Cornwall public health director tells holidaymakers: ‘Please don’t just turn up’

‘We encourage all our visitors to plan ahead. A lot of our accommodation is booked up,’ says Rachel Wigglesworth

As airlines move planes and crews from international routes to domestic flights, Cornwall’s public health director has warned holidaymakers: “Please don’t just turn up.”

Rachel Wigglesworth was speaking on the BBC Today programme after the government revealed new coronavirus cases in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly had more than doubled in the week to 21 June compared with the previous seven days.

New infections were reported at 126 per day, an increase of 108 per cent.

Ms Wigglesworth said: “Importantly people should plan before they come to Cornwall.

“A lot of our accommodation is booked up so please don’t just just turn up.”

Demand for rooms is so intense that a week’s stay in July at the Headland Hotel in Newquay costs over £2,800 for two, in a “cosy” room with no exterior windows.

Cornwall’s public health director rejected the suggestion that the soaring case numbers were due to the recent G7 Summit, held in the resort of Carbis Bay.

She said: “There has been a rapid rise in our cases since really the relaxing of the rules from 17 May and then half term in Cornwall.

“We have seen quite a rapid rise particularly amongst our 18-to-30-year-olds, which of course at the moment are mainly unvaccinated.

“So that’s a population that have been particularly affected. Whilst we are concerned that there is a rise in infections, currently we don’t have an impact on our hospitalisations, which is a positive thing.”

With an effective ban in place on international holidays, UK airlines are switching capacity to Cornwall’s main airport, Newquay.

On Monday the first Loganair flight from Shetland via Aberdeen and Manchester arrived in the county, and easyJet has announced new links from Birmingham and Inverness to Newquay airport.