Monday’s national headlines, though, are dominated by prime minister Boris Johnson’s pledge on Sunday night (12 December) to offer one million Covid-19 booster jabs per day for the rest of this month.
Meanwhile, workers in England are now officially being asked to work from home, if possible, to stop the spread of Omicron. and elsewhere, US president Joe Biden has promised support for states hit by a series of devastating tornadoes over the weekend.
Here are the key headlines travel woke up to on Monday (13 December).
Red list to be scrapped and replaced with testing for fully vaccinated
The red list could be scrapped later this week by the UK government, just two weeks after being reintroduced. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is reported to have convinced colleagues that the red list should be replaced with testing for fully vaccinated travellers. PM Boris Johnson last week promised to re-examine the red list policy, amid claims it was unfair and ineffective. (The Daily Mail)
Covid travel restrictions are ‘haphazard and disproportionate’, airlines tell PM
The bosses of leading travel companies have hit out at Boris Johnson’s approach to travel rules, claiming he broke promises to fix the “rip-off” testing system. In an open letter to the PM, airlines and operators said government policies designed to stop Omicron have “unnecessarily disrupted” the Christmas holiday plans of millions of Britons. (The Telegraph)
One million jabs a day in race to avoid new year lockdown
Prime minister Boris Johnson says one million Covid-19 booster jabs will be offered per day in an emergency vaccination programme, as the country faces a “tidal wave” of Omicron infections in the coming weeks. The move is seen as being an attempt to stop further lockdowns being necessary in early 2022. (Various)
Work-from-home guidance reintroduced in England
People in England should now be working from home if they can, as part of the government’s Plan B guidance to slow the spread of the Omicron variant. The move brings England into line with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Rules on wearing face masks have already been tightened in England. (BBC News)
Biden approves disaster declaration after tornadoes hit US
At least 90 people have been killed across five states after severe tornadoes tore through parts of the US over the weekend, affecting people in at least six states. More than 100 people are feared to have died in Kentucky alone. US president Joe Biden has promised financial support for affected states. (The Independent)
South Korea to trial facial recognition technology to track Covid patients
The east Asian country is planning to roll out a pilot project using artificial intelligence, facial recognition and CCTV cameras to track the movements of people infected with Covid. The system will be trialled in the city of Bucheon in January, but the plan is already coming up against invasion of privacy concerns. (Sky News)
