People in Spain

MadameBee · 2020-07-26T20:28:36+00:00

Whilst I think the government are a bunch of idiots and the decision yday to make anyone returning from Spain today to spend 14 days in quarantine has caused chaos. AIBU to wonder why people have risked going to Spain anyway when there has always been the risk of a second lockdown. There was a hairdresser on the news saying she hasn’t been able to work and now won’t be able to for another 14 days plus - it begs the question why did you risk going?

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 26/07/2020 21:30

I feel for people who booked before the pandemic and wouldn’t not have been eligible for a refund if they hadn’t gone.

Original poster

MadameBee · 26/07/2020 21:32

A lot of people haven’t had and may not get their refund anyway?

Everyone is having to suck this up unfortunately.

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Original poster

MadameBee · 26/07/2020 21:32

Me included.

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wherestheotherone · 26/07/2020 21:36

It was always a possibility and a very likely one at that. I'm surprised over the apparent uproar over it. We will ball be facing lockdowns, holiday disruption for some time to come. Enjoy today for what it is

Sirzy · 26/07/2020 21:36

I think if you decide to travel abroad at the moment you have to factor in that the isolation in return may be a risk

Original poster

MadameBee · 26/07/2020 21:37

My DH is in the military and forbidden from
foreign travel fit the foreseeable future (will be entertaining who has gone anyway and is now stuck )

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GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat · 26/07/2020 21:38

@MadameBee

A lot of people haven’t had and may not get their refund anyway?

Everyone is having to suck this up unfortunately.

That’s just it isn’t it. We’re all in different positions and ‘sucking it up’ in different ways. They’ve chosen to take the quarantine hit... you’ve chosen the financial hit.

Lockheart · 26/07/2020 21:39

I understand that people still want to go on holiday and don't want to lose money, but personally I think you have to be mad to go abroad at the moment. If it were me I'd take the financial loss.

If you have to quarantine, well, it's unfortunate but you pays your money and you takes your chance, as the saying goes.

TakeMe2Insanity · 26/07/2020 21:40

I think people took it as something that was permitted and therefore legal.

x2boys · 26/07/2020 21:42

I don't know why anybody would choose to book a holiday during a global pandemic,but I do feel for those who are trying to get refunds for holidays booked before all of this, we only had a holiday booked for Scotland and tbh Haven have been great .For agreeing to refund

Sparklesocks · 26/07/2020 21:42

It’s unfortunate but things are still quite uncertain at the moment in many places across the world, so it’s a risk you take if you travel anywhere.

Chocoholic12 · 26/07/2020 21:45

Surely if you go you know theres a risk and should factor this in. The hairdresser women made herself look thick.

OhhhPeee · 26/07/2020 21:47

This sounds a bit paradoxical but I think it’s exactly because Covid isn’t going anywhere and this is nowhere near over that people ARE choosing to go. People are starting to realise that we can’t sit around in lockdown waiting for the virus to go away, we have to learn to live with it and get on with our lives, taking as many precautions as possible. I’ve read a lot of outraged comments asking why people can’t forgo their holiday for one year - whose to say it will only be one year? It could be several years before any sort of pre-Covid “normal” returns, so many people in non-vulnerable categories feel like donning their mask, squirting their sanitiser, and getting on with it.

Aragog · 26/07/2020 21:49

The government said it was safe to go.
The government set up air bridges and told people via that it was okay to go.
The travel secretary himself went to Spain for a holiday - another suggestion that those in charge thought it was okay to go there.
FCO advise said it was safe to go.
Many travel insurance now including Covid on their annual policies against .
No refunds due to everything saying it was okay to go.

And let's face it - the islands still should be safe to visit. The government ought really to have treated then separately to mainland on many ways.

People look to the government and all their actions told the public it was okay to book or go on their Spanish holidays.

We chose not to go to Spain this summer as we wanted to avoid flying, but we are abroad. Because we've had the government tell us through their decisions and actions we were okay to be here.

FudgeBrownie2019 · 26/07/2020 21:52

Friends of ours have travelled to Spain within the last week. I've chosen not to travel til later in the year. There's no definitive right or wrong - they obviously risk assessed it and decided not to miss out. I don't think anyone deserves to be lambasted for wanting life to return to a little more normality.

Lockheart · 26/07/2020 21:53

@Aragog the pertinent word there is "was".

The government said it was safe to go. And it was.

But covid is highly contagious and spreads quickly. We know this.

It WAS safe to go. But then cases spiked.

This sort of situation changes very quickly. It's a risk you have to accept if you decide to travel abroad during a global pandemic. You may find yourself in a quarantine.

Original poster

MadameBee · 26/07/2020 21:53

I am kind of making up my own mind about things and not blindly trusting the government.

I am wearing a mask in shops but I don’t necessarily think it’s the right think to do now but I respect the way it makes others feel and I am not above the rules.

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SonjaMorgan · 26/07/2020 21:56

Well if no one risks going then there may not be many airlines and travel companies left.

JinglingHellsBells · 26/07/2020 21:59

So when the government didn't activate lockdown soon enough, they got it wrong.

Now, when they are being decisive and on the ball, they are wrong too.

What do people want?

secretllama · 26/07/2020 22:03

@OhhhPeee

This sounds a bit paradoxical but I think it’s exactly because Covid isn’t going anywhere and this is nowhere near over that people ARE choosing to go. People are starting to realise that we can’t sit around in lockdown waiting for the virus to go away, we have to learn to live with it and get on with our lives, taking as many precautions as possible. I’ve read a lot of outraged comments asking why people can’t forgo their holiday for one year - whose to say it will only be one year? It could be several years before any sort of pre-Covid “normal” returns, so many people in non-vulnerable categories feel like donning their mask, squirting their sanitiser, and getting on with it.

This is my thought too! If this is our supposed new life then some people will want to make the most of it and take the chance.

Original poster

MadameBee · 26/07/2020 22:03

A Labour government.

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annabel85 · 26/07/2020 22:04

They took a risk and it didn't pay off.

sonjadog · 26/07/2020 22:05

If people haven't factored the possibility of having 14 days quarantine on return into their plans when going abroad now, then they have been very stupid.

jasjas1973 · 26/07/2020 22:07

it begs the question why did you risk going?

...because the Govt said so, they opened up 50 plus air bridges to great fanfare, even govt ministers have gone or planned to go to Spain.
If Gove booked Ibiza and Schaps the mainland, why shouldn't anyone else?

The only people to blame for this fiasco are the Govt, Spain France & many other countries deemed safe to travel to, also had high CV infection rates a month ago.

MarcelineMissouri · 26/07/2020 22:08

The government can’t win here. They’ve been criticised for being too slow and now they do something quickly they’re being criticised again. If you look at the Spanish figures in worldometer they pretty much doubled overnight from 1357 to 2615 on 22/23rd July. So they’ve responded promptly to an escalating situation. Surely that’s what we want then to be doing??