Long queues formed at the Port of Dover on Friday as thousands of travellers tried to get to France ahead of the country’s ban on UK tourists, which comes into force at 11pm.
Many brought their Christmas travel plans forward to avoid the new restrictions, which require UK citizens to have a “compelling reason” to enter France, with trips for tourism or business banned.
Meanwhile another Covid record was broken on Friday as the UK reported 93,045 new cases, more than 4,600 up on the previous high a day earlier.
It comes as a leading health expert said most people who contract the Omicron variant have a “milder condition that looks just like a severe cold” and will recover “within five days”.
Professor Tim Spector, chief scientist on the ZOE Covid App, said many patients were not experiencing the “classical triad” of a persistent cough, loss of sense of smell or taste and high fever.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s Cabinet has agreed to introduce an 8pm closing time for hospitality amid concern about the spread of Omicron.
