the film: “England’s the place man… If the people in England don’t like it [the music], plenty of people are not gonna like it. It’s the truth!” The film is set against the background of social, cultural and political turmoil, from industrial action to the rise of the National Front, in Seventies Britain.

Simon Horsford takes a look at this fascinating history across the country, from blue plaques to murals and more.

01:17 PM

Autumn is coming...

... and it can be an unpredictable mistress. Her intensity is at the whim of the sun, rain and breeze. But when everything comes together – when the weather has been favourable, and a crisp, blue-sky day coincides with the dramatic death throes of the leaves – there is no greater, more glorious season.

There is no greater season - Getty

Here are the best places to enjoy autumn in the UK.

12:55 PM

Philippines records 3,637 new cases

The Philippines has recorded 3,637 new coronavirus infections and 94 more deaths today, the health ministry said in a bulletin.

This takes the country’s total number of cases to 213,131 and raises its death toll to 3,419.

The nation has the highest number of virus infections in Southeast Asia, with a death toll second only to neighbouring Indonesia.

12:10 PM

A lunchtime read

Get yourself a cup of tea, slice that sandwich in half, and feast your eyes on our lunchtime read:

Jean Carson, star of 'Love From Judy' receiving kisses from Jack Buchanan and Frank Sinatra in 1952

"How the Savoy Hotel played a key role in wartime espionage and politics"

11:50 AM

The cheapest city breaks right now as prices fall across Europe

British holidaymakers can expect their pound to go further this autumn as the cost of a holiday has fallen in two thirds of Europe’s most popular cities since last year, new research has shown. 

The Post Office, which publishes an annual assessment of city break costs, looking at the price of food, transport and hotels among other factors, found that prices are as much as 26 per cent lower than in 2019 and have also dropped by up to 26 per cent on pre-lockdown levels in early March.

Oslo has seen one of the biggest falls in the cost for a city break

Reykjavik and Oslo, typically some of the most expensive destinations for Britons, saw the largest falls (down 26 per cent), while prices for a city break also fell significantly in Ireland and Italy; Belfast (down 23 per cent), Rome (down 20 per cent), Dublin (down 19 per cent) and Milan (down 18 percent).

See the full article here.

11:16 AM

'Worsening picture' in Portugal, says travel expert

Paul Charles, CEO of travel consultancy The PC Agency, reviews the situation in Portugal and Greece:

“It’s a worsening picture. I’m afraid to say you can see the rising case numbers across Europe; however, the intensive care and death rates remain extremely low. Portugal is likely to go back on the UK’s quarantine list this week and the country itself is now preparing a “State of Contingency” from 15th September. It has been unable to manage its caseload over the last two weeks as more tourists have entered Portugal, especially Lisbon and Porto.

“The case numbers are rising in Greece as well, also because of greater tourist numbers over August and it has now gone into our Amber zone. So British tourists need to be aware and keep an eye on how Greece tackles its cases in the coming days.

“All of this points to the need for a world-class testing regime to be introduced in the UK – then business and leisure travellers would be able to plan for the Autumn season knowing they could be properly assessed on their return. I’m certain that many travellers would be prepared to pay for their tests as well.”

10:58 AM

New countries on the quarantine list

As of 4am this morning, anyone arriving into the UK from Switzerland, Czech Republic or Jamaica will have to go into self isolation for 14 days.

This comes after cases in the three countries have exceeded 20 per 100,000 (7-day cumulative figure). 

Transport secretary Grant Shapps made the announcement in a Tweet on Thursday, giving holidaymakers just under 36 hours to get home before the quarantine came into effect.

10:47 AM

The picture from Stansted

Our reporter, Emma Cooke, has travelled to Northern Ireland via Stansted – things were rather quiet at the airport...

10:25 AM

Center Parcs is 'a ghost town with serious perks'

James McAndrew recently went on a holiday to Center Parcs. Here's his take:

"Was it worth the money? We managed to schedule two or three big activities a day and everyone, from the two-year-old to the 57-year-old, had their days filled. All told we found it a safe bet for staycation in the current climate. Safety arrangements were never oppressive or uncomfortable, and a couple of minor inconveniences (none of which we’re not already used to), didn’t prevent us maximising a holiday that wasn’t on the cards until recently. Did it still feel like a holiday? Well, it felt like Center Parcs – and that, for my family at least, is a holiday."

Center Parcs has reopened

Read his full article here.

10:04 AM

What's going on in Italy, Turkey and Greece?

A quick look at the Covid-19 situation in three 'green list' countries.

Italy

Italy currently has 13 cases per 100,000 (seven-day cumulative figure). This is up from 6.4 the previous week.

Greece

Greece currently has 15.3 cases per 100,000 (seven-day cumulative figure). This is up from 14.9 the previous week.

Turkey

Turkey currently has 11.2 cases per 100,000 (seven-day cumulative figure). This is up from 10.5 the previous week.

 Here's our analysis of which countries could be removed from the 'green list' next.

10:00 AM

Namibia to kickstart international travel in September

Namibia will lift lockdown restrictions, allowing international travel, schools to reopen and onsite alcohol consumption from September, President Hage Geingob announced Friday, but he extended an overnight curfew as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.

The southern African country of two million now has 6,906 confirmed cases and the virus is not yet contained - of its 65 deaths, 55 were in August alone.

But as with other southern African nations, leaders are weighing the impact of the virus against the economic and social damage done by lockdowns.

“The virus is likely to remain in our midst for a prolonged time and we must learn to live with it ... learning to live with the virus means adapting our attitudes and behaviours so that we can reduce the damage it can do to our country,” Geingob said in a televised address.

He announced that an 8pm to 5am curfew in place in the capital Windhoek and the Erongo region – Covid-19 hotspots – will be introduced across the country.

But Hosea Kutako International Airport will open its doors to international travellers from Tuesday, while schools, vocational education training providers and universities will be allowed to hold onsite classes from September 7.

Restaurants and hotels outside worst-affected Windhoek and the Erongo region can start selling meals and alcohol to be consumed on the premises, the President announced.

Namibia is still on the UK's 'red list', meaning anyone arriving into the UK from the country will need to go into quarantine for 14 days.

09:48 AM

Sweden's Covid response could see gatherings capacity increased to 500 people

Sweden’s national health body has proposed raising the limit on certain public gatherings from 50 to 500, as the country's rate of infection continues to stabilise.

Anders Tegnell, a state epidemiologist, said: "We have made a consultation response following a request from the government."

The agency said the proposal applies to events with numbered seats, and Tegnell also indicated that a further increase of the gathering limit was under consideration.

Sweden is yet to be included on the UK's travel 'green list'.

09:31 AM

Fewer than a third of UK arrivals are having tracing forms checked

Fewer than a third of arrivals to the UK are being checked to ensure they have forms to aid test and trace efforts, under targets set for Border Force officials.

It raises the prospect that hundreds of thousands of people have entered the country without the documents being inspected.

Arrivals in the UK from abroad must submit a passenger locator form online beforehand, to be shown at the border either in printed form or on a mobile device.

Question marks over enforcement have also been raised by figures showing that just five people have been fined £100 for breaching their quarantine once back in the UK.

The Telegraph has established there is no surveillance tracking out the levels of infections coming back from holidaymakers from each country, unless they report symptoms and have a test.

Read the full report here.

09:19 AM

France sees exponential rise in cases

France has recorded its biggest daily rise in coronavirus infections since March, while President Emmanuel Macron has raised the possibility of another nationwide lockdown.

A further 7,379 cases were confirmed on Friday, bringing the country's total to 267,077 and making it the largest daily spike since March 31, when 7,578 cases were tallied at the peak of the first wave.

France was seeing an "exponential" rise in cases, the health ministry said, and the surge follows daily increases of 6,111 on Thursday and 5,429 on Wednesday.

But despite the rise, hospital numbers and daily deaths have been relatively stable as younger people less vulnerable to the virus make up most of the new cases, the ministry said.

Deaths rose by 20 on Friday, bringing France's overall death toll to 30,596.

Shortly before Friday's figures were released, Mr Macron said a second national lockdown could not be ruled out if infections spiralled out of control.

“We’re doing everything to avoid another lockdown, and in particular a nationwide lockdown," he said, but added that it couldn’t be ruled out.

"Containment is the crudest of measures to fight against a virus," said Mr Macron, urging people to be "collectively very rigorous".

Follow our Coronavirus latest live blog for more.

09:11 AM

Where else are cases on the rise?

Travel expert Paul Charles has crunched the numbers, and shows the countries in the 'red', 'amber', or 'green' when it comes to cases per 100,000.

09:05 AM

What is the situation in Portugal?

 Here's a look at the case numbers in Portugal

The number of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 in Portugal, over seven days cumulative, has been:

  • Aug 1–7: 11.7
  • Aug 8–14: 14.6
  • Aug 15–21: 14.2 (quarantine removed)
  • Aug 22–28: 16.5

08:55 AM

Police warn of antisocial behaviour in Cornwall and Dorset ahead of bank holiday

Thousands of holidaymakers are expected to visit the counties of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall this weekend, with police expecting busy roads and increased demand on emergency services.

Incidents of littering, fly-tipping and wild camping in the region have risen 29 per cent on last year, while anti-social behaviour has gone up 20 per cent.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the latest figures for August show 999 call demand remaining at record levels with a 13 per cent increase in calls compared with the same period in 2019.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police told the Dorset Echo:

"Many thousands of visitors, some already in the region, are expected to be residing in the county over the three-day holiday with congested roads and demand on all emergency services resources expected to be high. Tourism bosses are already predicting the region is at full capacity.”