Newspaper headlines: Quarantine hotels plan and holidays 'under threat'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-55805548

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Several of the front pages look ahead to potential new travel restrictions, with the i reporting that the UK is planning to set up quarantine hotels where some arrivals will have to self-isolate. However, the paper says the cabinet is split over the exact measures to be introduced - with Health Secretary Matt Hancock wanting all arrivals segregated, while Transport Secretary Grant Shapps is arguing for the new measures only to apply to arrivals from Brazil and South Africa, where new variants have emerged. The prime minister will make a decision on Tuesday - but the measures face "at least a fortnight's delay for logistics", the paper adds.

The Guardian also reports that the prime minister is expected to sign off plans for quarantine hotels. It says travel curbs and other restrictions could remain in place for months, with a Downing Street source insisting it was taking a more cautious approach on lifting England's third national lockdown. It comes as cabinet ministers rebuffed pressure from Tory MPs to set out a timetable for easing the lockdown, the paper adds.

The Sun warns the plans mean foreign holidays are "under threat". Travel experts say the move, which would cost families at least £1,000 extra, will "wreck" plans for foreign breaks, the paper reports. "Looks like it's Bognor again, dear", is its headline.

The Daily Express leads with comments from the health secretary, who has insisted there can be no easing of coronavirus restrictions for now. In a briefing on Monday, Matt Hancock said the lockdown was suppressing infections, while nearly 80% of over-80s had been given a coronavirus jab. Despite mounting pressure on government officials to reopen schools, the paper says the UK has "no option but to hold our nerve".

The Daily Telegraph warns that Britain's Covid vaccine supply is "in jeopardy" after the EU threatened to block exports of the Belgian-made Pfizer jabs as part of a row with UK-based AstraZeneca. Brussels decided to impose tighter controls in reaction to the announcement that AstraZeneca will deliver 50 million fewer doses to the EU than it had expected, the paper reports. Ministers now fear that deliveries of the Pfizer jab will be, at best, delayed by extra paperwork and the EU could try to stop doses being sent to non-EU countries, it adds.

The Times leads with the same story, reporting that the EU has told Pfizer and other pharmaceutical companies they must get its permission to export vaccine doses to the UK. Companies will have to provide "early notification" of exports of all jabs manufactured in the bloc in an attempt to prevent shortfalls, according to the paper. It says the intervention will raise questions about whether the UK's supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could be disrupted.

Meanwhile, Moderna is launching trials of a new Covid-19 vaccine to tackle the variant which has emerged in South Africa, the Financial Times reports. It comes after early laboratory tests showed the company's vaccine still worked against the variants that were first found in South Africa and the UK. However, Moderna warned its jabs produced only a sixth of the antibodies in response to the South Africa variant compared to the original virus, raising concerns immunity may wane significantly, the paper says.

Back in the UK, TV series Peaky Blinders has "joined the battle to beat Covid-19", the Metro reports. The Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, where scenes from the BBC drama were filmed, was among the new vaccination centres to begin giving people Covid jabs on Monday. It comes as 6.5 million people have now had their first dose of the vaccine, the paper says.

The Daily Mirror leads with a survey suggesting the majority of children want to go back to school, with the lockdown affecting their mental health. A poll for the paper found more than 70% revealed they had been damaged by being kept away from class, friends and support. "We just want to go back to school," is its headline.

Also focusing on the impact of lockdown on children, the Daily Mail leads with its campaign raising money to buy laptops to help pupils study at home. The paper says its readers have already given £375,000 in just three days, with further donations from companies bringing the total raised to £750,000. A 91-year-old widow raiding her pension as well as pupils giving their pocket money are among those who have donated, the paper adds.

Finally, the Daily Star wonders whether TV presenter Piers Morgan could have a new career in politics, with some backing the idea after a series of interviews where the paper says he "skewered our lightweight politicians". "It's not a bad call... but would his ego fit through No 10's doors?" the Star asks, alongside the headline "PM for PM?"

"Looks like it's Bognor again, dear," is the Sun's take on the likelihood of plans for quarantine hotels being introduced for UK arrivals.

Travel experts say the move will cost families at least £1,000 extra and "wreck plans for foreign breaks".

The Guardian says the policy is part of a "more cautious approach" following England's third lockdown. Details still to be finalised include whether "test to release" will apply - which currently frees travellers from self-isolation at home if they test negative after five days.

The Daily Telegraph and the i both report that the cabinet is split over the policy.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, is said to be "fighting" for hotel quarantine to only apply to Brazil and South Africa. Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Home Secretary Priti Patel reportedly want all travellers to be subject to the measure.

Quarantine also has the backing of Chancellor Rishi Sunak, according to the Spectator. Perhaps even more crucially, its online edition says that Conservative MPs "are currently broadly supportive" because they believe it is a fair exchange for greater freedoms internally.

The Daily Mail editorial says the prospect of seeing arrivals "herded to a budget hotel by coach and detained for 10 days" raises deeply troubling questions. It asks how long such draconian measures will last and what it will take for them to be lifted.

"Better late than never," is view of the Times in its leader, as it expresses its support for a policy it deems "painful but necessary". The paper says while the UK's airline and tourism sectors will lose out, it would be inexcusable to jeopardise "world-beating" progress on vaccines by opening borders to mutations of the virus.

"Brussels threatens to block vaccine," is the headline of the Daily Telegraph's main story. It reports that Britain's supply of the Belgian Pfizer jab is in jeopardy after UK-based AstraZeneca said it could only deliver a fraction of its order for the EU.

Ministers apparently believe stock from Pfizer could be "at best" delayed by extra paperwork as the EU looks to retaliate. MPs think the row is part of the EU's attempts to deflect blame away from their failure to get a vaccination scheme off the ground, with one senior Conservative calling the bloc's response "childish and spiteful".

"We just want to go back to school," is the plea from children on the front of the Daily Mirror. A survey conducted by the paper has found that 70% of children believe their health and future have been negatively affected by lockdown.

These children's wishes could soon come true, according to the Times. It reports that government advisers have concluded primary schools can safely reopen after half-term if cases continue to fall.

And finally, the Sun says parts of the new James Bond film are going to have to be re-filmed because the delays in its release have caused the spy's technology to become out of date.

"Old-tech Bond back in the Q," is the paper's headline, in a nod to one of the famous characters in the franchise. An insider has suggested while some scenes can be "very carefully edited", sponsors will expect their lucrative deals to be properly honoured.

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