The government has amended advice on travel for eight districts across England worst-hit by the Indian coronavirus variant after widespread confusion on Tuesday.
Holiday plans were thrown into doubt when it emerged that guidance on the government website said residents in these areas should avoid non-essential travel.
The amended advice now asks people to “minimise travel” into and out of eight local authority areas: Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton Metropolitan, Burnley, Kirklees, Leicester, North Tyneside and Hounslow – which neighbours Heathrow.
Local MPs, mayors and health officials said they were not informed about the tightening of restrictions, which appeared without announcement on the government website on Friday (May 21).
Grant Shapps said on Wednesday morning that the advice was “not a new lockdown” and it was “guidance not law” but it was timely to remind people in those areas with heightened case rates of Covid-19 about advice on social distancing and being outdoors.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast he said: “Use your common sense.
“I am not sure it is all that complicated. I do not want to accuse the BBC or anyone else of helping to muddy the waters.
“The law is the law…it does not vary.”
When pressed about the confusion over holiday plans he admitted: “I do not want to sit here and say the comms couldn’t be clearer. I think it can. We will certainly make sure we learn from that…but I also don’t accept it is all that complicated.”
Reporting on the confusion, the BBC said: “Bank holiday plans were plunged into disarray as a result. Many people called off plans at short notice when that initial advice emerged without an announcement, and local leaders said they had not been consulted.”
Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth described the situation on Tuesday as “chaos” and a “fiasco” but welcomed the change in advice.
Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South East, tweeted on Tuesday night: “This would be funny if the situation in Bolton wasn’t so serious.
“This Govt is an absolute clown show. Genuinely unbelievable how inept they are.
“Just received word that there are no local lockdowns nor travel restrictions in Bolton. Which one is it?!”
Directors of public health in the eight areas issued a joint statement later on Tuesday saying: “Following the national coverage of recently revised guidance we have met with national officials and confirmed there are no restrictions on travel in or out of each of our areas: there are no local lockdowns.
“There are sensible public health precautions people can take as individuals in line with the sorts of advice we have all been following throughout the pandemic.”