Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

[AlterEgo]

Back to needing a compelling reason to go to France, plus quarantine. Macron has just killed off his ski industry, and I can't see Brittany Ferries lasting. This has nothing to do with Covid, and everything to do with fishing permits. Denmark has as many Omicron cases as we do.

France is a very silly country anyway, they can keep their travel ban. Extremely silly.

 

[adc82140]

France is a very silly country anyway, they can keep their travel ban. Extremely silly.

I would say that the current French government is extremely silly. But when I was in France in September, I was glad to see plenty of F**k Macron graffiti. My village made the national news for refusing to enforce the Covid pass.

 

[AlterEgo]

I would say that the current French government is extremely silly. But when I was in France in September, I was glad to see plenty of F**k Macron graffiti. My village made the national news for refusing to enforce the Covid pass.

Well this is just it, Macron is a bit fragile and needs re-election. I don’t see a normalising of the relationship between Britain and France until that election happens unfortunately.

 

[duncanp]

I would say that the current French government is extremely silly. But when I was in France in September, I was glad to see plenty of F**k Macron graffiti. My village made the national news for refusing to enforce the Covid pass.

Presumably they have the Omacron variant circulating in France, dont le symptome principal est un douleur dans le cul (of which the main symptom is a pain in the ****)

In any case it is probably too late, as cases are rising steeply in France, according to the graph below

 

[Cdd89]

Their positivity rate is higher than ours, but whatever. Out of interest eg in U.K. in last ten days, are the rules time based, or can it be worked around by going via an amenable neighbouring country? The Netherlands is still welcoming us (but not South Africa or a bunch of other poorer countries…).

 

[P Binnersley]

It looks like entering France via another EU/Schengen country could be a way around testing.

IMPORTANT
Any person aged 12 and over entering French territory must present a negative PCR or antigen test less than 24 or 48 hours old, depending on the country of origin.

[.....]

EXCEPTIONS
> Individuals with a complete vaccination schedule arriving from a Member State of the European Union, Andorra, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, the Holy See or Switzerland.

Coming to France? Your Covid-19 questions answered

French people who are living abroad, travelling or returning from abroad, as well as visitors from abroad, will find answers below to frequently (…)

www.diplomatie.gouv.fr

 

[adc82140]

Harwich to Hook Of Holland it is then.

 

[nw1]

Sorry, I realise this has probably come up before - but this relates to a potential trip which I have mentioned in another thread.

For the return to UK day 2 tests, can anyone recommend a good (cheap - this is a key factor given how much all these tests will cost - and reliable, as in they deliver the tests when they say they will) testing provider?

Thanks.

 

[island]

Sorry, I realise this has probably come up before - but this relates to a potential trip which I have mentioned in another thread.

For the return to UK day 2 tests, can anyone recommend a good (cheap - this is a key factor given how much all these tests will cost - and reliable, as in they deliver the tests when they say they will) testing provider?

Thanks.

Randox does them for £34.99.

 

[Cdd89]

Randox does them for £34.99.

As does Amazon now, who don’t require you to click and collect or return via an obscure drop box.

 

[Yew]

Are you there now? How have you found it?

Go west, you'll bump into Canada eventually.

 

[TFN]

Do you reckon the French border police would give issues to travelling to Brussels as the train passes through (and stops at Lille)?

I'm fully vaccinated and staying in Belgium for less than 48 hours.

 

[nw1]

Randox does them for £34.99.

OK thanks.

As does Amazon now, who don’t require you to click and collect or return via an obscure drop box.

OK thanks for that also.

 

[Yew]

Well this is just it, Macron is a bit fragile and needs re-election. I don’t see a normalising of the relationship between Britain and France until that election happens unfortunately.

In a sort of "Argentina make noises about the Falklands to distract from bad domestic information" sort of way?

 

[AlterEgo]

In a sort of "Argentina make noises about the Falklands to distract from bad domestic information" sort of way?

Very much so.

 

[Jamiescott1]

Are you there now? How have you found it?




Further to my previous post, the purpose of my trip to Canada and the USA was to watch NHL ice hockey. Ontario yesterday announced that indoor sports venues will only be allowed to operate at 50% capacity for the foreseeable future, so we wouldn’t be allowed in. Although we are visiting Alberta rather than Ontario, it seems like a sign of things to come. So will be cancelling the trip probably today, sadly.

I arrived in montreal a few hours ago.
Customs / immigration was usual level of busyness.
They are still randomly selecting people who haven't arrived from Canada or USA for a test on arrival. My partner (Canadian citizen) was picked for a test, I wasn't.
Its hard to tell what percentage of arrivals were picked for tests as there was a mix of European and usa arrivals at immigration.
My partners test was carried out airside at the airport and she now has to
quarantine in our booked hotel until a negative result is recieved (told to expect a 48 hour wait).

The situation is changing so rapidly that all the signage at the airport has out of date quarantine info on it and different Canadian government websites contradict each other on testing requirements.

*i tested positive for covid in September, im not sure if this is why I wasn't selected for an arrival test or if it is indeed random.

 

[Mintona]

I arrived in montreal a few hours ago.
Customs / immigration was usual level of busyness.
They are still randomly selecting people who haven't arrived from Canada or USA for a test on arrival. My partner (Canadian citizen) was picked for a test, I wasn't.
Its hard to tell what percentage of arrivals were picked for tests as there was a mix of European and usa arrivals at immigration.
My partners test was carried out airside at the airport and she now has to
quarantine in our booked hotel until a negative result is recieved (told to expect a 48 hour wait).

The situation is changing so rapidly that all the signage at the airport has out of date quarantine info on it and different Canadian government websites contradict each other on testing requirements.

*i tested positive for covid in September, im not sure if this is why I wasn't selected for an arrival test or if it is indeed random.

Thank you for the update. Hope your partner’s test result comes back quickly.

 

[Butts]

Huge sigh of relief - LF Test just come up negative for my return to the UK from Turkey early Sunday !!

Doesn't bear thinking about the consequences had it been positive - "Midnight Express" ?

Strangely I have been feeling a bit under the weather, but it has been raining non-stop and quite cold in Istanbul so perhaps I have picked up a bit of a chill.

 

[nw1]

Well this is just it, Macron is a bit fragile and needs re-election. I don’t see a normalising of the relationship between Britain and France until that election happens unfortunately.

In which case, in promoting xenophobia and courting the xenophobic vote, is Macron much better than Farage and Trump? One could argue that Macron is basically 'Trump or Farage in a nice suit'. (I'm aware Trump generally wears smart suits, but what I mean by that argument is that Macron has strong pretensions to respectability, unlike Trump or Farage who basically don't care).

Macron also, IIRC, wanted to 'get Brexit done' in being against extensions to the original March 2019 deadline - even, if I remember right, if that involved a no-deal. Whether he is anti-British or just wants to court the anti-British vote, I don't know - but either way it sucks and to be quite frank, as someone who has visited France twice for holidays in the past 10 years and contributed to the French economy, I personally find his apparent anti-British attitude quite offensive.

With his general domestic authoritarianism as well, I sincerely hope France dumps him next year. Just like we should dump 'Boris'. Now if someone can find an island to place them both where the pair of them can play out their Napoleonic Wars re-enactment fantasies....

 

[Butts]

PLF, Vaccination Status, and Neg Covid Test checked at IST this Morning.

Flight ended up over 2 Hours late into LHR after having an unscheduled stop in Amsterdam to refuel due to fog increasing chances of having to enter a holding pattern before landing at LHR.

 

[Acfb]

In which case, in promoting xenophobia and courting the xenophobic vote, is Macron much better than Farage and Trump? One could argue that Macron is basically 'Trump or Farage in a nice suit'. (I'm aware Trump generally wears smart suits, but what I mean by that argument is that Macron has strong pretensions to respectability, unlike Trump or Farage who basically don't care).

Macron also, IIRC, wanted to 'get Brexit done' in being against extensions to the original March 2019 deadline - even, if I remember right, if that involved a no-deal. Whether he is anti-British or just wants to court the anti-British vote, I don't know - but either way it sucks and to be quite frank, as someone who has visited France twice for holidays in the past 10 years and contributed to the French economy, I personally find his apparent anti-British attitude quite offensive.

With his general domestic authoritarianism as well, I sincerely hope France dumps him next year. Just like we should dump 'Boris'. Now if someone can find an island to place them both where the pair of them can play out their Napoleonic Wars re-enactment fantasies....

Macron could lose next year although if he does lose it will be to the centre right candidate Valérie Pécresse rather than to Le Pen. Interestingly his popular support is pretty much identical to 5 years ago despite all the water under the bridge. I don't like Macron (from the left) but he has more or less governed as expected.

 

[Butts]

PLF, Vaccination Status, and Neg Covid Test checked at IST this Morning.

Flight ended up over 2 Hours late into LHR after having an unscheduled stop in Amsterdam to refuel due to fog increasing chances of having to enter a holding pattern before landing at LHR.

Just to rub salt into the wound my connecting flight to Edinburgh was two hours late and when we arrived the Pilot apologised for the fact he had just found out the luggage hadn't been loaded - yes right

So when the handlers loaded the carry on bags that had to go in the hold they didn't notice the lack of any other cases ?

He's chancing his arm with that bull !!

 

[221129]

So when the handlers loaded the carry on bags that had to go in the hold they didn't notice the lack of any other cases ?

Given that they go into a separate hold, it wouldn't surprise me.

 

[Butts]

Given that they go into a separate hold, it wouldn't surprise me.

Good old BA got my bag back to my front door via Eagle Aviation, the latter must be rubbing their hands with joy at the weekend events at Heathrow.

I wonder how much it costs BA to return each bag ?

The total must be astronomical after the weekends baggage hall mayhem.

 

[Berliner]

Good old BA got my bag back to my front door via Eagle Aviation, the latter must be rubbing their hands with joy at the weekend events at Heathrow.

I wonder how much it costs BA to return each bag ?

The total must be astronomical after the weekends baggage hall mayhem.

In my experience, they don't pay per bag, the contracted courier will agree to get bags to the owner within a set time frame, provided BA makes them available by a certain time. There will be caveats for remote locations, of course. If BA wants to rush anything faster (for a premium customer, for example) they can agree to pay more for that, or use another courier to do ad-hoc deliveries.

 

[Butts]

When is the next review for the current set up of test before return and after 2 days required at the moment ?

 

[island]

The regulations require they be reviewed at least every 28 days and the last amendment was on 15 December, so one supposes that takes us to 12 January.

Back to needing a compelling reason to go to France, plus quarantine. Macron has just killed off his ski industry, and I can't see Brittany Ferries lasting. This has nothing to do with Covid, and everything to do with fishing permits. Denmark has as many Omicron cases as we do.

Non-EU citizens cannot now drive through France en route to their country of permanent residence.

 

[Mag_seven]

Non-EU citizens cannot now drive through France en route to their country of permanent residence.

Yes and I can't imagine the biggest group of non EU citizens who will be affected by this.

 

[Yew]

Macron could lose next year although if he does lose it will be to the centre right candidate Valérie Pécresse rather than to Le Pen. Interestingly his popular support is pretty much identical to 5 years ago despite all the water under the bridge. I don't like Macron (from the left) but he has more or less governed as expected.

I thought Macron was centre-right by French standards?

 

[Mag_seven]

When is the next review for the current set up of test before return and after 2 days required at the moment ?

I wouldn't bet on any relaxation of restrictions - foreign travel is a soft target in the "seen to be doing something" game.