Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

[nlogax]

I think this is letting the government off a little too easily. UK-imposed travel restrictions have a much bigger impact on those who live in the UK than foreign ones. France is open to 60% of U.K. adults, Spain and Portugal are open generally, and there are plenty of other options worldwide.

Such as?

Sure, if you're willing to risk your travel insurance stance with amber list countries and then have to return to ten days of being cooped up. You might be fine with that but I'm not.

 

[johncrossley]

Ireland has been stricter than most yet they are opening up on 19th July. If the UK restrictions continue beyond that it would be outrageous.

 

[berneyarms]

Ireland has been stricter than most yet they are opening up on 19th July. If the UK restrictions continue beyond that it would be outrageous.

I would still not count the relaxation of restrictions here in Ireland as being cast in stone - it is entirely dependent upon the public health situation at that time.

The focus in Ireland right now is on trying to accelerate the vaccine rollout, and in particular trying to maximise the numbers who have received both shots (or have received the single shot Janssen vaccine). The 30-39 age group are due to be invited to register for their first shot by next Monday. As of last week 57% of the adult population in Ireland have received one dose, and 26% are fully vaccinated, but the latter figure should significantly increase over the next month.

Let's be honest, the key to getting out of this is maximising the vaccine rollout, and getting a significant majority of the adult population in each country fully vaccinated.

In the meantime, Ireland has tightened restrictions on unvaccinated people arriving from GB since yesterday. They now must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival here.

 

[Bantamzen]

The Boy Wonder Starmer and his UKIP v2.0 fanatics are once again chelping about foreign travel at PMQs. Starmer clearly thinks slamming the borders closed long, long after the Delta Horse has bolted will somehow make him a hero of the people and "defeat" the virus. Well at least the people not already abandoning Labour for their ever more ludicrous demands, and of course all those UK workers looking on from their furloughed travel sector jobs. If this <insert preferred expletive here> were to ever get his way, how long before he'd go after the hospitality sector? I get the feeling Starmer would happily throw every single one of us under the bus to make him look good.

I've already told Labour through the power of social media that I will not be putting an 'X' against any of their candidates ever again until he walks. After a lifetime of almost 100% backing, I'm well over these pillocks.

 

[philosopher]

Before the last review, Malta had:
a) a lower Covid rate than us.
b) a falling Covid rate.
c) a higher vaccination rate than us (both first and second dose).

Was Malta put on the green list? No, they weren't.

The media seems to have given the government a free pass on the matter though. There was no questioning on this.

Also, there WILL be more variants of concern. Not may, but will. 101%. If we are continually worried about VOCs, then we will never open up again in the future. The thing we need to look at is limiting the effects of the VOCs by focusing on the countries which have them - e.g. putting India on the red list earlier than we did.

The whole green, amber, red list is very political anyway. The assigning of countries to each level in many cases seems to have been done for political reasons. E.g we don’t want anyone going on holiday so we will put practically everywhere on the amber list, even if they virtually no Covid cases and a very high vaccination rates (as in your example of Malta). Or we do not want social media influencers escaping UK restrictions (the example of the UAE being on the red list). Or we want a trade summit with their PM so we will turn a blind eye to their soaring case numbers being driven by a dodgy variant so we will leave them on the amber list (the example of India).

 

[VauxhallandI]

The Boy Wonder Starmer and his UKIP v2.0 fanatics are once again chelping about foreign travel at PMQs. Starmer clearly thinks slamming the borders closed long, long after the Delta Horse has bolted will somehow make him a hero of the people and "defeat" the virus. Well at least the people not already abandoning Labour for their ever more ludicrous demands, and of course all those UK workers looking on from their furloughed travel sector jobs. If this <insert preferred expletive here> were to ever get his way, how long before he'd go after the hospitality sector? I get the feeling Starmer would happily throw every single one of us under the bus to make him look good.

I've already told Labour through the power of social media that I will not be putting an 'X' against any of their candidates ever again until he walks. After a lifetime of almost 100% backing, I'm well over these pillocks.

He's fast becoming more of a car crash than Corbyn; quite an achievement

 

[johncrossley]

Boris is wasting his time if he's trying to encourage us to holiday in the UK in order to shaft EU holiday resorts. Certainly I know a lot of other Londoners who aren't going to spend our hard earned money in Brexit voting areas such as Cornwall.

 

[nlogax]

Certainly I know a lot of other Londoners who aren't going to spend our hard earned money in Brexit voting areas such as Cornwall.

Er.. and I know a lot of Londoners who are spending a lot of money down there. If petty Brexit grudges are still sitting strongly with your friends then maybe you need new friends? Right now there are bigger things at stake.

 

[johncrossley]

Er.. and I know a lot of Londoners who are spending a lot of money down there. If petty Brexit grudges are still sitting strongly with your friends then maybe you need new friends? Right now there are bigger things at stake.

As mentioned above, we can't go abroad because of Brexit. So Brexit is having a negative impact. We were lied when it was stated that Brexit would not mean any difference to short trips. Also, living and working abroad is pretty important to a lot of people, not 'petty' as you seem to think.

 

[island]

In the meantime, Ireland has tightened restrictions on unvaccinated people arriving from GB since yesterday. They now must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival here.

That was always the case. What has changed is that test to release at day 5 is now only open to the vaccinated. Unvaccinated people have to test twice on days 5 and 10.

 

[BBF3]

Boris is wasting his time if he's trying to encourage us to holiday in the UK in order to shaft EU holiday resorts. Certainly I know a lot of other Londoners who aren't going to spend our hard earned money in Brexit voting areas such as Cornwall.

Cornwall Voted Brexit is a neat soundbite, but I shouldn't really have to point out that the reality on the ground is a much more nuanced thing. The Truro & Falmouth constituency voted majority Remain and the St Ives result was fairly close. Even as a Remainer myself, I can understand the frustration some would have felt at years of EU money going into Cornwall failing to address the long-term inequalities and poverty in the county. I just don't think leaving will improve things either.

 

[nlogax]

As mentioned above, we can't go abroad because of Brexit. So Brexit is having a negative impact. We were lied when it was stated that Brexit would not mean any difference to short trips. Also, living and working abroad is pretty important to a lot of people, not 'petty' as you seem to think.

Re. that above conversation I absolutely agree that Brexit has made overseas travel planning far harder than it needed to be during and post-pandemic.

That said in the current climate and with severely limited travel options at our disposal, wanting to avoid parts of the UK because they may have had a leave-voting majority back in 2016 is petty and daft.

Cornwall Voted Brexit is a neat soundbite, but I shouldn't really have to point out that the reality on the ground is a much more nuanced thing.

Thank you for pointing this out. Nuance is fast becoming a lost art around here.

 

[Richard Scott]

Again - this isn't just down to our government. We can put all the countries on the green list we like but there's nothing to say they're going to reciprocate. If anything right now countries are closing their doors to UK visitors.

That I can cope with, what annoys me is our politicians telling me what I can and can't do without a good scientific reason, which variants aren't a good scientific reason.

 

[johncrossley]

Re. that above conversation I absolutely agree that Brexit has made overseas travel planning far harder than it needed to be during and post-pandemic.

That said in the current climate and with severely limited travel options at our disposal, wanting to avoid parts of the UK because they may have had a leave-voting majority back in 2016 is petty and daft.

There's no need to go to Cornwall when there are other, more deserving areas that you can visit such as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

 

[Darandio]

A country now so divisive that we have people telling others not to take holidays in certain locations because they aren't deserving. I pity these people.

 

[nlogax]

There's no need to go to Cornwall when there are other, more deserving areas that you can visit such as Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Yeah. Think I've already said all that needs saying without repeating myself yet again.

A country now so divisive that we have people telling others not to take holidays in certain locations because they aren't deserving. I pity these people.

This is where we appear to be at now. Utterly depressing.

 

[Ianno87]

As mentioned above, we can't go abroad because of Brexit. So Brexit is having a negative impact. We were lied when it was stated that Brexit would not mean any difference to short trips. Also, living and working abroad is pretty important to a lot of people, not 'petty' as you seem to think.

The cynic in me says that the government being so restrictive about EU travel at the moment is that the new post-Brexit rules for EU travel now we've left won't seem so bad in comparison...

 

[johncrossley]

John Redwood is boycotting the EU for holidays because the UK won't abide by the rules it agreed to regarding Northern Ireland. He and people like him are to blame for the division in this country and now they have got what they want they now want us all to shut up and stop complaining. When we continue to complain they say we are being divisive.

 

[Darandio]

John Redwood is boycotting the EU for holidays because of the UK won't abide by the rules it agreed to regarding Northern Ireland. He and people like him are to blame for the division in this country and now they have got what they want they now want us all to shut up and stop complaining. When we continue to complain they say we are being divisive.

You are telling people not to go on holiday in certain parts of the country because of how some of those people in those areas voted in the EU referendum. That is being divisive.

 

[nlogax]

John Redwood is boycotting the EU for holidays because of the UK won't abide by the rules it agreed to regarding Northern Ireland. He and people like him are to blame for the division in this country and now they have got what they want they now want us all to shut up and stop complaining. When we continue to complain they say we are being divisive.

Here you go: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/brexit-matters.211154/

 

[johncrossley]

You are telling people not to go on holiday in certain parts of the country because of how some of those people in those areas voted in the EU referendum. That is being divisive.

Yes, that division is caused by Redwood and the other Brexiteers.

 

[berneyarms]

That was always the case. What has changed is that test to release at day 5 is now only open to the vaccinated. Unvaccinated people have to test twice on days 5 and 10.

OK - I should have been more specific. Bottom line is that unvaccinated arrivals from GB will be more restricted than unvaccinated.

 

[Richard Scott]

OK - I should have been more specific. Bottom line is that unvaccinated arrivals from GB will be more restricted than unvaccinated.

Really the bottom left be should Beno restrictions in vaccinated otherwise when does normal life resume?

 

[berneyarms]

Really the bottom left be should Beno restrictions in vaccinated otherwise when does normal life resume?

Normal life (in so far as possible) will start to resume when countries get to a point where a sizeable majority of the population are fully vaccinated. That's the only way out of this situation.

Hence the pressure to get vaccines rolled out here in Ireland.

 

[miklcct]

These kind of restrictions are so damaging to amateur sports. If it does not come to an end the whole sport generation is going to be destroyed.

 

[Richard Scott]

Normal life (in so far as possible) will start to resume when countries get to a point where a sizeable majority of the population are fully vaccinated. That's the only way out of this situation.

Hence the pressure to get vaccines rolled out here in Ireland.

Well we have, if delay to 19th July is to ensure that then there should be assurances that international travel into and out of the country is unrestricted providing vaccinated.

 

[berneyarms]

Well we have, if delay to 19th July is to ensure that then there should be assurances that international travel into and out of the country is unrestricted providing vaccinated.

Well remember that the rest of Europe hasn't. That's the problem here.

Every country is going to assess the situation individually based on their own public health situation and scientists are continuing to look at the risk of transmissabilty of the virus post-vaccination.

Clearly being fully vaccinated significantly reduces the impact that the virus can have on an individual, but there is still discussion about whether it can still transmit via a fully vaccinated person to someone who isn't vaccinated.

That, as I see it, is the risk that certainly the Irish government has been worried about - and hence the desire to maximise vaccination of the Irish population before opening up borders again, and avoid any more lockdowns.

 

[adc82140]

I'm off to France on 26th July. It's all booked. Going to cost me a ruddy fortune in testing though, £250 total, and I've been double jabbed. 5 days at home when I get back, time to decorate the kitchen.

 

[Bantamzen]

Well remember that the rest of Europe hasn't. That's the problem here.

Every country is going to assess the situation individually based on their own public health situation and scientists are continuing to look at the risk of transmissabilty of the virus post-vaccination.

Clearly being fully vaccinated significantly reduces the impact that the virus can have on an individual, but there is still discussion about whether it can still transmit via a fully vaccinated person to someone who isn't vaccinated.

That, as I see it, is the risk that certainly the Irish government has been worried about - and hence the desire to maximise vaccination of the Irish population before opening up borders again, and avoid any more lockdowns.

But at the same time some countries will be weighing up border controls against economic loss, especially those countries whose economies rely heavily on tourism. They may, indeed some have decided that allowing in tourists is as at least equally important, and so are preparing to allow them in. In these cases, countries like the UK with high levels of vaccinations should not be putting additional blocks on it's citizens travelling.

 

[Butts]

Well remember that the rest of Europe hasn't. That's the problem here.

Every country is going to assess the situation individually based on their own public health situation and scientists are continuing to look at the risk of transmissabilty of the virus post-vaccination.

Clearly being fully vaccinated significantly reduces the impact that the virus can have on an individual, but there is still discussion about whether it can still transmit via a fully vaccinated person to someone who isn't vaccinated.

That, as I see it, is the risk that certainly the Irish government has been worried about - and hence the desire to maximise vaccination of the Irish population before opening up borders again, and avoid any more lockdowns.

With the backdoor via NI effectively already open their worries maybe justified although in my view misguided.

Having delayed my trip to Dublin till mid-July I do hope they do not renege on July 19th - I am DV'D so hopefully will be okay.