There is also more fallout from the latest changes to the UK’s traffic light regime, particularly after thousands of Brits now find themselves rushing home for newly red-listed Mexico.
Elsewhere, an MP has renewed calls for "rip-off" PCR tests for travel to be scrapped and replaced with cheaper antigen tests.
Here are the key national headlines affecting travel on Friday (6 August).
Ten weeks wait for passports
Holidaymakers have been warned of potential 10-week waits for passports while civil servants continue to work from home. A surge in demand has led to an increase in the usual three-week application process. (The Telegraph)
High Street footfall plummets
High street footfall in July was down by a third on the same month in 2019, confirming businesses still have a long way to go in rebuilding lost trade. Footfall declined by 34.6% in July, 1.2 percentage points below last month’s rate, according to the British Retail Consortium. (City AM)
Johnson and Shapps defend traffic light changes
The prime minister and transport secretary have defended changes to the UK’s traffic light travel system, while up to 6,000 British tourists prepare to return from red-listed Mexico. Grant Shapps said a new plan to review restrictions every three weeks will make for a "simplified system". British Airways has scheduled four extra flights from Mexico and rescheduled another to beat the red list deadline. (BBC)
‘Scrap rip off PCR tests’, says Merriman
Transport committee chair Huw Merriman said the travelling public had paid £35 million for 500,000 PCR tests. Among the 6,977 positives, only 354 – 5% – were sequenced to check for variants. This equated to a “rip off” £100,000 per sequenced test, he said. Merriman said PCR should only be given to those testing positive with lateral flow tests. (The Telegraph)
Climate minister criticised over flights
Alok Sharma, climate minister and the politician overseeing November’s UN climate conference in Glasgow, made 30 international trips in the last seven months, six to red list countries. Sharma dodged quarantine because he is on state business. (The Daily Mail)
