New Global Travel Taskforce set up as UK eases lockdown restrictions
The Department for Transport has been asked by the Prime Minister to lead a successor to the Global Travel Taskforce, with an ambition to develop a framework that can facilitate greater inbound and outbound travel as soon as the time is right, while still managing the risk from imported cases and variants.
There will also be reviews into the potential role of Covid-status certification in helping venues to open safely and the safe return of major events.
The announcement comes after The Prime Minister announced the government’s roadmap to cautiously ease lockdown restrictions in England.
In a statement to parliament he paid tribute to the extraordinary success of the UK’s vaccination programme and the resolve of the British public in following the lockdown restrictions, which has helped to cut infection rates and reduce the spread of the virus.
Supported by the increased protection offered by these vaccines, the government can slowly and cautiously begin to ease restrictions in all areas across England at the same time, guided at all stages by data, not dates. The roadmap outlines four steps for easing restrictions at each stage:
- The vaccine deployment programme continues successfully.
- Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.
- Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.
- Our assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.
Before proceeding to the next step, the Government will examine the data to assess the impact of previous steps. There will be a minimum of five weeks between each step. The first step is the reopening of schools and colleges from 8th March.
This article was also published here.