Coronavirus: Dominic Raab calls for all British travellers to return to the UK
The UK’s foreign secretary Dominic Raab today called for all British travellers to return home while international travel was still possible amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week, Raab changed travel advice to warn UK travellers against all but essential international travel in the next 30 days.
But today, he said that the pace at which airlines are suspending flights, borders are closing and exit bans are being enforced, meant people should come home immediately.
“If you are on holiday abroad the time to come home is now while you still can,” Raab said.
Today Emirates Airlines said it was suspending all passenger flights from 25 March for two weeks, India today suspended all domestic flights, Air Canada said today it was suspending most flights and Singapore Airlines said it would cut its capacity by more than 90 per cent.
Countries such as Germany, Spain and Singapore have shut borders with neighbouring countries to try and stop the spread of the virus.
Separately, Number 10 today confirmed that Raab would fill Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s shoes if the latter was ill with coronavirus or otherwise incapacitated.
A Number 10 spokesperson, when asked who would take over in this situation, said today that Raab would fill-in as he was first secretary of state.
“The Prime Minister has the power to delegate responsibility to any of his ministers but, for now, it’s the Prime Minister and then the foreign secretary,” they said.