To think this is just a joke now?

[Justinversusmrtumble]

Portugal possibly going back onto the amber list.
The only thing keeping my parents going is coming to celebrate toddlers DD’s birthday in the summer. It’s getting beyond ridiculous now. Feeling so low today, I miss my family so much.

@BarbarianMum Over here in the Algarve, the majority of businesses are tourism based. It was already a poor country to begin with, it won’t survive this for much longer. People here don’t have furlough or anything like that to fall back on, they have nothing.

[quote Justinversusmrtumble]@BarbarianMum Over here in the Algarve, the majority of businesses are tourism based. It was already a poor country to begin with, it won’t survive this for much longer. People here don’t have furlough or anything like that to fall back on, they have nothing.[/quote]
Yet to plenty of people, who bang on about others being 'selfish', these people are fine to throw under a bus as long as it's not covid.

@osbertthesyrianhamster Exactly

@UnusuallyCommon Totally agree with all you’ve said. It’s upsetting to me how some people have become.

@VeganVeal You can’t be serious?

Many of us are suffering from not seeing parents and close family for a long time, with no prospect of doing so in sight. Sure it's sad - but it's better than opening up our country, or other countries, to unnecessary spread of the virus.

@Justinversusmrtumble

Portugal possibly going back onto the amber list. The only thing keeping my parents going is coming to celebrate toddlers DD’s birthday in the summer. It’s getting beyond ridiculous now. Feeling so low today, I miss my family so much.

Do you want Covid solving or don't you? It's not all about a minor issue such as a birthday party, as long as idiots don't behave with sense we'll never get through this.

@VeganVeal

Thousands of people have died and all some are worried about is going abroad and having a party.

madness

Except it's more than that isn't it. If you'd bothered to read OPs posts at all.

osbert if you doing you and me doing me puts others at a risk is that acceptable. I dont want to "do me" I want to protect my friends family and community. Lucky you that you can "start living again" unfortunately there are many, many people who cant either because they are dead or the illness has left them debilitated. and no, not just covid. but all the people who missed their cancer treatments, their hip replacements their wet macular jabs. By going to places with lower levels of infection than the UK our presence there is throwing them under a bus by putting them at risk.

If they don’t work then can they not quarantine at home in uk ? I
Just cannot understand why the tests are so expensive. My friend is a single parent. She cannot afford expensive staycations. But the tests shed have to pay on top to go
On holiday is a real blow to her finances. This whole corona is killing us emotionally mentally as well

You don't 'solve' viruses. You have to live with them.

Live being the important word. Not lock yourself in 4 walls and hide.

For what it's worth OP, I agree with you. The longer this goes on the more of a farce it is being exposed to be. I'm at the point where I'd love the option to opt out from the covid-obsessed BS.

I feel this so much. My nan is 93, hasn't seen her brother (in another amber country) so they can't come here and she is too old to travel. They probably won't see her again. We are all vaccinated.

I would give it a month OP, a lot can change in that time and vaccine rollout will be much further along. I think things will look very difficult by July personally.

I live in the Algarve too, OP and I agree it's just ridiculous, and more politicking from the UK government. What is it even based on? Hospitalisations and deaths are decreasing here and are already very low. The Portuguese government is continuing to ease restrictions. There are going to be new variants of covid forever, what matters is the effect they have on the health services.

The UK is dicking around with people's lives and livelihoods, to distract from their mistakes.

The traffic light system doesn't work - either ban travel or don't, but another Summer of constant last minute changes is just not fair on anyone.

I used to run a tourism-based business, but after last Summer I can't take the risk anymore. I'm lucky to have been able to switch to freelancing from home, most people here do not have any other options.

the 'shut the borders' doesn't work as they did that in Oz and NZ and are going back to these OTT barbaric lockdowns because you can't ever fully stop or eliminate a respiratory virus.

People just make things up to suit themselves now it seems. ONE state of Australia has gone back into a short lockdown - the rest of the country and NZ are carrying on as usual.

You can't have it both ways. The government have been widly attacked, on this site too, for not controlling and closing the borders sooner to avoid further contamination from abroad. You cannot then complain that they are restricting travel. This thing is not over yet and until the data from the ONS supports the efficacy of the vaccine everything must be done to revent any further lock-downs.

Yes it's tough, I've spent the last 12 months working in a Covid Red Zone, but it has to be done.

i feel for you op although even if on amber they cant phsyically stop your parents from visiting even if it isnt advised-if they can isolate both ways i say jsut do it

@osbertthesyrianhamster
You don't need an excuse, you can meet up to 6 people indoors now, more outside...

I totally understand @Justinversusmrtumble. We are hoping to visit my parents in the UK but are not sure it’s going to happen. We will all have had both vaccines so crossing fingers it’s possible by July.

They can still come. I have had visitors from amber country & gone to visit an amber country. Going again next week.

@Justinversusmrtumble As others have said, even if Portugal moves to the amber list, your parents will still be able to travel, provided they quarantine. In your, and their position (presuming they are retired) that sounds doable given the reward of all seeing each other.

@RikkiTikkiTavvi I really hope that’s possible 🙏 I’ve heard different over here, everyone is very confused!

[quote Justinversusmrtumble]@Tiktokersmiracle My parents aren’t ‘Miffed’ there’s much more to peoples situations than that, try to have some sensitivity. This isn’t about having a holiday or a party ffs[/quote]
To be fair you did make it sound like it was all about celebrating your daughter’s birthday in your initial post.

I feel for everyone not being able to see their families. It’s hard, especially when they’re elderly. Hopefully you’ll get there.

@Ickythefirebobby I think anyone with any intelligence can see that saying that sentence doesn’t mean all were arsed about is something as trivial as a two hour party tbf.