Coronavirus is likely to fundamentally change how we holiday, just as it has affected every aspect of our lives

Travelling enriches our lives and adds to mental wellbeing – so it must be allowed to continue, writes Janet Street-Porter

Trips to places like New York may prove less of a pull over the coming months (Reuters)

This is a bank holiday weekend, but thanks to the last six weeks of the coronavirus lockdown, it doesn’t feel like it. Early in lockdown, I was in denial about a longed-for holiday in Italy next month. As the death toll rose, cancellation became the only option.

When the villa company refused a refund, I was forced to rebook the same house for next year. But will I still want to go? Thousands of you will be in the same situation – as lockdown is gradually lifted, does a summer holiday seem a dumb idea?

Not only has the virus produced extraordinarily high levels of fear and anxiety in the UK, it’s changed the balance between work and leisure. A poll this week indicated that almost three-quarters of us think that people should be able to refuse to go back to work if they don’t feel safe, and two-thirds think that parents should not be fined for keeping their children out of schools when they re-open.