People should prepare to cancel their summer holidays, Matt Hancock has warned, saying: “I think that’s a reality of life.”
Asked if summer would be effectively “cancelled” for the first time since the Second World War, the health secretary replied: “I think that’s likely to be the case.”
“It’s unlikely that big lavish international holidays are going to be possible for this summer,” he told ITV’s This Morning programme.
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No “final decision” had been taken on whether social distancing rules would have to be maintained in this country, but it was very likely.
“We will seek to reopen hospitality, some hospitality, from early July if we keep successfully reducing the spread of this virus. But social distancing of some kind is going to continue,” Mr Hancock said.
Until now, some ministers have only said that they, personally, are not making any holiday plans, without setting out what the impact on the public is likely to be.
Under the cautious lockdown easing, hospitality must wait for the third phase – no earlier than 4 July – to learn if it can return to some kind of normality.
But Boris Johnson made clear it would only happen if coronavirus cases continued to be driven down and there was no evidence of a the much-feared second peak.
Meanwhile, the UK – and Spain, amongst other countries – are planning strict quarantine rules for international arrivals, which will cripple the tourism industry it is feared.
Airlines and tour operators were hoping that “Project Lift-off” would get under way in late June, in time for the two main holiday months of July and August.
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But the UK government’s proposed quarantine measures are likely to deter millions of British holidaymakers, as they will require 14 days of self-isolation for most people returning to the UK.
In addition, a tangle of other restrictions apply abroad – with Spain abruptly announcing a temporary two-week quarantine rule for arriving visitors from Friday.
The comments come after Mr Hancock drew criticism for arguing efforts to defeat Covid-19 in care homes had been a success, compared with other countries.
He also dismissed claims that the public was bamboozled by a shambolic announcement of the lockdown changes from Sunday evening.
Downing Street said Mr Hancock was reflecting advice from the Foreign Office to travel abroad only for essential reasons.
