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Overseas holidays - will you be taking one?

OK, so we're still queuing to get into shops on the High Street, advised to wear face coverings and keep our distance, Covid rates in the UK are at the levels we had in March when it was decided to lock us down... Covid rates in some other countries are still climbing, with frequent localised outbreaks even in the countries where they aren't.

So in what world can someone think that its OK to allow everyone to resume non essential international air travel? Bread and circuses = cheap package holidays?

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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18 comments

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srchar | 3 years ago
3 likes

I'm flying to Portugal next week, although the air bridge hokey cokey means I'm apparently now mad to consider it. The more data that becomes available, the less concerned I get.

I lost my business and job a few weeks ago thanks to the economic havoc created by our government's overreaction to Covid. I'm not going to lose my holiday too.

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don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
1 like

Given the govt have demonstrated time and time again that we have no plan and the introduction of covid marshals demonstrates that we can't trust ourselves. Normality is a long way off.

I booked a fortnight in Buenos Aires over Christmas and am still plannig on going. Currently Argentina is not permitting visitors which is my measure, if they let me, I go. If not, I'll deal with it. If this clusterfcuk quarantine me, so be it. I'll be working from home anyway.

It's appalling the way that they are turning on and off the taps of which countries are safe or not, especially given how disgracefully this country has dealt with the pandemic and number of deaths and infection rates we have. So I feel for anyone who's being jerked around.

I guess it is out of my hands..

Que sera, sera!

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wycombewheeler replied to don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
1 like

don simon fbpe wrote:

It's appalling the way that they are turning on and off the taps of which countries are safe or not, especially given how disgracefully this country has dealt with the pandemic

Its a fairly simple premis if the country has a higher infection rate, then quarantine is required, perhaps if we had had that approach in February and March we would not have one of the worst records around. Arguably this likelihood should have been made clearer when flights were restarted, so anyone booking knew the risk they were taking.

New Zealand is hailed as a country handling it well, no one gets in from anywhere without quarantining, and not self isolation at home either. Are you suggesting we should require quarantine for all, all the time, or no quarantine for anyone? because the situation is changing in other countries all the time, so one fixed list that doesn't change would be a nonsense.

Personally I wouldn't go anywhere if I was not prepared to self isolate on return, at least now it is possible to order a grocery delivery to arrive when you get home, so those who can work at home can isolate quite easily. Those who can't work at home should think very hard before booking overseas travel. If I lived alone I would consider travelling, but coming back and forcing everyone else to isolate is not on. So my trips this year have been domestic.

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BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP replied to wycombewheeler | 3 years ago
0 likes

A lot of people are exempt from 'quarantine'.  So they don't need to 'think hard' about travel. They just get on with it whilst obeying the local rules. 

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Cargobike replied to don simon fbpe | 3 years ago
1 like

don simon fbpe wrote:

Given the govt have demonstrated time and time again that we have no plan and the introduction of covid marshals demonstrates that we can't trust ourselves. Normality is a long way off.

I booked a fortnight in Buenos Aires over Christmas and am still plannig on going. Currently Argentina is not permitting visitors which is my measure, if they let me, I go. If not, I'll deal with it. If this clusterfcuk quarantine me, so be it. I'll be working from home anyway.

So, no plan and the introduction of marshalls because people can't be trusted, but you think that entitles you to go to Argentina regardless.

You couldn't make it up.

You've just answered your own question, people are stupid/selfish, yet it's always someone elses fault.

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don simon fbpe replied to Cargobike | 3 years ago
2 likes

 quietly to oneself.

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OnYerBike | 3 years ago
0 likes

My two cents: it's about balance. Obviously the virus is very harmful, but so to is poverty, unemployment, mental illness etc. When politicians talk about "the economy" it's very easy to dimiss it as greedy capitalists not caring about people's lives, but (for better or worse) people's lives are in fact affected by the economy. 

I think we have to have some trust in the government, and the citizen must simply follow the rules. If going in holiday is permitted, then the government (of both this country and your destination) have decided that the benefits outweigh the risks - provided whatever safety restrictions are in place are adhered to.

There's also a personal element - are you in a particularly vulnerable group, and/or regularly interact with people who are? If you were required to quarantine for two weeks when you got home, how big of a problem would it be?

Personally, I've booked a week of work in October, but haven't booked a holiday yet. We will be considering the situation nearer the time and are currently thinking we will try to go abroad for some warmer weather, but this may change.

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mdavidford replied to OnYerBike | 3 years ago
2 likes

OnYerBike wrote:

I think we have to have some trust in the government, and the citizen must simply follow the rules.

If the government had made the effort to communicate the reasons and evidence behind their decisions, instead of trying to communicate everything through slogans, people might be more inclined to trust them and follow what they're being asked to do. When they treat the public like children and tell them they should simply follow the rules 'because we said so' it's no surprise when significant numbers of people don't see the point and ignore them, particularly if they already have a less than charitable view of politicians in general, or of the governing party.

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BIRMINGHAMisaDUMP | 3 years ago
0 likes

Yes, do it. Just follow the rules where you plan to go. Take a train - the alps are a day away by train for example. 

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nniff | 3 years ago
0 likes

I also have a werewife of a similar disposition and sunny holidays were canned - one in March which was cut so fine we had to be careful to make sure that it was a cancellation rather than a no-show.  Summer also canned - flights cancelled in the end, with brought everythng else tumbling down  So, we waited a bit, bought a Channel tunnel ticket, pumped the dog full of rabies vaccine and headed to France in car with a bicycle on the roof.  Two weeks of wall-to-wall sunshine - werewife and weredaughter sated and cycling rat fed.  Dog not to keen on the heat - seeks out quarry-tiled floors.  Worst case we reckoned barbecuing every day for two weeks, with a closure of the tunnel an outside possibility, and quarantine a manageable consequence.  The oether Euro-tourusts have arrived this week generally.  Last week was very quiet in comparison

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mdavidford replied to nniff | 3 years ago
2 likes

nniff wrote:

Dog not to keen on the heat - seeks out quarry-tiled floors.  Worst case we reckoned barbecuing every day for two weeks

How would that help it?

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fukawitribe replied to mdavidford | 3 years ago
1 like

What dog doesn't like a good BBQ...

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mdavidford replied to fukawitribe | 3 years ago
1 like

Well that's different - I thought it was the one getting barbecued.

[There's a hotdog joke in there somewhere...]

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peted76 | 3 years ago
2 likes

MrsD is a sun holiday desperado, if she doesn't have a holiday planned at least a year in advance she's unbearable.. over the past few years I've 'enabled' her addition to these kind of things by generally nodding and agreeing to mostly anything she says... it is easier that way. 

When this COVID thing became a reality for most of us, our long planned summer holiday was inevitably cancelled, it was at this time I realised I was married to an addict. Within days of the dawning of this realisation she wouldn't be seeing the sea or getting drunk on sun she turned into a werewife.

When the rumours of an 'air-bridge' to certain countries started to filter out, MrsD was back in business, within a day of the announcement we'd booked two flights to two different destinations within a month of each other! Both to Spanish isles, which are now kyboshed.

She's determined to get outta Blighty one way or another, and akin to a force of nature, I'm sure she'll make it. If anyone sees a brightly coloured inflatable doughnut heading south across the channel, give her a wave!

Last week, however, I, with offspring, went to Wales armed with little more than our bikes and a new frisbee, to visit the mothership for a few days, we got rained on somewhat and it was generally too windy to use the frisbee. Raining seems to happen on every British holiday I've ever had, I do see the appeal of somewhere dry and sunny. You should book somewhere...

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David9694 | 3 years ago
2 likes

nope. 

no indoor pub, cinema or gym. Minimal shopping. 

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Hirsute | 3 years ago
1 like

Because you can only keep people locked down for so long; rishi can't afford the wage bill; airlines are kicking off;  rishi needs tax income; we need tourists and because we are all brainwashed left wingers so Johnson's Dad can go on holiday can make an important, vital inspection of his property.

Being on a plane is low risk due to the industrial strength filters and the rapid injection of new air, the way air circulates vertically (if you are in row 1 you can't get infected by row 20). Nothing can be done about people coughing over you or hand to mouth transfer.

 

 

 

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brooksby replied to Hirsute | 3 years ago
1 like

I wonder if I'm just looking at it from left field, because I've never had an overseas holiday. It just seems off to be so desperate to jet off places in the middle of a pandemic...

And don't get me started on Johnson's f-ing father!

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anagallis_arvensis replied to brooksby | 3 years ago
1 like

We had an Easter cycling trip to Mallorca booked, re arranged to October. Not hopeful!

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