Month: May 2020

Quarantine: What do the new rules mean for my travel plans?

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Twelve days after the prime minister announced plans to quarantine arrivals to the UK, the home secretary will reveal later today how the mandatory scheme will operate.

Priti Patel will use the daily Downing Street briefing to announce the starting date and details of exemptions from 14 days of self-isolation.

These are the key questions about what it will mean for your travel plans.

What is happening?

From early June – possibly as early as the first of the month – travellers arriving by air, sea or rail will be interviewed on arrival. They must give the address at which they will self-isolate for 14 days, and provide contact details for follow up.


The rule applies to returning holidaymakers as well as foreign visitors to the UK.

The government says: “Now that domestic transmission within the UK is coming under control, and other countries begin to lift lockdown measures, it is the right time to prepare new measures at the border.”

Priti Patel’s announcement will have the immediate effect of deterring British holidaymakers from going abroad.

The travel industry believes that no significant fresh outbound sales will be made while the open-ended prospect remains of a fortnight’s mandatory self-isolation on return.

The move comes just as travel businesses were aiming to restart operations. The timing will defeat “Project Lift-off,” and instead trigger the widespread cancellation of flights and holidays while stifling new bookings.

Quarantine will also wipe out inbound tourism and business travel for the early part of the summer.

What are the mechanics?

Every arriving traveller will be presumed to be carrying Covid-19. You must quarantine at home – or, if you don’t have one to go to, “government arranged accommodation” – for two weeks.

Leaving the house for medical treatment will be allowed; shopping for essentials may not be.

How do I get home from the airport: will the government provide safe transport?

No, the current advice will continue to apply: you should ideally travel home in a car driven by someone from the household where you will self-isolate. Many travellers, though, are likely to use taxis or public transport.

Quarantine: How will it work? Minister for Aviation grilled by MP Karl McCartney

How will quarantine be enforced?

Inspectors – who may be health officials or police – can call at the nominated address at any time during the 14 days. If the traveller is not at home or out with a valid excuse, they can be fined £1,000.

But the Metropolitan Police Federation has told The Independent that officers do not have the resources to enforce quarantine.

Michael O’Leary, chief executive of Ryanair, has predicted: “People will simply ignore something which is so hopelessly defective.”

How long will the quarantine policy remain in place?

No one knows. The conditions that the government cites as justification for the policy are likely to prevail for many months. So logically quarantine should remain in place for the rest of the year.

But the government has promised to review the policy every three weeks. With medical justification for quarantine at this stage so sketchy, and the economic and emotional harm the policy will cause so intense, it is throught unlikely to last more than six weeks.

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1/11 Ben Gurion International airport, Israel

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2/11 Daxing International Airport, Beijing

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3/11 Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan

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4/11 Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam

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5/11 Haneda Airport, Tokyo

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6/11 Changsha Huanghua International Airport, China

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7/11 Shanghai Pudong Airport in Shanghai, China

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8/11 Daxing International Airport, Beijing

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9/11 Haneda Airport, Tokyo

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10/11 Shanghai Pudong Airport in Shanghai, China

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11/11 Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam

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1/11 Ben Gurion International airport, Israel

Reuters

2/11 Daxing International Airport, Beijing

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3/11 Taoyuan International Airport, Taiwan

EPA

4/11 Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam

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5/11 Haneda Airport, Tokyo

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6/11 Changsha Huanghua International Airport, China

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7/11 Shanghai Pudong Airport in Shanghai, China

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8/11 Daxing International Airport, Beijing

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9/11 Haneda Airport, Tokyo

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10/11 Shanghai Pudong Airport in Shanghai, China

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11/11 Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam

AFP via Getty

Who is exempt?

Travellers within the Common Travel Area, covering the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man, will be exempt.

Some essential professions, including truck drivers, government officials and medical staff travelling for work, will also escape the obligation to remain at home for two weeks.

There are also last-minute discussions within government about whether to grant exemption to foreign agricultural workers and elite sportsmen and women.

International transit passengers arriving at Heathrow will be able to make connections as normal.

Won’t it cause huge queues on arrival?

No, because the present number of travellers coming into the UK – currently around 7,000 per day, mostly into Heathrow – will dwindle almost to zero.

Any UK-bound traveller who feels quarantine is not for them can simply arrange to arrive in Britain before the end of the month.

Is there an option to take a test on arrival, and so skip quarantine?

No. While other countries have deployed this strategy the UK will not offer that possibility. Nor will Covid-19 certificates issued by foreign countries ahead of the journey be accepted in lieu of self-isolation.

I have a holiday booked this summer and can’t handle a fortnight of self isolation when I return. Can I cancel?

Legally, no. If the travel firm or airline can safely operate your trip and bring you back to the UK, they have fulfilled their contract. The fact that you would then need to self-isolate is not their problem.

But the travel industry recognises that very few travellers will want to go on holiday if they then are obliged to stay indoors for two weeks. The two biggest holiday companies, Tui and Jet2, were planning to restart operations in mid-June.

I predict they will cancel hundreds of thousands of packages in June, possibly extending into July. But any Tui customer who wants certainty can take advantage of the travel firm’s new policy that allows holidaymakers booked until the end of August to postpone without penalty.

Airlines, too, are not legally obliged to provide refunds if you no longer wish to travel. In practice some – such as British Airways – are likely to cancel flights wholesale, allowing you to claim your money back, while others may offer vouchers for future travel. If the flight goes ahead, you are not entitled to a refund.

Can’t I just claim on travel insurance?

No. The existence of a law requiring you to self-isolate on return does not affect the performance of the trip.

Can I book a holiday for later in the year and expect to avoid quarantine?

There is no guarantee, but with many MPs furious about the harm the policy will cause to their constituents, few in the travel industry anticipate that it will remain beyond July.

CBI urges government to ‘think very carefully’ about 14-day quarantine proposal

Does this mean that last-minute travel will become the norm?

Yes. Rationally no one will book a trip a long way ahead knowing that the government can impose arbitrary policies that would scupper travel plans.

What happened to the plans for “air bridges” to give wider exemptions?

The transport secretary floated the option of “air bridges” as part of a desperate move to limit the damage.

But Grant Shapps’ proposals for certain nations signing mutual quarantine-free deals with the UK was rebutted by Downing Street.

When quarantine comes up for review, though, air-bridge arrangements are likely to be used to justify lifting the obligation for arrivals from the most popular holiday destinations.

Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Croatia, Greece, Malta, Cyprus and Turkey will all press for exemption, possibly along with the US.

So when quarantine is finally lifted, what will it mean for people who have already started self-isolating: can they just stop?

No. They will be expected to complete their mandatory assignment. Many travel industry figures, though, believe that most people will simply abandon isolation.

People without UK addresses will get “accommodation arranged by the government”. What does this mean?

The government will probably press into service hotels near airports and seaports. There are hundreds of thousands of empty hotel rooms.

What needs to happen before foreign holidays become possible again?

These are my five tests:

  1. Has lockdown been eased enough to allow you to reach the UK airport?
  2. Has the Foreign Office lifted its warning against all overseas travel?
  3. Is there an airline prepared to take you?
  4. Will the destination country let you in?
  5. The new condition: can you tolerate self-isolating on your return?



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Coronavirus: Jet2 cancels all its June holidays

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As Priti Patel prepares to announce required 14 times of quarantine for arrivals to the British isles and returning holidaymakers, the large vacation business Jet2 has cancelled all its June holidays.

The Leeds-based airline and tour operator had planned to re-begin companies from 17 June, accurately three months right after the International Office imposed a warning in opposition to all-but-vital vacation abroad.

The mid-June day matched intently plans in Europe for opening up just after lockdown, and easyJet’s supposed restart of expert services.


But a spokesperson for Jet2 reported: “In view of the ongoing vacation constraints prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, we have taken the determination to recommence our flights and holiday seasons programme on 1 July.”

Upset holidaymakers are entitled to a complete refund, but may choose to postpone their visits.

The spokesperson reported: “Customers who were because of to journey in advance of 1 July do not will need to make contact with us. We are continuing to proactively get in touch with clients to explore their options, 1 of which is rebooking their getaway to a later day.

“If a shopper has a booking that is owing to depart on or soon after 1 July, the reserving is issue to our typical terms and situations.”

Jet2’s rival, Tui, has not nonetheless announced its reaction to the Dwelling Office’s quarantine plan. Tui is Britain’s most important holiday getaway firm and was due to resume trips on 12 June. It is providing prospects the opportunity to postpone any getaway booked in June, July and August.

The govt says: “Now that domestic transmission in the Uk is coming below management, and other nations around the world start to carry lockdown measures, it is the proper time to put together new measures at the border.”

But the go has united nearly the total United kingdom travel sector in condemnation of a policy that several say is “too a great deal, far too late” – and will end off organizations that are currently reeling.

Kane Pirie, the controlling director of Vivid Travel, claimed: “Fourteen-day quarantining for Uk arrivals will throw petrol on to the blaze of corporations, makes and belief.

“The government has not skipped a trick so much in how to make this multi-billion-pound disaster worse.”

The vacation writer and former tour operator Neil Taylor stated: “I wonder if the Civil Aviation Authority have drawn up a checklist of tour operators likely to say this is the last straw and they will pack in now?

“The similar could apply to incoming operators and attractions, desperately waiting around for some solace for the duration of what is commonly the peak season.”

Abta, the vacation affiliation, stated quarantine “will have a damaging affect on the British isles inbound and outbound tourism industry”.

The Labour MP and previous Cabinet minister, Ben Bradshaw, tweeted: “The most useless property secretary in heritage is about to announce a quarantine with no foundation in science, not backed by WHO [World Health Organisation], just as the rest of Europe opens up, working a hammer blow to an economic climate by now on its knees & depriving Brits uniquely of their international hols this yr.”

Also on Twitter, Darren Wheeler wrote: “Nobody will appear to the Uk. No person can go everywhere simply because of it.

“At a one stroke the govt have wrecked Europe’s most significant aviation field and cost hundreds of jobs, not to mention billions pumped into the financial system.

“@pritipatel @BorisJohnson @grantshapps – Joyful now?”





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Wildlife documentaries you ought to observe in lockdown

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By on May perhaps 22, 2020 in Africa, Angola, Congo, Democratic Republic of the, Kenya, Regions, South Africa, Tanzania, Journey Miscellany, Films, Zimbabwe

With a great deal of the globe in a point out of ‘lock-down’ in a single kind or yet another, there is no much better time to be transported to Africa from the comfort of your individual armchair. Exploring some of our favorite wildlife documentaries will give you several hours of leisure, but might also serve as some inspiration as to wherever you could keep ought to you desire to pay a visit to Africa as soon as it is secure to do. When you do, you may possibly even be blessed ample to bear witness to some of your individual ‘documentary-worthy’ sightings.

Dynasties: Painted Wolves

By far, Africa’s most enigmatic animals, the wild puppy, aka painted wolf, is just one of the most extremely sought-right after animals on safari. The BBC regularly offers jaw-dropping digicam do the job and thrilling scenes which are all rounded off by Sir David Attenborough’s Narration.

Never ever in advance of have the lives of wild dogs been so meticulously documented and broadcasted. With threats around every single corner and in every h2o source, this particular episode demonstrates the vulnerability of the painted wolves and issues the stigma which had previously labelled them as cold-heart killers and pests.

Filmed in Mana Pools, Zimbabwe, this Countrywide Park is one particular of the most stunning for viewing wild dogs, it is also dwelling to a incredible inhabitants of lion, buffalo and the vastly impressive elephants that stand on their hind legs to arrive at the topmost branches of the tallest trees.

Sir David expended a number of nights at Vundu Camp in Mana although filming this episode which has tested time and time once more that it is one particular of the best spots to check out on the continent to research for these elusive canids.

Brother’s in Blood: Lions of the Sabi Sand

Utter the identify ‘Mapogo’ in a South African safari lodge and all the guides will know specifically what you are referring to. A coalition of 5 huge male lions that controlled and dominated the Sabi Sands for years. Coalitions this large had not been recorded before, on the other hand it was the lions’ brutality that designed them stand out from some others. The Mapogo’s were some of the fiercest lions to have ever graced the Larger Kruger, killing about a hundred other lions together with cubs and ladies, these lions were being a pressure to be reckoned with.

The documentary follows their rebellion from cubs to kings and their eventual downfall, but it highlights certain character qualities that are an insightful and remarkable to see. Their bloodline nonetheless lives on right now and although the Sabi Sands is the spot to pay a visit to for a likelihood to see the heirs of arguably the most renowned lion coalition in Africa, it is also dwelling to some of the best leopard viewing in the entire world.

Okavango: River of Goals

This 3-aspect series explained to by the Joubert’s is 1 of the most cinematically extraordinary documentaries in new moments. From breath-getting aerial pictures previously mentioned the Okavango Delta, to superb underwater scenes in the meandering waterways, not to mention the adrenaline pumping action sequences, this series has it all. What we adore about this documentary however, is that it feels like an exploration along the river.

Witness in which the very first h2o arrives from the Angolan highlands, as a result of to the admirer-like wetland all the way to the sprawling fingers that access the Kalahari just before withering into very little.  This experience frequently reminds us that it is not just the large items that retain our eco-techniques flourishing, even though the elephants open up the waterways, fish like the tilapia and barbel are just as significant, if not extra so, to permit these wild places to prosper.

Whilst the Delta is a vast and diversified landscape, going to here ensures you a non-public and intimate experience with some of the best wildlife viewing on the world. Regardless of whether you come to a decision to walk, go by vehicle or glide along in a mokoro, exploring the Delta is an invigorating and thrilling safari working experience.

Countrywide Geographic’s Lion Kingdom

The sum of lion documentaries that have been designed will have to quantity in their hundreds, if not countless numbers, nonetheless acquiring 1 that eclipses them all would make it all the sweeter. Ruaha is known for its massive lion populace (all over 10% of Africa’s lions phone it household) so it is no surprise that some of the very best wildlife scenes have been played out here.

Although lions demanding the big herds of buffalo that congregate in their 1000’s is nevertheless an unbelievable spectacle, what can make this 3-component documentary sequence stand out is some of the hardly ever-found-ahead of animal behaviour. From lions digging in riverbeds for water to baboons trying to keep quiet as an alternative of alarm contacting when predators are current, it would make for some remarkable viewing and of study course there is an explosive close to just about every episode which is not to be missed.

Ruaha is a wild and untamed National Park in the South of Tanzania. With an place the dimension of Israel, the scale of the park is challenging to envision, specially as there only a handful of lodges here! Shut in April and Could due to the very long rains, it is in direction of the end of the dry period (August-Oct) at camps like Jongomero or Ikuka where by you are most most likely to witness some of these jaw-dropping scenes.

The Very last Animals

While Stroop grabbed most of the headlines, The Final Animals went less than the radar, nonetheless it probed deeper in tackling some of the major issues in conservation right now and this documentary-film is 1 not to be skipped. The illegal trade of ivory and rhino horn is wiping out Africa’s inhabitants of these beloved creatures and The Previous Animals explores the vital battles that are staying fought throughout the continent to deal with this. From the Final Northern white rhino in Kenya to the elephants of Kruger Countrywide Park, this is a stark reminder of how quickly Africa’s beloved animals could vanish from our earth. But, there is hope. Discovering the diverse alternatives that conservationists are taking from the entrance-line rangers to the owner’s activity farms, the issues tackled are enlightening and really hard hitting, creating an extremely impressive piece of film. Prepare for an psychological rollercoaster.

Asilia’s Ol Pejeta Bushcamp is the most effective position to take a look at if you want to see the past two Northern White Rhinos. Unfortunately the very last male, Sudan, died in 2018, Ol Pejeta’s conservation get the job done is exceptional and makes for a crucial trip if you are in Kenya.

Virunga

The mountain gorillas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are with out question the least considered of the gorilla populations. With Uganda and Rwanda becoming much safer for travelers, these two places have taken the spotlight in excess of gorilla trekking in modern several years, but the gorillas of Virunga Countrywide Park in the DRC ought to not be forgotten. In a region embroiled in a civil war, Netflix delves into the difficulty of poaching, the sacrifices created and the bonds involving rangers and the orphaned gorillas. Even though the rangers battle against poachers on a weekly foundation, the civil war gets closer to ‘home’ with filmmakers and participants all caught in the crossfire. Conveying the brutal real truth of what it is like to try out and guard these valuable specious in a person of Africa’s longest safeguarded parks, it is no surprise Virunga received plenty of awards.

With the DRC staying off the radar for most people today, Uganda and Rwanda are the destinations to go gorilla trekking. While Rwanda specialises in the luxury aspect of gorilla trekking (and with permits becoming $1,500), Uganda is for the more adventurous and really lends alone to these wishing to have a excellent all-round encounter. With permits becoming 50 percent that of Rwanda, there is also a plethora of other functions, no matter whether you are on the lookout for shoebills on Lake Victoria or mountaineering and canoeing up to Murchison Falls, Uganda is an extraordinary place.

Large Cat Week

It captured an viewers of millions throughout the Uk when it was to start with aired on tv, and rightly so. This is the nitty, gritty aspect of safari that is usually not witnessed in other documentaries. Situated in Kenya’s popular Masai Mara, this collection follows the lives of a few diverse predator family members: The Marsh Delight, Kike the cheetah and Bella the leopard. From having trapped in ditches to lunches landing in the presenter’s lap, the massive cats’ tales aren’t the only stories to be explained to. The charming, humorous, and truthful way in which Large Cat 7 days is filmed and presented would make you really feel like you are there in the thick of the motion. Whether or not it is Jonathon Scott, Simon King or Saba Douglas-Hamilton in front of the camera exhibiting their like and describing the stories driving these lovely creatures, you can be positive that there are laughs, adrenaline pumping motion and wonderful times.

The Masai Mara continues to be 1 of the best places in the world for large cat sightings and with a large part of the wildebeest Excellent Migration passing via for the duration of July-September, it is no question the crowds flock in this article. While Kichwa Tembo and Speke’s Camp are great luxury camps, if you hopped over the border to Tanzania, there are a full array of distinct lodges and camps to be explored. The video game viewing is just as excellent as the Mara, but with no the enormous crowds and day trippers.

Selecting a favourite from these documentaries undoubtedly isn’t simple and all have their possess deserves. I undoubtedly haven’t touched on each individual documentary as there are of study course a great deal much more out there that capture the creativeness and raise some incredibly vital concerns, but it would be good to listen to about your favourites.

Marc Harris is Managing Director of Africa Odyssey. Africa Oydssey is operate by a crew of award-successful professionals presenting tailor-built African safari holiday seasons.

If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Web site in purchase to increase your profile, please get hold of us.





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Pakistan airplane crash: Airbus jet comes down close to Karachi airport

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A passenger jet traveling from Lahore to Karachi has crashed into buildings near Karachi Airport, with several casualties claimed.

Pakistan Worldwide Airlines (PIA) flight PK303 was on a schedule domestic service concerning the country’s two biggest metropolitan areas.

The Airbus A320 was pretty much at the close of a regime 90-minute flight when crashed as on the method to Karachi’s Jinnah Intercontinental Airport.

In accordance to the condition tv channel PTV, the aircraft crashed in a densely populated area in the vicinity of the airport known as Product Colony.

Rescue staff are evacuating residents of the spot. But the slim streets in the area make it challenging for ambulances and fireplace cars to achieve the area.

There were being discrepancies above reviews of the number of travellers, with a spokesperson for PIA, the provider in issue, telling Reuters information company there were being 107 on board.

ISPR, the media wing of the Pakistan armed forces, noted that a paramilitary drive is associated in the rescue and that personnel have cordoned off the spot.

Footage on local Tv news channels shows a large variety of folks gathered near the internet site of crash, as perfectly as some weakened houses.

PIA seems to have suspended its web site.

The national airline grounded flights on 29 March simply because of the coronavirus pandemic. It commenced minimal expert services all over again on 16 May perhaps.

PIA has endured two other fatal occasions in the previous 6 years. In 2014, a person passenger died when an Airbus A310 from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia was struck by bullets on the approach to Peshawar in Pakistan.

In December 2016, a domestic flight from Chitral to Islamabad crashed on a hillside with the loss of all 47 travellers and crew on board.



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