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Daily Record
Daily Record
World
Daniel Morrow & Ryan Merrifield

Holidays abroad could be at risk due to rising Covid cases, experts warn

Experts have warned that summer trips abroad could be at risk for UK holidaymakers amid rising Covid cases here and further afield.

The number of people estimated to have the virus in the UK has skyrocketed in recent days - with one in 18 Scots believed to have had Covid in the week ending June 24.

Similar surges in infection rates have also been felt in Europe, with the likes of Spain, France, Germany, Greece and Italy also seeing a recent uptick.

The rise in Covid cases is said to be due to the emergence of the Omicron sub variants BA.4 and BA.5.

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UK Health Security (UKHSA) officials say that the variants potentially have a growth advantage over the currently dominant BA.2 Omicron strain.

Many countries, including the UK, have stayed firm in a recent relaxing of restrictions, despite the rise in Covid numbers.

However, Lib Dem MP Layla Moran has warned that some countries may reintroduce health protections for UK arrivals.

The chair of Westminster’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on coronavirus told the Mirror it is possible that holiday plans will be ruined due to rising Covid rates in the UK.

“Other countries could reintroduce restrictions on arrivals from Britain and transport companies, already in crisis from the Government’s mishandling of Brexit and industrial action, are likely to see an increase in staff shortages with more people off sick with the virus and Long Covid.”

It comes after chaos hit UK airports in April when workers took time off ill in their droves as cases hit pandemic highs of 4.1million.

Lib Dem MP Layla Moran has warned that some countries may reimpose restrictions amid rising case numbers (Getty Images)

Professor Martin McKee, president at the British Medical Association (BMA), told the MailOnline : "We're not out of the woods yet."

He said there is much uncertainty over infection levels as current figures don't tell us "where they will be when we actually travel" or if it has hit those in the destination we go to.

Dr David Strain, a senior clinical lecturer at Exeter University, told the news outlet that he has scrapped his holiday to Spain and believes other Brits will be weighing up their options too.

He warned that around one in 20 people will be infected when getting on a flight and up to a quarter would have the virus by the time they land.

However, conversely, Professor Paul Hunter, an infectious disease expert at the University of East Anglia, said he doesn't tourism-reliant nations to introduce new restrictions and risk crippling their economies.

He added: "I doubt many holiday destination countries will make existing rules more restrictive."

Latest Covid rates in holiday hotspots

Spain recorded 417 cases per million people each day in the week up to July 1, up 61.6% from two weeks earlier.

France has recorded its highest infection rate since April with 1,639 per million having tested positive in the week up to July 4, with rates having spiked 78.2% in a fortnight.

Germany 's Covid cases are at a two-month high, jumping 49.7% in the last fortnight, from 715 to 1,070 per million.

Italy 's infections have soared to a five-month high, with 1,293 people testing positive per day in the week up to July 4, up 36.8% over two weeks.

Greece has one of the highest Covid rates in all of Europe with 1,441 daily cases per million in the last seven days, over double the recorded infections from two weeks ago.

Turkey logged 141 infections per million on Monday, around 11 times more than two weeks ago amid a sharp rise.

Portugal has seen cases falling for a month with 869 people per million testing positive on June 30, a 44.2% drop from two weeks before.

Egypt has not recorded any infections for more than two months, though health ministers have warned cases have jumped by 7% in the last week.

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