Elsewhere, there is also news that Mexico’s drug wars have reached Cancun, while Saga gets coverage for its ground-breaking move to offer leave to new grandparents.
Here are the key headlines affecting travel on Thursday 9 December.
New emergency Covid rules to come into force
Plan B Covid rules will come into force this week. From Friday, face masks will be required in more public settings including theatres and cinemas. From Monday, people will be asked to work from home “where possible” and from Wednesday, the NHS Covid Pass will also be required for visitors to nightclubs, indoor unseated venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 and any event with more than 10,000 people. (BBC News)
Omicron variant ‘growing fast’
Boris Johnson has warned the Omicron Covid variant is "growing much faster" than Delta and its doubling rate could be between two and three days. He said Omicron’s "severity, its exact rate of transmission or indeed the full effectiveness of our vaccines against it" are still unknown. (Sky News)
Sterling sinks to 2021 low
The pound dropped to its lowest level in more than a year against the dollar on Wednesday with the prospect of fresh coronavirus restrictions. Sterling traded 0.5% lower to $1.317 after Plan B restrictions were discussed. The UK currency also declined against the euro, hitting £0.856. (Financial Times)
Gang shooting on Cancun beach
Tourists at a four-star Cancun resort were sent scrambling for cover when gunmen pulled up on jet skis and opened fire. Five men in military uniforms fired about 20 shots near the Oasis Palm resort on Tuesday, according to reports, but nobody was injured. The incident was blamed on warring drug cartels. (Sky News)
Saga to offer leave to new grandparents
Saga has become the first UK firm to offer paid leave for the birth of a grandchild. The insurance firm and tour operator for the over-50s is offering its 2,500 staff a week of paid time off to celebrate the birth of grandchildren. Saga will also open its nursery to grandchildren to help staff who are already working grandparents. (The Telegraph)
