Simon Calder offers advice on booking staycations for 2021

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Cornwall is set to see a swarm of holidaymakers decent on the region during the summer months. In recent weeks cases of coronavirus in the county have soared to their highest so far, with over 2,000 cases recorded between July 10 and July 16.

Before this, the nation’s highest record was 1,997.

As a result, tourism bosses are urging visitors to show caution and “respect” when travelling to the region.

This includes taking a COVID-19 test before travelling and ensuring a negative result.

Tourism officials also recommend holidaymakers pack their own lateral flow tests with them to take throughout their holiday.

Lateral flow tests can now be obtained for free either by ordering them from the NHS website, collecting them from a dedicated pick-up point such as a pharmacy, or going to a test site.

Visit Cornwall’s chief executive says visitors must view the season as a “summer of understanding”.

Council officials, meanwhile, have requested visitors to “respect local communities in holiday hotspots”.

This may mean following specific rules and restrictions put in place by individual businesses.

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The council said they are “asking everyone to try and keep a distance between people and wear a face covering if a business asks you to as they are protecting their staff as well as you.”

The warning comes following insight from Professor Tim Spector, who runs one of the UK’s key symptom-tracking studies, suggesting strict international travel restrictions have led to an influx in mixing and spreading in the coastal region.

According to the latest Covid statistics, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have recorded 383 cases per 100,000 people.

Although this is still below England’s national figure of 525, Cornish officials are urging visitors to play their part in keeping numbers down.

Rachel Wigglesworth, director of public health for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “We’re glad that so many people want to come and spend time in our beautiful county, but we ask that you are respectful and help us to keep the virus under control.

“Please enjoy your holiday and make wonderful memories here because it’s a special place – but remember that our local communities will have to live with the consequences if case numbers increase.

“Businesses might still have reduced numbers inside a venue or ask you to wear a face-covering in small, enclosed spaces.

“And we ask that you also wear a face-covering using our public transport.”

Similarly, Cornwall’s tourism bosses urged people to “stick to guidelines”.

Malcolm Bell, chief executive of Visit Cornwall explained: “We ask and hope that everyone on a day trip within Cornwall and the wider region, as well as our staying visitors we see this holiday season as a ‘Summer of Understanding.’

“We all need to understand that the virus will have a great summer of spreading infection if we allow it to, by not sticking to the guidelines.

“The virus will also cause strains on our public and health services, as well as problems when staff must self-isolate in hospitality, so please be on your guard and be patient and understanding when disruptions happen – no one is responsible it is just life in the ongoing pandemic crisis.

“Please enjoy a great break or holiday, be on your guard and be patient and understanding.”

Professor Spector added: “Top UK holiday destinations like Cornwall are emerging as new areas with rapidly increasing cases.

“I think this is down to a number of factors, including the sudden influx of holidaymakers over half term, as well as the recent G7 summit and a previously unexposed local population.

“We need to remain vigilant of these UK holiday destinations as summer holidays approach, and ensure that we minimise outbreaks by following government guidelines.”

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