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Original poster

Will you visit the UK this summer? (covid)

106 replies

Taiyo · 07/04/2022 12:17

I'm British, but I live in my husband's home country with our 2 young kids.

I haven't been back to the UK since covid started as this country has strict hotel quarantine on return, which I'm just not prepared to do with 2 young kids.

It's now been lifted, so we can do quarantine at home, so I should be ready and happy to go to the UK, but I'm just so worried about the covid situation in the UK at the moment and the airports closing.

A lot of people say omicron is just like a slight cold, but my mum says quite a few people have told her that they were really quite sick with it and obviously some people are still dying (my parents are high-risk).

I just wonder if anyone else is hesitating to travel to the UK for similar reasons?

Also, I know there is a covid section and I wondered about posting there but I really wanted to hear what people who live abroad think as I think people in the UK maybe have a different perspective on things.

OP posts:
worriedatthistime · 07/04/2022 12:32

Im the uk but I can't see people in most of europe being worried as they have similar numbers so it will only be people from countries with strict rules / lower numbers

MimosaFields · 07/04/2022 12:42

Do as you want, of course, but covid is here to stay. Are you planning to never come back to UK on those basis? I had Omicron recently, together with 20 office colleagues. For 18 of us, it was a light cold. One person was sick for 3 days, and another for 6 days.

I've been going to my home country regularly since we were allowed. I'm not going to put my life on hold just in case I catch this again. Seeing my parents is more important and they agree

Caspianberg · 07/04/2022 12:47

We are. We visited back in September also ( had to do pcr tests each way then). Will fly in a few weeks time again. Almost 2 year old.

It’s always going to be a risk, where we live we have been very sheltered from all covid stuff tbh, so to head back into large cities and no restrictions is a tad strange.
We wore FfP2 masks everywhere last time still, like we have to legally here, even no- one really seemed to wearing in uk

MissAmbrosia · 07/04/2022 12:49

I went for the weekend a couple of weeks ago - and came back with Covid. I would like to go in the summer - but am holiding fire now for a bit.

sweepeep · 07/04/2022 12:50

Yes,we have a second home in the U.K. so it makes sense. We try to get over every 6months or so.

Original poster
Taiyo · 07/04/2022 12:59

My concern is that the UK gets red-listed and we can't come back or we can come back but we have to stay in a hotel for 10 days on return.

I'm also concerned about catching covid at the airport and passing it on to my vulnerable parents.

I'm also concerned that we will get sick and it will make it hard for us to return and I won't be able to return to work for an extra 2 weeks.

I feel it's a complete and utter shit show in the UK. Schools are closing, hospitals are closing, airports are closing. There was something like 5 million people infected the other day. That's almost equivalent to the entire population of Scotland.

I know many people in the UK are over covid, but I just worry that the governments of other countries don't see it that way and the UK will become a no-go zone.

OP posts:
lovescats3 · 07/04/2022 13:03

Where did you see that airports are closing?I live in UK and haven't seen this on news

TigerLilyTail · 07/04/2022 13:06

I thought the airports were closed in the Uk due to staff shortages due to covid and recruitment problems.

Lubeyboobyalt · 07/04/2022 13:06

I think it will be fine - so many cases of covid recently plus all the vaccines, we surely must be heading into herd immunity/endemic levels by summer, (eternally the optimist) and many countries seem to be heading more towards the same approach and stopping red listing etc

TigerLilyTail · 07/04/2022 13:07

Is it just delays and cancelled flights? Maybe I misunderstood.

TigerLilyTail · 07/04/2022 13:14

I think I'm being too much the pessimist!

MermaidEyes · 07/04/2022 13:18

@Lubeyboobyalt

I think it will be fine - so many cases of covid recently plus all the vaccines, we surely must be heading into herd immunity/endemic levels by summer, (eternally the optimist) and many countries seem to be heading more towards the same approach and stopping red listing etc

I kind of agree with this - unless another, much worse, variant comes along we'll all have had it by summer. Fwiw, I know 2 people who've been abroad recently (2 separate countries) and come back with covid. So really, you could catch it anywhere.

TigerLilyTail · 07/04/2022 13:31

I read that a vaccine-resistant strain will hit this spring. 😱

See! I am pessimistic about it, but it's good to read more positive opinions, so I will think about it all some more.

In this country, we have to isolate at a hotel if we test positive on arrive and DS has autism, so I'm very worried about it and how he will cope.

Does anyone have a crystal ball I can use?

Original poster
Taiyo · 07/04/2022 13:32

I'm so undecided about the whole thing.

I just can't make a decision at all.

OP posts:
Iamanunsafebuilding · 07/04/2022 13:33

@TigerLilyTail

I read that a vaccine-resistant strain will hit this spring. 😱

See! I am pessimistic about it, but it's good to read more positive opinions, so I will think about it all some more.

In this country, we have to isolate at a hotel if we test positive on arrive and DS has autism, so I'm very worried about it and how he will cope.

Does anyone have a crystal ball I can use?

How would anyone know for certain that a vaccine resistant strain will hit this spring? I get that there's modelling but a prediction that specific seems a stretch!!
Frazzled2207 · 07/04/2022 13:37

Nothing is closed in the Uk.
Well the schools are due to the holidays.
Hospitals and airports are struggling with staff shortages but def not closing.
Although covid is rife, it’s business as usual here. Most people have forgotten about the pandemic it would appear.

I would not worry about coming to the UK but as it stands the risk of getting covid is high. That said the numbers are probably at their peak about now so by the summer will hopefully be better.

In terms of the risk of the UK getting red listed for your return then none of us here can predict that. But you will hopefully be able have a fairly normal time while here. The government is clearly done with covid and I doubt there will be any legal restrictions again.

MermaidEyes · 07/04/2022 13:40

It's still only early April Op, when were you thinking of visiting? Can you not leave it as late as possible and see how things are looking then?

MsNorris · 07/04/2022 13:40

I am aiming to go home in August, not been for 3 years so very keen. I’m not really that bothered about Covid, I have had 3 jabs and also had omicron in December.
I’m more worried about the airport situation, it looks a complete shambles and I’ll be travelling alone with 2 kids.
I only need to show proof of vaccination to get back into my current country so if I catch it I can fly back with it (if I’m over the symptoms obviously)

Original poster
Taiyo · 07/04/2022 13:48

@MermaidEyes

It's still only early April Op, when were you thinking of visiting? Can you not leave it as late as possible and see how things are looking then?
Thanks! This is what I am doing, but of course the longer we leave it, the more expensive everything gets. It's so hard! But, thank you so much for everyone posting. It is very helpful to read.

We are planning on traveling at the end of July.

OP posts:
axolotlfloof · 07/04/2022 13:52

Schools, hospitals and airports aren't closing
There are staff shortages, which are due to a combination of Brexit and Covid.

ClaudiaWankleman · 07/04/2022 13:53

I feel it's a complete and utter shit show in the UK. Schools are closing, hospitals are closing, airports are closing. There was something like 5 million people infected the other day. That's almost equivalent to the entire population of Scotland.

This just isn't true. Think about it rationally - if the population of Scotland was infected every 2 days then there would be no one without the virus in less than 2 weeks. We have good vaccination rates, and at this speed people would also be resistant on prior infection immunity. It isn't possible for that many people to be infected - use your common sense.

raspberryjamchicken · 07/04/2022 13:56

many cases of covid recently plus all the vaccines, we surely must be heading into herd immunity/endemic levels by summer

The herd immunity idea is not really working out though as many people are getting Covid more than once.

Are you able to book something last-minute? The last couple of summers cases have dropped a lot so you would get a clearer picture nearer the time.

maddy68 · 07/04/2022 14:04

I don't live in the UK. I live elsewhere in the EU. I was totally shocked at how many of my friends and family has covid dbwhem we visited last week.

We just didn't go to bars etc as I didn't want to bring it back

beingsunny · 07/04/2022 14:07

We are here in England now!!!
Travelled over from Australia last week, no dramas, no issues, it's been lovely but freezing cold so far Smile

TheDogsMother · 07/04/2022 14:09

I'm not sure where you are getting your news from OP but hospitals and airports are not closing. There are some flight cancellations but not many in the big picture. I travelled yesterday, the flight was completely on time, we went through passport control very quickly and got our bags from reclaim in record quick time too. I do think the media are painting a bleaker picture than the actual reality. If you do book flights and your red listing scenario happens presumably you could cancel everything without charge. Though Covid is pretty much everywhere so I think it's unlikely that any country will put any others on red lists.