It seems clear that government doesn't care in the slightest if the aviation industry fails, and actions of the government have basically put the industry on the edge of the cliff. I think most people are beginning to realise 17th of May is unlikely for travel to begin and no one actually has a clue when it will restart.

I know last June BA were considering legal action against the government. I don't remember if Virgin/Ryanair were also considering it at the time, however, why don't airlines do that now? This is becoming wholly unfair for the airlines IMO because as it stands, every government minister seems to be making it clear that it is best not to book now.

There has already been irreparable damage done, many people have written off the summer, for those who have booked (there was a huge surge on 22nd Feb), they will now think twice about going and government may make sure trips don't happen by possibly adding more red tape to travel, thousands have lost jobs and thousands more may lose jobs over the coming weeks/months.

Is none of the above grounds for taking government to court? Especially if BA/Virgin/Ryanair/hotel chains etc get together?

What's changed?

Just a week ago Priti Patel said its too early to even think about travel. The Brazilian variant is now 'on the loose' in the UK. Yesterday the Aviation Minister said travel will be at some time after the 17th of May; apparently his spokesperson corrected this and said he meant to say on the 17th or later, but his intentions are clear.

The other thing I pointed to is that if people have to get a test before they leave the UK, while they are away and two tests when they're back, even if leisure travel is legal, this will put off thousands of people because it makes it impossible. Not to mention the risk of getting a positive test overseas and being stuck there for 14 extra days.

This might help, saves struggling to find somewhere abroad to get a test before returning.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/t...t-just-33.html

Is this not just rhetoric in playing down and keeping calm as to ensure we remain on track to controlling this situation? ​​​

I think we are too far out to predict what might or will happen. Perhaps reading into every word another MP/Advisor etc says is a fruitless task certainly in the interims between phases. Phase 1 of 4 is yet to happen!

Despite there being a roadmap, the next 7 yards of the very long road is all they really know about. It’s still a virus after all. That hasn’t changed and will not change.

Schools need to return and then let’s go from there (2 weeks at least to see figures/data, 2 weeks to assess, 1 week to make decisions). If that process is sped up or elongated then so be it.

Step by step. Slowly slowly catch a monkey!

The government is right to be cautious. Restarting travel - and, in particular, international travel - too quickly risks a resurgence of the virus (to make a wild generalisation, the people most likely to behave irresponsibly and spread the virus are not those who have already been vaccinated) which will only prolong the economic woe.

I'd also say that "most people" are not focusing on dates as intensely as some on this forum are.

The government did make this point at the time the roadmap was released - although some took it as a firm date for some reason. The road map said International travel may be possible as of 17 May but this was subject to review - and of course implicitly subject to the destination countries. The overarching message of the roadmap was the dates are basically no earlier than, but could be later.

You have proof that "most people" are not focusing on dates as intensely as some on this forum are?

If we’re talking about proof....

The sensible approach on travel is to loosen the definition of business for travel (de facto already done, but it should be done de jure) and massively discourage it for anything other than loosely defined business.

Then, focus the return procedures on business travellers, making the return too difficult and unaffordable for leisure travellers.

Allowing quarantine at home is absurd, but making business travellers quarantine in a 3* Best Western in Hounslow is equally absurd -do we want the economy to thrive or not?

So HMG needs to rethink the whole question of travel and return to the UK:
1. Allow travel more broadly
2. Require quarantine for all returners, regardless of origin
3. Give returners a choice of accommodation, at different price levels - allowing genuine business travellers space and a pleasant environment in which to work, and allowing others to spend less on their quarantine.
4. Allow partners to accompany, either on business trips or in quarantine.
5. Present the changes as being a tightening, whilst at the same time making it feasible for more businesses who need to service and sell to international customers.

I'd say you're right. The forum is something of an echo chamber for contrarian views; and these serve a purpose, keeping politicians' feet to the fire. The degree of anxiety created in parsing the difference between "no earlier than", "from" and "not before" wasn't helpful, but it probably reflects the way we gloss over detail to absorb what we want to hear.

On the other hand, a friend who runs a hotel on the Algarve tells me they are booked out from mid-May by Brits and Dutch (I think he probably means Germans). He's gone to the trouble of asking those booking to agree specifically to terms that mean advance payments/deposits are not going to be returned: but only a few were put off. Given the sad state Portugal's in, and the uncertainties here, people are making heroic choices likely made on misunderstanding of government announcements and advice.

So those folk, at least, will be focussed on dates :D

More good news on cases today at least. 6,573 today with 242 deaths. A week ago it was 7,756. In my part of the world (East Kent) we are at a rolling rate of 39.2 per week per 100,000 compared with 1,110 in January :)

Yes agree deaths down 25% on last week, think rolling 7 day average for deaths is 255 so getting lower all the time. Also I noticed the number of tests done 863,658 which seems very high, possibly a new high from what I can see too, giving a positivity rate of 0.76%, really low, compared to 0.95% yesterday.

With your rates of new cases, hospitalizations, and deaths heading downward at such a steep trend (more than initially thought correct?) is it fair to say restriction timelines will or can be lifted earlier than originally announced? I know generally this is such a fluid thing but my point is how stubborn are the UK leaders on this?