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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Original poster

I'm shielding. I have a holiday booked to Italy at the end of August. Would it be insane to go?

45 replies

Is2020OverYet · 20/07/2020 17:30

I'm shielding due to an underlying health condition (asthma). Had the letter in March, am shielding until August 16th.

The following week I have a trip to Rome booked. It was booked last Autumn. Flying there, staying in a hotel. Insurance taken out months ago.

If I cancel I will obviously lose the deposit as there are no longer restrictions on travel.

I keep switching between wanting to go and being nervous and wanting to cancel.

WWYD?

OP posts:

BG2015 · 20/07/2020 20:11

Only you can make that decision.

We're going to Lanzarote in August. Half of me can't wait and the other half is nervous. In many ways things are slowly getting back to normal but then it's still scary.

NCTDN · 20/07/2020 22:46

Wouldn't your insurance cover you over a health condition?

Original poster

Is2020OverYet · 21/07/2020 07:55

Insurance won't cover it as shielding is advisory so I've technically chosen not to go.

OP posts:

Wildlingyoumakemyheartsing · 21/07/2020 07:59

Shielding pauses on the 1st. Personally, as long as you distance while you are out there, there is no reason to stay home.

RemyHadley · 21/07/2020 08:26

Well the reason you stay home is that you’re still higher risk surely? The government is ending official shielding because they think the risk has reduced, but the impact on your health if you do catch it remains the same.

Personally I wouldn’t go, but then I’m pretty risk averse and have been cautious throughout all this.

I will say that we just went on an English holiday to see family - we were all cautious, wore masks in shops, hand sanitised, kept our distance etc etc. My son and I have both caught colds despite those precautions. Pure lock that we interacted with somebody who had a cold rather than Covid really.

You can still catch things even if you’re careful.

Original poster

Is2020OverYet · 21/07/2020 17:38

@Wildlingyoumakemyheartsing I'm in Wales, so shielding pauses on the 16th not the 1st.

OP posts:

Nosuchluck · 21/07/2020 18:45

I wouldn’t go.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 21/07/2020 18:46

I'd go.

Jeremyironsnothing · 21/07/2020 18:48

We've cancelled and lost money for late august.

Cismyfatarse1 · 21/07/2020 18:54

I just got back from Italy. The planes were both very empty. We had 3 people spread between 30 seats where I was. Airports were very quiet and there was lots of care with distancing. Everyone wears masks all the time in shops, on transport and in close quarters. People even put a mask on to go to the loo inside from an outside dining area.

Tourism spots were empty (many closed) and you could see the key sites without crowds. I felt very safe indeed.

Only you can know and only you know your risks but I felt significantly safer than at any point during lockdown and felt the heat added additional safety. Cases are very low and it was an extraordinary chance to go when it is quiet.

Don't plan on buying things at the airport (we carry hand luggage only and wanted to buy suncream) and there is a very limited choice of food on the plane and in the airport.

Lucygucy · 21/07/2020 18:55

I don't see the point in sitting in your house until August and then jumping on a plane. Seems to defeat the point a little so for me it would depend on other factors.
Do you work and has your shielding meant you have been unable to work as usual?
Has it had any other impact on other people e.g. someone doing your shopping?
If the answer to those is yes, then I wouldn't go.

IAintentDead · 21/07/2020 18:57

I'd go.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 21/07/2020 19:04

Do you work and has your shielding meant you have been unable to work as usual? Has it had any other impact on other people e.g. someone doing your shopping? If the answer to those is yes, then I wouldn't go.

That's ridiculous. OP has been following the guidance to shield. That guidance is coming to an end. She doesn't have to repay some imaginary debt to society by staying within ten miles of her home, sad and miserable, for an indeterminate length of time just because Janet from over the road picked up her shopping once.

caringcarer · 21/07/2020 20:08

I have asthma quite bad but not bad enough for shielding letter. I normally go to France but not going now. Lost money on travel cancelled but just can't risk my life. Only you can decide.

caringcarer · 21/07/2020 20:13

Also consider a lot of tourist attractions might not even be open. Portugal is on our red list but as part of EU they can travel to Italy. You could come into contact with people from all over. We love Barcelona but heard area near to their is hotspot for Covid and in local lock down. For us Europe is out of bounds this year. It will still be there to travel to next year.

KoalasandRabbit · 22/07/2020 02:23

If it were me and the doctors still believe there is a significant risk to you from covid-19 I would cancel - you could maybe go somewhere self-catering in UK instead.

If you do go I think its unlikely you would catch it but there's 1 in 3,000 with it - you'ld have to be sitting next to person in plane or next to in hotel so it probably would be fine but depends on your attitude to risk and how ill you would be likely to get with it. There's also risk of local lockdowns abroad. I think self-catering and somewhere you could drive to would reduce risk and would consider that. I doubt planes in mid August will be empty as its school holidays. I would go another year when you can have a relaxing holiday not one spent worrying and full of restrictions.

Lucygucy · 22/07/2020 07:36

SirSamuel

I'm not saying OP has too. But what logic is there in staying inside for months and then jumping on a plane the week the restrictions finish?

ChasingRainbows19 · 22/07/2020 07:41

You can only decide if your health is fragile enough to shield to then go on holiday. Also if cases rise it may get cancelled or you may have to quarantine on arrival back. Things will be fluid for the next few months.

Alloverthegrapevine · 22/07/2020 07:41

I agree with PP re work etc. Whilst OP is perfectly within her rights to go, if her shielding has inconvenienced others (and likely cost employer money) for months and a week later she's off on her holidays, I think she'd have to have a very thick skin to go.

But even without that, I haven't shielded and I've been fairly relaxed about the whole thing but I'm not ready to go abroad,mostly because of the risk of no insurance should the whole thing kick off again and the risk of being stuck somewhere, like people were at the beginning.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 22/07/2020 07:47

What's logic is there in the shop worker not wearing a mask when they are there for 8 hours, but I have to wear one for the ten minutes I'm in there?

What logic is there in not needing a mask to sit in a pub but needing a mask to pop into a post office?

What logic is there to kids football training being allowed to restart (full contact tackling etc) but not Scouts or Guiding?

What logic is there to the removal of one of each pair of swings, when the kids in them would be over 1m apart and facing forward?

There's precious little logic in any of this.

The OP has followed the rules given to her. She's still going to be following the rules if she goes on holiday. Plus, your point about people doing shopping etc for her was separate to your point about her staying in the house for months and then getting on a plane. So what did you actually mean by "If the answer to those is yes, then I wouldn't go" ?

TheOnlyLivingBoyInNewCross · 22/07/2020 07:51

Use your common sense to make your decision. The question is: why did you decide to follow the advice given to shield and what has happened to between making that decision and now to make you reevaluate the risk? If you decide that the perception of risk that made you decide to shield has changed sufficiently for you to be confident that travelling in a plane where social distancing is very difficult and the air is recirculated is safe, then go on the holiday.

sahbear · 22/07/2020 07:54

I wouldn't go. The travelling and airports are indoors with people outside your household, and not something I would want to do. However it is probably statistically relatively safe, but I don't think I would find it a relaxing and enjoyable trip.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 22/07/2020 07:55

travelling in a plane where social distancing is very difficult

How do you know it will be very difficult? A pp's recent experience suggests the opposite:

I just got back from Italy. The planes were both very empty. We had 3 people spread between 30 seats where I was. Airports were very quiet and there was lots of care with distancing.

SirSamuelVimesBlackboardMonito · 22/07/2020 07:57

what has happened to between making that decision and now to make you reevaluate the risk?

Err, the advice to shield is ending based on the massive drop in infection and transmission rates? It's not the OPs perception of the risk that has changed, it's the risk itself. Hence the change in the government guidance re. shielding.

BenScalesIsAGod · 22/07/2020 07:57

Would your travel insurance cover you if you were to catch covid whilst travelling? Lots have excluded this now and with an underlying condition you’d be more at risk.

I personally wouldn’t because of the risk of being squashed in with others on the flight.

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