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Original poster

Support thread for those with family abroad

838 replies

Schulte · 20/05/2021 10:12

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?

OP posts:
ZZTopGuitarSolo · 22/05/2021 18:40

I'm so close to just booking a flight to the UK and going.

But my worry is that the variant will result in lots of places going back into lockdown, and me being unable to go from one family to another.

Sister is in Glasgow so visiting her is already out :-(

YoutubeZoom · 22/05/2021 19:07

We will make a decision whether to travel in 7 weeks.
Flowers to all of us.

UberMullet · 22/05/2021 19:50

We're abroad. I've booked fully cancellable option to come to U.K. for august BH weekend. If quarantine is still needed we won't be coming. Haven't see my family for 2 years.

UberMullet · 22/05/2021 19:53

@SilverGlitterBaubles

I really don't understand the disparity between countries in Europe when I thought the EU were supposed to be meeting to agree a common policy. Portugal = PCR test, Spain = No Requirements, Germany = No entry due to variants. So much for having to leave the EU in order to have sovereignty and control over the borders Wink
Of course individual countries can make their own rules. My understanding is they will open up within Schengen for the fully vaccinated and those with negative tests. But they plan an emergency brake should there be a sudden increase in numbers. U.K. falls outside all this of course, so it wait and see.
Original poster
Schulte · 23/05/2021 14:48

France now also mulling over tougher restrictions for those coming from the UK Sad

OP posts:
HarveySchlumpfenburger · 23/05/2021 15:07

@Schulte

France now also mulling over tougher restrictions for those coming from the UK Sad
Unfortunately I feel like this is going to be a bit of a theme. I can’t imagine that anywhere that doesn’t currently have community spread of this variant will be wanting to let it in. And those that do will be wanting to try and get on top of it. Especially since most are not as far along in their vaccination programme than us.
Lostinacloud · 23/05/2021 15:27

Well the UK media and government are just idiots! They made a big scary fuss over the Indian variant hoping to be able to use it as an excuse to continue this rubbish for longer but although it has just not come to fruition for them, it has sufficiently spooked other countries into thinking that all British people are now going to bring that variant into their countries. What a load of stupidity that means we all have even longer to be separated from our families. Anger is the only emotion I have left!

Original poster
Schulte · 23/05/2021 17:28

I was thinking something along those lines too... it’s the Kent variant story all over again. The Germans freaked out completely over that one too but they couldn’t keep it out of the country and the same will happen with this one. Viruses simply don’t know they are not meant to cross borders...

OP posts:
theadultsaretalking · 23/05/2021 19:48

The annoying thing is that while they are all playing populism Olympics, it's the real people that are bearing the brunt of it. I've had enough of being the collateral damage.

UberMullet · 23/05/2021 21:20

The Kent variant has caused huge increases in numbers and deaths all over Europe. I quite understand that now EU figures are finally dropping again that they really don't want to go back there! Where I live numbers dropped to under 100 per 100k in December. Even now, after months of restrictions we've just dropped to slightly under 300 per 100k.

LoveFall · 24/05/2021 01:05

Talked on Zoom with son, DIL, and 2DGD whole live in England and us on the west coast of Canada. The girls were ready for bed and full of news of their weekend activities.

I miss them so much it hurts. It was hard not to let them see me cry a little.

My DIL is a lovely intelligent woman and I can't wait for some "woman chat" over a cup of tea or glass of wine.

ZZTopGuitarSolo · 24/05/2021 01:36

@BritWifeinUSA

I’m the family abroad. Still hopeful my mother will get here in September. I’m married to an American and now have dual citizenship US and UK so I could travel to the UK because I would be able to return directly to the US (Pres Proc doesn’t apply to US citizens) but I can’t visit my mother because she lives in a block of flats that’s exclusively for over 60s. It’s a tiny 1-bedroom flat. The management have banned all overnight visitors because they have had some COVID deaths amongst the residents. So I would have to do my quarantining in a hotel and wouldn’t be able to see my mum so there’s no point.
Could you and your mum go and stay in a hotel together? Get adjoining rooms maybe?
MooseBeTimeForSummer · 24/05/2021 02:14

I’m the family abroad too. Both my sister and MIL in the U.K. are fully vaccinated.
Unfortunately we are late to the Covid party and the region I live in has one of the highest infection rates in North America. We are being given assistance with vaccinations and in the last 6 weeks or so we’ve vaccinated 40% of our population. 60% of my age group.
We’re considering a trip to the U.K. in Summer 2022.

CustardyCreams · 24/05/2021 02:21

I miss my brother and his family, he is overseas and has lost his job and his partner, due to the stress of it all, left him both a result of COVID. But the last thing in the world I want is for borders to open and this disease to keep spreading. For all that we miss each other, at least we are all live - how much more would someone miss a relative who died because COVID spread further because we all rushed back to travelling. I want it to be really safe before borders open, and I think for red list countries it should be a three week quarantine when it does.

beingsunny · 24/05/2021 04:26

Thank you for starting this thread, I'm in Australia with my 8yo DS. I'm so terribly homesick, and the time difference means I can't call when I need a chat I miss my family so much. I can't move home, my DS father lives here with his partner.
The m having relationship problems and feel quite alone, I don't want to burden my mum as she's a worrier. There's also absolutely no indication of being able to travel next year either.

Original poster
Schulte · 24/05/2021 07:36

@UberMullet

The Kent variant has caused huge increases in numbers and deaths all over Europe. I quite understand that now EU figures are finally dropping again that they really don't want to go back there! Where I live numbers dropped to under 100 per 100k in December. Even now, after months of restrictions we've just dropped to slightly under 300 per 100k.
Was it the Kent variant that caused the spike - or rather the fact that people were going to the office, mixing indoors, everything (or a lot) was open? I think it’s too easy to blame every spike on new variants, sorry.
OP posts:
UberMullet · 24/05/2021 12:33

Nothing was open since October! And working from home is still compulsory where possible, Mixing indoors has been increased in last couple of weeks to 2 people.

ihavethehighground · 24/05/2021 13:52

Wondering when Germany will allow visitors again,? ,without having to quarantine on arrival

YoutubeZoom · 24/05/2021 14:12

I started to read coronavirus legislation in Hungarian. Desperate, or what.

One way to avoid quarantine is to apply for a local vaccination certificate based on vaccination received abroad. It is only available for citizens though. Maybe other countries have similar options.

Original poster
Schulte · 24/05/2021 16:51

I think we’ll just have to wait and see... hopefully things stay under control here and then Germany will relax the rules again... such a contrast to Spain!

OP posts:
Original poster
Schulte · 24/05/2021 16:52

Worst case scenario I might ask my parents to meet us in a third country!

OP posts:
EasterIssland · 24/05/2021 16:54

Spanish here. With flights in July booked. Sick to death that I won’t be able to book because of the Indian variant.

YoutubeZoom · 24/05/2021 17:04

@Schulte

Worst case scenario I might ask my parents to meet us in a third country!
I tried that, but DM said no. This virus took her sense of adventure completely. Last year she was going to meet us in Prague, then the pandemic hit.
WolfMother326 · 24/05/2021 17:10

Hello all,

Thank you for this thread. I'm 7 months pregnant and haven't been back to the US since 2019 - normally would have seen family twice by now. I've been vaccinated but decided not to travel as it just seemed too risky and also I felt too pregnant to make the trip under non-pandemic constraints from mid-May.

My family are planning to come here and visit in August and September. So annoyed that they can't get a 'vaccine passport' and will have to pay for the testing package to enter the country - they've all had both shots of moderna or pfizer. There's no issue with them coming as long as they follow the guidance right?

Thanks.

Autumn101 · 24/05/2021 17:15

Sympathy to everyone on here, it’s tough being away from family.......

In our case the DC and I are in U.K. and DH works overseas - unfortunately in a red list country. Even though he’s fully vaccinated and the country has low numbers now apparently as they’re a transit hub it won’t be changing any time soon. He’s recently done the 10 day hotel quarantine and it massively eats into the time we have together and how often he can come back to visit (we can’t get visas to travel to him). Trying to work out a third country maybe to next all travel to but it’s hard factoring in different rules and isolations.......... I can accept the situation but it’s difficult to be positive sometimes!

Also have ILs in a 3rd country who we haven’t seen in 2 years now, miss them so much but I just can’t see how we’ll manage a trip anytime soon

On a practical note Boots were great at doing the PCR for travel for DH - all booked online, very efficient