Take a test before you go to Cumbria: Health chief pleads with staycationers to make sure they are clear of Covid after spike in cases

• Cumbria has seen a spike in coronavirus cases, rising from 179 last week to 228
• Cases in Eden, the most affected region, tripled from 72 to 221 in just a week 
• Data prompted regional health chief Colin Cox to ask staycationers to take tests  

Staycationers are being urged to take a Covid test before travelling to Cumbria by the region’s top health chief after a spike in cases in the area. 

With international travel all but grinding to a halt this summer amid a slew of restrictions, many Britons have instead decided to travel to some of the UK’s most desirable locations. 

Cumbria and the Lake District is a popular destination, with millions of people flocking there every year. 

However, Colin Cox, director of public health for the region, has now pleaded with tourists to take a lateral flow test before visiting. 

He told BBC Radio Cumbria yesterday: ‘Please come because it is a beautiful place and you’ll have a lovely time in Cumbria. But please do test before you travel. 

‘Take a lateral flow test to make sure that, as you’re coming here, you are clear of the virus. We’d really appreciate it if you did that.’

It comes amid a surge in cases in the area, with Cumbria recording 228 new cases of coronavirus yesterday, the most since mid-July and far higher than the 179 recorded the Monday before. 

Cumbria and the Lake District is a popular destination, with millions of people flocking there every year. However, it is now experiencing a spike in Covid cases

Colin Cox, director of public health for the region, has now pleaded with tourists to take a lateral flow test before visiting

Meanwhile, cases in the district of Eden tripled and numbers continue to rise in four other areas.

The latest Public Health England data showed Eden’s weekly case numbers shot up from 72 to 221 in the week ending August 19.

Britain’s coronavirus outbreak continued to trend upwards yesterday as another 31,914 people tested positive for the virus.

Department of Health figures showed cases had risen 12 per cent from last Monday, when 28,438 were recorded.  There were also another 40 deaths — up 54 per cent in a week.

Latest hospital data revealed that 948 people were admitted with the virus on August 17, which was almost eight per cent higher than the week prior.

It comes after more grim news about the green list this week with few countries expected to be added.

Analysts said only a handful of countries look likely to go green, while popular destinations such as Croatia, Madeira and Antigua could slip off the list and turn amber.

Caribbean islands Jamaica, Saint Lucia and Dominica could be heading for the red list. The analysis also suggests Turkey, which Britons visited more than 2million times a year pre-pandemic, will stay red.

There had been hopes it would be moved to amber, opening up quarantine-free holidays for the double-jabbed.

Government sources yesterday stressed no decisions have yet been made ahead of the review this week. But they indicated additions to the green list will be limited.

Ministers will not make any final decisions until looking at the most recent data today or Wednesday. 

There are 36 destinations on the green list, 16 of which are on a ‘watchlist’ meaning they could turn amber at short notice.

It is thought some families, particularly those with adult children not yet double-jabbed, have been holding out for more countries going green and potentially booking last-minute break before the end of the school summer holidays.

Children will start returning either next week or the week after.

Tiers for fears: Some of the countries that could move on the government’s ‘traffic lights’ list

Non-fully vaccinated people can only enjoy quarantine-free holidays to green countries. 

Travel chiefs say the failure to expand the green list significantly throughout summer has dented confidence in booking trips.

According to analysis by Paul Charles of travel consultancy The PC Agency, Croatia, Madeira and Israel are at risk of turning from green to amber, along with the Caribbean islands of Anguilla and Antigua and the Turks and Caicos Islands. 

Meanwhile Jamaica, St Lucia, Dominica and Morocco could go on the red list, meaning anyone returning would have to quarantine in hotels for 11 nights at a cost of more than £2,000.

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