The UK government has issued new travel advice for those living in areas affected by the Indian Covid-19 variant. Some countries have also announced flight bans and restrictions for British travellers due to concerns over the new strain.
The Indian coronavirus variant is thought to spread more easily from person to person. Therefore, restrictions are being put in place to prevent the strain from spreading.
The government has published a list of areas most affected by the new variant on its website. The guidance recommends that where possible:
- residents of these areas should meet outside rather than inside
- residents should keep 2 metres apart from people that you don’t live with (unless you have formed a support bubble with them)
- residents should avoid travelling in and out of affected areas unless it is essential, for example for work (if you cannot work from home) or education
Additionally, Austria has banned all direct flights to and from the UK over fears of the virus and France is in discussions over whether British arrivals should have ‘slightly tougher’ restrictions to help stop the spread.
If you live in one of the affected areas and have an upcoming holiday, we would recommend getting in touch with your travel insurance provider to see if your policy includes cancellation cover due to your home location being placed into lockdown. Some providers do offer this, however, any related cancellation claims submitted will likely be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Additionally, it’s worth being aware that should any destinations ban flights arriving from the UK, it is likely that airlines will cancel any upcoming trips and therefore be required to provide travellers with a full refund or option to re-book their trip to a later date.
For more information on what to do if your flight is cancelled due to a travel ban, click here.
