BRITS’ summer holidays are “at risk” as top destinations remain crippled by coronavirus and a slow vaccine rollout.
Morgan Stanley has branded summer sun favourite Spain “particularly vulnerable” and said it was “unlikely” Brits would be able to have a summer holiday in southern Europe in 2021 the way many managed to last year.
A statement from the bank said “Europe’s high cases and slow vaccine drive could lead to a late reopening putting a second summer at risk.”
They added that another missed summer of tourism would only add to tensions onside the EU, saying it “would exacerbate the north-south divide” in Europe that many claim sees Germany and France prioritised.
The statement added that southern European holidays this year are unlikely to be repeated “given the emergence of new strains, which appear to be more transmissible and dangerous”.
It comes as Britain’s superspeed vaccine rollout could be “paralysed” in the coming weeks as Covid-hit India stalls on supplies.
Our incredible jab effort – the key to getting Britain back to normal life as quickly as possible – is expected to be held up as India grapples with its own covid crisis and may be considering stockpiling the vaccines for itself.
Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India (SII) which is manufacturing the UK-bound AstraZeneca vaccine, said the forecast slowing of supplies is nothing to do with his firm not producing enough.
“It is solely dependent on India and it has nothing to do with the SII. It is to do with the Indian Government allowing more doses to the UK,” Poonawalla told The Telegraph today.
He confirmed that the UK had already received five million doses from his firm earlier this month, but admitted a second batch of five million doses wouldn’t leave India until the Indian government gave it the green light.
The news comes as the UK’s incredible vaccine rollout appeared to be taking effect with daily Covid deaths plummeting.
The number of deaths from coronavirus being reported per day is falling at a faster rate than it did towards the end of the first wave, figures show.
Follow our coronavirus live blog below for the very latest news and updates on the pandemic…
