LONDON - Britons should wait before booking summer holidays abroad, social care minister Helen Whately warned on Monday, pointing out that there were rising COVID-19 infection rates in Europe.

"My advice would be to anybody right now is just to hold off on booking international travel," she told the BBC.

"It just feels pre-mature to be booking international holidays at the moment."

(Reporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton) ((sarah.young@thomsonreuters.com; +44 20 7542 1109; Reuters Messaging: sarah.young.thomsonreuters@reuters.net))