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PARIS (Reuters) - The board of Air France-KLM is expected to meet on Monday to discuss a state-backed refinancing plan designed to strengthen its balance sheet after a year of coronavirus shutdowns, two sources familiar with the matter said on Friday.

The airline group, which last year received 10.4 billion euros ($12.2 billion) in government-backed loans, has been discussing a multi-stage recapitalisation plan to lighten the resulting debt load, sources have said.

But the plan, likely to include conversion of a 3 billion-euro French government loan into hybrid instruments, has been held up by wrangling over European Union demands that Air France give up Paris-Orly take-off and landing slots as a condition.

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire signalled a breakthrough in those talks earlier this week, predicting an agreement within “a matter of days”.

Air France-KLM declined to comment on the airline group’s planned board meeting, first reported by Bloomberg.

LONDON — The British government is gearing up to ban international arrivals from four more countries — Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan and the Philippines — amid concerns over new virus variants but opted against including European nations that are facing a resurgence of the virus.

The Department for Transport said Friday that the number of countries on its “red list” will reach 39 when the latest restrictions take effect in England beginning April 9. The other nations of the U.K. — Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland — have similar lists.

Under the terms of the travel bans, international visitors who have departed from or travelled through red-list countries in the preceding 10 days are refused entry into England. Countries on the list include Brazil and South Africa, where two of the most concerning virus variants have been identified.

British and Irish citizens and people who have residence rights in the U.K. can enter, as commercial flights are not banned. However, they must quarantine in a government-approved hotel for 10 days at their own expense and must take a COVID-19 test on days two and eight of their self-isolation.

No European nations are on the British red list, even though much of Europe is witnessing a resurgence of the virus that has prompted many countries to reimpose lockdown restrictions. Health experts say the surge is being driven by virus variants, including the one first identified in Britain, that are sweeping the continent. The World Health Organization on Thursday bemoaned the slow pace of vaccinations in European nations other than Britain, saying they were losing the race to protect their people.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservative government has faced questions in recent days as to why France, which is suffering one of the worst outbreaks in Europe, is not on the list. Yet putting France on the red list could have serious implications for trade flows in and out of the U.K., given its reliance on traffic from cross-Channel ports.

The U.K. transport department said the majority of cases of the South African variant detected in England so far were linked to international travel and that very few are thought to have come from Europe.

The measures are aimed at reducing the risk posed by new virus variants into the U.K., which has recorded Europe’s highest COVID-related death toll, with over 126,500 deaths.

The U.K. has seen new coronavirus infections and deaths fall sharply since the winter amid a strict 3-month lockdown and a rapid rollout of coronavirus vaccines. The U.K. has now given a first vaccine shot to over 31 million people — 46% of its population — much more than the European Union average of 5.6% of the population.

Earlier this week, restrictions on gatherings in England were relaxed following the big fall in cases — the U.K. is recording around 4,500 new infections every day compared with around 70,000 a day earlier this year. Groups of up to six people, or two households, are allowed to meet outdoors.

Johnson on Friday urged people to follow the rules and to not mix indoors during this Easter weekend even if people have received a vaccine shot.

“Even though your friends and family members may be vaccinated, the vaccines are not giving 100% protection, and that’s why we just need to be cautious," he said during a question and answer session on Twitter. “We don’t think that they entirely reduce or remove the risk of transmission.”

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California on Friday cleared the way for people to attend indoor concerts, theatre performances and NBA games for the first time in more than a year as the rate of people testing positive for the coronavirus in the state nears a record low.

State officials won't require testing or proof of vaccination for some of those events, but they do limit the number of people allowed to attend. Events that do require testing and vaccinations will be allowed to have more paying customers than those that don’t. Only people who live in California can attend these live performances.

The rules are different for private indoor gatherings, including weddings, meetings or conferences. Those are only to be allowed if all guests test negative for the coronavirus at least 72 hours in advance or show proof of full vaccination. The changes do not mention requiring proof of vaccination and put much of the enforcement on business owners and operators.

“Allowing some of these activities and opportunities to vaccinated individuals is an incentive,” said Dee Dee Myers, director of the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. “If they can return to some of their favourite activities because they're vaccinated then hopefully a few more people will go and get vaccinated.”

The new rules seem to nudge California toward a system of vaccine verification, a hotly debated issue across the country. New York has launched a digital pass residents can use to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test that is accepted at major entertainment venues. But Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order on Friday banning businesses from requiring so-called “vaccine passports.”

President Joe Biden's administration has said the federal government won't come up with a national vaccine passport app, leaving that to the private sector. But the federal government is devising regulations for how and when those passports can be used.

California Public Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragón said Friday the state will follow the federal government's lead but said vaccinations won't be required for essential services.

California's new rules come as the state has administered nearly 19 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines. Nearly 6.9 million people are fully vaccinated in a state with close to 40 million residents. Only people 50 and over are eligible statewide to get the vaccine now, followed by those 16 and older on April 15.

Requiring proof of vaccination prompts questions of privacy and equity as not everyone will be able to get a vaccine while others would not want their medical information stored in a clearinghouse, said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California-San Francisco.

She noted that similar requirements in other countries have prompted people to get vaccinated, but the most notable problem in California is “we just haven't simply vaccinated enough people in the population right now,” she said. Surges in some parts of the country also suggest it's not a low-risk time to lift restrictions, she said.

The new rules will continue to adhere to California's tier system, in which sectors of the economy can reopen depending on how widespread the virus is in each county.

In the most restrictive purple tier, indoor concerts, sporting events and theatre productions aren't allowed. In the red tier, venues of up to 1,500 people can operate at 10% and grow to 25% if all guests provide evidence of vaccination or a negative test. Venues of 1,501 people or more can operate at 20% capacity in the red tier, but must show proof of vaccination or a negative test. Capacity increases for tiers where the virus is less widespread.

Venues can also choose to separate people into sections based on their vaccination status. Those who are fully vaccinated could sit shoulder-to-shoulder but they still must wear masks, Aragón said.

Ben Bleiman, a San Francisco nightlife activist and chairman of the California Music and Culture Association, said venues need full capacity to make any money — but members will take the change, albeit with some trepidation.

“On the one side you have the thrill and the joy of reopening," he said, adding on the other, “there’s some dread that something's going to go wrong.”

Private indoor events, including wedding receptions and conventions, are not allowed in the purple tier. In the red tier, they are limited to 100 people and all guests must show proof of either a negative test or that they have been fully vaccinated. More people can attend such events in less restrictive tiers.

Most of California's 58 counties are in the red tier, but big population centres like San Francisco, Santa Clara County and Los Angeles County are in the less restrictive orange tier. Just two counties are in the lowest yellow tier.

Those capacity limits for private gatherings likely won't help large convention centres , which rely on indoor events that attract thousands of people.

Ray Roa, director of sales and marketing for the Fresno Convention & Entertainment Center, said the updates are a step in the right direction, but officials need guidance on how to hold large-scale meetings and events like the ones his venue typically hosts.

Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a San Diego vaccination site Friday to highlight California's vaccination efforts. Newsom, 53, got vaccinated on Thursday, the first day California allowed anyone 50 and older to get a shot.

“We’re not going to get to herd immunity, we’re not going to get back to that semblance of normalcy unless we get more people vaccinated," Newsom said.

The company behind a Danish COVID passport app says its rollout will cause a "domino effect" across Europe.

© Sky News Screen Grab Netcompany is developing an app which will be ready for use in Denmark by May

Netcompany is developing an app which will be ready for use in Denmark by May.

It will show whether a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19 as well as recent test results.

The firm's chief executive Andre Rogaczewski said international interest in the technology is "very high".

"We are talking to at least a dozen of countries, and most of them in Europe right now," he told Sky News.

The UK could be among them, although no details have been confirmed.

The Danish app is being designed with three main goals; efficiency, simplicity and safety.

"If you have to certify that you've been tested you run around with a piece of paper.

"Or if you've been vaccinated, you probably run around with a piece of paper. Now this is replacing the paper with a digital certificate."

Denmark was the first country in Europe to confirm it will use digital passports.

Mr Rogaczewski said: "I think that's going to start some sort of domino effect. We will see more countries in Europe following suit."

He was quick to defend the platform's safety.

"It's actually safer than using the paper, because if you use a paper certificate, you can actually copy it, you can lose it, someone else can use it, you can you can pretend to be someone else," he said.

The idea of vaccine passports has faced some strong opposition in the UK - a marked difference to Denmark where Mr Rogaczewski says there is a "broad acceptance". He thinks it will be a vital tool in reopening life.

"The only thing you're exchanging, it's basically a red [or] a green light saying, I've been tested or vaccinated, and it's only been exchanged in that moment between those devices."

The app comes with a "sundown clause" which means once it's no longer needed it will be destroyed.

There has been suggestion the technology could be incorporated into the existing NHS COVID app. It can't be done quickly though. Netcompany's platform takes at least two to three months to set up, depending on the amount of preparation already in place.

BY  Hugh Morris, Emma Cooke

Holidays to some of the UK’s most popular destinations, including Spain, Greece and Turkey, will require pre-travel testing and at least three days of quarantine, according to new data.

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The plans of tens of thousands of British travellers could be disrupted by the news as the prospect of unfettered overseas travel by the summer recedes, with only a dozen countries set to be added to the “green” list in May. 

Spain, which alone welcomes 18 million Britons in a normal year, is to be added to a putative “amber” list when the Government introduces its new four-tier traffic light system for the resumption of holidays abroad. Cyprus could join it on the “amber” list, according to analysis by The PC Agency. 

Meanwhile the US could be set for one of its busiest summers as it looks likely to make the “green” list, along with Canada, Barbados and the United Arab Emirates. 

A Government source downplayed the Prime Minister’s announcement next week on the return of overseas travel, adding: “It is still too early to say where and when people will be able to go on holidays, but there will be detail about what that will look like.”

The number of Irish passports issued in Great Britain rocketed in the years following the Brexit referendum, according to figures.

© Alamy Stock Photo The surge in passport applications was most marked in 2019, when 120,8900 were issued by the Irish embassy in London.

The data emerged as it was revealed that the celebrated British author John le Carré went to his grave as an Irish citizen.

Data issued by Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, shows just over 422,000 passport applications were made in Great Britain in the years 2016 to 2020.

In the years 2017 to 2020, 358,900 passports were issued, compared with 63,500 in 2016, the year of the poll on the UK’s departure from the EU.

The surge in passport applications was most marked in 2019 when 120,800 were issued by the London embassy, double that of 2016 alone.

Related: John le Carré, chronicler of Englishness, died Irish, son reveals

The figures do not include numbers for Northern Ireland, where all citizens are entitled to dual British and Irish nationality under the Good Friday agreement.

Neale Richmond, a membe said Ireland was “proud of the global Irish community” and would welcome any new passport-holder to the country.

The figures come after it emerged that Le Carré, one of the UK’s most celebrated spy thriller authors, died an Irishman.

The creator of the quintessential English spy George Smiley was so opposed to Brexit that in order to remain European, and to reflect his heritage, he took Irish citizenship before his death last December aged 89, his son revealed this week.

“He was, by the time he died, an Irish citizen,” Nicholas Cornwell, who writes as Nick Harkaway, says in a BBC Radio 4 documentary due to air on Saturday evening. “On his last birthday I gave him an Irish flag, and so one of the last photographs I have of him is him sitting wrapped in an Irish flag, grinning his head off.”

Le Carré was entitled to Irish citizenship through his maternal grandmother, Olive Wolfe. Under Irish citizenship rules anyone who has or had a grandparent from the country is entitled to a passport once they enter into the foreign birth register.

© Ireland's department for foreign affairs Applications for Irish passports, both paper (above) and online applications (below) Photograph: Ireland's department for foreign affairs

Anecdotal evidence shows that since Brexit many people of Irish heritage born in Britain have sought to exercise this right to enable them to retain their rights to work, travel and retire anywhere in the EU.

In 2019, Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs saidmore than 43,000 British people applied for an Irish passport for the first time.

“The harsh impacts of Brexit and the attack on the rights of so many UK citizens has clearly motivated many to realise their Irish citizenship rights.

“We are proud of the global Irish community and take pride in every passport issued, needless to say if any of our diaspora wish to come home, they’ll be more than welcome,” said Richmond.

Just over 450,000 Irish passports were issued in 2020, according to the government figures, 13% of those through the Irish embassy in Britain.

BY  Tammy Hughes 

© Getty Images Passengers push luggage through the Arrival Hall of Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow Airport after arriving into the UK following the suspension of the travel corridors. Passengers arriving from anywhere outside the UK, Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man must have proof of a negative coronavirus test and self-isolate for 10 days. Picture date: Monday January 18, 2021. (Photo by Kirsty O'Connor/PA Images via Getty Images)

Travel bans are to be introduced for visitors from the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh, the Department of Transport has said.

The countries have been added to England’s so-called red list amid concerns about new Covid-19 variants, such as those first identified in South Africa and Brazil.

From 4am on Friday April 9, international visitors who have departed from or transited through the Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh in the previous 10 days will be refused entry into England.

The DfT said only British and Irish citizens, or those with residence rights in the UK (including long-term visa holders), will be allowed to enter and they must stay in a Government-approved quarantine facility for 10 days.

They will also be required to arrive into a designated port.

No direct flight bans from the countries will be put in place but passengers are being advised to check their travel plans before departing for England.

During their stay, passengers will be required to take a coronavirus test on or before day two and on or after day eight, and they will not be allowed to shorten their quarantine period on receipt of a negative test result.

They will also not be able to end their managed quarantine early through the Test to Release scheme.

The latest restrictions take the total number of countries on England’s red list to 39.

Earlier this month, Mauritius and Portugal were removed from the red list while Oman, Ethiopia, Qatar and Somalia were added.

UK travellers who have had both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine could avoid quarantine measures, under government plans to resume foreign holidays.

© Travellers returning to the UK from abroad will be expected to have pre-departure Covid tests (Photo...

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce when international travel may restart on Monday (5 April).

It is expected that the government will introduce a traffic light system for foreign travel, with countries to be rated as red, amber or green based on Covid infection rates, vaccination levels, and the prevalence of coronavirus variants.

What are the rules on foreign travel?

Overseas holidays are currently banned in the UK due to the current lockdown measures, with travel only permitted in exceptional circumstances, such as for work or study.

Legislation means that people living in England and Wales risk being issued with a £5,000 fine for breaking the rules.

In Scotland, it is currently illegal to travel abroad for holidays and other leisure purposes. The Scottish government has said that foreign travel will not be possible before 17 May and maybe for some time after.

Similarly, in Northern Ireland it is illegal to travel outside the Common Travel Area (UK, Republic of Ireland (ROI), Isle of Man and Channel Islands), unless you have a legally permitted reason to do so.

Covid tests before travel

Mr Johnson is due to outline plans for easing travel restrictions in England on Easter Monday (5 April), including requirements for foreign trips.

Travellers returning to the UK from abroad will be expected to have pre-departure Covid tests regardless of their vaccination status, according to plans from the government’s global travel taskforce.

However, those who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus could need fewer tests when returning from low-risk countries.

People who have received two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine may also avoid having to quarantine for 10 days following a visit to medium-risk countries, according to The Telegraph.

It comes after the Times reported on Friday (2 April) that travel to and from red-list countries will be banned, while green-list countries are expected to be free from quarantine measures.

Any restrictions on travelling abroad could see Brits shun international travel in favour of a domestic holiday, with scientific experts recommending that staycations should be encouraged over foreign trips this year.

Hesitancy towards the Covid-19 vaccine across parts of mainland Europe may also see popular tourist spots avoided by UK holidaymakers, with these locations deemed more high-risk than the likes of the US and Israel, where vaccination rates are good.

How would a traffic light system work?

A traffic light system for travel would allocate countries a colour depending whether they are safe for travellers to visit for a summer holiday.

Reports have suggested that no travel restrictions would be attached to green countries, but those returning from yellow listed countries would be required to present proof of Covid-19 testing and/or vaccination before entering the UK. Although no quarantine requirements would be in place in this case.

Travel to and from an amber country would require a coronavirus test within seven hours of departure and arrival to and from the UK, with travellers able to leave quarantine on the third day if they test negative.

No entry would be permitted from red-list countries with limited exceptions.

The World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) continues to require stronger coordination between countries on travel customs in order to assure safe restart of tourism and prevent another year of tremendous losses in the industry.

The request follows a previous call of the UNWTO for a balanced and eco-friendly restart of tourism at the ITB Berlin Now earlier in March, concerning the hardships that the sector is going through.

The disastrous impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on global tourism is still prevailing in 2021, with the new UNWTO’s statistics showing an 87 per cent decrease in international tourist arrivals this January in comparison to the same time last year.

The tourism sector suffered even more due to the stringent travel restrictions most countries imposed to contain the further spread of the COVID-19.

According to the UNWTO World Tourism Barometer’s latest publication, regions all over the world experienced large-scale drops in tourist arrivals during the first month of the year. Obligatory testing, self-isolation, and occasional total border shutdowns have hugely affected international travel recovery. Additionally, the vaccine rollout procedure has not been as fast as anticipated, causing further tourism restart delays.

In a press release, UNWTO pointed out that Asia and the Pacific recorded the largest decrease of 96 per cent in international arrivals during January due to the travel restrictions currently effective in these regions.

Similarly, Europe and Africa experienced a drop of 85 per cent in arrivals, whereas the Middle East recorded a decline of 84 per cent. Likewise, in North and South America the international arrivals dropped by 77 per cent.

“2020 was the worst year on record for tourism. Improved coordination between countries and harmonized travel and health protocols are essential to restore confidence in tourism and allow international travel to resume safely ahead of the peak summer season in the northern hemisphere,” UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said, commenting on the travel and tourism sector’s current situation.

UNWTO foresees a challenging first few months of 2021 regarding international tourism since 32 per cent of international destinations were completely shut down at the beginning of February, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

Given the current patterns observed, UNWTO anticipates international arrivals to decrease by around 85 per cent in the first four months of 2021 compared to the same period in 2019, representing a loss of approximately 260 million international arrivals compared to the pre-pandemic period.

UNWTO explained that two scenarios regarding the recovery of international travel in the second half of 2021 have already been outlined. The scenarios are based on several components, particularly on the lifting of travel restrictions, successful vaccination schemes, as well as a common Digital Green Certificate established by the European Commission.

The first scenario refers to a rebound in July, which would stimulate an increase of 66 per cent in international arrivals in 2021 compared to the all-time low of 2020. However, the arrivals would still be 55 per cent below the amount recorded in 2019.

The second scenario estimated a possible rebound in September, resulting in an increase of 22 per cent in international arrivals compared to the last year.

Portugal on Monday reopened museums, cafe terraces, and secondary schools nearly two months after tightening Covid-19 curbs following a wave of cases early this year.

There was an explosion of cases following Christmas and New Year festivities which led to overstretched hospitals and the government imposed a general lockdown in the middle of January and closed schools a week later.

There have been nearly 16,900 coronavirus deaths and 823,335 cases so far, according to an official tally on Sunday.

Primary schools reopened on March 15.

Monday’s easing comes with some guidelines. Only four people will be able to sit together at a table in cafe terraces while museums can change their opening hours.

Group training sessions at gyms and sports venues remain banned.

“We are expecting very few visitors” due to the paucity of foreign tourists, Antonio Nunes Pereira, director of the Palace of Pena in Sintra, outside Lisbon, told AFP.

“We expect a return to normal next summer… when the vaccination process advances in Europe,” he said.

The museum is one of Portugal’s most visited sites and drew over two million visitors in 2019. Eighty-five percent of them were foreigners.

The government has launched mass Covid tests and started vaccinating teachers.

It plans to start reopening high schools, universities and auditoriums, and concert halls later this month and restaurants in May.

The situation is being reviewed every two weeks and the government can tighten restrictions in municipalities with a high number of cases.

Portugal has suspended flights with Brazil and Britain to ward off the new variants that emerged in those countries and tightened controls on the land border with Spain.