- How will the omicron variant and new red list affect my next holiday?
- The quickest, easiest and cheapest Day 2 PCR tests for travel
- The best pre-departure Covid tests to take on holiday with you
- The dilemmas facing skiers this winter
Ski holidays have been dealt another blow with the announcement that nightclubs in France will shut for a month from this weekend.
The move will subdue the apres-ski scene and comes amid rising hospitalisations in the country and fears over the emerging omicron variant. Elsewhere, the use of Covid passes (which show proof of vaccination, a recent negative test or recovery from the virus) has been extended to restaurants and cafés at outdoor Christmas markets. The population has also been urged to temper social engagements in the run-up to Christmas.
When announcing the measures, Prime Minister Jean Castex, who himself recently caught the virus, said: “We have all had a tendency to lower our guard in recent weeks.”
However, he assured the population that due to France’s high vaccination rates “it’s no longer the time for lockdowns”.
Prospective ski trips across Europe have been rocked by increased Covid restrictions in the past fews weeks. Austria is currently in a full lockdown, which is set to last until December 13. Meanwhile, Switzerland recently imposed a 10-day quarantine on all UK arrivals – though this has since been dropped. Testing rules have also been beefed up, making trips costlier and more stressful.
Follow the latest updates below.
Spotlight on France as restrictions announced
France has tightened its Covid restrictions in the face of growing cases and the emergence of the omicron variant. Here’s a look at the current situation.
France has confirmed only 25 cases of the omicron variant but officials expect this will rise significantly in the coming weeks.
Cases have risen sharply in recent weeks, with more than 11,000 patients are currently in hospital – the highest number since August – with 2,000 in intensive care.
‘Little point’ in travel restrictions, says Professor Tim Spector
Professor Tim Spector, from the Covid Zoe app, said that in around 10 days’ time the UK could have more cases of omicron variant than some countries it had put on the travel red list.
The professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London told BBC Breakfast:
“The official estimates are about 350-odd omicron cases, and because the current testing is missing a lot of those, it’s probably at least 1,000 to 2,000 I would guess at the moment.
“And we are expecting this to be doubling about every two days at the moment, so if you do your maths – say assumed it’s 1,000 at the moment, and you think it’s going to be doubling every two days, you can see that those numbers are going to be pretty (high) certainly in about 10 days time.
“By that time, we’ll probably have more cases than they will in some of those African countries.
“So I think these travel restrictions do perhaps have their place initially, when cases are really low here and really high in the other country, but when we reach that equilibrium, there’s very little point in having them in my opinion.”
The cheapest, quickest and easiest pre-departure Covid tests to take on holiday with you
As pre-departure testing is reintroduced, read our guide to the best tests to book.
While the Government gives you a choice between taking a PCR test or a lateral flow test, the latter is usually cheaper and certainly quicker, with results coming in just 15-20 minutes in some cases. Therefore we’ve chosen to list only lateral flow tests. Find the full list here.
Pre-departure testing rules come into force
Arrivals in the UK are now required to show proof of a recent negative Covid test. The rules came into force at 4am this morning and apply to anyone over the age 12.
However, there is still confusion regarding the time-frame of when the tests can be taken. Certain Government web pages specify a window of 48 hours, while others say the two days before travel.
What happened yesterday?
A recap of the top stories.
- The travel industry was furious about the return of pre-departure testing
- Travellers were furious about the chaos (and terrible meals) at Britain’s quarantine hotels
- New York announced vaccine passports for children aged 5-11, putting family holidays at risk
- Nigeria became the 11th African country on the UK red list
- A Norwegian cruise ship uncovered 17 Covid infections on a fully vaccinated voyage
Now, on with today’s travel news.