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.

I’m in portugal at the moment (live in the uk) I came last week to visit my elderly parents after not seeing them for the last 18 months. I had a PCR before flying, another one today before flying home tomorrow and another on day 2 in the UK, plus I’ve had both vaccines. It’s a lot of expense and faff and I certainly wouldn’t bother for a holiday but to see my parents after so long (who are also fully vaccinated) it’s worth it to me.
The numbers in the Algarve are very low and it’s much stricter here than in the UK, on spot fines for not wearing masks etc, there seems to be more respect generally for social distance etc. I hope those with families abroad can be reunited soon.

@osbertthesyrianhamster

I lost my father to it. It's a respiratory virus. There's NO way to fully contain those unless you annihilate the entire human population, 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. They just are. They've always existed. They always will. So the whole 'Tell that to the loved ones!' go right ahead! I'm one of them. People get sick and die all the time. Life has to go on.

Sorry to hear of your loss. We have also had covid losses in my family, albeit not as close to me as a father. I agree with you that we have to live with the virus and eventually have to stop this whole "tell that to the relatives, you selfish person" and get on with lives. However, the issue I have is jubilantly throwing our arms up and declaring everyone is vaccinated so we should all travel and not care. We are far from everyone vaccinated...but also so close! Things are opening up in the UK and we are all getting to enjoy our lives again a bit more. I would just like people to be grateful for that right now, enjoy it, and wait until the majority of adults are fully vaccinated (probs around oct/nov) and not do too much unnecessary travel before then to be needlessly spreading it ahead of winter. I think OP's situation is slightly different I.e. family, but she should be respectful of quarantine rules etc to help us maintain manageable levels for more long term gain and realistically, seeing her family without restrictions is much much closer in sight than this time last year. Were talking about months and just a missed party this summer, not indefinite restrictions as per before. I just wish people could hold on a tad longer so we can all get our lives back

[quote Justinversusmrtumble]@User629202 Exactly, I don’t understand that attitude at all.[/quote]
I feel for you. My lovely dad had alzheimers so I know how important it is to see your parents while you can. I can't imagine not being able to have seen my dad then or my mum now. There are some really unfair posts on here, likening you seeing your elderly, unwell parents to having a party. Ridiculous, uncalled for and unpleasant. Some people obviously have only finite amounts of sensitivity and cannot understand how we cannot be sorry for those who sadly passed away as a result of Covid AND feel sorry for situations like yours. I am sorry and I really hope nothing changes and you can still see your parents.

[quote Justinversusmrtumble]@AnneLovesGilbert Almost everyone has been vaccinated, there is intense testing, numbers are low here, it doesn’t make sense at all. Are they saying that the vaccines come with then, what’s the point of having them if this is always going to continue, there’s no need.[/quote]
Actually, according to data from 2 days ago, less than 40% of the U.K. population has been fully vaccinated and in the World it is less than 6%, so almost everyone hasn’t been vaccinated!

@Tiktokersmiracle is correct in saying that some people have been incredibly selfish and have ignored the isolation and quarantine guidelines. It is because of this that the number of cases in the U.K. have been so high, however they didn’t say your parents were guilty of this.

If your parents desperately want to see you and your family, could they not come out and live with you until things are better (though they would perhaps have to stay there for many months)?

We do still need strong rules regarding Covid, 128k people in the U.K. have died from this Virus and many thousands more have died because of the Virus. My husband will never see his grandchildren grow up.

[quote tttigress]I don't think Long Covid is an official illness, again some people want this thing to go on forever:

www.google.com/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/the-dubious-origins-of-long-covid-11616452583[/quote]
What a stupid a comment. The virus and its after affects aren’t even two years old yet, so of course they don’t know a lot about it and it’s after affects. But if it’s not an ‘official illness’ why are there long Covid hospitals? And quoting a conspiracy theorist blog is laughable.

Sorry a global pandemic is stopping you from living your ever so important life though 🙄

If you move away from family these are the risks you take unfortunately.

@Amirite

The lack of compassion to those of us with family abroad is really fucking depressing. There’s no part of you that could even imagine that this is really hard for some of us?! I haven’t seen my family in almost 2 years, I haven’t had anyone to bubble up with and my kids have grown so much that they’ll be almost different people by the time we get to see them again. We can be vocal about it being a crap situation without taking anything away from those who have died ffs.

I think majority are compassionate with you.. but think that you're jumping the gun a bit. Most adults will be fully vaccinated by late autumn in the UK. The OP is talking about a party this summer. Yes its unfortunate, and it's been a tough time for almost 3 years of not seeing family for some...but we're talking about holding on for a matter of months now, not indefinitely

@JellyTumble

If you move away from family these are the risks you take unfortunately.

I don't think a couple of years ago anyone would have thought there might be a global pandemic that prevents them seeing their family for over a year.

@LilMidge01, nope.
if you had read all the OP's posts, you would have realised it's not just about a party. It's about the fact she hasn't seen her family for a long time. That her dad is ill. And that it was a mile stone she wanted to celebrate with them.
So not a party at all but much more than that.

Look at the UK Gov website or search "Amber travel list". All that being in an Amber country means is a couple of extra tests, and quarantine when arriving in the UK (also following any restrictions Portugal has in place, of course).

Are your parents unable to do that?

Scientists have warned about a global pandemic for years, they’ve happened for as long as humans have existed we were just incredibly lucky that it was 100 years since the last one. It was always going to happen again if the conditions were right, though the assumption was it would be a flu pandemic rather than a coronavirus one.

@JellyTumble

If you move away from family these are the risks you take unfortunately.

Hahaha.

Of coourse, it was obvious when moving to the UK 20 years ago that the UK would suddenly deceide to leave the EU block.
It was obvious travel would be restricted because of a global pandemic that hadn't happened for more than 100 years.

Yep...

I suppose that when you move more than 50 miles away, you should also plan for no car mor train to ever be able to connect you with family too... Because you know, unless you are walking distance 'that's part of the risks you take'.....

@DumplingsAndStew

Look at the UK Gov website or search "Amber travel list". All that being in an Amber country means is a couple of extra tests, and quarantine when arriving in the UK (also following any restrictions Portugal has in place, of course).

Are your parents unable to do that?

You need to add the cost of the PCR tests too! At £150 each (two tests, if not 3 to cut down the quarantine from 10 days to 5) per operson is adding quite a lot of travelling...

that's just the UK side of course.

@GoldenLabbie

Scientists have warned about a global pandemic for years, they’ve happened for as long as humans have existed we were just incredibly lucky that it was 100 years since the last one. It was always going to happen again if the conditions were right, though the assumption was it would be a flu pandemic rather than a coronavirus one.

This is true but I don't think (m)any people would have factored this in when moving abroad.

I know it's difficult, my daughter is 2 in September and my sister and family have never met her. Our grandparents aren't in good health and she really wants to see them. My nana has dementia and wants to see her great grandchildren before she no longer remembers them.

@Tiktokersmiracle

Sorry but your parents being miffed is of little concern. We are at risk as a whole. A party can be rearranged. I say this as someone facing the prospect of having to rearrange a wedding again because of selfish people who won't vaccinate or quarantine.

This traffic light system is stupid. We should follow Australia and New Zealand and ban all non-essential travel in or out until next year at the earliest.
The current system is open to abuse of people traveling from a red or amber country via a green country to avoid quarantine.
The only way out of this mess now is to vaccinate asap and shut the border.

I haven't seen my parents since August. My Dad has been diagnosed with Parkinsons. They're getting old and can't see their grandchildren. Are my parents of a little concern too? Are you still not seeing your family or is it just someone else's life that you don't give a s..t about?

I think the greatest danger from Covid is relaxing of the travel rules. I think they should be tightened up if anything. Or elsd it will be lockdown again. Same old shutting the stable door fiasco.

It’s been shit for everyone and I’m tired of this endless whinging and moaning about petty minor inconveniences like this

Yes it's such a minor inconvenience to be unable to see your father who suffers from Alzheimer's for over a year. How utterly pathetic of OP to be upset about that.

Crazycatlady83

"It's ridiculous- Portugal cases are around 500 on average a week. Yesterday we clocked 4000. How is Portugal more of a risk than going to your local Tesco."

Because Portugal only has a population of 10 million against our 68 million.
Their case rate is increasing at a faster rate than ours. The UK case rate is 63,000 per million, Portugal's case rate is around 80,000 per million.

@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.

Yes its a joke, travel to the EU should be allowed subject to their restrictions & uk travellers should have had their full vaccination.

The world has to open up and the EU now has very low infections and high vaccination rates, the UK has vaccinated most of its population

If we wait until CV has gone away and posses no risk, then we are destined to never go abroad again.

If the G7 in Cornwall is deemed to be safe, then why not hols to Spain Portugal etc?

[quote Justinversusmrtumble]@Xiomara22 Sorry, we’re in Portugal, they’re in the U.K.
It’s so hard isn’t it? So glad they got to see your baby 💜
There’s a lot of confusion here, some people are saying they can only come for essential reasons, some saying they can come but need to quarantine (they can most definitely do this)

I admit I panicked this morning, will have to wait and see. It was just something they needed, I miss them like hell, but they really need this, especially my dad. I worry about what happens if they can’t see us.

Really considering moving back home. If this is how life is going to be, we have to.[/quote]
Given the circumstances of your dads Alzheimers surely this travel could be classed as essential... so he gets to see his new grandchild while he is still able.
I would personally have them make the trip to Portugal were I in this situation.

Surely no way are you going to endanger their future wellbeing given they will isolate by staying in your home and being with family. They are retired so can stay as long as your circumstances allow.

Also, if they isolate in your home 10 days prior to flying back to the UK then physically they should be safe even if Portugal is on the amber list. They will then also isolate in the UK.

With forethought and preparation, it can be done safely for all and both countries.

I think comparing being unable to see elderly, unwell parents to a minor inconvenience is absolutely horrible tbh.

No one knows how long our loved ones have with us. Time with them whilst we can is so important and that is being taken away. The opportunity to spend what time we have with those we love is not a small thing, it's not something to be taken lightly and it can be utterly devastating if it's taken away and something happens in the meantime, not something you just get over 'for the greater good'.

I've a friend who's grandma died during lockdown. She wishes now she'd not bothered following the rules and had seen her anyway, she is heartbroken.

Quite honestly fuck anyone who thinks it's not important.

Sorry you are disapointed OP it really has gone on for a ridicuosly long period of time now and as pp have said it almost seems to be getting political rather than practical with cases of well you won't green list us so we're not green listing you etc.
I live in a red list country and haven't seen my family or friends in 2 years now because I can't afford 4 weeks of hotel quarantine. I have given up planning any trips as its just not worth the upset when they inevitably get cancelled.
To those calling the OP selfish perhaps put yourself in the shoes of someone with family abroad we are not looking to bend the rules so we can go on holiday just to see family. I have missed 2 funerals, friends have year old babies who have never met a single family member etc.

I sympathise OP, my grandparents are in a care home only 5 minutes away from me and I wasn’t allowed to visit despite the fact we all had both jabs. A lot of the rules don’t make sense.

Ignore the posters giving you a hard time. It’s hard to be separated from close family for this length of time.

It is very frustrating OP. Holding that football final thing between two English clubs in Portugal was possibly the stupidest decision ever. Football seems to be more important than life or death, literally. And THAT's the joke.