Are people who live in England planning to visit family in Ireland this summer?

[TheYearOfSmallThings]

I was feeling optimistic but Delta variant is making me less so. I'm fully vaccinated but would still have to isolate 5 days, DS(6) is of course not vaccinated.

I'm also not sure how people in Ireland feel about those flying in from London? Is it a dick move?

And if we fly to NI and lure my parents up to holiday with us, would they have to isolate on returning home?

I do get that. I didn’t see my family for almost a year and I live two hours drive away.
But… my elderly parent needs to see a GP regularly and needs check ups and those appts can continue to go ahead unless they are swamped with sick covid patients ….

I came back from London last week and am staying for 8weeks! I have a newborn baby so I just couldn’t wait any longer to see my family!

Came by boat - Did the tests, isolation etc - am now free and so happy to be here! Don’t have a return journey booked so may just stay even longer tbh 🙈

TheYearOfSmallThings

Ok let me rephrase - a certain ‘type’ of person is travelling. The majority of decent people aren’t.

The EU has said that children of vaccinated parents shouldn’t have to quarantine and Ireland is already following the EU mandate on pre travel testing for minors is there is non for children under a certain age.

The Uk has just changed its rules on travel into Britain from Amber countries which is no quarantine for vaccinated adults and their children

I see the trend and I suspect there is a judicial philosophy underpinning this e..g human rights and family unity

I'm living in Ireland and I don't know anyone who is travelling abroad. Anyone who had loose plans has abandoned them. I've a husband and adult kids and not one of our work colleagues, friends or family are leaving the country for a holiday.
That's the major reality so please don't try and convince people it's not.
No one I know or myself wants family to come from the UK or anywhere else right now. Many have people who are adamant they will be coming but no one is encouraging it and will be trying to avoid them when they're here. We all witnessed what happened at Christmas with people returning and the major spread it caused.

I wish once and for all politics could be put to one side and the whole island locked down from people entering for now. At least we'd have some chance at a normal every day life. It's not fair to allow people from the UK with rising numbers of the virus and no restrictions to come here right now like it's their given right.
Ireland isn't bloody Disney land. It's not here for your entertainment.

Ireland isn't bloody Disney land. It's not here for your entertainment.

I'm living in Ireland and I don't know anyone who is travelling abroad. Anyone who had loose plans has abandoned them. I've a husband and adult kids and not one of our work colleagues, friends or family are leaving the country for a holiday.
That's the major reality so please don't try and convince people it's not.
No one I know or myself wants family to come from the UK or anywhere else right now. Many have people who are adamant they will be coming but no one is encouraging it and will be trying to avoid them when they're here. We all witnessed what happened at Christmas with people returning and the major spread it caused.

This is the truth.

Part of my job involves asking people about their travel movements. I can assure you people are not travelling. In fact people laugh when asked at the very idea.

No one was vaccinated at Christmas. So comparing double vaxxed people who've taken a pre-travel PCR and will then quarantine as per the rules is a bullshit comparison with unvaccinated people who went home at Christmas.

This is a discussion about Irish people desperate to get home to see family, and wanting to do so in accordance with the rules. This has been a very difficult 18 months for everyone, but let’s treat each other with respect. It’s not about who’s “bad” or “good” or “decent”. Lives are complex so let’s have a little bit of respect please

Phantasmo

Stop trying to justify travelling. You are putting our population at risk. You will be welcomed when we are fully vaccinated. That will be soon. But we are not yet ready. .

@Neiphin That’s really unkind and unfair. My mum died in lockdown 1 and I haven’t been able to get back to Dublin to see her grave. Honestly have some compassion.

@Dancingonmoonlight

Phantasmo

Stop trying to justify travelling. You are putting our population at risk. You will be welcomed when we are fully vaccinated. That will be soon. But we are not yet ready. .

Tough.

And blaming the post-Christmas Covid surge on people who flew into Ireland is completely disingenuous. It was in part due to that, but largely due to households mingling. But it's easier to point the finger elsewhere.

Phantasmo

What a nasty piece of work you are.

What about all the EU travellers that will be free to flock in from
Next week? With lower vaccination rates than the UK?

@Dancingonmoonlight

Phantasmo

What a nasty piece of work you are.

No, dear. I'm someone who's planning to abide strictly by the rules as set out by the Irish government.

How is the vaccinating going over there? What age groups are double vaxxed now?

Thinking it may be possible for Irish husband and kids to travel back in Oct half term. They haven’t seen family since August 19!

There is a new delta variant, we need to give time to see what the out come of that will be so yes comparing to Christmas is very relevant as once again if people travel from the UK where it's currently rampant they will unwittingly and unintentionally cause the spread of the virus here. Our population is less vaccinated than yours, our health system is not as efficient and has recently suffered extra pressure due to the hack.
People in Ireland are also desperate to see family elsewhere as are people all over the world. It sucks for every single person in different ways. Most people choose to get on with it others choose to put what they think are their needs first.
Respect would be looking at how Ireland is dealing with the virus and not imposing your desire to holiday here on people who are struggling every single day to live under on going restrictions. It's not in our benefit to have people leaving or entering the country for holidays right now.

You can’t stop bloody citizens returning home though ! Ffs - I have an actual right to return to Ireland where I’m from to see my family - it’s not a fucking holiday.

@Fupoffyagrasshole

You can’t stop bloody citizens returning home though ! Ffs - I have an actual right to return to Ireland where I’m from to see my family - it’s not a fucking holiday.

As long as you abide by the travel rules you're not doing anything wrong.

@Nicnic91

How is the vaccinating going over there? What age groups are double vaxxed now?

Thinking it may be possible for Irish husband and kids to travel back in Oct half term. They haven’t seen family since August 19!

In my area it is around 44 year olds that are getting second jabs this week. In addition 18 - 49 Year olds are being offered the Jannsen vaccine so will be fully vaxxed after one jab. There is a huge push to get as many as possible done.

@rainallnight I'm sorry for your loss and of course I have compassion for people but is it too much to expect compassion for Irish residents. We are still following fairly tight restrictions, we're not there yet with our fully vaccinated numbers, our health care system is in bits. Do you really think it's justifiable to come here just yet to see your mum's grave and risk causing other people illness possibly worse. Everyone who wants to come will have good reason. We've all got really traumatic experiences from this pandemic but we can never justify endangering other people to meet our own goals however sad they maybe.
That's unfortunately the world we now live in, it's an awful situation but please can people have respect for us Irish residents and wait a small while longer until we're in a better place too.
I don't think that's too much to ask?

I agree with @Neiphin. We are still living with huge restrictions. The post Christmas surge nearly broke us as a people. DH and I have our own business and were just getting back on track after last year when the 3rd lockdown kicked in and we were looking at no business again - and staff to pay. Add in all of the other constraints and honestly, I do not think we could cope as a country with a September lockdown following Summer holidays.

I think we all need to play out part - none of us have seen our family in other parts of Ireland for most of the year either.

However, I think if people are fully vaccinated and have PCR tests and isolate then they are very welcome. It is a huge hassle - that is why we won’t be going to see family in the UK this year either - DH goes every Summer - but we could not spend the time.

I hope you have a wonderful Summer @Fupoffyagrasshole and that your family get to spoil you and your baby.

Thanks @Annasgirl

Interesting thread, thanks everyone for the updates.

I'm in an EU country, not GB, but the unvaccinated children is the part I've been wondering about too. I won't be fully vaccinated myself until near the end of the summer so was looking at maybe the October mid-term break for our first trip home in over 1.5 years. It's a bit tight with only a week off school, although I'm much less concerned about taking unauthorized time off now, post home-schooling hell, than I would have been before

But with Delta it's still impossible to predict what the conditions will be a couple of weeks in advance, never mind a couple of months.

By the way, @TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams... Have you heard of the Lambda variant?