Gloucester travel agents says "demand is still high" for holidays despite travel restrictions
People entering England from certain countries will be required to quarantine in hotels
The owner of a travel agents in Gloucester says "demand is still high" for holidays despite travellers facing new quarantine rules.
Yesterday Boris Johnson confirmed that travellers entering England from many countries will be required to carry out their isolation period in hotels specially designated as isolation centres.
In a statement in Parliament the Prime Minister said the borders were being strengthened to stop new Covid-19 variants coming into the UK.
People travelling from South Africa, Portugal and another 20 countries will be put into government run quarantine facilities like hotels.
Katy Hamlin, owner of KTz Travel in Gloucester, said:
"We are still very busy with bookings. Maybe not for summer this year, but definitely for 2022.
"This year people seem to be holding off but they're booking for next year so they have something to look forward to".
"However for us it is uncertain at the moment. One day we're really busy with bookings and the next we've got loads of cancellations".
The decision comes as the UK has reached 100,000 deaths from coronavirus, a grim milestone since the pandemic began last March.
Katy Hamlin continued:
"Although demand is there, people could be put off by the new rules. Some customers aren't interest because they don't know if the restrictions will be in place, whether or not they can go or even if they can get into the country they've booked to go to.
"People don't want to have to cancel, or get a refund. They just want to know if they can go on their holiday.
"People are still booking holidays to places on the quarantine list, like Portugal though. Some families like to go back to the same hotel and same resort each year so I don't think it will put them off still going next year if they can".
Here's everything you need to know about Covid-19:
What is Covid-19?
Covid-19 emerged as a virus in December 2019 as the first cases are reported in Wuhan, China. Scientifically known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus created a global pandemic as it began to spread around the world. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe, causing death in some cases. Some people are completely asymptomatic and do not realise they even have the virus.
Has there been a virus like this before?
The SARS pandemic in 2003 was similar to Covid-19 in that it was also caused by a coronavirus. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The global outbreak of SARS lasted from 2002-2003, infecting over 8,000 people and killing 774. Covid-19 and SARS are both respiratory illnesses, but SARS was much more deadly and less infectious.
What are the main symptoms?
The NHS say the main Covid-19 symptoms are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough and loss or change to taste of sense or smell. NHS advises people with Covid-19 to take plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take paracetamol for a high temperature.
What was the Government reaction?
The UK Government announced the first of several lockdowns in March 2020. By the end of the month, more than 100 countries around the world introduce full or partial lockdowns, preventing people from going to work, restricting everyday tasks and affecting the livelihoods of billions of people globally.
Which countries have been worst hit?
During the first year of the pandemic, the US recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and the most deaths, reporting an unprecedented 100,000 new cases in one day on November 4th 2020. Thousands of new cases were recorded on the same date in India (46,000+), the United Kingdom (22,000+), Brazil (17,000+) and Mexico (5,000+), while Ireland records less than 1,000 (578). Hundreds of other countries also reported a high rate of infection.
How have vaccines fought against Covid-19?
Vaccines began being approved for use across the globe. By January 2021, the UK approved the use of three different vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are rolled out to the public, with older people and those with greater health concerns getting priority. In April 2022, just under 53 million people had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
What are new Covid variants?
Four new variants of Covid-19 were discovered around the world. Beta was found in South Africa, Gamma in Brazil and Delta in India, while the Alpha variant was first located in Kent, UK. New variants are not likely to make someone more seriously ill than Covid-19 would, but variants like Delta have a higher infection rate, meaning it can be more easily spread.
The Omicron variant was first detected late 2021 in South Africa. Since then, it has become one of the most dominant variants in the world, with its own sub strains - BA.4 and BA.5.