All fights cancelled..starting to feel panicky

[Novousername]

I’m not in the U.K. but am originally from there. Seeing lots of news on the forums here about flights being cancelled to and from the uk up until April and some even as far along as August..am I missing something here but why still cancelling that late in the year?
I haven’t seen my parents for what feels like ages and they’re due to have the vaccines hopefully April/May. They were planning to come out in the summer.
It’s closing in here too, we’re on a partial lockdown and allowed out until 1 pm, it’s looking like a full one is imminent.
Just feeling really down at the thought of being trapped in all the way from my family and trying to entertain my poor toddler, who I feel sad is missing out on life.

I don’t know if I can go through this again for months and months

There were other fast tests in development so perhaps all flights in and out will be subject to a negative test ? I know it’s not perfect but it could get things moving again .

Glumsnet?!

It's because of the new variant including the South African one which the virus might not protect against. I agree it's difficult but things might start opening up again. The vaccinne doesn't necessarily stop transmission only stopping you getting it. Once your parents have had jt and if you are happy to quarantine I'm sure you will get flights restarting. It's hard to plan much atm.

Vaccinne not virus

If you’re vulnerable you should have it feb/March time latest. The first dose anyway.

I don't think so. The numbers don't add up for everybody vulnerable (not extremely vulnerable) to be done in two months.

@Staffy1

I’m fifty two, not vulnerable other than age and my gp surgery has already texted me some questions to clarify my vulnerability as they are expecting to give it to me soon. The calculator says it will be a year away

Perhaps they are just checking where all their patients come in the list. My 89 year old FIL has heard nothing yet, nor my 78 year old DM with heart issues. I read in the news that some 99 year old is still waiting. Yet somehow Boris' 80 year old father is about to have his second dose.

The press will always latch on to the negative - I know a number of elderly people who have received their first vaccinations, and those scheduled are also getting their second. Two today, infact.

Having said that, if an elderly relative of mine hadn't heard anything (thinking 80+), I would call their surgery and get some idea of what the timing might be.

I’ve been an expat for 13 years. I don’t go home often, and I was last back in March 2020 (flew back here 6 days before we closed our airspace for 4 months)

I’ve never felt further away. Expat life is fine, you can always get home (especially for you just from Portugal to UK, must be so easy at normal times), but this is just so bizarre.

I feel your pain.

God knows but I’ve moved my late May holiday (again) to early sept just in case. 3rd time lucky 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Tbh being in the same country as your family isn't much different to being abroad for many of us op. I've only seen visited my in laws and my immediate family once during 2020. Even though we're in the same country, it would be against the rules to travel to see them.

DS is in Sydney - we had flights cancelled last April, but felt sure it would be OK for Christmas, which obviously it wasn't. Booked for April and June, and they have both already been cancelled. BA told me the earliest they're taking bookings for is October for Australia.

I hate the fact that we haven't seen him for over 12 months, but he says that he worries how he'll get back if someone is ill. Fortunately DD has put his mind at ease by telling him that even if he was here, he wouldn't be allowed to do hospital visits etc., and he could FT as easily from Aus as from home!

These are horrible times - just keeping hoping that tomorrow will be a better day for us all.

Our family lives abroad (Canada). We were meant to go out and see them last summer for a big trip/special occasion, which was of course cancelled. This summer will be no different. It looks like by the time that we will see them (assuming that it will now be next summer) they won't have seen their grandchildren for 3 years. It's one of those things. I don't think that anyone should be flying right now. The UK should have stopped all flights at the start of last year. If you were feeling homesick, then perhaps you should have considered flying back to the UK earlier. I understand that entertaining a toddler is hard, as is being away from family, but I am a little surprised that the lockdowns and travel bans (likely to run on and off for a long time) haven't been predicted by some.

I understand OP. I haven't seen my parents since August 2019. We didn't go this summer as my parents were shielding and it was very unclear whether we would have to quarantine or not. I sort of wish we had though. So worried that I won't see them as they are over 80.

Trust me
Your toddler is not “missing out on life”!

Unless his or her parents are consumed by anxiety and doing nothing with her / her

Yet somehow Boris' 80 year old father is about to have his second dose.

DM goes to a yoga class with lots of much older ladies, her friend in her 80s has heard nothing, another lady in her 80s and her husband are due their second dose next week. They live 2 streets away from each other. We've guessed it's down to gp surgeries?

Tell me about it. We were booked to go back to NZ last June, for the first time in two years. I am hoping and praying nothing happens to my mother until we can get flights back, because we are screwed. All Ivcan do is head down, arse up, focus on getting through each day as best I can, because worrying about the unfathomable and unpredictable future, over which I have little or no control, would send me even faster and further around the twist.

I’ve just booked flights to France in July . I understand they may end up getting cancelled, but they’re certainly not being cancelled yet .

In our area the jabs have been offered to anyone over the age of 80. The drs have been absolutely clear that there is no priority. It doesn't matter what your state of health or whether you are 102! The reason for this is that they simply do not have time to pick the phone up and arrange appointments and call backs (bear in mind that they are also seeing patients). Instead our surgery has advertised the vaccine on all local community sites, put up posters and asked everyone local to inform anyone 80+ to contact them to book a vaccination. This way they have been able to vaccinate over twice as many as they ordinarily would have. It's all about speed.

OP, you said your dad is 71 and not up to the drive. But what about you? could you do the travelling to the UK, by car, coach. ferry and train?

Probably safest to stay put though, as per all the recommendations.

@Novousername
Try to take one day at a time and try focusing on the fact that you and your family are all well and not fighting for your life in ICU

Your toddler isn’t missing out on life. Of course you’re going to have negative thoughts - but it’s really worth making a conscious effort to correct yourself when you’re wrong, rather than allow yourself to go down a rabbit hole of misery and pity.

@AntiHop

Tbh being in the same country as your family isn't much different to being abroad for many of us op. I've only seen visited my in laws and my immediate family once during 2020. Even though we're in the same country, it would be against the rules to travel to see them.

But it isn't the same. People say this a lot of mumsnet, but in an emergency you could jump in a car, or the minute you're allowed to go you can go. If there was a serious problem with your dc, they'd go to you.

My dear dear DM has been rushed to hospital this morning (not COVID related) and I'm trying to stay chipper but if the worst comes to the worst, I cannot get to her, at all. Not for all the testing and quarantines in the world, there aren't any flights. We're cut off. And when the uk gets better, this country gets worse and vice versa, the lockdowns don't coincide, elongating the time apart.

My husband had his first vaccination yesterday. The information given to him tells him to carry on as we are (staying in) It's unlikely your parents would be able to visit in the summer. I haven't seen any of my kids since December 2019, and certainly don't envision us having visits from them this year. The only way to stop this virus is for people to stop moving around.

@ajandjjmum, my FIL did ask his surgery and was told they are too small to do it, he will get a letter when it's his turn, so no idea when that will be.

I just booked our family holiday (for 10) for late July in Europe. Optimists here....

I know of several over 80s who have already had their second vaccine, so I don't think that Boris's father is getting particularly special treatment.

Unless I had to I won't be booking any foreign travel this year. I think that we will be vaccinated here, but it's the rest of the world playing catch-up that worries me. I have family in the US and I miss them enormously, but will see them when it's safe to do so (and the numbers in the US are terrible at the moment).