Contact tracing: letters to directors of public health
Do not meet others, even friends or family.
You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.
Statement on Global Vaccine Summit
News story
The UK hosted Global Vaccine Summit on June 4 will now be an entirely virtual event.
The UK is hosting Global Vaccine Summit on June 4.
The UK hosted Global Vaccine Summit on June 4 will now be an entirely virtual event.
The Summit is an important milestone to secure support for Gavi’s five-year strategy, which will immunise 300 million children and save up to 8 million lives by 2025, and for Gavi’s vital work to strengthen health systems around the world and help to tackle coronavirus in some of the world’s poorest countries. This will help stop future waves of infection spreading globally, including coming to the UK.
The UK government and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, are working with partners to finalise plans for the Summit programme and format, which will be shared with partners in due course.
Published 24 April 2020
Freight transport in the context of COVID-19: joint statement by the United Kingdom, France and Ireland
Government response
Statement by UK Secretary of State for Transport, French Minister of State for Transport and Irish Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.
The United Kingdom, Ireland and France are linked together by trade which is centuries old, and which has thrived through the most difficult of times. Our collective well-being depends on those who move freight between our nations. These are crucial economic and social links which we must maintain.
The current COVID-19 crisis presents a threat to the movement of goods if we do not act.
We recognize the importance of the partnership between our nations at this difficult time. That is why we make this joint statement to affirm our wish to ensure freight keeps moving, which remains essential during this crisis.
Ireland has already announced an intervention in support of some critical routes on the continental and southern corridors from Ireland. The UK has made an announcement of support for critical routes into and out of the UK. France intends to support these efforts during the COVID-19 crisis and thereby contribute to maintaining links with the European continent as a whole.
We have initiated a dialogue between our three governments during this crisis to strengthen partnership and share best practices. Residents, workers and businesses should be reassured by our shared commitment.
Working together in partnership is important at this difficult time to help keep freight flowing between and through our countries.
Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport, United Kingdom
Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, Minister of State for Transport, attached to the Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, France
Shane Ross, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Ireland
Published 24 April 2020
Tourism Minister’s speech at the Extraordinary G20 Tourism Ministers’ Meeting on Covid-19
At the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, I would like to extend my warmest wishes to the people of Saudi Arabia, and all those observing Ramadan. ‘Ramadan Kareem’, and ‘Kul aam wa antum bikhair’.
Firstly I would like to echo others’ comments in thanking the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and His Excellency Mr Ahmed Al-Khateeb for organising this virtual meeting.
In the UK as in other countries, our primary focus has been on saving lives and protecting the health of our citizens. But we want to mitigate the impact of the virus on all aspects of society and the economy.
Just like many other countries, Tourism is a great contributor to our economy. In fact, it sustains about 10% of GDP.
Time does not allow me to set out in detail the full range of Government interventions but the economic support most relevant to the tourism and hospitality sector largely falls into two categories.
To support businesses struggling with liquidity, the UK Government has announced:
- Deferral of VAT payments for firms.
- £330bn worth of government backed and guaranteed loans
- A Retail, hospitality and leisure cash grants scheme; and a business rates relief programme and
- Protection for commercial tenants at risk of eviction.
On employment protection we have set up:
- A Job Retention Scheme where employers can apply for a government grant to cover 80% of workers’ salaries; and
- A scheme to support Self-Employed workers.
- In addition, we have launched an emergency fund to support local tourism management organisations through this period.
I am in regular discussions with the tourism industry about what their priorities are for the recovery period. This includes how businesses can operate while there are still social distancing measures in place; what further guidance is needed; and whether there is a need for tapered support as businesses adjust.
With nearly 40 million inbound visitors per year, International visitors play a hugely important part of the UK visitor economy and we look forward to welcoming visitors back when it is safe to do so.
The UK is also a key market for outbound travel. UK citizens take 70 million overseas trips each year and once international travel restrictions start to be lifted, there is likely to be considerable demand for travel. I fully support the content of the G20 declaration that when international travel resumes, it needs to be done safely and we need to rebuild consumer confidence.
And that is where this forum can be incredibly helpful. I look forward to working closely with all of you as we help this major global industry recover, and I hope to meet you all in person as soon as circumstances allow.
UK Government package to protect ferry freight routes
News story
The £17 million scheme includes services in and out of Cairnryan
UK Government package will protect ferry routes
Vital ferry routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland have been safeguarded, thanks to a multi-million-pound UK Government scheme to help ensure critical freight can continue to move into and across the Union.
The package, worth up to £17m, is being funded by the UK Government and the Northern Ireland Executive. It will be made available to operators so that they can continue running freight services on five sea routes between Great Britain and Northern Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic.
UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said:
Essential supplies are continuing to flow well, but operators are facing challenges as fewer people travelling means less capacity to move goods.
Today’s action will help ensure we have the freight capacity we need across the UK. This funding will help ferry operators protect our supply chain and maintain the flow of critical goods across the Irish Sea and throughout the Union.
The funding package includes support for the ferry services running between Cairnryan and Larne and Cairnryan and Belfast. Welcoming the announcement, Secretary of State for Scotland Alister Jack, said:
We have been clear that the UK Government will do what is necessary to protect our economy during the current Coronavirus pandemic. That includes safeguarding the essential ferry routes between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
I know just how vital the busy services in and out of Cairnryan are. It is essential we keep them going for the economies of both Northern Ireland and the South West of Scotland.
The UK Government’s Department for Transport has also announced that thousands of volunteers, vehicles, aircraft and ships from the transport sector have been placed on standby in a new “Transport Support Unit” to assist frontline responders during the crisis across the whole of the UK.
Published 24 April 2020