Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

[Eyersey468]

One encouraging thing about all the countries who advocated a "Zero COVID" policy being proved wrong is that it will be very unlikely that there will be a COVID style lockdown in any future pandemic.

For a long time I wasn't so sure, however now that the damage that lockdowns cause, which a lot of people predicted and got vilified for it,is becoming clearer by the day I agree it is unlikely there would be another lockdown as we can't afford it

 

[kevin_roche]

One encouraging thing about all the countries who advocated a "Zero COVID" policy being proved wrong is that it will be very unlikely that there will be a COVID style lockdown in any future pandemic.

Unfortunately, not everyone see's it that way. Someone recently said to me that China should have stayed locked down until everyone was properly vaccinated. The issue they have is that their vaccine doesn't work as well with Omicron as the ones in the west and they refuse to buy a western one. There is still a lot of people who liked staying at home being paid to watch netflix.

 

[102 fan]

Unfortunately, not everyone see's it that way. Someone recently said to me that China should have stayed locked down until everyone was properly vaccinated. The issue they have is that their vaccine doesn't work as well with Omicron as the ones in the west and they refuse to buy a western one. There is still a lot of people who liked staying at home being paid to watch netflix.

Do any of the Covid vaccines protect against transmission?

 

[kevin_roche]

Do any of the Covid vaccines protect against transmission?

I don't believe so.

 

[westv]

Although presumably if you are vaccinated you have less virus to spread about anyway.

 

[Razorblades]

Although presumably if you are vaccinated you have less virus to spread about anyway.

Likewise if you're unjabbed and have recovered from the virus and now have natural immunity.

 

[102 fan]

I don't believe so.

Making vaccine entry restrictions pointless.

 

[rumoto]

Finally, Spain has announced that their mask mandate in public transport will end on 8 February, after that obligation is repealed on the Government's Cabinet Meeting at 7 February


Compulsory use of face masks on public transport in Spain ends on 7 February.

La mascarilla dejará de ser obligatoria en el transporte el 8 de febrero

La ministra de Sanidad, Carolina Darias, ha avanzado que el Consejo de Ministros aprobará el próximo 7 de febrero que la mascarilla deje de ser obligatoria en el transporte público

www.vozpopuli.com

The mask will no longer be mandatory on public transport on February 8 . This has been announced by the Minister of Health, Carolina Darias, who has advanced that the Council of Ministers will approve that these cease to be essential to travel by Metro, bus, taxis and other transport on February 7. The measure, therefore, will be effective the following day, February 8, when it is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
On February 7, the current obligation to wear masks on public transport will be modified by a mere recommendation. The recommendation will be aimed at the most vulnerable population.

 

[island]

Not before time.

 

[Watershed]

Ironic how Germany will have got there first, having had the more onerous (FFP2) mandate and having promised to keep it in place for at least a month longer.

But, better late than never! Now just to see how long it takes airlines to update their policies...

 

[Butts]

Ironic how Germany will have got there first, having had the more onerous (FFP2) mandate and having promised to keep it in place for at least a month longer.

But, better late than never! Now just to see how long it takes airlines to update their policies...

I believe enforcement has been variable for some time

 

[Watershed]

I believe enforcement has been variable for some time

Indeed, but with literally every other country in Europe having dropped their mandate, I simply steered clear rather than risking the hassle and stress.

 

[Paul Kelly]

Germany hasn't required masks on planes since around September/October last year. It is only still on ground-based public transport (and not in all states).

 

[rg177]

Bavaria largely back to normal now, just lots of mask-related signage and distancing marking lingering. The Transdev-owned operator that does the RE5 between München and Salzburg played a short "We recommend wearing a mask" announcement once while I was on board, but nobody else is thankfully bothering.

On regional transport, mask-wearing has dropped off a cliff-edge to effectively 1%, if that. Long-distance will probably follow next week when it's dropped from there too.

Nice and normal, which is the first time in a long time I've been able to say that about a visit to Germany.

 

[nw1]

Bavaria largely back to normal now, just lots of mask-related signage and distancing marking lingering. The Transdev-owned operator that does the RE5 between München and Salzburg played a short "We recommend wearing a mask" announcement once while I was on board, but nobody else is thankfully bothering.

Sorry, nothing to do with Covid, but a train-related question: Is that still "Meridian"? I remember going to Germany some years ago and noting that the stopping trains along that route were no longer DB but run by Meridian, which I think (?) was owned by the same company as the Berchtesgadener Land Bahn (but might be wrong).

 

[rg177]

Sorry, nothing to do with Covid, but a train-related question: Is that still "Meridian"? I remember going to Germany some years ago and noting that the stopping trains along that route were no longer DB but run by Meridian, which I think (?) was owned by the same company as the Berchtesgadener Land Bahn (but might be wrong).

It's the Bayerische Regiobahn (which does, or at least did, brand themselves as Meridian on that route).

Still uses FLIRT 3s as well, as well as down to Kufstein.

 

[duncanp]

Unfortunately, not everyone see's it that way. Someone recently said to me that China should have stayed locked down until everyone was properly vaccinated. The issue they have is that their vaccine doesn't work as well with Omicron as the ones in the west and they refuse to buy a western one. There is still a lot of people who liked staying at home being paid to watch netflix.

But before COVID came along, it took on average several years to develop, test and perform clinical trials for a new vaccine.

We were very fortunate that the COVID vaccines were developed in a shorter timeframe, nothwithstanding the allegations that some people have made with regard to testing, approval and side effects.

For any future pandemic, there is no guarantee that a vaccine will be developed in the same timeframe as the COVID vaccine was, and even if there was such a guarantee, the economies of the world simply cannot afford to shut down for 6 - 9 months.

The consequences of the COVID lockdown and restrictions will be with us for many years to come, for at least the rest of the 2020s, I believe.

 

[Bungle73]

Germany hasn't required masks on planes since around September/October last year. It is only still on ground-based public transport (and not in all states).

Because, famously, Covid prefers to infect people on trains rather than planes.

But before COVID came along, it took on average several years to develop, test and perform clinical trials for a new vaccine.

We were very fortunate that the COVID vaccines were developed in a shorter timeframe, nothwithstanding the allegations that some people have made with regard to testing, approval and side effects.

For any future pandemic, there is no guarantee that a vaccine will be developed in the same timeframe as the COVID vaccine was, and even if there was such a guarantee, the economies of the world simply cannot afford to shut down for 6 - 9 months.

The consequences of the COVID lockdown and restrictions will be with us for many years to come, for at least the rest of the 2020s, I believe.

At least one of the vaccines was merely a modification of a vaccine that had already been in development for at least a decade.

 

[yorkie]

But before COVID came along, it took on average several years to develop, test and perform clinical trials for a new vaccine.

We were very fortunate that the COVID vaccines were developed in a shorter timeframe, nothwithstanding the allegations that some people have made with regard to testing, approval and side effects.

Coronavirus vaccines were already under development before Sars-CoV-2 existed; see:

The Oxford vaccine

The World Health Organisation declared COVID-19 a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Even before then, scientists around the world had started work on a potential vaccine.

www.ukri.org

...The Oxford-led vaccine team was among the first in the world to develop a vaccine candidate for COVID-19 because the team had a head start. The UK government has been investing in its vaccine research and development since before the current pandemic began...

But any further discussion on vaccines is best done in a separate thread (if there isn't an existing one that is open and suitable, please contact the moderation team to arrange for a new one, or for one to be unlocked, if there is some new material to be discussed)

For any future pandemic, there is no guarantee that a vaccine will be developed in the same timeframe as the COVID vaccine was, and even if there was such a guarantee, the economies of the world simply cannot afford to shut down for 6 - 9 months.

I agree that locking down until a vaccine has been administered is not practicable, but any such proposals are best discussed in a separate thread (as per the above).

The consequences of the COVID lockdown and restrictions will be with us for many years to come, for at least the rest of the 2020s, I believe.

Indeed; countries that had more or greater restrictions did not necessarily do 'better' in relation to the effects on the population of the virus, but the negative effects are becoming clearer all the time now, but the negative effects are also being discussed elsewhere.

Are there any continuing restrictions abroad now that Spain and Germany have announced relaxations? The only immediate one I can think of (without checking) that is likely to affect many people from the UK is that the US still requires proof of vaccination to enter.

Because, famously, Covid prefers to infect people on trains rather than planes.

Mask mandates are purely political posturing; it's about asserting control and it's all for show. If Germany required masks on planes, they could do nothing about foreign plane companies and all it would actually achieve would be to deter people from using German brands.

 

[Watershed]

Are there any continuing restrictions abroad now that Spain and Germany have announced relaxations? The only immediate one I can think of (without checking) that is likely to affect many people from the UK is that the US still requires proof of vaccination to enter.

There are still a number of countries beyond Europe and North America that have vaccination or testing entry requirements and/or mask mandates.

The Sherpa Map, usually a reasonable (though not definitive) indicator of travel restrictions, indicates that there are currently 136 countries that you can travel to from the UK without needing to be vaccinated or tested (170 don't require testing if vaccinated).

51 countries require a test if unvaccinated (37 if vaccinated), whilst 4 require quarantine if unvaccinated (1 if vaccinated). 19 countries bar entry to the unvaccinated and 2 to even the vaccinated.

So the vast majority of destinations that people will tend to travel to no longer have entry requirements, but there are still some that do.

 

[MikeWM]

The Biden administration has said it will end the covid emergency declaration in the USA on, err, May 11th. Quite how they can know there will still be an 'emergency' in 3.5 months time - and not the day after! - is perhaps an exercise best left to the imagination.

Perhaps they'll remove their ludicrous requirement for proof of vaccination for non-citizens around the same time.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Masks will become optional on all German trains and buses from tomorrow.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Good. I'll have to arrange a visit, not been for far too long. Are they required anywhere else there?

 

[gordonthemoron]

THat's good to know for our travels in July

 

[Merseysider]

About bloody time. I didn’t bother wearing one on my latest trip (sipped my beer *slowly* to get away with it) but it has put me off making more trips there.

 

[rvdborgt]

Good. I'll have to arrange a visit, not been for far too long. Are they required anywhere else there?

Vienna, Spain (until 7 February, still has to be confirmed), Greece (only in city transport), Cyprus.
See this helpful overview (in German):

Drehscheibe Online Foren :: 08/01 - Auslandsforum "classic" :: [Welt] Länder mit noch bestehender Maskenpflicht (Link)

www.drehscheibe-online.de

 

[bengley]

Vienna, Spain (until 7 February, still has to be confirmed), Greece (only in city transport), Cyprus.
See this helpful overview (in German):

Drehscheibe Online Foren :: 08/01 - Auslandsforum "classic" :: [Welt] Länder mit noch bestehender Maskenpflicht (Link)

www.drehscheibe-online.de

Masks aren't required in Cyprus.

 

[duncanp]

The Biden administration has said it will end the covid emergency declaration in the USA on, err, May 11th. Quite how they can know there will still be an 'emergency' in 3.5 months time - and not the day after! - is perhaps an exercise best left to the imagination.

Perhaps they'll remove their ludicrous requirement for proof of vaccination for non-citizens around the same time.

Oh bother.

I am arriving in the US on May 3rd, so I will still have to show proof of vaccination.

Not that this is a big issue for me.

Still, it is encouraging that even the United States is gradually being dragged kicking and screaming into the real world, and getting rid of COVID restrictions which serve no purpose any more.

EDIT

A bit of Googling shows that the current vaccine mandate at the United States border expires on April 10th.

I can't see any point in extending it for another month, but when was there any point in many of the COVID restrictions.

 

[Mojo]

Masks aren't required in Cyprus.

Although it’s often been out of date, the UK Government FCO travel guidelines page says still required in Cyprus on Public transport, and I can’t find any news articles to show that requirement was rescinded.

 

[SouthEastBuses]

I very much doubt masks are mandatory in public transport in Greece. When I went to Rhodes in August, nobody was wearing them on the buses there (both passengers and drivers!)