Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

[nlogax]

Back to Belfast instead to clock up another 160 Tier Points

160 for a Belfast run? Interesting..

 

[Butts]

160 for a Belfast run? Interesting..

Yes, EDI or GLA via LCY or LHR (4 flights @ 40 points each).

LHR route has added bonus of Lounge Access at the moment.

 

[nlogax]

Yes, EDI or GLA via LCY or LHR (4 flights @ 40 points each).

LHR route has added bonus of Lounge Access at the moment.

Good shout and food for thought. Cheers!

(we now return you to your scheduled Covid travel restriction thread)

 

[ohgoditsjames]

All this talk about where do people think we can go abroad, with the way things are looking, I doubt we’ll be even allowed to go the pub in 2-3 months if the locktivists have their way.

 

[TravelDream]

All this talk about where do people think we can go abroad, with the way things are looking, I doubt we’ll be even allowed to go the pub in 2-3 months if the locktivists have their way.

It is starting to look that way, isn't it? :/

Though there's a fair bit of resistance to the government. I posted above what Theresa May said in parliament about the ridiculous travel restrictions. If she's jumped on the anti-travel lockdown bandwagon, no doubt a large number of Tory MPs have too.

 

[LAX54]

Just heard the The Netherlands are removing Covid restrictions from July 1st, and will 'welcome the UK Visitors', however of course it is currently on the Amber list.

 

[kristiang85]

Just heard the The Netherlands are removing Covid restrictions from July 1st, and will 'welcome the UK Visitors', however of course it is currently on the Amber list.

A good friend of mine lives there and obviously I want her at my wedding in late July. I really hope she can make it, but obviously I don't expect her to go through the quarantine rigmarole that amber needs.

 

[Cdd89]

A good friend of mine lives there and obviously I want her at my wedding in late July. I really hope she can make it, but obviously I don't expect her to go through the quarantine rigmarole that amber needs.

Our case rate and the Netherlands’ have crossed paths as a percentage of the population. They still have more deaths, but that shouldn’t be relevant for quarantine purposes.

At some point in that crossing you’d have expected the Netherlands to have been moved from Amber to Green.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Our case rate and the Netherlands’ have crossed paths as a percentage of the population. They still have more deaths, but that shouldn’t be relevant for quarantine purposes.

At some point in that crossing you’d have expected the Netherlands to have been moved from Amber to Green.

Remember how many countries Nederland borders though.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Our case rate and the Netherlands’ have crossed paths as a percentage of the population. They still have more deaths, but that shouldn’t be relevant for quarantine purposes.

At some point in that crossing you’d have expected the Netherlands to have been moved from Amber to Green.

Latest case rates/100k over last 7 days would suggest that most of these countries would be wise to put UK on banned list but most of them are falling over themselves to allow us in because a highly vaccinated population presents a significantly reduced threat. That said until i can just travel without having to fork out for tests I will stick to the CTA.

 

[johnnychips]

Remember how many countries Nederland borders though.

Erm…Germany and Belgium.

 

[johncrossley]

Just heard the The Netherlands are removing Covid restrictions from July 1st, and will 'welcome the UK Visitors', however of course it is currently on the Amber list.

The UK is now on their list of "very high risk" countries, which means quarantine is compulsory.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Erm…Germany and Belgium.

Well then through Belgium you're quickly in France, and through Germany the right way you're quickly in Denmark, plus all of said countries are in Schengen.

So I think Europe will have to open up to Green pretty much all at once.

 

[LAX54]

The UK is now on their list of "very high risk" countries, which means quarantine is compulsory.

How many Countries use the death rate based on the 28 day any reason rule ?

 

[Butts]

Will the next review herald a more realistic choice of destinations for UK "Summer Holidays"

When is it June 24th ?

 

[island]

Will the next review herald a more realistic choice of destinations for UK "Summer Holidays"

When is it June 24th ?

28th is the date I have in mind, though I must confess days are still all running together in my head.

 

[nlogax]

Will the next review herald a more realistic choice of destinations for UK "Summer Holidays"

When is it June 24th ?

Our green list should be the least of anyone's concerns. By then I'm not sure who if anyone will be letting UK visitors in.

 

[Nicholas Lewis]

Our green list should be the least of anyone's concerns. By then I'm not sure who if anyone will be letting UK visitors in.

It won't go down well if they add countries to green list whilst we are still stuck in lockdown

 

[TravelDream]

Interesting Twitter thread by Robert Peston (ITV political editor)

The logical implication of the PM’s statement today about why the full end of lockdown is being delayed by at least four weeks is that no major holiday or business destinations abroad will go on the green list any time soon. Dreams of foreign travel? Forget them. How so? Well… there are three reasons. 1) The PM, CMO and CSA all said that it won’t be prudent to allow us to mix with lots of others indoors until at least two thirds of adults are double-dose vaccinated. And there are very few other big countries close to that level of vaccination. So on the PM’s logic, those other countries are potential sources of new infections. 2) He said that the only serious risk to yet another delay to ending all lockdown restrictions on 19 July is the arrival here of an even more infectious and more lethal new variant. So is he really going to increase the risk of that omega variant (or whatever Greek moniker it’s given) travelling here with returning holiday makers. The political risk to him is too great. 3) And that political risk to him of encouraging foreign travel too early is all the greater because of the credible charge against him that the delta variant is rife because he acted too late to put India on the red list. So it is another staycation summer, for better or worse

https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1404511720979247104

 

[island]

Interesting Twitter thread by Robert Peston (ITV political editor)

https://twitter.com/Peston/status/1404511720979247104

That makes an awful lot of sense.

 

[nlogax]

That makes an awful lot of sense.

At this stage I can't see me getting to Canning Town this autumn, let alone Canada. I foresee this being a last minute decision based on 'what's open to UK visitors and are there reward seats available?'. 2021 is some crappy adventure so far.

 

[30907]

Not sure about Peston here. If a possible green list country has steadily falling case numbers/levels similar to UK a month ago, reasonable levels of vaccinations and other public health mitigations in place it will be difficult to justify retaining amber status UNLESS there is an actual new VOC.

They may not want us though

 

[TravelDream]

Not sure about Peston here. If a possible green list country has steadily falling case numbers/levels similar to UK a month ago, reasonable levels of vaccinations and other public health mitigations in place it will be difficult to justify retaining amber status UNLESS there is an actual new VOC.

They may not want us though

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.

 

[Richard Scott]

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.

No, what we need to do is realise we have to live with this, we have offered vaccines to the majority so there is no excuse for continuing restrictions on travel. Certainly not after 19th July although I'd personally say now as those considered vulnerable have had double dose (or at least been offered).

 

[TravelDream]

No, what we need to do is realise we have to live with this, we have offered vaccines to the majority so there is no excuse for continuing restrictions on travel. Certainly not after 19th July although I'd personally say now as those considered vulnerable have had double dose (or at least been offered).

I'm not disagreeing with you, but that is totally unrealistic with our government. I mean, have you seen anything Boris Johnson has done?

What I posted was the best we could possibly hope for.

 

[nlogax]

No, what we need to do is realise we have to live with this, we have offered vaccines to the majority so there is no excuse for continuing restrictions on travel. Certainly not after 19th July although I'd personally say now as those considered vulnerable have had double dose (or at least been offered).

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.

 

[Mag_seven]

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.

I'd imagine travelling to the EU would have been much easier had we not made this stupid decision to leave.

 

[nlogax]

I'd imagine travelling to the EU would have been much easier had we not made this stupid decision to leave.

Yep, I can't help but think we'd have a much wider range of destinations open to us at this stage.

 

[TravelDream]

I saw in something in today's Politico Playbook saying that 'some form' of restrictions on international travel (quarantine and testing) are going to stay for 'a significant period of time'

https://twitter.com/alexwickham/status/1405050005279457281

These are very worrying times. The UK government is now completely out of line with what is happening in the rest of the Western World. The US and EU are opening up whilst we are shutting down.

 

[Cdd89]

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

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.