To think very few countries will let brits in with the current infection rates

[Urbanhymngirl]

32,000 cases today & 2500 in hospital (a rise on last week)

Cases are rising rapidly. Only 68% have had one dose, contrary to the vaccine propaganda.

Aibu to think that very few countries are going to want Brits coming in especially countries that have only vaccinated up to 50% of their populations- it’s madness.

All this hysteria about European summer holidays is really really misplaced!

The rest of the world are looking at our 19th July policy in horror though too! The lancet hosted an emergency conference today & loads of health professionals sounding the alarm. The WHO have said it’s bloody insane too. I just can’t imagine any country taking the same ‘fuck it’ approach!!

@Urbanhymngirl

The rest of the world are looking at our 19th July policy in horror though too! The lancet hosted an emergency conference today & loads of health professionals sounding the alarm. The WHO have said it’s bloody insane too. I just can’t imagine any country taking the same ‘fuck it’ approach!!

But unless you can see this direction happening with travel advice isn’t it just based on your thoughts not the reality of it?

@MarshaBradyo well I am anxious as meant to be travelling to France in mid august!

I understand the anxiety but I do think travel will get easier not harder as countries vaccinate more of the population

I did just read too that brits over 12 have to be double vaxxed too to travel to France & we have a 13 year old 🤪

And that if you catch covid abroad, you do have to isolate in that country. It’s just all so unclear!

With numbers of double vaccinated people on the rise the impact of Delta will be different to the original virus. Most double vaccinated people get bad headaches and sore throats, unvaccinated young people high fevers and tonsillitis. While not as 'bad' as the first wave in numbers hospitalised and dead the impact of huge numbers being sick cannot be under estimated. Feedback from international colleagues talk of not being able to access GPS so ending up at A&E to get seen, services (restaurants/shops) struggling to get staff and slow in supply chain. A major company I deal with in Indonesia has over 100 people go sick in the space of a week. A colleague in Portugal ended up driving his teen son to a city hospital as he couldn't get his son who had a bad fever they could not control to be seen because the local hospital as it was overwhelmed, he himself despite being double vaccinated had to go sick as he was seeing double and had a bad headache for 3 days so couldn't lift his head off the pillow.
Talk of no masks, relaxing restrictions seems bonkers, I know my examples are limited to my colleagues but if truly indicative I think anyone who says they'll be fine as they as double vaccinated haven't considered how to cope with a sick household, or the impact of covering all colleagues out sick, or not able to see a GP even worse than it is now. Travel shouldn't be on anyone's priority list right now.

I did think this when travel first started opening up a bit. As a highly vaccinated population, which can still carry the virus, we're a big risk to countries we visit, unless they gave similar levels of vaccination, but they still seem to be clamouring to have us.

The 19th is bloody insane, yes - but I also don't think it will be as sudden and terrible as predicted. Most likely shops and public transport will still require masks, etc.

And at the end of the day, we can't keep saying vaccines work, but then be scared of fully vaccinated people visiting other fully vaccinated people in a different country. That's as safe as it gets, variant or not. Europe as a continent is doing a great job with vaccines, so it's time to open up, even to the UK.

Let's not forget most EU borders were open throughout the winter, even at the peak of the deadliest wave in January. I travelled more than once without having to quarantine a single day. It's something EU countries have been doing for over a year one, and it hasn't translated into a huge increase in cases and deaths. No more than reopening nightclubs with no safety measures has, for example.

@Backhills

I did think this when travel first started opening up a bit. As a highly vaccinated population, which can still carry the virus, we're a big risk to countries we visit, unless they gave similar levels of vaccination, but they still seem to be clamouring to have us.

I do agree that certain countries will be put more at risk if they start getting Brits in now. Not all 140 countries or however many on that amber list have achieved a similar rollout yet.

I've had a hell of a year and won't be going anywhere, but I have to say, I'm not sorry that choice has been taken away from me. Booking and anticipating a holiday seems incredibly stressful atm. Impossible to look forward to properly because you can't be sure you'll actually get to go, even if it's in UK.

And that if you catch covid abroad, you do have to isolate in that country.

That should've been pretty obvious though, I thought. What other option is there, you surely can't have people getting on a plane or crossing a country with their car, after they've tested positive?

Almost all countries have their own problems & don't care what is happening in Britain. Ireland, Spain, France, Portugal care a lot, I suppose -- but the only ban I know if is USA.

@EileenGC but does the general population realise that? I suspect not

Impossible to look forward to properly because you can't be sure you'll actually get to go, even if it's in UK.

That's true and the worst part of it. I have 5 trips (some holiday, some work) booked for the next 6 weeks and for most of them, I'll be deciding if I can go just a couple of days before I'm due to leave. Currently visiting my parents and checking my country's travel updates daily because rates here are increasing so I might need to cut my holiday short overnight. If you can be flexible, that's great. Otherwise it's just too uncertain.

Or worse, you don't know if you'll be able to come home as planned, or be stuck ill and isolating in a strange place.

[quote Urbanhymngirl]@EileenGC but does the general population realise that? I suspect not[/quote]
I guess those who don't realise it are the same people who were going out to Tesco after testing positive, or taking their children to school with symptoms, or when they were meant to be isolating. Selfish and stupid people will always be around.

YABU. Cases aren’t everything. Singapore has recently said they will stop focusing on cases and focus on hospitalizations and deaths.

The UK has one of the world’s greatest vaccination programmes and have vaccinated more than pretty much everywhere in the world minus a few countries.
The UK does a hell of a lot of genome sequencing hence why we discovered the “Kent” variant first.
We are testing the most in the world by far so if anything - our case numbers are just more accurate than others.
Lastly the Delta variant hit the UK first in Europe however it’s slowly making it way around the rest of Europe so while our cases are starting to slow down the pace of speed - Europe is starting to experience the Delta variant.

Lots of countries are desperate for the British to return (Greece, Spain, Thailand, Turkey) and will want them to return as long as they’re fully vaccinated