Fewer than 10 countries will have 'air bridges' to UK

A total of 12 countries - including Greece, Spain, Portugal and France - are being considered with officials examining both the risk of travellers bringing Covid-19 back and the popularity of the destination. At the moment, any traveller arriving in the UK - whether from Britain or a tourist - must quarantine for 14 days and provide their phone number and an address for self-isolation.  The 'air bridge' rules would come into play on July 4 and will likely be announced on June 29. A second plan, which could reduce the need for quarantine and kick-start the travel sector post-lockdown, is the possibility of coronavirus tests for arrivals in UK airports, The Times reports. ____________________________________________________ More on coronavirus: ____________________________________________________ A trial is set to take place at a UK airport next month and will be run by Swissconsent port and the Collinson Group. Any plans depend on reducing the risk of a second wave meaning quarantine could stay in place for the next few months.  This hasn't stopped Britons eagerly looking into potential holidays, however, as searches for Spain and Greece doubled on Travelsupermarket after the nations declared they were open for business. How countries are easing out of lockdown (Photos) Even as the world continues to battle the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, several countries, where the daily growth of new infections has reduced, are beginning to take tentative steps to ease lockdown measures in order to allow citizens to move freely for the first time in weeks and to revive the economy. (Pictured) Spectators maintain social distancing rules as they attend an opera at the Croatian National Theatre, which opened after two months, in Zagreb, Croatia, on May 26, 2020. A drone photo shows the link roads of the July 15 Martyrs' Bridge after restrictions were eased, in Istanbul, Turkey, on May 22. Following the news, a raft of new lockdown-easing measures to be announced by Boris Johnson over the next fortnight were revealed.  _____________________ The coronavirus outbreak is shrinking by up to 4 per cent each day, according to Government figures. '  _____________________ Beer gardens will be patrolled by staff to enforce social distancing rules and pubs automatically entitled to serve alcohol for people to drink on the pavement in the street. The Government's scientific advisers have also green-lit plans to ditch the two-metre social distancing rule so that pubs, restaurants and hotels can reopen early next month following a dramatic lowering of the coronavirus alert level. Pubs will be asked to strictly monitor their beer gardens to ensure social distancing and customers will be encouraged to order their drinks via a phone app. Boris Johnson and Gavin Williamson said on Friday they intend to speed up pupils' return to the classroom, with the Education Secretary saying the government was looking at expanding bubbles of 15 'to include the whole class'. Unions are up in arms over the lack of clarity, but a 53-page document from Northern Ireland's Department of Education could offer a glimpse inside daily life for schools come September, it involves: Stay in one classroom: Secondary school pupils could be asked to stay in one classroom throughout the day, with teachers moving between lessons. Primary schools have followedsimilar measures, with pupils heading out for staggered, supervised breaks that are often more organised than normal playtime. There have been calls, including from Labour leader Keir Starmer, to use empty libraries and leisure centresas makeshift schools to create extra space. _____________________ School 'bubbles' - which currently only allow 15 pupils in a classroom at once - will also be doubled to allow all children to return to school in September and get lessons back up and running.  And NHS bosses will write to more than 2 million vulnerable patients in England who have been shielding since March to assure them it's safe to go to the shops and get exercise outdoors.  Ministers will next week publish legislation to push an 'al fresco revolution' across the nation's hospitality industry. '  A Government source last night revealed that scientific advisers were now 'totally comfortable' with reducing the restriction – provided other precautions are in place. The remarks by the senior source are the biggest indication so far that scientists will not resist if Boris Johnson chooses to relax the two-metre rule. Yesterday, the Prime Minister told the public to 'watch this space' when asked whether the rule would be eased in schools.  Mr Johnson has already announced a review into the controversial guidance in the face of mounting pressure from pub, hotel and restaurant chains and his own backbench MPs. The move was approved by the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - and it was hailed by Health Secretary Matt Hancock as a 'big moment' that showed the 'government's plan is working'.  Mr Johnson faced a backlash at the end of last month when he announced tweaks to lockdown, before it emerged that the alert had not been changed from level four - which according to the government's own definition requires 'current social distancing measures and restrictions' to stay in place. England's chief medical officer, Chris Whitty, was rumoured to have stood in the way of the move, although there is also thought to have been resistance from his counterparts in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Until now, SAGE had only provided details on the R rate - the average number of people an infected person is likely to pass the virus on to.  _______________________________________________

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