Stupid flying rules.

[Newnamefor2021]

Friend posted that her country was locking down, it's not an official lockdown but schools are closed again and shopping centres etc only allow those fully vaccinated in. So it's pretty tight there.

So, she's decided to move back immediately. Literally searching for flights as she wants back before they are red listed (currently amber).

Does this not seem crazy to anyone else? I mean I get why she wants to come back and makes sense to go when they can, she's not been able to come here since 2019. So I'm not saying I would chose differently if I were her, but equally the law allowing this. Just seems crazy.

Amber/yellow ... schools just all shut so she said she was expecting it to turn red and wants to understandably leave before that happens.

Over the last few months quite a few countries (I live in one) had some form of domestic lockdown/restrictions in place, sometimes they were escalating, but stayed "amber" in UK terms and never transitioned to UK red..

So throughout it all entry to the UK was allowed, testing, self-isolation at home was required.

@anniegun

If they quarantine correctly there is no risk.

This is not a factual statement - how can there be NO risk!

I am not saying that means people shouldn't travel, but we have to talk realistically. Travel brings risk of transmission and importation of virus.

If people had to properly quarantine the risk would be lower, but with amber you can test and release on day five.

Yep you're pretty naïve. I work for a London based international company with a very cosmopolitan workforce. Loads of employees have been back and forth between London and their home countries over the last year. There was a mass exodus in March 2020 and plenty of movement since.
It creates tax complexity for employers and nearly every big employer in London is in this situation

@OrangeBananaFish

I'm guessing its UAE. Haven't a clue about their rates so not sure, but just because a country goes into lockdown doesn't necessarily mean that we should put them on a red list. If Australia discovered a cluster of cases they would lock down, but I can't see them going on the red list as they have always tended to lockdown at really low numbers and appear to be aiming for zero covid.

Not there but near (further north). I think levels are higher as it's has a big military presence from what I understand, so lots of international travel anyway. I think a lot have left recently but the UK had been stricter and so it's now or never.

@MrsTerryPratchett

There is a huge difference between repatriating citizens and normal travel. It's a massive deal to not allow nationals home.

But everyone seems to be unable to distinguish, I have no idea why.

True and I agree but like I said she just looked at flights, this isn't officially a relocation, she will continue to be resident and children will distance learn until they decide where she wants to live. So this is still just a travel visa.

@Onedaysomedaynowadays

Yep you're pretty naïve. I work for a London based international company with a very cosmopolitan workforce. Loads of employees have been back and forth between London and their home countries over the last year. There was a mass exodus in March 2020 and plenty of movement since. It creates tax complexity for employers and nearly every big employer in London is in this situation

You're right. I am pretty naive about these things.I knew travel was permitted for work, but didn't know it was quite as free moving as you have described.

The question still remains on if that's a wise course or action or not. I mean how much of an impact does international travel have on the virus? It seems allowing people to socialise in small numbers in pubs increases transmission so it would seem logical to assume that it would be higher when travelling between counties especially where they may have different variants of the virus.

People do need go to travel though so that risk can't be negated completely whatever we do.

So this is still just a travel visa.

No, it's not. A citizen has the right to enter their own country. No visa required.

dont forget everyone on those flights etc has tested negative before departure too

@MrsTerryPratchett

There is a huge difference between repatriating citizens and normal travel. It's a massive deal to not allow nationals home.

But everyone seems to be unable to distinguish, I have no idea why.

Quite.

I dunno if it is worse than the pub to be honest. I've travelled for work recently and I had to have 5 pcr tests at various points during the trip and had to produce evidence of a negative test to get on the plane each time. Can't say the same of the pub!

Shes British. Of course she can come and go as she pleases as long as she tests and isolates.

Erm hate to break it to you op but people are free to travel to and from amber countries every day flights are leaving the uk for Greece and Spain and further afield. Holiday companies are still operating and refusing to refund people if they want to cancel. People are going on holiday doing the tests and the isolating at home on return.

I mean this is a country we would define as on lockdown. Shops and school shut, so the fact it's not red listed by us seems really lax

Except that every country is doing their lockdowns differently. Here in Mexico schools are only just going to reopen in a couple of weeks for the first time since March 2020, whereas in the English-speaking world schools only closed when the lockdown was really severe.

Fair enough, you all make really good points. I guess I was surprised but what people are saying making sense. I'll go back in my cave 😆

She’s British and wants to come home. As long as she follows the rules - presumably that means self isolating at home (does she have one?) for 10 days and at least 3 tests-
It sounds pretty safe to me.

I have sympathy for her. But no time at all for the thousands of families who flew to South Asia and back for non-essential reasons such as family weddings earlier this year.

I think it is over a year too late to be shocked. I can no longer shocked by this government's policies. Depressed, weary, despairing - these maybe.
How did the Indian variant get into the country in such high numbers and be allowed to transmit so widely? Government's stupid flying rules.
This stupidity goes all the way back to last February and March when people were allowed to go skiing in areas that were in national lockdown in Italy, half-term city breaks to Spain etc.
Then again last summer.
Then this spring.
It will keep happening because their priorities are money and 'freedom' - but that 'freedom' led to two national lockdowns depriving us of the most basic of human freedoms.

You say they can travel without restrictions. This is incorrect. There are restrictions. My family member is flying home next week and will quarantine in an empty family members property for the required time. They aren't supposed to mix with family at all.

I dunno if it is worse than the pub to be honest. I've travelled for work recently and I had to have 5 pcr tests at various points during the trip and had to produce evidence of a negative test to get on the plane each time. Can't say the same of the pub!

Nice whataboutery there

@Againstmachine

I dunno if it is worse than the pub to be honest. I've travelled for work recently and I had to have 5 pcr tests at various points during the trip and had to produce evidence of a negative test to get on the plane each time. Can't say the same of the pub!

Nice whataboutery there

????