Sweden cases double in a week as UK restrictions mount

sweden
Cases are rising in the only European nation that resisted lockdown Credit: istock

Covid-19 infections are picking up in lockdown-averse Sweden; where the case count has more than doubled over seven days, according to the latest data. 

Sweden's current rate of 24 cases per 100,000 citizens raises it above the threshold of 20 used by the UK government to determine whether countries are granted an air corridor. It was only added to the FCDO's 'green list' on September 10, when the rate was 11.

Sweden's state epidemiologist Anders Tegnell said earlier this week that he is now willing to recommend lockdown measures such as school closures, and strict limits to the size of gatherings - so long as they are only imposed locally and for three weeks at a time.

The Scandinavian country's Covid-19 death rate (581 per one million) is still less than that of the UK's (617 per 1m) and its current seven-day case count of 24 per 100,000 is well below the UK's rate of 56.

There are now just nine destinations Britons can visit that don’t include some form of test or restriction, including Sweden, mainland Greece, Italy and Germany. On Thursday, countries that lost their air corridor with the UK included  Denmark, Iceland, Slovakia and Curacao.

Scroll down for the latest travel updates.

                                                                                                    

What we learnt today

A recap:

  • Sweden's Covid-19 case rate doubles within a week
  • First snow falls over European ski resorts
  • Household mixing ban comes into force across swathes of Northern England
  • United Airlines to be first US airline to offer Covid-19 tests for passengers
  • BA crew member says Hong Kong quarantine is 'like a concentration camp'

Thank you for joining us, and see you again tomorrow morning.

Japan is offering scenic flights to make use of idle planes

There is a growing trend in Asia of "flights to nowhere" that take off and land at the same airport.

Tough border restrictions to keep coronavirus under control have led to a 97.5 per cent plunge in international travel in the region, according to the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines.

Carriers, desperate for revenue and to keep their pilots' licences current, are therefore offering special sightseeing flights. Here is one from today, courtesy of Japan Airlines:

Passengers embark on a sunset tour from Narita Airport Credit: bloomburg
The 3.5-hour flight was via a Boeing 767-33ER aircraft Credit: bloomburg

BA crew member says Hong Kong quarantine is 'like a concentration camp'

A British Airways cabin crew member has tested positive for Covid-19 after operating a flight from London to Hong Kong, exposing passengers, crew and airport staff to the virus.

As a result, the infected flight attendant was transferred to a local hospital, while the 12 remaining flight attendants who worked on flight BA31 were moved to a government facility in the countryside near Hong Kong Disneyland to undergo a mandatory 14-day stint in quarantine. 

The story hit the headlines yesterday when one of the quarantined cabin crew, Ellie Freeman, took to social media to complain that the government-run facility resembled 'a literal concentration camp,' a claim our reporter Lee Cobaj argues is "wildly exaggerated and deeply disrespectful." Cobaj writes:

Although the accommodation is simple, each air-conditioned single room is kitted out with a proper bed, an ensuite shower room, hairdryer, kettle, a television and Wi-Fi. Unlike the 'prison', which Freeman had described, people are allowed to walk around outside between the temporary buildings to get exercise and fresh air and chat with others at a safe distance.   

Read the full report here.

Barbados and Liechtenstein impose travel restrictions on UK

Two more countries have placed restrictive measures on UK arrivals in response to our rising number of cases.

Barbados has moved the UK to its 'high-risk' list, meaning that from October 1 British holidaymakers will have to provide a negative Covid-19 test upon entry and be subject to 'restrictive movement' until the results of a second test.

A statement from Visit Barbados outlines the process: "After arrival on the Island, visitors will take a second PCR test. Tests can be done free of charge at any Government health care facility or for a fee at private healthcare facilities. There are also mobile services available to make it easy for guests to have options. The test is administered between Day 4 to 5 after taking the first test in the UK. Test results in Barbados are usually returned overnight without any challenges. While awaiting the second test, visitors will have restricted movement and remain on the grounds of their hotel, resort or villa." Guests will be able to move freely within the grounds, and won't be restricted to their room.

The Caribbean island is currently recording a seven-day rate of 1.4 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people, while the UK is on 52.1, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Liechtenstein, which is on the FCDO's 'green list', has also imposed a 10-day quarantine upon British travellers from September 28.

Some 5,000 travel businesses have backed The Telegraph's campaign for affordable Covid-19 tests on arrival into Britain.

How to escape to the farthest corners of the United Kingdom – and why you should do it now

There’s a fair degree of misinformation and confusion about our domestic geographical extremes, writes Rob Crossan. But with untamed nature, solitude and surprising levels of luxury on hand nearby, there’s more than enough motivation to keep on going to the UK’s farthest corners. Starting with England's most easterly corner:

One of Britain’s oldest towns, Lowestoft (once known as Lothu Wisoft) was mentioned in the Doomsday book and dates back to the Viking era. Today, the town is the very essence of the faded, quintessentially British seaside town. Yet the beach is truly magnificent with some of the softest sands around. If it all feels a little too elegiac you can sneak inland for the 20-minute drive to the Waveney Valley, an expanse of marshes including the Attenborough-backed Carlton Wetlands and pretty towns of Bungay and Beccles, specialising in quaint tearooms and handsome market squares.
Lovely Lowestoft Credit: istock

Quarantine centres built to contain surge of Covid-19 cases in Myanmar  

Myanmar's biggest city Yangon has rapidly built new quarantine centres as it scrambles to contain the commercial hub's first significant coronavirus outbreak, with overworked medical staff fearing thousands more cases to come.

The Southeast Asian nation has one of the world's most impoverished healthcare systems, but had until recently remained relatively unscathed by the pandemic. 

A volunteer is seen at a quarantine centre, amid the outbreak of Covid-19 in Yangon  Credit: reuters

Last month there were fewer than 400 total confirmed cases nationwide and just six deaths from the disease.

But rising case numbers in the country's west quickly spread elsewhere and infection numbers have doubled every week.

They are expected to pass 10,000 in the coming days with a current death toll of 174.

Which country could be quarantined next?

 A look at the rising Covid-19 cases around the world. The threshold for a UK quarantine is 20 cases per 100,000 over a seven-day period:

Anti-lockdown protesters take to the streets in London and beyond

More than 15,000 protesters have descended upon London's Trafalgar Square in opposition of the Government's ongoing pandemic-related restrictions.

Scenes this afternoon at the 'We Do Not Consent' rally Credit: afp
Not a mask in sight Credit: shutterstock

Meanwhile in the French city of Marseille, crowds gathered to slam its second lockdown, which has forced all restaurants, bars and gyms to close today for at least two weeks. 

Hundreds of restaurant and bar owners protested after French authorities announced a second lockdown in Marseille Credit: reuters

October half-term holiday tracker: The best options for a family escape in 2020  

Missed out on a family holiday this year? You couldn’t make the most of the lockdown sunshine; your summer trip to the Med was cancelled; your staycation break was blown away by the August gales. Now schools are back, so you have one last chance for a rewarding trip for all – the autumn half term. 

Here are your best bets.

Travel on Trial: Can a cycling snob be converted to E-biking on a tour of Cape Town?

A long bike tour on a sweltering day outside South Africa's Cape Town was the ultimate test for Simon Parker, who has always turned his nose up at E-bikes. He writes:

Cycling, for me, should prove painfully gruelling, for a few hours at least. So imagine my bemused apprehension at the start of a 20-mile e-bike tour just outside Cape Town, when I was presented with a Dutch-style steed with a wide, squidgy saddle, broad handlebars sporting horizontal lever brakes and a throttle hooked up to a weighty battery.As my eight-strong group pootled out of the blustery seaside town of Kommetjie, the tacky asphalt baked in the thick, soupy heat. The eddying South Atlantic was shimmering so bright it hurt my eyes to look at it directly – even with sunglasses. If anything, it felt like I was moving too fast, but, presented with gears one to five, it was too tempting to travel at full throttle. 

Read Simon's verdict here.

Life's a beach in Egypt's Sharm El-Sheikh

Here's the view today from the Egyptian resort of Sharm El-Sheikh. Visitors to Egypt must provide a negative PCR test upon arrival, or take an airport test costing $30 (£23), in order to gain entry. According to FCDO guidance, however, returning Britons must self-isolate for 14 days once they come home. 

Tourists at a leisure beach today in Sharm El-Sheikh Credit: shutterstock
Action stations Credit: shutterstock

Exclusive poll: Two-thirds of Britons think coronavirus restrictions do not go far enough

Almost two-thirds of people believe the Government's latest Covid-19 restrictions do not go far enough, a poll reveals.

A survey of more than 2,000 adults found that 63 per cent believed that the measures taken last week fell short of the action that should have been taken.

Some 51 per cent of respondents favoured closing gyms and beauty salons now to lower the rate of coronavirus infections.

The findings chime with internal polling that has led ministers to believe that the priority for many members of the public is to see the pandemic brought under control.

Edward Malnick has the full report.

First snow falls over European ski resorts

Winter is coming. The first snow of the ski season has arrived in the mountains of Europe, with more still to come, Lucy Aspden reports.

Ski resorts in the Alps, Dolomites, Pyrenees and in Scandinavia have been blanketed in white, with some forecasts predicting up to one metre of snow by the end of the weekend. Up to 40cm has fallen in Avoriaz in France, Pas de la Casa in Andorra has received 15cm and in Switzerland Verbier is set to receive 30cm of snow today.

The snowfall comes as high-altitude resorts, predominantly those with glaciers, begin to open. Lifts started turning at the Kaunertal glacier in the Austrian Tyrol today where up to 40cm has fallen in the past 24 hours.

A dusting of snow today in the Austrian state of Tyrol Credit: afp

Resorts and tour operators alike will be hoping the autumnal snowfall, which is not uncommon in Europe, is a good omen for the season to come. Whether Britons will be able to go on ski holidays this winter remains to be seen, with the FCDO advising against non-essential travel to the majority of major ski destinations, excluding Italy. 

Inspired by the snow and with an air of optimism, our ski holiday tracker can help you choose where to go skiing this season.

What's going on in Sweden?

Perhaps inevitably, given the virus' trajectory across Europe, infections are picking up in lockdown-averse Sweden as well. Its current rate of 24 cases per 100,000 citizens over the past seven days has more than doubled compared the week prior:

 However, this is still well below the UK's rate of 56:

And crucially, Sweden's death rate remains low:

Sweden's Covid-19 case rate doubles within a week

Uh oh. Covid-19 infections are rapidly on the rise in Sweden. Paul Charles, CEO of the travel consultancy, The PC Agency has the latest:

It comes just days after Sweden's state epidemiologist claimed that the consistency of his country's coronavirus restrictions is what has so far saved it from the surges in cases seen elsewhere in Europe, reports Richard Orange.

Asked what had prevented Sweden from so far suffering a second wave like Spain's, Anders Tegnell stated:  “I think the main difference between Sweden and many other countries is that we have had the same kind of restrictions and recommendations in place the whole time.

“And we have a really big adherence from the population to those recommendations. And that makes a difference, that makes us hopefully less susceptible to a second wave.”

Read the full story.

Inside India’s ground-breaking animal sanctuary

On the outskirts of Udaipur, kindness and ‘karuna’  are a life-changing tonic for both volunteers and their four-legged patients, writes TV vet Marc Abraham, of India's special sanctuary:

As a lifelong animal-lover, I find the sheer diversity of saved lives all happily co-existing here totally overwhelming; everywhere I look it’s obvious that without Animal Aid Unlimited, none of them would’ve stood a chance.

Read his compelling story here.

South Korea urges caution ahead of festival

South Korea has reported 61 new cases of coronavirus, the first time in four days that its daily increase is below 100.

Officials have called for citizen vigilance ahead of a major holiday. 

The numbers released by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on Saturday brought the national caseload to 23,516 cases, including 399 deaths.

Forty-one of the new cases were reported in the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area, where infections have been linked to churches, restaurants, nursing homes and schools. 

Twelve cases were linked to passengers arriving from abroad - mostly from the Philippines, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, India and Bangladesh

Health officials say the annual Chuseok harvest festival that begins on Wednesday and continues through the weekend will be a critical period in the country's anti-virus campaign. 

While millions of South Koreans usually travel across the country during Chuseok every year to visit relatives, officials have pleaded for people to stay home this time. 

Artificial full moons have been installed by local officials in Seoul to increase morale during the pandemic and to celebrate the upcoming Chuseok holiday Credit: ap

Barbados tourism minister – 'Response to testing has been overwhelming'

The tourism minister for Barbados has said that visitors are in praise of its testing program, which requires arrivals - including Britons from October 1 - to present a negative Covid-19 test. 

Senator the Hon. Lisa R. Cummins, the Minister of Tourism and International Transport for Barbados, comments:

Since we introduced the pre-testing requirements it has been overwhelming how our guests have responded. People want to be confident that they are sitting on a plane with other passengers who have also tested negative for Covid-19. When they get to Barbados, they want the confidence then that they are in a place where they can relax safely and after a brief period in one of our hotels, resorts or villas, enjoy full access to all the island has to offer.

Government did not consult SAGE before imposing 10pm curfew on hospitality sector

Professor Graham Medley, who attends meetings of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE), has said that the Government did not consult members on the advisory board before imposing a 10pm curfew on resturants, pubs and bars.  

 All pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues in England are currently forced to shut by 10pm to help curb the spread of coronavirus.

It comes as the UK's Covid-19 alert level moved to 4, meaning transmission is "high or rising exponentially".

Appearing on BBC Radio 4's Today programme this morning Prof  Medley told listeners that he had "never discussed it or heard it discussed". 

United Airlines to be first US airline to offer Covid-19 tests for passengers

United Airlines has become the first US airline to offer COVID-19 testing to passengers; offering them the option either to order an at-home testing kit or reserve a slot for a rapid test at the airport.

The at-home test costs $80 (£62) and produces results within 48 hours, while the airport test takes just 20 minutes but costs $250 (£196). The new pilot program will launch on its route to Hawaii from San Francisco, starting on October 15.

Hawaii has been closed to almost all tourists since March, but will next month reopen provided visitors show a negative Covid-19 test upon arrival.

Exclusive: Inside Dorset's bold new places to stay, a combination of old and new

Telegraph Travel's Benjamin Parker got the first look at two of the most exciting openings for years in Thomas Hardy's Wessex: The King's Arms and Clifftops:

The King’s Arms’s history is impressive. It played host to Queen Victoria, Edward VII, Admiral Nelson, in 1889 became the first building in Dorchester to have electric light, and 10 years later was the first in town with a private telephone connection. In 1964, months after releasing their debut album, a group of twentysomethings waved to fans from the first floor. That band? The Rolling Stones.

Back over the causeway on Portland, Clifftops is bang up to date, with no such heritage to fall on. Each lodge is constructed from local stone extracted just minutes away, clad with copper that has turned a shade close to burgundy in the salty seaside air.

Clifftops Credit: laura dean

Household mixing ban comes into force across swathes of Northern England 

Bans on households mixing have come into force across swathes of northern England amid a warning that the new measures may not be enough to halt the spread of coronavirus.

Extra restrictions were introduced at midnight in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds, with residents advised not to meet people outside their household or bubble in any setting.

Blackpool is back under lockdown Credit: Geoff Robinson

Tougher rules are already in force across large swathes of north-west England, West Yorkshire, the North East and the Midlands, as well as parts of west Scotland.

A ban on households mixing indoors was extended across Northern Ireland earlier this week.

Cardiff and Swansea will go into local lockdown from 6pm on Sunday. People will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse. They will not be able to meet indoors with anyone they do not live with, with extended households suspended.

Read here to learn more about what these local lockdowns mean for you

The nine destinations you can visit without restriction

In all, there are now nine places on the travel corridor list that have no restrictions on UK arrivals. They are:

1. Germany

2. Gibraltar

Travellers must report to the authorities if they have been in a “relevant area” in the 14 days before their arrival in Gibraltar. Failure to do so constitutes an offence punishable with a fine of up to £1,000. A relevant area means a country, area or territory outside the European Union but does not include the United Kingdom, Jersey, Guernsey or the Isle of Man.

3. Greece (Partially open)

Travellers returning to Scotland from the whole of Greece must self-isolate. 

For England and Northern Ireland, those returning from Lesvos, Tinos, Serifos, Mykonos, Crete, Santorini and Zakynthos must quarantine; for Wales, the exclusions are Mykonos, Zakynthos (Zante), Lesvos, Paros and Antiparos, Crete, Santorini, Serifos and Tinos. 

You must complete an online Passenger Locator Form (PLF) at least 24 hours before your arrival in Greece. Failure to do so in advance may result in your carrier not allowing you to travel, a fine on arrival, or the Greek authorities not allowing you to enter the country.

4. Italy (including Vatican City)

You should download and complete a self-declaration from the Interior Ministry before you travel. 

5. Liechtenstein

While Liechtenstein is on travel corridors list, it has no airport and its only land borders are with Austria and Switzerland – both of which are not. To reach it without needing to self-isolate on your return to Britain you will need to fly to a travel corridor country (such as Germany) and drive to Liechtenstein without leaving your vehicle to mix with anyone in a “red list” country. 

6. Poland

7. San Marino

You must travel through Italy to reach San Marino. See “Italy”, above. 

8. Sweden

9. Turkey

All arrivals into Turkey will be subject to a medical evaluation for symptoms of coronavirus, including temperature checks. Any passengers showing symptoms will be required to undergo a PCR test.

A grand tour of Britain's greatest country house hotels

The Telegraph's Head of Travel Claire Irvin took a thousand-mile spin across the country behind the wheel of a Bentley Flying Spur to investigate the UK's loveliest country house hotels, writing:

Our first destination, Beaverbrook in Surrey, was a study in warm, post-Covid welcome. Testing on arrival (albeit your temperature, not a swab) gave the management enough ­confidence to allow a mask-free environment for everyone but waiting staff, resulting in the perfect balance of uber-cool ambience with impeccable attention to detail. This equated to the most assured and relaxing hotel experience in the two weeks we spent travelling around the UK, and here, all the better to absorb the acute sense of living history that the very walls exude. 
The opulent art deco bar at the Beaverbrook Hotel

Pandemic numbers from around the world

Here's a look at the current situation:

  • The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 2,507 to 282,730. The reported death toll rose by nine to 9,452.
  • Mainland China has reported 15 new cases, compared with eight a day earlier, the national health authority said on Saturday. The National Health Commission said all new cases were imported infections involving travellers from abroad. The total number of confirmed infections is 85,337, while the number of deaths remains unchanged at 4,634. 
  • Coronavirus cases in the United States topped seven million, accounting for more than 20 per cent of the world's total.
  • India has reported 86,052 new cases and is set to overtake the US by next month as the world's worst-affected nation.
  • Iran has reported its highest single-day coronavirus death toll since August 1, with the total number of identified cases spiking to 439,882.
  • Japan will allow long-term foreign residents and students back into the country from October.
  • Indonesia has reported its biggest daily rise in infections for a third successive day.

Tougher  coronavirus rules to affect 17 million people as restrictions spread  

More than a quarter of the UK population will be living under extra coronavirus restrictions when new measures on socialising come into force in parts of the country.

A ban on households mixing in each other's homes came into effect at midnight in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds.

Residents in those areas are also advised not to meet people outside their household or bubble in any other settings including bars, shops or parks.

It comes as the UK recorded its highest single-day figure of coronavirus cases, with 6,874 lab-confirmed cases.

Restrictions are already in force across large swathes of north-west England, West Yorkshire, the North East and the Midlands, as well as parts of west Scotland. 

What happened yesterday

A quick recap of the top stories:

  • Brazil calls off 2021 Rio carnival parade 
  • Cases surge in France and the Netherlands
  • Cardiff becomes first UK city to go back into lockdown
  • London added to lockdown 'watch list'
  • Wizz Air warns it will halve winter capacity
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