When will we be allowed into another country to see our grandchildren?

I have a granddaughter in New Zealand who, last Wednesday, was re-admitted to hospital for the third time in four months. (She came home today I’m pleased to say.) I miss her hugely and I would love to see her again soon, but there is no way that I would like NZ to be opened up to visitors whilst COVID is still presenting such a high risk. The children’s hospitals and wards over there are swamped with respiratory infections as it is. So I shall carry on FaceTiming and wait until it’s safe for us to meet up again.

Of course it’s exactly the same for you as everyone else MissChateline. Obviously you want to be together with your wife. I would have hated to have spent lockdown apart from my husband. It doesn’t matter what the relationship, it’s our families and we miss them.

Never mind the children, I'd really like to be in the same country as my wife occasionally.

Mine are in Singapore. I haven’t seen them since Christmas 2019. My two grandchildren are now 5 and 7. Goodness knows when we will next meet up. I ache to see them and to be able to give them a hug.

Thank you for encouragement Pippa. Mine are in New Zealand. They’ve only been gone two months and it feels like two years already. I can only imagine how awful it is for some of you Gransnetters who haven’t been able to see your family for two years. Our three year old grandson touches the screen when we video chat and says ‘I want to touch you Grandad.’ It’s so sad, he adores his grandad.

And it will be maddyone when the world, or the bits we want to go to, have the virus under control.

Even if my family could come over to the UK it would cost them a fortune to get back and their vaccination rate is very low. Neither son of DiL have had vaccinations yet.

I'm not sure about the US, I know they are all vaccinated now but what I am sure about is it will happen and then we will visit - if we can afford it. I imagine that finance keeps many more people apart than the virus.

But with double vaccination and PCR tests, it should be safe Pippa.

MawBe

The virus frankly doesn’t care whether or not it is to see your grandchildren , your children, your parents, your partner, husband or wife, to look after a property abroad, to complete a business deal, to have a holiday or indeed any purpose. So your question should really be
When will we be allowed into another country
And none of us knows the answer to that.

I can only agree with MawBe. I have family in the USA and Australia, including GCs but really, what is the point of winding yourselves up over it?

I have no idea what they answer to When will we be allowed into another country to see our grandchildren? other than "when it's safe" and surely, when you are thinking about your family, you wouldn't want it any other way.

I wonder how long these governments can behave in such an authoritarian manner. Now we have vaccines it should be possible for fully vaccinated people to travel to green/amber level countries using the double vaccination and a series of PCR tests to ensure safety. Obviously red list countries would be off limits, but to prevent families from seeing each other in this way is extremely authoritarian and would normally never be acceptable in democratic countries.

I haven't seen my son and his family since Christmas 2018. They are in Canada. My youngest grandchild was born in March 2020 and I still have seen him in the flesh yet. I was due to fly out there last July, but obviously that was cancelled.

We Skype weekly, but it isn't the same as actually seeing them in person.

We are hoping that later this year travel to each other maybe possible --- we shall just have to wait and see

Indeed it is

Thank you silverlining
Life is full of joys and sadnesses.

These are hard times Grammaretto. I am sorry about your husband and how disappointed you are about your brothers visit. We habe all got to be patient but it’s not easy. Sending you my very best wishes

I can feel very sorry for myself.
We had to cancel our holiday last year with our NZ son and DGC, due to covid, instead his dad, DH, became very ill and DS came here by himself and was here until just after his dad's funeral. He had to quarantine when he got back and was able to be with his family for Christmas.
I asked yesterday when he thought they could come here again. Her parents are here too.'. Not likely any time soon nor for me to go there was the reply
.DGC growing up
Thank goodness for technology.
We keep in touch but if I let myself feel sad I feel very sad.
I must write to them.

Now DB has had to cancel his promised visit next month to see me and to help out and cheer me up because the UK is now on Denmark's red list of countries they can't visit.
I hope you manage to see your loved ones soon.

The thing with Australia and New Zealand is we are all afraid we won’t be able to get back if we go overseas. They shut the doors at a moment’s notice and there is now a huge queue of citizens trying to return, stuck all over the world. I have a nasty feeling the vaccines won’t make a lot of difference but I really hope I am wrong. We are living in a kind of vacuum. Most of us in our age group go overseas a lot, to visit family ( many have family all over the world,we are a nation of migrants) or just travel. A different world.

That is NZ too.

Kali2

A friend has recently visited the UK for a special wedding- but the conditions, tests, quarantine in Hôtels both ways, etc- was massively complicated and HUGELY expensive. For 1 week with family in UK, they were away for nearly 5 weeks!

Yes it is.

I wonder if some are making money, though, because there are agents who will arrange quarantine hotels which have to co-ordinate with flights, of course, and the agent's fee on top of all that is not cheap.
I know someone who is here for a funeral.

Utterly heartbreaking for families not to have seen each other for so long. While on holiday we got talking to a man who had a son and new granddaughter in he USA. He said his son was coming to Ireland and he was joining them there. Any help to the people who have family in the USA?

Another one here waiting to be admitted to New Zealand! They have done an amazing job keeping the virus out, but seem to be dragging their heels with the vaccination programme.
We were lucky to be in NZ last year when the pandemic struck and elected to stay on rather than take a govt. rescue flight home. We stayed for 7 months and had such a lovely bonding time with our 1 year old GS. His little brother was born yesterday and we'd love to get there to see them all (not least because their wedding has been delayed twice and now scheduled for February - but that is looking very doubtful).
Thank heavens for the Internet and Skype/Facebook!

From NZ I meant to say.

A friend has recently visited the UK for a special wedding- but the conditions, tests, quarantine in Hôtels both ways, etc- was massively complicated and HUGELY expensive. For 1 week with family in UK, they were away for nearly 5 weeks!

JaneJudge

where are you? I thought the UK were letting anyone in tbh

Where did you get that info?

At the moment, even people who live just across the water in Northern France have to have PCR test, double vaccination, then re book and pay day 2 and day 8 PCR tests and isolate, with the option of getting extra PCR test on day 5 for early release. So it is possible, but very complicated, and very expensive.

I can’t see any end to it anytime soon with regard to Australia and New Zealand. Both countries have just withdrawn from the World Rugby League Cup saying it’s too dangerous to come to Britain.

I am so so sorry for all,of you who are unable to,see your loved ones, and hope,that it will not be too much longer.

I haven’t seen my Daughter and grandson since 2019 she lives in Luxembourg. I am desperate to see them . We are all jabbed. Luxembourg have ‘their’ rules as well as we have rules. I hoped I could see her this year but as the weeks go on I think the weather will change and winter will increase cases, then maybe more lockdowns. Then of course cost of tests added on and I am getting older . I don’t have any useful answers ?