Blow for foreign holiday hopes as Welsh First Minister warns heading abroad in May risks ‘a surge in Covid cases’
- Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said he opposes allowing overseas trips
- He said the idea of a foreign holiday within two months filled him ‘with horror’
- Government taskforce set to report on allowing overseas trips on may 17
- Drakeford has said he will lobby against any easing of Britain’s borders
Hopes for travel abroad from May suffered a blow yesterday after the Welsh First Minister said he opposed the idea.
Mark Drakeford said the thought of foreign holidays within two months filled him ‘with horror’.
Predicting a fourth Covid wave, he argued that overseas trips should not resume on May 17, the date suggested in Boris Johnson’s roadmap.
Hopes for travel abroad from May suffered a blow yesterday after the Welsh First Minister said he opposed the idea. Mark Drakeford (pictured) said the thought of foreign holidays within two months filled him ‘with horror’
A Government taskforce is due to report on the issue next month. But Mr Drakeford said he would lobby against the border easing because it would lead to cases of the virus being brought back into Britain.
‘The idea that we will have international travel back as it was before in the middle of May fills me with horror really,’ he told the i newspaper. ‘Because I just think there is such a risk that it will lead to the reimportation of the virus just as we’ve all worked so hard to get it under control.’
He said the second wave of coronavirus in Wales last year was ‘very significantly driven by people coming back from France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, bringing the virus with them’.
The Labour politician also said Mr Johnson’s desire to lift all coronavirus restrictions from June 21 was ‘fanciful’.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps (pictured) this week said he was ‘hopeful’ that foreign holidays could go ahead this summer but warned it was still too early to book a break
He added: ‘Coronavirus is with us for the rest of this year. A fourth wave is baked into things now.’
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps this week said he was ‘hopeful’ that foreign holidays could go ahead this summer but warned it was still too early to book a break.
Greece says it will let in British tourists without restrictions from May 14 if they have had two doses of vaccine. Other visitors will need a negative test result.
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