Treatment abroad for Covid-19 and repatriation to the UK will be included as standard as part of Saga travel insurance policies for all trips from 1 June.

The over-50s insurance and holidays specialist has said that it has added the cover to help customers feel more comfortable travelling once the government advice changes to say that it is safe to do so.

The cover has been added across both standalone travel insurance products and the optional cover offered to all Saga holiday and cruise customers.

The policy update will compensate and care for customers should they fall ill with coronavirus while travelling outside the UK, including those with underlying health conditions.

The introduction has come in response to increasing customer demand with 74 per cent of Saga customers saying that they would be unlikely to take out travel insurance if it didn’t cover Covid-19 risks.

Saga was one of the first to offer cover to customers stranded due to volcanic ash clouds, pay claims as result of scheduled airline failure, and offer cover for laptops when they had to be stored in the hold on certain flights.

The company has said that will continue to review its policy to ensure customers receive “significant value” from the cover and customer feedback will be central to further policy updates.

Head of product, Saga health and travel insurance, Kevin McMullan, said: “Understandably, the current crisis has put travel plans on hold for many people.

“However, with the UK’s strict lockdown measures beginning to lift, more people may be planning both exciting and much-needed trips away over the coming months.

“We recognise that this may be a daunting process, particularly for customers with underlying health concerns. We want to give people the confidence and reassurance that if they were to fall ill abroad, we’re there to help and get them back home safely.

“We’re continuing to review and innovate our products to ensure they work as well as they can for our customers.

“However, we know the impact of coronavirus is far-reaching. We’d encourage customers to contact us directly if they’d like to discuss their individual circumstances and how we can best support them through these uncertain times.”

Visit saga.co.uk for more information.