Support thread for those with family abroad

[Schulte]

Anyone interested in a support thread for those of us who have family abroad, and don't know if we can see them this year? I had started to feel all positive and optimistic about going back to my home country this summer to see my parents, but it's now looking far from certain and I'm feeling increasingly depressed.

I thought maybe we can cheer each other up and share the latest on border openings, how and where to get tests for travel, etc.

Anyone?

@QuimReaper

I'm getting increasingly disgruntled about the vaccination situation with foreign travel. Obviously we had to lock down to protect the vulnerable (and the NHS, in everyone's interests) and vaccinating the vulnerable was the way out of that, but all along there was strong messaging that the young and healthy were making sacrifices to protect the older / more vulnerable. I didn't begrudge it. But nw we're in a position where everyone from 18-40ish is likely not to have the same freedom of movement as those who had the vaccinations earlier, and will probably lose out on another summer. It seems grossly unfair.

Tbf, most of those messages came from social media and not official sources. (OK possibly some members of our government but they are a bunch of idiots). It’s never been true and most public health officials and the WHO have warned against the younger groups thinking they are not at risk all the way through.

Thousands of VIPs will be allowed into England without the need to quarantine under plans to stop the final of the European Championship being moved from Wembley to Budapest, The Times can reveal.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uefa-threat-euro-2020-final-quaranting-hungary-budapest-0f3jhc99v

@YoutubeZoom that story has just been giving me the rage too. All in it together? All about the science? What a load of bullsh*t.

Has always been like this. At the beginning of the pandemic I remember one of the royal hangers-on flew back from skiing (Zara?) and and she "opted" not to self-isolate. Same with Gove. They have the option.

I am hoping that this will bring on change in quarantine rules. Unless the euros totally spread the delta variant.

@YoutubeZoom

Has always been like this. At the beginning of the pandemic I remember one of the royal hangers-on flew back from skiing (Zara?) and and she "opted" not to self-isolate. Same with Gove. They have the option.

I am hoping that this will bring on change in quarantine rules. Unless the euros totally spread the delta variant.

I’m really not that bothered about quarantining on return to the UK - the cost and hassle of the tests is more of an issue. What I would like to see happening is that we get taken off the red list of countries such as Germany, Austria etc. I’m kind of hoping they all get more Delta variant cases themselves with local transmission so they stop perceiving the UK as such a threat

And yes I know that’s the wrong thing to hope for!

@Schulte ii was reading how Germany is having more delta cases, but also how their testing is so low that is normal that they're barely realising that they've delta in the community.

France + Germany's number of test is lower than the UKs. so it's normal the uk is finding more cases. also Germany is having currently higher deaths and hospitalisations than us, that's a hint that something might be gong on but if we dont test... we dont know

@Schulte, I’m kind of agreeing with you there!

uk.news.yahoo.com/delta-variant-become-dominant-germany-084838554.html

Hope they dont because I dont like people suffering but in Spanish you say something like you can put doors on the fields.. so it's something similar, they might try delaying it, but if it's already in Germany one way or another it'll become bigger

Italy has introduced mandatory testing and a five-day quarantine for all travellers coming from the UK, the Italian health minister Roberto Speranza said on Friday in a Facebook post, as concerns grow over increasing cases of the Delta variant in Britain.

Denmark analyses over 90% of positive cases for variants and does a lot more testing than the U.K.. they say here that it’s simply a matter of time before delta becomes dominant and ‘hope’ it is not until autumn and 12-15 year olds have had vaccine. Contacts of contacts have to isolate if someone has the delta variant so as you can imagine it’s incredibly disruptive. Whole schools have totally shut due to a hand full of cases.

If delta takes off in Germany then I cannot see how they’ll continue to justify the travel ban from UK, iv never thought of it in in such terms. I hope of hope that that travel restrictions don’t go backwards though 😕

(Won’t effect football officials either way 😠)

The Cabinet’s Covid-O committee, which takes the key operational decisions on how to handle the virus, will discuss this late next week. One option is to allow those who have been double-vaccinated to travel to amber-list countries such as France and Spain without having to self-isolate on return.

Given that neither [health secretary] Matt Hancock nor [cabinet office minister] Michael Gove, normally the two Covid hardliners in cabinet, oppose the idea it is likely to get the go-ahead. Government insiders predict that the system may well be in place as early as the end of next month.

Just on time for me to come back from spain :)

Apparently the Delta variant is spreading in Portugal. They played in Hungary in a stadium full of spectators with no masks. Now Slovakia is panicking, because a lot of Slovaks might have been in the stadium. spectator.sme.sk/c/22684438/delta-variant-to-shake-up-slovak-summer-football-match-in-budapest-may-have-been-a-critical-moment.html
Portugal will next play Germany and France. Portugal v France will be in Budapest, again full stadium, no masks. @Schulte Your wish might come true sooner than you think.

Who would have thought playing the Eurocopa would lead to this … hope they don’t ban us visiting our families after this!

Well full stadiums is obviously a daft idea. All the matches I’ve watched so far were played in stadiums with lots of empty seats

Thanks @YoutubeZoom

How’s everyone doing? I must say the closer we get to the summer holidays the unhappier I’m feeling... are the rules going to change? And when? Is travelling going to become easier? Or harder? It feels like we only have the summer to see the grandparents and if that doesn’t happen then it will be another year before the next opportunity

@Schulte I'm feeling a bit the same - with the vaccine rollout going so well but cases still going up and the gov showing no apparent urgency to get things moving with regard to travel, it's starting to feel never-ending. I am hoping that once schools break up for the summer it'll start to improve, but like you, I rather want other countries to realise the Delta variant is an inevitability and stop freaking out about it!

I'm a bit confused about Delta - it seemed very bad in India but the symptoms being reported here are pathetic, indistinguishable from a summer cold or hayfever attack. Hopefully that's because it's only young and vaccinated people who are contracting it, but it really doesn't seem worth losing our heads over.

[quote QuimReaper]@Schulte I'm feeling a bit the same - with the vaccine rollout going so well but cases still going up and the gov showing no apparent urgency to get things moving with regard to travel, it's starting to feel never-ending. I am hoping that once schools break up for the summer it'll start to improve, but like you, I rather want other countries to realise the Delta variant is an inevitability and stop freaking out about it!

I'm a bit confused about Delta - it seemed very bad in India but the symptoms being reported here are pathetic, indistinguishable from a summer cold or hayfever attack. Hopefully that's because it's only young and vaccinated people who are contracting it, but it really doesn't seem worth losing our heads over.[/quote]
the difference between India and the uk is that in india too many people had it at the same time and their hospitals weren't ready for the wave, their vaccination is way behind ours so they needed tooo many people in hospitals at the same time.
This I snot happening here as the most vulnerable ones are already fully vaccinated most of them, and those catching it are younger which normally don't need hospitalisation or oxygen, which was the main problem in India .

I am counting down the days (8) to seeing a car coming up the drive with my daughter, son in law and two lovely grandchildren. It has been nearly 18 months since I saw them last. We both live in mainland Europe, although not in the same country. I am fully vaccinated which also means that I can now go and visit them without quarantining if they need help with childcare.

On the other hand, I am also becoming resigned to the fact that it is unlikely that we will be able to travel to the UK to meet our third grandchild who is due in a few weeks.

Swings and roundabouts

Sending love and hope to everyone on this thread who cannot make definite plans to see their families.

The uncertainty sucks.

Ah @missmopple I bet you’re really looking forward to that! Lucky you.

We agreed that DS and I will travel to Europe even if the rules do not change. DH might have to hold the fort at home

@Schulte
Thanks, I'm actually really struggling today. Greeces cases are falling they had 200-odd yesterday and most tourism islands are 60%+ vaccinated so they should be moved to a green list. But I know they won't as Wanksock will block it again and I'll have to put my trip back again.
Every time there is a review coming up I feel like I'm on edge. All the media speculation in general and the "Close the borders! Stay the fuck at home!" People here just get me down so much. I'm exhausted and I want a break and I want to see my family. So much for vaccination being the way out of this clusterfuck

149 cases in Denmark. Bet it won’t make the green list though 😪 I am so angry all the time. General anger, not aimed at anyone in particular.

@newstart1234

149 cases in Denmark. Bet it won’t make the green list though 😪 I am so angry all the time. General anger, not aimed at anyone in particular.

I really feel you @newstart1234

Apparently there's a rumour that the govt took so much backlash from the last announcement and now the pressure from the legal challenge from the aviation industry means there is a chance that some could be added this time. Particularly as this is the time of year when the key demographic of tory voters go on their summer hols......while it's quiet....
again, that's just speculation. I can't even hope to see them this year anymore.