UK tourist hotspots tell people to stay away

LONDON: UK regions traditionally desperate for tourists on Saturday urged people not to visit the coast or the countryside for fear of spreading the coronavirus. Cornwall, in the far south-west of England, has asked people to stay away amid fears there could be a mass exodus from London by people with second homes in rural regions following the UK government’s decision to close down large parts of the capital. Steve Double, Conservative MP for St Austell and Newquay, tweeted and told Sky TV that people should keep away. “Please do not travel to Cornwall, we do not want to spread this virus any further,” he said, amid “endless reports” that people were heading to the region. He said such journeys could “cost lives”. Double’s constituency, famous for its surfing, is one of the most highly-visited regions by UK holidaymakers. Official figures calculate that some four million tourists visit Cornwall every year. HOMELESS: Meanwhile, hundreds of homeless people in London are being housed in hotels to self-isolate and give them “vital protection” from the coronavirus, the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan announced on Saturday. — AFP