Cyprus - from May those with 2 vaccinations can holiday freely

[VaVaGloom]

Knew it would end up a two tier travel system!

www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/cyprus-to-allow-british-tourists-from-may-1-b922274.html

More sitting at home and sucking it up for the rest of us!

Yes it's not right. But loads of people will be along to say the over 70s don't have much time left etc etc and how dare the under 50s complain.

Businesses won’t make as much money as they think imo.

No kids at all will be going at all this summer - as no kids have been vaxxed. So no one who is used to paying the eye watering summer holiday prices will go - I’m not sure all the retired folk will suddenly love the idea of paying these prices!

well as it stands travel is illegal and the government has said the earliest as can go anywhere is may 17th....will be interesting to see what happens here though. Government could just say nobody is going anywhere until everyone is vaccinated. Will be controversial whatever happens.

I think it's fair enough tbh. Yes some of us will have to wait a few more months before we can travel abroad but arguably the older people have far less time left generally. If the reports are true that we'll all have at least one jab by the end of May though, I think it's possible that we could all get away by July.

I think unvaccinated people can take a test instead?

Well it's all very well saying that you "can" go, but that doesn't mean that there won't be restrictions when you return to the UK e.g. 10 days quarantine and some expensive tests.

Other countries can do as they choose . This is one country. Any issues regarding tests and quarantine on return to the UK will apply to all .

I am so pissed off about this.
I have been relatively ok about "things for the greater good of society" up until this.

So the kids will be in masks in schools, no practical lessons, whilst some seniors are sipping beer on a Cyprus beach?

So fucking unfair.

I am proper pissed off.

Really if this goes ahead never again should the young be curved to protect the old. All in this together, bollocks.

Yep been ok until this.
But it might not happen might just be media stirring so trying to keep a happy disposition.

I get the tourist industry needs money from somewhere, anyone, it's just the timing. Families will not have parents double vaccinated until end of summer holidays, at the earliest.

Aaaaarrrrhhhh..................

I think more countries will apply such systems. Does it mean that families with kids are in effect banned from travel for the foreseeable future?

We didn't set up the vaccine schedule to favour certain groups for holidays. But because of their risk factors.

One of my household will have had both jabs by then, but trust me I'd swop their CEV co-morbidity in a flash and wait as long as it takes to resume activities.

But thus isn't a British decision. And we cannot control the continuous that other countries lay down.

Do you really think that all relaxations/changes should wait until everyone can be included?

Do you fancy cancelling both the steps on March because shielding (new longer list, no age conditions and affecting millions of working age people) people can't join in before next review due 31 March?

Dividing people by health status has been gong on throughout thus, and some of us have had the shitty end of the stick for a long, long time. We get that it's a shock when you've previously been in a lucky, favoured group to realise that on one point you are not. But it's no more unfair than any of the many others, and it's for a much shorter time and for something non-essential. You'll be fine

Personally I think good luck to the older generations if they can get away. The restrictions here were to stop the NHS being overwhelmed not to protect older people.

It's to stop the spread of Covid spreading round even more. If less unvaccinated people had swanned off around the world last year then we might not have had as much trouble here.

It seems a very sensible move. Of course it won't suit everyone but the restrictions have worked for some and not others all the way through this. As a family of 6, the 6 people rule for us has been crap but we've followed it and sucked it up while watching 2 friends families of 3 get together.

It's not going to be that long before everyone has been offered a jab, those with a medical reason for not getting it will have an exemption form of some kind and as kids can't be vaccinated then I assume they won't count as will technically be exempt too.

As others have said, the UK cannot dictate what rules/restrictions that other countries impose on people visiting their country. The Cyprus proposal is nothing to do with the UK. All the UK can do is apply rules to leaving and entering the UK.

Cyprus won't be the last country to do this. I'd imagine most other countries will announce similar proposals as they need to protect themselves.

Summer may not seem far away, but a lot can happen between now and then.

Remember last Summer how the travel rules were changing every week, air corridors open, air corridors closed, travel bans to/from certain countries being announced then removed, then imposed again.

The UK may well keep their hotel/quarantine rules throughout Summer meaning those who do leave have to suffer the cost and inconvenience of quarantining when they return. There'll be relatively few people willing to do that for the sake of a bit of sun.

I wonder how it will work for the travel industry though. I had been under the impression that traditionally, many off-peak holidays were more or less loss-leaders paid for by the higher school holiday weeks. Can it be commercially viable to run these flights and open hotels and pools etc. with only a percentage of your potential customer based able to come and use them?

There has definitely always been a degree of protecting the older generation who are more likely to vote Tory, protect the safe votes and everyone else can just get on with it.

@RoseWineTime

I think unvaccinated people can take a test instead?

Which will cost them money. So a cost that a person who is vaccinated won't have.

To those crying "unfair".

Well covid has been "unfair" to lots of people, such as those who've lost their jobs, homes, savings, and businesses, even their lives!

What about the 3 million self employed who were excluded from the support schemes due to Rishi's incompetence?

Nothing in life is fair, especially in covid times.

It's foreign travel, open borders, lack of border restrictions etc that caused the pandemic in the first place. The last thing we should be doing is encouraging or even allowing foreign travel for anyone for a "jolly" until it's safer for everyone. One person's "right" to a sun holiday doesn't rank above someone else's right not to die of covid.

@Deliaskis

I wonder how it will work for the travel industry though. I had been under the impression that traditionally, many off-peak holidays were more or less loss-leaders paid for by the higher school holiday weeks. Can it be commercially viable to run these flights and open hotels and pools etc. with only a percentage of your potential customer based able to come and use them?

Depends what you mean by "off peak". Lots of hotels and attractions close down for Winter, especially in the Med seaside resorts. So they already close down in the non profitable months of the year.

Mid Season, i.e. typically May/June/September/October will be profitable even though the prices are a lot lower.

The peak of July/August will be where they make "super" profits - i.e. the premium months. They can survive without the "super" profits as long as they make a basic level of profit.

Sorry op, I think you're overreacting. Think of it from Cyprus' point of view. They are a small country, with many people's livelihoods dependent on tourism. They want to find a balance between protecting health and protecting people's livelihoods, just like every country.

We will all get vaccinated in the not too distant future.

I am a bit jealous but since vaccinated people going or not going won’t change my situation I can’t bring myself to care much

@Hoppinggreen

I am a bit jealous but since vaccinated people going or not going won’t change my situation I can’t bring myself to care much

I agree. We need to concentrate our minds and efforts on what we can change and accept the things we can't.

I don't blame any tourist area for doing it, but it does make feel sad and scared.
Scared that more activities follow suit.
Scared that the vaccination effort stalls after all the at risk groups sending more doses to the vulnerable countries (which is ethical)
Just generally scared that younger adults lives will continue being on hold, and childrens life limited, by these economic decisions.

@nether We get that it's a shock when you've previously been in a lucky, favoured group to realise that on one point you are not. But it's no more unfair than any of the many others, and it's for a much shorter time and for something non-essential. You'll be fine

What favoured group is that then? Since last March one of my DC has only been in school Sept- to mid Dec while i’ve been wfh and homeschooling. Not my idea of fun!

We are only getting on top of this now, students are yet to return, sectors are yet to reopen - it seems very premature to allow international travel for a favoured group. We know half term skiing helped seed the first wave - should we jeopardise UK society opening up so some older people can have a week in the sun?

The likelihood that I would be fine has been extremely high throughout but I totally understood the need to curtail all our activities in a collective effort. Shouldn’t the same apply to travel?

So the kids will be in masks in schools, no practical lessons, whilst some seniors are sipping beer on a Cyprus beach?

Well, the families with kids wouldn't be booking anyway, in normal times, as the kids are in school so I'm not sure what your point is?

Cyprus has said we can go, the UK government hasn't lifted the travel ban yet. So we may not even be able to anyway, or we may have to quarantine and nobody will go. By the times the schools break up, the picture will be different and families will most likely to be able to fly abroad, just like last summer.

This us the choice of the Cypriot government not Boris or ABTA or Ryanair.

Any country in the world can and does decide its own entry requirements. Thats why some countries allow some people from certain countries in on a standard passport and other people from other countries need a visa in addition. Some countries allow people I without a yellow fever certificate, the same country can require a yellow fever certificate from people transiting or who have visited certain places before entry.

Covid is just new requirement some countries will choose different ways to implement into their immigration law.

This summer will be an issue as vaccines are rolled out and governments decide what they want for their own country. This pandemic and coming out of it is all rather new.

@user1497207191

To those crying "unfair".

Well covid has been "unfair" to lots of people, such as those who've lost their jobs, homes, savings, and businesses, even their lives!

What about the 3 million self employed who were excluded from the support schemes due to Rishi's incompetence?

Nothing in life is fair, especially in covid times.

It's foreign travel, open borders, lack of border restrictions etc that caused the pandemic in the first place. The last thing we should be doing is encouraging or even allowing foreign travel for anyone for a "jolly" until it's safer for everyone. One person's "right" to a sun holiday doesn't rank above someone else's right not to die of covid.

Exactly! Having to wait a few weeks longer than someone else to go on holiday compared to the millions who have been excluded from any help. I know which one makes me more angry. Some people really need to look beyond the end of their own nose if this is the unfair element of this whole shitshow that has wound them up the most.