HOL HELL
Minister says he’ll have to to sacrifice his family holiday this year thanks to coronavirus
A MINISTER has said he will likely have to "sacrifice" having a summer holiday to help Britain avoid a second spike of coronvrius.
Kit Malthouse today said he would love to see his family but they may have to miss out on a trip abroad like millions of other families.
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It comes as Boris Johnson wants to agree a cross-EU exemption to the order for all arrivals to the UK to isolate for 14 days.
A rapid agreement with the EU’s 27 countries is seen as the top priority to allow a sunshine summer holiday for millions of lockdown-weary Brits.
But this morning the Policing Minister appeared to suggest trips remain ill-advised. He was asked about his family's plans for a holiday.
He said: "At some point it would be nice to, not least because we have some family overseas we would like to visit.
"We recognise along with everybody else we are in the middle of a huge global pandemic.
"We are just making great progress in terms of falling numbers now is the critical moment for us to reinforce our advantage and avoid a second spike.
"If that means this summer we have to go without an overseas holiday, then that's a sacrifice we're willing to make."
It comes as:
- It was revealed pubs could reopen on June 22 in a bid to help save 3.5million hospitality jobs at risk.
- Downing Street planned for Brits to be able to travel freely across Europe from July without having to quarantine on their return
- Research revealed more than half of all Brits have broken coronavirus lockdown rules
- MPs warned Britain's beaches could fuel a second wave and have to be locked down
It comes as the Government's controversial new quarantine rules came into force today, requiring anyone coming into the country to quarantine for two weeks.
Under the policy, all new arrivals - including returning Brits – must fill in a passenger locator form to give an address where they must remain for 14 days.
Health officials will carry out telephone checks and £1,000 fines will be slapped on anybody found breaking the quarantine.
Insiders say the Prime Minister understands the concerns about the policy, and wants it watered down as soon as possible.
But an agreement with the EU’s 27 countries could allow Brits to go on a sunshine summer holiday abroad this summer.
An air bridge - which allows quarantine-free travel between two countries - is currently being discussed by the UK government with a number of holiday destinations as a way to continue travel this year
Senior cabinet ministers are set to meet to finalise criteria and start negotiating sea or air bridges this week.
One senior government figure said: "Designing international travel corridors is very complex, not least because they are a cross-Whitehall problem.
"The aim is to have the first ones in place by mid-July, and one with the EU will be the first."
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Boris and French president Emmanuel Macron tried to set up a UK-France safe corridor but were prevented after the EU Commission insisted it would break the rules of the Schengen free travel area.
The Sun has also learned that the Foreign Office advice against all but essential international travel is expected to be scrapped within days now.
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The FCO last night confirmed the advice is being reviewed.
And in a big hint that a change is imminent, a new note appeared beside the travel ban on its website in the last few days saying: “This advice is being kept under constant review”.
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