Being reported by Sky and BBC. Perhaps it was in an embargoed press briefing pack?

I can clarify. The government is marking international travel as being potentially possible from 17 May "subject to review".

Source - see page 40:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...pring_2021.pdf

There is a lot of uncertainty about this (hence the task force) so we don't have a "you can go on holiday" or "you can do non-essential business travel" from that date, but it s a component of Phase 3.

I'm re-listening to BoJo. Here's, what he said:

Four steps, each and everyone separated by 5 weeks (4 weeks to gather data & analyze, one week for announcement/plans):

1. March 8th: schools reopen; March 29th: end of legal mandate to stay at home.
2. April 12th: Non-essential shops reopen, pubs can open outdoors (meaning that I'll be spending my first week as unemployed person doing what's expected of me, i.e. getting plastered)
3. May 17th: no limits outdoors (up to 30), rule of 6 indoors, pubs indoors, cinemas, hotels, theatres, some sports venues
4. June 21st: no limits to social contact, nightclubs etc.

He mentioned 4 reviews:

1. social distancing, mask-wearing & working from home. don't know when
2. international travel, due April 12th. If they're on time and assume a 5 week implementation period, then some travel (?) could potentially start on May 17th. If not, June.
3. covid-status certifications?
4. Return of major sporting/mass events

How does the stay at home message being lifted affect overseas travel?
Not sure I understand your comment, can we do business travel before 17th May?

Super helpful. Two thoughts:

(1) The chart on page 43 suggests stay at home to minimize travel from March 29. Query whether that means the "essential" restrictions will be redrafted to be a little less limiting?

(2) There is one reference in the document of the Declaration to Travel Form. We haven't heard anything about that in a month. Is that actually coming?

There's no restriction right now on business travel.

I think this summarises it.
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...ab9328d367.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...e4df0622ac.jpg

No international leisure travel before 17 May (date subject to review). Travel for work where needed should already be covered by the exemptions.

Basically anyone booking foreign holidays before 17 May is wasting their time.

More new cases today than yesterday and last Monday, which is bad news. Further, we have had only 150k vaccinations done yesterday - that's the lowest number since January 11th.

Deaths lower which is a big positive, however, we all know deaths are a lag indicator and generally follow the trend of new cases 3 - 6 weeks later.

Point 94 and 106 suggest so.

In Step 2 you are supposed to minimise travel, but actually you can travel through the UK, including overnight stays in, um, the UK (has that been cleared with you-know-who?). So Newquay seems OK from 12 April, particularly if it is self catering. 29 March the lockdown ends, you're allowed day trips to Bognor Regis, which is almost like the Canary Islands surely. You cannot do business trips during Step 2 (12 April) unless they are essential and you're OK with all the restrictions. But come 17 May, subject to the taskforce's recommendations, it's possible international travel will be more broadly available. Assuming, of course, the international community is convinced that UK citizens are being responsible enough to allow ingress.

Damn, my write up feels unnecessary now. Thanks KARFA... Frankly I expected worse: 17th of May or 21st of June... sounds good.

Indeed, will Nicola say yes?

CWS can probably speak to the vaccination numbers. In terms of cases, however, my understanding is that for various reasons (including random variation) it is not useful comparing day over day or even same day of week vs. same day of week in a vacuum. Look at the average 7 day incidence and the average 14 day incidence. I don't think there is any suggestion those aren't still moving down at a decent clip (Admittedly, the clip may slow as people are less adherent and schools open - though vaccines will keep having a bigger and bigger effect).

Yes, today's 7 day confirmed infection figure is 117.3, compared to 129.3 a week ago. It has gone up compared to yesteday, slightly, when it was 115.9
The 14 day confirmed infection figure is 249.1 compared to 317.5 a week ago.
Death 7 day average is 480 compared to 657 a week ago.

Think I will have to find myself a little business reason then to visit Marbella in early May as long as no hotel quarantine upon return, all other tests ok with me.