People in Britain who have been vaccinated could receive a certificate confirming they are safe to travel abroad even if coronavirus restrictions remain in place until autumn.
The government’s Covid-19 operations committee later is meeting on Friday to consider creating a system that creates some freedom for international travel.
While no final decisions are expected to be made on Friday, the Department for Transport is likely to be given approval to step up preparations.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Thursday that the government was in talks with the travel industry about setting up a scheme with “all kinds of apps” that could be used.
“We’re looking at all sorts of things that we may wish to do in the months ahead,” he said, as ministers continued talks with travel companies.
Home Office minister Victoria Atkins denied that the government was bringing in “vaccine passports” but said an international system was being considered.
“We have no plans to introduce vaccine passports. The transport secretary has talked about the possibility of an international system but we are a long way from that at the moment,” she told Sky News on Friday.
A spokesman said that the government wanted to “open up international travel in a responsible, safe and fair manner”.
"We want to ensure there is an internationally recognised approach to enable travel and are working closely with international partners to do so,” he said.
With international travel still illegal, the World Travel and Tourism Council warned that the UK faced a greater hit to its economy than countries such as Germany that imposed fewer travel barriers to curb the spread of Covid-19. Office for National Statistics figures released on Friday said that the UK economy shrunk by a record 9.9 per cent last year.
“We believe the impact of constantly shifting policies on testing, quarantines and the placing of countries in so-called high-risk red zones will jeopardise the return of a sector which contributes nearly £200 billion ($275.65bn) annually to the UK economy,” WTTC president Gloria Guevara said.
But Ms Atkins said next week was "critical" when asked when the UK could emerge from lockdown.
Mr Johnson is due to announce his road map out of lockdown on February 22.
"Next week is a critical week, we are going to gather all of the data – both internationally and our own data,” Ms Atkins said. “At this point we’ve just got to keep tight and do all we can to keep the pandemic under control.”
Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England said that some restrictions might need to remain in place until all adults are inoculated against the disease.
She said that it was “still difficult to say” whether rules would be tighter this summer than they were in summer 2020.
“I think we are going to have to have some measures in place until the whole population is vaccinated, at least all of the adult population,” she said.
"And even then I think we'll need to know more about transmission before we can release everything and get back to life as it was."
It is understood ministers are suggesting face masks and social distancing rules should remain mandatory for many months after restaurants, pubs and offices reopen.
"The more restrictions we have in place, like social distancing rules, the more we can do in terms of easing," a government source told The Times.
Sir Jeremy Farrer, head of the Wellcome Trust research fund, said it was “not sensible” for ministers to set a date for lifting restrictions.
“The data has to drive us and in 2020 we lifted restrictions too quickly when the data would not really have allowed that and as a result the transmission went back up in this country,” he said.
Prof John Edmunds, a scientific adviser to the government, warned that some restrictions could remain in place until the end of the year. He said that loosening restrictions too hastily could drive the R number – a measure of how fast an infected person spreads the disease – would rise above 1, indicating the virus is in widespread circulation.
“If we opened schools I think the reproduction number would get close to 1 and possibly exceed 1. If we opened them up completely, if we opened secondary schools and primary schools at the same time, I suspect we’d be lucky to keep the reproduction number below 1,” he told ITV.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 4/5
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday Celta Vigo v Villarreal (midnight kick-off UAE)
Saturday Sevilla v Real Sociedad (4pm), Atletico Madrid v Athletic Bilbao (7.15pm), Granada v Barcelona (9.30pm), Osasuna v Real Madrid (midnight)
Sunday Levante v Eibar (4pm), Cadiz v Alaves (7.15pm), Elche v Getafe (9.30pm), Real Valladolid v Valencia (midnight)
Monday Huesca v Real Betis (midnight)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Scorecard
Scotland 220
K Coetzer 95, J Siddique 3-49, R Mustafa 3-35
UAE 224-3 in 43,5 overs
C Suri 67, B Hameed 63 not out
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
SERIE A FIXTURES
Friday Sassuolo v Benevento (Kick-off 11.45pm)
Saturday Crotone v Spezia (6pm), Torino v Udinese (9pm), Lazio v Verona (11.45pm)
Sunday Cagliari v Inter Milan (3.30pm), Atalanta v Fiorentina (6pm), Napoli v Sampdoria (6pm), Bologna v Roma (6pm), Genoa v Juventus (9pm), AC Milan v Parma (11.45pm)
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Juventus 1 (Dybala 45')
Lazio 3 (Alberto 16', Lulic 73', Cataldi 90 4')
Red card: Rodrigo Bentancur (Juventus)
Indian construction workers stranded in Ajman with unpaid dues
CABINET%20OF%20CURIOSITIES%20EPISODE%201%3A%20LOT%2036
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGuillermo%20del%20Toro%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tim%20Blake%20Nelson%2C%20Sebastian%20Roche%2C%20Elpidia%20Carrillo%3Cbr%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
NATIONAL%20SELECTIONS
%3Cp%3E6.00pm%3A%20Heros%20de%20Lagarde%3Cbr%3E6.35pm%3A%20City%20Walk%3Cbr%3E7.10pm%3A%20Mimi%20Kakushi%3Cbr%3E7.45pm%3A%20New%20Kingdom%3Cbr%3E8.20pm%3A%20Siskany%3Cbr%3E8.55pm%3A%20Nations%20Pride%3Cbr%3E9.30pm%3A%20Ever%20Given%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
ICC Awards for 2021
MEN
Cricketer of the Year – Shaheen Afridi (Pakistan)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Mohammad Rizwan (Pakistan)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Babar Azam (Pakistan)
Test Cricketer of the Year – Joe Root (England)
WOMEN
Cricketer of the Year – Smriti Mandhana (India)
ODI Cricketer of the Year – Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
T20 Cricketer of the Year – Tammy Beaumont (England)
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
School counsellors on mental well-being
Schools counsellors in Abu Dhabi have put a number of provisions in place to help support pupils returning to the classroom next week.
Many children will resume in-person lessons for the first time in 10 months and parents previously raised concerns about the long-term effects of distance learning.
Schools leaders and counsellors said extra support will be offered to anyone that needs it. Additionally, heads of years will be on hand to offer advice or coping mechanisms to ease any concerns.
“Anxiety this time round has really spiralled, more so than from the first lockdown at the beginning of the pandemic,” said Priya Mitchell, counsellor at The British School Al Khubairat in Abu Dhabi.
“Some have got used to being at home don’t want to go back, while others are desperate to get back.
“We have seen an increase in depressive symptoms, especially with older pupils, and self-harm is starting younger.
“It is worrying and has taught us how important it is that we prioritise mental well-being.”
Ms Mitchell said she was liaising more with heads of year so they can support and offer advice to pupils if the demand is there.
The school will also carry out mental well-being checks so they can pick up on any behavioural patterns and put interventions in place to help pupils.
At Raha International School, the well-being team has provided parents with assessment surveys to see how they can support students at home to transition back to school.
“They have created a Well-being Resource Bank that parents have access to on information on various domains of mental health for students and families,” a team member said.
“Our pastoral team have been working with students to help ease the transition and reduce anxiety that [pupils] may experience after some have been nearly a year off campus.
"Special secondary tutorial classes have also focused on preparing students for their return; going over new guidelines, expectations and daily schedules.”
Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
Profile of Tamatem
Date started: March 2013
Founder: Hussam Hammo
Based: Amman, Jordan
Employees: 55
Funding: $6m
Funders: Wamda Capital, Modern Electronics (part of Al Falaisah Group) and North Base Media
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000
