Summer holidays abroad ‘extremely unlikely’ as third wave hits Europe

Perhaps a change of language would help.
We are not being restricted, locked down, imprisoned, having our human rights removed.
We are being kept safe, kept alive, looked after, protected.
Maybe poor mental health could be helped by this change of language.

I feel so sad not to see my grandchildren in Sweden, I last was with them the Christmas before last. But I do understand that though I will be fully vaccinated by summer, I can still carry the virus or its variants back from countries which are way behind us with the vaccination programme.

maddyone

What do you all think the vaccine was for if you have to carry on living in lockdown?

Now, I'd say it's to help stop us getting very ill if we do contract the virus.
But the virus is still with us. A local school currently has two year groups isolating at home after a positive test, they'd only been back a week!

I have a holiday let in Cornwall but have certainly not hiked up my prices... have quite a few returning guests and do not wish to upset them plus it's just greedy! It is fully booked until Oct so we can't go to make use of it sadly til then but would not plan to go abroad this year.

"What about those of us with AC, GC and other family members living abroad?

If we have had both vaccinations why should we be prevented from visiting them?"

These are very good questions and I have every sympathy with those who have relations and friends abroad and those who just need a break and some sun. Goodness knows, I do.

However, the short answer to these and other such queries is that it is too soon to mix with those overseas while their circumstances are so different from our own.

Yes, we are all going to be vaccinated soon - but this is not the case in Europe and further afield. The danger of many visitors bringing home infections and dangerous Covid variants could jeopardize the safety of the whole country and might plunge us back where we started.

Waiting a little longer will give those abroad a chance to 'catch up' with immunity and will offer the scientic community the time it needs to develop a general coronavirus jab and the means to vaccinate or develop a pill to neutralise rogue variants.

Another year, after such a year of sacrifice, would not kill anyone.

Looks as though we will cancel out September trip to the dordogne, already deferred from 2020. The French are slow in vaccinating and now seem terrified of Astra Zenica, so I guess their infection rates will remain high. Trying to decide which part of England to visit instead, hopefully taking in visits to AC/GCs too.

What do you all think the vaccine was for if you have to carry on living in lockdown?

We have a huge mental health crisis in this country. No one is too interested in that.

Counting my blessing that we have a home in a place where the weather is generally good. Those of us who can stay away from beauty spots while schools out should - for our own good and to help those who do need to be out and about. Imagine being in a high rise with energetic children through the summer weeks.

Holidays abroad may very well be essential if they help to bolster the mental health of citizens. No one should assume that because they’re happy to have almost all their civil liberties removed, including the basic right to see one’s family, that everyone is in agreement. If you want to stay at home do so, but don’t expect everyone else to do so on your behalf.

Just because we may be able to travel abroad doesn’t mean we should.
I think it is selfish to put ourselves and others at risk for two weeks in the sun.
I do of course feel very sorry for those with family abroad but I haven’t seen my D and GC for nearly 15 months and she lives in this country albeit 250 miles away.
We have stuck rigidly to the rules.
It would be nice if everyone did the same and not consider themselves special or above the law.

Reconciled to having a second Summer of no visits from, and to, family living abroad. Pinning all hopes on Christmas as being big reunion time.

We cancelled our holiday to the Canaries last year and rebooked for this June. I'm really not keen to go.
Jet2 at the moment say flights will resume in May, I'm hoping that the government change this and Jet2 will have to cancel our trip.
We could rebook for next March.

Our main sticking point is that we're taking my Dad (90) and mother-in-law (93) who are both conscious they might not still be here by then!
They just say as we'll all have had both vaccinations we'll be safe.
They seem incapable of realising that we could act as carriers and bring the virus back with us.

First world problems indeed, but it's so sad having to disappoint them when their world has been so restricted for over a year now.
Telling them to be glad they're still here isn't proving very helpful any more ☹️

I agree with winterwhite.
I’m concerned about the erosion of our civil liberties. I’ve complied with the rules and followed the advice. I still got Covid. Now I’ve had Covid I’ll have antibodies and on top of that I’ve had the vaccination. I don’t feel unsafe. The Oxford developers of the AZ vaccine are already working on tweaking the vaccine for other variants. They have said it can be ready by Autumn. My son, a barrister, is extremely concerned about the the erosion of our civil liberties. I am too. We’ve done what we were asked to do, but now we’re threatened with further extension of lockdown rules ie no travel abroad.

My French SIL living in UK hasn't seen his parents for over a year and they only have one grandchild so I'm hoping that it'll be possible for family visits on compassionate grounds. Holidays abroad are not essential.

The filthiest beach I've ever been on was in La Baule in Brittany. The one lavatory was a hike away and that, too, was rank! My then toddler DS was violently ill with a stomach bug after that particular visit! It certainly outdid the disgusting factor of any British beach I've ever visited!

I'm happy where I am for now, I'm going to go on day trips on weekdays to the beach, etc when we are allowed out of our area. A two week holiday can probably wait this year, I feel for people who have family abroad who haven't a clue when they will get to see each other again.

Winterewhite, the school I work in had a covid outbreak recently. The students were in isolation (return from another area of the country) when the first student tested positive. The time between the first and the last student showing symptoms was 17 days. The students were in isolation (boarding school, so PROPER isolation in their own room, alone, not at home with family) the whole time. So symptoms took 17 days to come out in the last student.

Testing does not guarantee covid free. Two of the students tested negative 3 days before testing positive. As I said, in isolation all that time.

Just because you test negative before you fly home, doesn't mean you won't go on to develop it a week later. By which point you have infected friends, family, supermarket workers, people in the office and on and on.

I am overseas and am desperate to see my family. It isn't time yet.

The UK is lucky to be an island where if they want they CAN stop it being brought in. The borders where I am are a road or a train. No one checks. The virus is flowing around freely.

The sickest person was a mid 40's PE teacher. SUPER healthy and fit. He was dangerously close to ending up in intensive care. Now still suffering debilitating effects, 20 days after his positive test.

As often, there is much censoriousness on this thread? Why assume that everyone goes abroad 'just' to lie in the sun? And what's wrong if they do?
Anyone know the views on Mumsnet of those facing life with disillusioned children and teenagers day in / day out? We on here are old, or comparatively so. We've had half a lifetime to go abroad in. Who are we to be so casual about the younger generations of today?

Our holiday that we booked now nearly two years ago has been moved for the fourth time to august but very doubtful it will happen. Both of us have now had first vaccinations but my 14 year old is unlikely to have had the vaccine by then - they keep insisting we move it rather than cancel and we want to be supportive of the company to help keep them in business but I would rather stay in the Uk this year. Will have to wait and see what happens nearer the time. Certainly not bothering with rebooking car hire or airport parking until much nearer!

We are resigning ourselves to not being able to go to our static caravan in France this summer and we are looking to book somewhere in the UK.
My problem with that is that most of my summer clothes are stored in the caravan, so not only will we have to pay for accommodation, I will need to buy more clothes! That is on top of having to pay the site fees for the caravan in France, whether we can go or not. An expensive business but at least we'll be doing our bit for the economy.

The virus travels and doesn't recognise country borders. If it's moving it will get there so why risk it. This country is beautiful if you find the spot that suits you.

And there's no end in sight. Last night we were told we'll have to wear masks and maintain distancing for 'another 2 years or so' until most of the world has been vaccinated.

If UK residents can show evidence of vaccination before they return home and re-test regularly afterwards where is the risk in that?

And why wasn't vaccinating the rest of the world fully factored into predictions in the first place. This is a blatant case of constantly moving goal posts.

The problem is with travelling, for any reason, to countries with high Covid /low vaccine rates even when you’ve been vaccinated as you can still get and transmit Covid, in particular variants, which are brought back home and passed on. With a lot of European hospitals being overwhelmed I wouldn’t fancy being taken I’ll there. There should be no foreign travel until destination vaccination levels are increased and Covid rates low

I live in Scotland, I want to go “abroad” to England to see my family- elderly parents and two grandsons I haven’t cuddled yet, my heart is breaking..