Foreign holidays looking unlikely this Summer, Government official warns
06:56, 14 March 2021
updated: 07:03, 14 March 2021
People hoping for a foreign holiday this summer have been warned the prospects are looking increasingly unlikely.
The Government is pushing ahead with plans to remove all Coronavirus restrictions in the UK from June 21 - with the FA Cup Final in May being targeted as the first mass attendance event.
But ministers have warned that anyone wishing to go abroad may still be forced to quarantine at home or in a hotel to stop them brining in mutant strains of the virus.
The Times reports a Whitehall power struggle is underway between those who want to open up and those who are insisting on the quarantine plans.
The move would force people to take an additional two weeks off work, making it impractical for most to travel abroad.
Ministers are concerned the virus is still running rampant across much of Europe, with Italy facing a new lockdown and cases rising in France and Germany.
The Times quotes a senior official saying: "The EU vaccine chaos could hit summer holidays. I wouldn't guarantee anything. Even if we have all been vaccinated here, I think it will be very difficult for us to go elsewhere."
Despite the gloomy holiday prognosis, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is promising 'a summer of fun' in the UK, with hopes for a full return for sport, theatre, music and festivals after June 21.
That would include a number of events in Kent, including the Black Deer Festival and Rochester Castle Concerts.
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