London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Coronavirus: Summer foreign travel should be ruled out, says Robin Swann

Coronavirus: Summer foreign travel should be ruled out, says Robin Swann

Foreign travel over the summer holiday months should be ruled out, Robin Swann has said.

The health minister said Westminster and the devolved governments were discussing the so-called "red list" for foreign countries.

He said travel to the Republic of Ireland would be dependent on its vaccine rollout.

Mr Swann also said fragilities in NI's health system underlined the need for caution as lockdown eases.

"Our health and care services have had the toughest of years. They still need our protection now," he said.

The "red list" is part of travel regulations aimed at stopping Covid variants entering the UK.

The health minister said the health system in Northern Ireland had been particularly strained in recent years compared with neighbouring jurisdictions.

Northern Ireland has begun taking its first steps out of lockdown, after restrictions were re-imposed nearly three months ago.

The current rules came into force on 26 December, in a bid to suppress the spread of Covid-19.

'No further deaths'


But ministers have agreed some relaxations of the rules can now be permitted.

On Wednesday, no further coronavirus-related deaths were recorded by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, meaning the total number of deaths remains at 2,107.

While there are no direct international flights arriving into Northern Ireland at the moment, Mr Swann said the executive was looking at establishing a hotel quarantine system for international arrivals.

"Should direct flights start, we will have that facility here as well," Mr Swann told a press briefing on Wednesday.

Meanwhile Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said a change in the advice for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) to Covid-19 was planned.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride says advice for Clinically Extremely Vulnerable people will ease on 12 April


Since 26 December, CEV people have been advised to adhere to additional steps to keep themselves safe from exposure to the Covid-19, including advice not to attend their workplace if they can work from home.

That will now ease from 12 April.

"This is an important step to helping CEV people re-engage with everyday life with confidence," he said.

Dr Patricia Donnelly, head of NI's vaccination programme, said the target of reaching all adult age groups by the summer is "firmly within our sights".

A total of 694,863 individuals have received one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, while 96,254 have received two.

Dr Donnelly said that meant almost half of the adult population in Northern Ireland had been vaccinated.

She said the vaccination centre in the SSE Arena in Belfast would open on 29 March and more than 300 community pharmacies would also join the vaccination programme next week.

Currently, anyone over the age of 50 and those with some underlying health conditions are eligible for a coronavirus vaccine.

The SSE Arena will operate alongside the seven regional vaccination centres run by health trusts across Northern Ireland as well as GP practices.

Dr Donnelly also warned those who are trying to "inappropriately access the service" that "they might travel as far as they like, they won't get vaccinated".

"It's going to be a wasted journey for anyone who does it," she said.

It has emerged that hundreds of people from the Republic of Ireland have been turned away from vaccinations centres in Northern Ireland in recent days.

An online "glitch" has led to vaccination appointments being booked by people who are not yet eligible

Meanwhile the Department of Health has said it is investigating an apparent glitch in its online vaccination booking system.

It says a number of appointments were booked by people who were not yet eligible.

The BBC understands an online link, enabling people to bypass eligibility criteria questions, was circulating on some social media platforms for some time on Tuesday.

In a tweet issued on Wednesday, the department said: "Yesterday some members of the public in NI who are not yet eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine were able to make an appointment.

"This was as a result of an issue with the system's eligibility checker and we are looking into the circumstances that allowed this - but we want to clarify that such appointments are being cancelled.

"Ineligible appointments will in any event be turned away at the vaccination centre through checks that apply there.

"Our thanks to the vast majority of people who are using our services properly."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×