The government has announced that all legal Covid social distancing and mask-wearing restrictions will be dropped from 19 July in England, the so-called Freedom Day, asking instead for Britons to use their own judgement when it comes to evaluating the risk of the disease.

These changes apply to England and relate to activities within its borders.

But what about international travel? The sector has had a very rocky start since it tentatively reopened on 17 May, allowing holidays to a slim list of “safe” countries alongside onerous restrictions such as pre- and post-departure testing.

Read the full story here:

Tim White, the data expert who tweets as @TWMCLtd, says that Russia is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases.

“Russia passes 140,000 official Covid-19 deaths this morning (but it's almost certainly over 500,000 now); 725 more victims announced today by the Kremlin, slightly down on yesterday's record 737; 23,962 new cases, 14 per cent up on last Wednesday.”

Mr White, who has previously warned that Mexico could join the UK's “red list”, writes: “Mexico registers its highest daily total of new Covid-19 cases since February: 7,989 more Covid-19 infections, plus 269 deaths.

“That's a 40 per cent rise from last Wednesday, more like the growth we saw last week. With almost all neighbours rising too, Mexico still in danger.”

The next traffic light reshuffle is due on 15 July.

Tim White, the data expert who tweets as @TWMCLtd, says that Russia is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases.

“Russia passes 140,000 official Covid-19 deaths this morning (but it's almost certainly over 500,000 now); 725 more victims announced today by the Kremlin, slightly down on yesterday's record 737; 23,962 new cases, 14 per cent up on last Wednesday.”

Mr White, who has previously warned that Mexico could join the UK's “red list”, writes: “Mexico registers its highest daily total of new Covid-19 cases since February: 7,989 more Covid-19 infections, plus 269 deaths.

“That's a 40 per cent rise from last Wednesday, more like the growth we saw last week. With almost all neighbours rising too, Mexico still in danger.”

The next traffic light reshuffle is due on 15 July.

Tim White, the data expert who tweets as @TWMCLtd, says that Russia is experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases.

“Russia passes 140,000 official Covid-19 deaths this morning (but it’s almost certainly over 500,000 now); 725 more victims announced today by the Kremlin, slightly down on yesterday’s record 737; 23,962 new cases, 14 per cent up on last Wednesday.”

Mr White, who has previously warned that Mexico could join the UK’s “red list”, writes: “Mexico registers its highest daily total of new Covid-19 cases since February: 7,989 more Covid-19 infections, plus 269 deaths.

“That’s a 40 per cent rise from last Wednesday, more like the growth we saw last week. With almost all neighbours rising too, Mexico still in danger.”

The next traffic light reshuffle is due on 15 July.

The Independent is monitoring prices for domestic holidays. Demand is surging as many holidaymakers are choosing to stay in the UK because of all the travel restrictions.

The Headland Hotel at Newquay in Cornwall is quoting £570 per night for a double room (with breakfast) with a minimum three-night stay. In Northern Ireland, a five-bedroom house in Coleraine has been let for £7,000 for a week.

As the government is due to confirm plans that fully jabbed Britons can escape quarantine on return from amber destinations, Paul Charles, travel expert and founder of the PC Agency, says travellers should consider “locking in” prices for summer holidays now.

Germany has today lifted its travel ban on fully vaccinated Britons.

The UK will no longer be classed as a “virus variant area”, according to Germany’s Robert Koch Institute, with the rules relaxed for inbound travellers.

Double-jabbed travellers from the UK can forgo quarantine, while unvaccinated Brits can enter the country but must self-isolate for 10 days.

Helen Coffey has the full report here:

A Covid travel testing firm has warned that lifting the mask policy for airlines could be a set back for the travel industry.

Salutaris People, which provides PCR testing at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, warned that it was “too early” for fliers to be able to travel mask-free while the UK was finishing its vaccination programme, given the pandemic spread by international travel.

Ben Paglia MD of Akea Life, the clinical testing partner to Salutaris People, said: “Until we have a UK and global programme of vaccination in full flow, whereby a person has had two doses of a vaccination, then airline passengers should be advised to wear a mask during their transit and flight. It is a very dangerous and reckless precedent to allow a plane full of passengers to travel without face masks or coverings.

“Despite the amazing success of the vaccine, we do know that you can still catch Covid and infect other people. As there are still around 23 million people in the UK to be vaccinated, this presents a continued major health problem in the UK, as it affects the younger population. We also don’t know the longer-term effectiveness of the vaccines yet and how long vaccine immunity could provide protection for. Allowing passengers to travel without wearing masks could potentially set us back to the start of the pandemic when all air travel was banned.

“It would be sensible to allow people to not wear face masks in certain settings, but where you have public transport and air travel, or confined spaces and large gatherings it is wise to help reduce infections and transmission of the virus.”

Speaking to a Transport Select Committee enquiry on major infrastructure policy, the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has said: “I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever that we will need increased transport capacity.”

Questioned about the need to press on with the High Speed 2 rail project, he said: “Unless the Department for Transport invents teleportation technology in the next few years, people are going to want to meet and visit people. I don’t think that will change.

“What will change is hours of work, and we’re already seeing on the return to some of the railway network, even before stage four of the unlock, busier weekend trains than we had previously.”

The latest statistics on transport use in the UK, published in the past 30 minutes, show that average rail use remains below 45 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. Monday is the busiest day, at 46 per cent. Motor vehicle use is at 97 per cent.

The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has described the trans-Pennine railway line from Manchester to Leeds as “a winding, slow, inefficient way to travel between two great northern cities”.

The 50-mile journey from Manchester Victoria to Leeds is scheduled to take 55 minutes, including stops at Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

Mr Shapps was addressing a Transport Select Committee enquiry on major infrastructure projects. The Northern Powerhouse Rail project promises “new and significantly upgraded railway lines”.