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?

[quote YoutubeZoom]@EasterIssland I guess the question is if you need a green pass to access certain services in any of the countries. E.g. Hungary introduced a full-on immunity passport scheme. People without an immunity passport have to quarantine on arrival, and even after the quarantine they cannot enter restaurants, hotels, spas, etc.[/quote]
We’ve got the nhs one. In that basis someone born in USA wouldn’t be allowed to do anything in Hungary ? No chance they’d close themselves to tourists that have been vaccinated no matter where they’re from

Grrrrr, I’m fuming.

Just read this:

German chancellor Angela Merkel has said she would like other European countries to follow Germany's lead and require people entering them from countries where there are high levels of the Delta variant, like the UK, to go into quarantine.

“In our country, if you come from Great Britain, you have to go into quarantine - and that’s not the case in every European country, and that’s what I would like to see,” Merkel said.

What the actual! How about Germany stops the quarantine nonsense for vaccinated travellers seeing as they already have the delta variant anyway. And the proportion of delta cases is doubling every week too

@YoutubeZoom

Continued: The NHS app is not accepted as proof of immunity, because the UK does not accept theirs.

That’s what I have read too. A formality perhaps but I can see how it could cause problems.

Many countries have already delta in their citizens so blocking vaccinated British wont be much helpful in their problems.. I think it's all related with the amber country thing rather than delta.

You mean once the UK puts Germany on the green list then Germany will reciprocate? I’m not so sure. The Germans like being ‘the only ones who are doing the right thing’.

Anyway if she persuades or pressures other countries into introducing extra restrictions for people from the UK then I’ll be really cross!

@Schulte

You mean once the UK puts Germany on the green list then Germany will reciprocate? I’m not so sure. The Germans like being ‘the only ones who are doing the right thing’.

I just think some of this is just because of the traffic system, rather than the delta when they already have delta in the country despite the British not being allowed in for a few weeks . so the problem is not the British, it's the German in Germany . A British person double vaccinated is less riskier than a German not vaccinated.

In my case I'm not worried, selfishly, Spain needs the British this summer, the most they will ask are pcrs.

We’ve got the nhs one. In that basis someone born in USA wouldn’t be allowed to do anything in Hungary ? No chance they’d close themselves to tourists that have been vaccinated no matter where they’re from

They already have. That is why DH cannot come.

The US doesn't have any kind of app or system to prove vaccination, just little cards with handwritten info on them. I asked my mom to go to her doctor/hospital and get an official letter showing her vaccinations, just in case that helps her not have to quarantine when she comes in August for my baby's birth... it's all so confusing.

Sounds like Boris failed to charm Angela in St Ives.

I've had it today. Had a day in the office and been surrounded by "shouldn't put any bloody countries on the green list, can't believe people are even thinking about travel...."
I am never going in the day before a green list announcement again. With a 7 day average case rate of 393 and most tourism islands vaccinated, I can't see any reason why they can't be green listed.
I know the govt will fuck it again though.

Also can I point out how frustrating it is that the news seems to focus on islands like the canaries and balearics being treated separately to Spain but nothing about the Greek Islands?

@YoutubeZoom

We’ve got the nhs one. In that basis someone born in USA wouldn’t be allowed to do anything in Hungary ? No chance they’d close themselves to tourists that have been vaccinated no matter where they’re from

They already have. That is why DH cannot come.

I meant once they reopen the travel bridges across they’d not say sorry you don’t have the Eu passport hence you can’t go to the restaurant

We’ll see! Half of the rules turn out to be completely bonkers when you start thinking about them.

@LivinLaVidaLoki I feel your pain! Might just be the way the media report it though - thinking that the average reader will have heard of Mallorca but not of Skopelos...

@WolfMother326

The US doesn't have any kind of app or system to prove vaccination, just little cards with handwritten info on them. I asked my mom to go to her doctor/hospital and get an official letter showing her vaccinations, just in case that helps her not have to quarantine when she comes in August for my baby's birth... it's all so confusing.

There are apps in some states, but not all.

The sensible thing is to do exactly what you just described. My GP here in the US has been asking patients to let them know once we've vaccinated, then they check the state CDC records, and update their own records with our vaccination status.

They can then print out those records for patients, or you can access them via the GP's own app (mine uses Healow), which is what we then provide to places like schools, universities, workplaces if we have to prove vaccination. They're the same records that we use to prove other vaccinations like MMR, Hepatitis, etc.

Hi all, you have really helped me these last few weeks reading your posts and knowing there are other people in the same boat. It seems to have been so hard for all of us with family abroad. Well after not seeing my elderly DPs for two years (Spain - them not me), factor in a cancer diagnosis (DF not me), I simply could not wait any longer and have just come back from a week's visit. Worried all the week before I wouldn't be allowed in, the flight would be cancelled etc etc and then worried while I was there I wouldn't get back into the UK. I am writing to say I feel your pain and hope that each and every one of you get a reunion with your loved ones sooner or later. Plus there are a few hoops and paperwork to navigate both before and after a visit to an amber country. Not least 10 day isolation and a small fortune on Covid tests but hey I'm not complaining and I want to say if anyone wants any pointers or advice re visiting Spain and coming back re tests please message me and I will aim to shortcut it all for you as the test prices vary massively and I think overall I got a good deal and I can at least reassure you with the paperwork you need so you can worry less and enjoy your reunion more.

Saw a news article today that said the aviation industry puts approx £109 billion pounds a year into the UK economy.
Yet our transport minister is letting it sink. If it ain't a train he couldn't give a shit.

Ooooh, apparently Switzerland has dropped quarantine for vaccinated Brits!

My guess is there will be a few countries added to the green list today. Hope it helps some of us!

@Schulte

My guess is there will be a few countries added to the green list today. Hope it helps some of us!

I’ve reas in other threads that the announcement has been delayed til the 28 where the system will be changed. But no idea whether this is true

Oh? The news said this afternoon?

Yeah some people in other threads have said Monday. Not sure. Let’s see what comes !

@EasterIssland @Schulte Simon Calder was asked about this on Twitter, he replied:

Thursday 24 June: "Traffic light" categories are shuffled again, perhaps with an announcement to the travel industry and public instead of leaks to journalists.
Monday 28 June: First of three planned checkpoints "to review measures"; jabs replacing quarantine is one of the topics

Bit confusing but traffic light announcement definitely today apparently!

The Covid Certificate thing has been way overblown, as you said Schulte. It doesn't actually correspond with restrictions (although many EU countries do seem to have been timing their easing to coincide with it), just makes those restrictions smoother to enact, because people can prove their quarantine or PCR status across all countries in one format, with no local differences causing havoc.

@Geneswoman I'm so pleased for you that you managed to see your parents! I have a question - although Spain doesn't (I believe?) require any kind of test or vaccination to enter, did you have to pay for a PCR test before flying anyway, in order to board the 'plane?

@QuimReaper I might be wrong but spain doesnt request any pcrs at all, so airlines shouldn't request them