Stuck in South Africa

E bellissima

I know !

Vado a Piacenza

Masks have been compulsory from the start in Italy, and never ceased to be. And of course Covid passes are checked wherever you go.

Do keep an eye on restrictions and quarantine, as it changes daily. But you must also be aware and ready to get stuck there for longer than planned, either with your friends in in other accommodation or quarantine- as anything can happen in the meantime, even after you have arrived there.

Dovè vai?

Yes Luca masks might be compulsory, and in my opinion should be here. But we are in the hands of OUR government when we travel and what rules might change

Didn’t you know BlueBelle we are all too dainty and easily offended to sort out what’s right and what isn’t. Whatever sallym said would have had us reaching for the smelling salts while we clutched our pearls.

BlueBelle

I wonder why my post was deleted I didn’t say anything out of place at all ???

You quoted a deleted post you wicked person !

LauraNorderr

We have a friend in the U.K. who is extremely vulnerable and yet is always out on a jaunt somewhere, shops, restaurants, cinema. I’d say she is behaving far less responsibly than someone like you Lucca, who takes every care and I’m sure will continue to do so. Enjoy your holiday and come back safely.

Thank you Laura! I shall go as long as they don’t introduce quarantining. I’m staying with friends. My flights are non refundable ???

I wonder why my post was deleted I didn’t say anything out of place at all ???

Barmeyoldbat

I am extreme.y vulnerable and I am also always out on jaunts as you call them, but I take precautions. I don’t go in any indoor crowded place like cinemas or shopping malls. I only shop in on supermarket that m trust but I am out most days in the fresh air however cold. I stop for coffee, takeaways or sit outside, I don’t even visit family. I do these jaunts for my mental health. I wouldn’t dream of having a holiday abroad, far too dangerous.

And yet in that foreign country masks are compulsory and Covid passes too

"Today marks two years since I have not left the UK" Reading that struck a chord, me neither, this is the longest I haven't been abroad in years. Have rebooked flights, only to cancel again....and rebook again. I must admit I do miss it, not the flights, being abroad.

We got stuck in Australia in March 2020. We went to visit our DD and family in Sydney. On the way back all of a sudden Covid struck. We had decided to visit friends in Bunbury on the way home and ended up confined in a hotel room in Perth.

Covid wasn’t a thing when we left the U.K. our airline stopped flying via HK so we were stranded.
We had to pay for our hotel, a new flight and travel home from HR to a country that was now in lockdown. It was a bit stressy.

We were thinking of returning next year but held off booking because we aren’t out of the woods yet.
If your trip isn’t covered by insurance don’t go!! Ours was, but it still took a year before we were recompensed. If you can’t afford to sort yourself out then stay here.

Sounds as though you’re being sensible Barmey. Our friend sits in an enclosed cinema, browses in busy malls and has even been to a concert full of youngsters without masks.

I am extreme.y vulnerable and I am also always out on jaunts as you call them, but I take precautions. I don’t go in any indoor crowded place like cinemas or shopping malls. I only shop in on supermarket that m trust but I am out most days in the fresh air however cold. I stop for coffee, takeaways or sit outside, I don’t even visit family. I do these jaunts for my mental health. I wouldn’t dream of having a holiday abroad, far too dangerous.

We have a friend in the U.K. who is extremely vulnerable and yet is always out on a jaunt somewhere, shops, restaurants, cinema. I’d say she is behaving far less responsibly than someone like you Lucca, who takes every care and I’m sure will continue to do so. Enjoy your holiday and come back safely.

Like others here, we have family in Australia, DD2 and SiL. We are desperate to see each other but, think collectively, there are still far too many risks involved for travelplans. More so now with the arrival of omicron.

When the first cases of covid reached the UK, we were covid free here in Scotland until 1 passenger who flew in from Italy with covid was all it took for it to spread like wildfire throughout the country. A keen reminder of what travel outcomes in and out of any country would mean, undoubtedly, more illness and more deaths could be a possibility.

Kali, that a pity about your grandchildren I hope they are OK. Are you blaming the friends or could your family done more to protect themselves? I'm not sure what your point is.
We all have different views, circumstances, levels of vulnerability and ways of managing our risks. None of us can guarantee we won't catch Covid, despite taking precautions. It also depends on how others around us behave.
I was on a train today and just after the guard made an announcement about mandatory face masks, I noticed four relatively young adults unmasked in the carriage.
Furthermore, I cannot understand this great need for people to go abroad on holiday in the middle of a pandemic, when parts of Europe are going back into lockdown.

Katie59

Oopsadaisy1

The NHS isn’t there to provide travellers with ‘free’ PCR tests!

I think the NHS has better things to spend their (our) money on.

No, but the cost of private testing is chaos when we came back from Germany the cost varied from £25 up to £150. It’s clear some companies are a rip off, in addition why have postal tests when there is a test centre in every town, paying a fee for local testing saves a lot of hassle.

The PCR tests which are taken at local centres go off to laboratories
They're not carried out at the local test centres.

I do agree that the costs vary wildly, our neighbour was talking about this a little while ago.

Marydoll

It's not about spoiling anyone's fun, but having to take in to consideration that you could become ill and alone in a foreign country and your insurance won't cover you.

Both grandson and granddaughter are missing all the fun ... of the end of term concerts, plays, parties, a match at Wembley - because they have got Covid, probably from friends from school who have just come back from SA!!!

I know of a couple who went on an overseas holiday. Both took ill with Covid within a week of their arrival back in the U.K. The wife ended up in hospital. Came out. A week later is back in again with breathing problems. Was the holiday worth it? No. I don’t think so. How many people were infected on the aeroplane, at the airport, back home? It’s just not worth it.

It's not about spoiling anyone's fun, but having to take in to consideration that you could become ill and alone in a foreign country and your insurance won't cover you.

Only if I have Covid, I think.

That's a shame nonogran so difficult if there's a elderly relative whose ill that you desperately want to see.

It's a risk Lucca. If you're unable to go because of Covid wont your insurance cover it?

We haven't seen our son for 2 years because he's in Aus. Miss him terribly but as we're not nationals, we couldn't go to Perth anyway. I wouldn't take the risk ATM even if we could go.

I know somebody who is there - and intends to stay there until circumstances change, despite missing Christmas with her family. It's just a risk we take if we travel abroad.

Oh dear I’ll be one of those for whom you all have no sympathy then.
I planned about a month ago to spend Christmas with an old friend in Italy . Was that stupid ? Didn’t seem so at the time.

I don’t know how much money I’ll lose if I can’t go. Things are very unclear at the moment re quarantining etc

Just listened to Simon Calder on BBC. He said it is legal to fly to another country (he suggested Egypt) spend 10 days there and then fly to UK. I suppose that works out cheaper than the 10 days in a UK hotel for isolation.

Still involves expense and a ten day break between SA and UK but he said it is a legal option. Not sure if it is fair to Egypt!