Brits warned it is 'too early' to book summer holidays as lockdown continues

9 February 2021, 11:25

By Alice Dear

@According2Al

Holidaymakers have been issued a stark warning over booking summer holidays for later this year.

Brits hoping for a summer getaway this year have been told it is "too early" to book holidays.

This comes from Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, who issued the warning in a press conference at Downing Street this week.

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Professor Jonathan Van-Tam told the public: “The more elaborate your plans are for summer holidays, in terms of crossing borders, in terms of house mixing, given where we are now, I think you just have to say, you're stepping into making guesses about the unknown.

He added: “We just don't have the data, it's just too early.”

This comes just days after vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi announced that the UK Government have 'no plans' to introduce vaccine passports.

However, he did add that people will be able to use letters from their GPs if they need to meet certain travel requirements.

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Zahawi said: "There are several reasons why we're not doing that, one because vaccines are not mandated in this country as Boris Johnson has quite rightly reminded parliament - that's not how we do things in the UK, we do them by consent.

"We yet don't know what the impact of vaccines on transmission is and it would be discriminatory.

"Of course, you have the evidence that you've been vaccinated held by your GP and if other countries require you to show proof of that evidence then that is obviously up to those countries but we have given the first dose to 11.5million people and we have no plan of introducing a vaccine passport."

The minister added during an interview with Sky News: "If other countries obviously require some form of proof, then you can ask you GP because your GP will hold your records and that will then be able to be used as your proof you've had the vaccine.

"But we are not planning to have a passport in the UK."

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