Covid travel UK-US ... or not

[ctl]

Eugh it's really not looking likely to any trips this year at all is it

Feel super fed up today as I can't see our preferred spontaneous last minute travel style happening ever again

in Florida, feel a bit bored decide to book a 5 night cruise leaving the next day ...nope

At home , get bored , be in the car within the hour on the way to Dover to visit Disney Paris ..quick detour along the Belgian coast on the way home

Racing down the motorway to catch a minicruise to Rotterdam that we booked 90 mins before schedule departure

We are just not planners at all. Apart from booking and committing to flight dates for Florida / bigger trips we generally only ever book a first night hotel.

Absolutely dying to go away but the thought of the organisation/ red tape and processes to follow just make it sound like work rather than a holiday. Oh and all the testing for 5 of us is so expensive , I can't help compare it to. ..oooh we could have had Busch gardens ticket for that price, or an extra 10 nights accommodation or a nice car upgrade rather than a RAV4 ( sorry rav 4 owners)

Oh and I don't want to take my phone on holiday either I like to leave it at home . So I suppose I will need to print out documents and carry equivalent to the yellow pages around. Or can I just casually sit down at border control and plug my lap top in to browse for all the necessary evidence emails ??

And that's my pointless rant for the day .carry on people

Sorry . I think we can all share your frustrations.

 

[Plague]

How on earth does that work out when you can't just go and get a jab when you want or need it and neither can those travelling with you.

I think you have to understand that in the middle of a global pandemic, international, and at times intra-national, travel is something you grab when it's possible/available. You just can't plan it because the goal-posts are on dirt-bikes.

 

[Plague]

more varrents are probably only a matter of time

Absolutely. The unknown is what form they take.
A more virulent strain would be a big problem, but within months we'd develop updated vaccines. However, that could just mean we are chasing our tail for years to come as killing one strain opens a door for another. You exterminate all the, say, wolves and you get a plague of deer.
Hopefully they will be less harmful variants, more akin to the cold and flu viruses we live with (and sometimes die from) routinely. Those wouldn't be 'hunted' as vigorously, so would hang around and not let others get a foothold, in which case we will get back to something more or less normal.
With it's massive infectiousness Delta might actually be one of the latter ...

so what is the answer as delta is here to stay

It really comes down to risk tolerance.
Currently most governments and many people are scared s***less of the possibility of death from Covid and until that resolves to a lower value travel will be difficult. It's not a new thing - someone here recently mentioned fear of flying, but I doubt they suffer a fear of driving to the airport, which is probably far more risky. Human behaviour tends to be illogical (Mr. Spock, we need you ) and we have to contend with that.

 

[marcais]

I read something yesterday about Florida's 7-day average death rate from COVID being higher now than at any point in the pandemic so far. And yet there are political leaders actively working against any mitigating measures and people taking horse medicine rather than getting the vaccine.

My planned trip in Aug '22 isn't going to happen, is it?

 

[Plague]

I read something yesterday about Florida's 7-day average death rate from COVID being higher now than at any point in the pandemic so far.

Yep. Mid August last year and late January this year they got to around 180.
Currently 227 and not appearing to have peaked.

New cases look like they have peaked, though with schools going back that may turn out to be a pause.

 

[Plague]

My planned trip in Aug '22 isn't going to happen, is it?

I wouldn't bet anything more than a fully refundable deposit on it - and only to a company or scheme (like ATOL) that is likely to be around to make it.

 

[claude burgundy]

THis is incorrect - No mandates are allowed. anyone can wear a mask if they like. 6 Districts made mask mandates anyhow and are enforcing them. Others have institued 30 day mandates to see what happens. In Orange County (Orlando) - they are requiring them unless a parent opts out, and to date, only 8% have (that is out of 215,000 students). All staff has to wear them at a majority of school districts.

I was reading from this which is out of date then.

"Florida recommends but has not required face coverings for the general public. Several cities and large counties, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Hillsborough (which includes Tampa), had mask requirements, but Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order May 3 that barred local governments and school systems from imposing COVID-19 restrictions, including mask rules."

 

[marcais]

I wouldn't bet anything more than a fully refundable deposit on it - and only to a company or scheme (like ATOL) that is likely to be around to make it.

That's my problem. I get the villa cheap (£600 pw for a 4-bedroom villa with pool about a 20-min drive from WDW) through someone my wife works with. So I'm looking at booking flights for next Aug in the next month or so when they are released. It means we won't be covered by ATOL.

If it was up to me we'd sack it off and wait until May or June next year before deciding where to go. But this has been promised to our kids for 4 years now as my son finished primary school next summer and it's the carrot for my son to put the effort in for his transfer test (a test they sit in the final year of primary school that determines what school they go to next). He is making the effort, including sitting practice papers throughout his summer holidays this year.

I can hold off on booking park tickets and the like, but the flights are on the horizon, and they're very much a pay-up-front deal.

 

[Garyjames220]

Even if the border did open. When cases get bad again and they have another peak is that Not just going to close the boarder again or USA go onto red list and back we go to square one again

even if it opened now give it a few months and all the mixing from other countries will just create another peak surly

starting to wonder how this is ever going to end

 

[chefski]

Even if the border did open. When cases get bad again and they have another peak is that Not just going to close the boarder again or USA go onto red list and back we go to square one again

even if it opened now give it a few months and all the mixing from other countries will just create another peak surly

starting to wonder how this is ever going to end

I think you will find it isn't going to end as such, The world needs to live with it much like we do with the common cold and Flu. It won't be this bad forever but its not going away completely.
Its a case of managing things, everyday of your life you risk death from driving a car to cancer/Heart attack etc. Its another factor as in a virus you could catch tomorrow and die from. Doing the little things will help lessen the effect to a manageable level.
Thats my thoughts anyway

 

[csimon]

I was reading from this which is out of date then.

"Florida recommends but has not required face coverings for the general public. Several cities and large counties, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach and Hillsborough (which includes Tampa), had mask requirements, but Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order May 3 that barred local governments and school systems from imposing COVID-19 restrictions, including mask rules."

Anyone can wear masks if they want to. What that is saying is that there are no mandates forcing you to wear one or, as you implied, not to wear one. ("no masks will be allowed at all.")

 

[Garyjames220]

I think you will find it isn't going to end as such, The world needs to live with it much like we do with the common cold and Flu. It won't be this bad forever but its not going away completely.
Its a case of managing things, everyday of your life you risk death from driving a car to cancer/Heart attack etc. Its another factor as in a virus you could catch tomorrow and die from. Doing the little things will help lessen the effect to a manageable level.
Thats my thoughts anyway

yeah true

the big question is then when will they let us manage it ourself

ie decide if we want to do international travel with out been told me can’t cos it’s a red list/ boarder is closed

 

[claude burgundy]

Anyone can wear masks if they want to. What that is saying is that there are no mandates forcing you to wear one or, as you implied, not to wear one. ("no masks will be allowed at all.")

The Governor of Florida has been pushing for just that. No masks at all and no option for school districts to have a choice.

 

[csimon]

yeah true

the big question is then when will they let us manage it ourself

ie decide if we want to do international travel with out been told me can’t cos it’s a red list/ boarder is closed

I guess when the country you want to go to has decided it's got the virus under control and is confident you won't start another uncontrollable outbreak by travelling.

 

[Mr. Drauer]

The Governor of Florida has been pushing for just that. No masks at all and no option for school districts to have a choice.

not correct. he is firmly planted in the "it's a parents choice" camp. His order says that mask mandates cannot be made, though that has not stopped some School Districts from requriing them. Our district just changed from parents could opt out to fully required for all staff and students for the next 60 days (Orange County, FL). Stop pushing false information.

 

[claude burgundy]

Aer Lingus pushing out more flights.

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/20...ingus-delays-start-of-manchester-us-services/

 

[itf]

Telegraph today says "US will 'effectively remain closed' without AZ jab approval"

"Hopes for US holidays are fading due to fears that Britons who received the AstraZeneca vaccine could be effectively barred from the country.

The US is yet to approve the jab administered to millions of Britons, which could potentially prove a huge barrier to travel once the nation reopens to UK holidaymakers.

The World Trade & Tourism Council (WTTC) has urged the US to recognise the vaccine to help revive transatlantic travel. Virginia Messina, WTTC senior vice president, said: "It's crucial the US authorities step forward to formally approve the AstraZeneca vaccine as a matter of urgency to enable cross-border mobility.

"Unless they give it the green light then the US will effectively remain closed to the vast majority of UK visitors and the many millions around the world who are double-jabbed with the AstraZeneca vaccine."



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/travel-update-news-restrictions-green-list-amber-red-review/

 

[claude burgundy]

Those who think i'm spreading "false information" read this these pieces

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/aug/05/ron-desantis-florida-governor-covid-coronavirus
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow...a-isn-t-buying-what-desantis-selling-n1277594
https://www.npr.org/sections/corona...e-governor-may-cut-their-fund?t=1629904765866
As you can see its "choice" but if you go against him he'll cut your funding.

What a stand up man

 

[csimon]

If he cared about lives he would follow the informed advise of the medical experts. He cares about votes, not lives and that's one of the main reasons the numbers are so high in Florida compared to other areas.

I probably agree with you on that point, but this is about mandatory wearing of face coverings, not voluntary. He is not trying to ban masks completely.

 

[claude burgundy]

Telegraph today says "US will 'effectively remain closed' without AZ jab approval"

"Hopes for US holidays are fading due to fears that Britons who received the AstraZeneca vaccine could be effectively barred from the country.

The US is yet to approve the jab administered to millions of Britons, which could potentially prove a huge barrier to travel once the nation reopens to UK holidaymakers.

The World Trade & Tourism Council (WTTC) has urged the US to recognise the vaccine to help revive transatlantic travel. Virginia Messina, WTTC senior vice president, said: "It's crucial the US authorities step forward to formally approve the AstraZeneca vaccine as a matter of urgency to enable cross-border mobility.

"Unless they give it the green light then the US will effectively remain closed to the vast majority of UK visitors and the many millions around the world who are double-jabbed with the AstraZeneca vaccine."



https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/travel-update-news-restrictions-green-list-amber-red-review/

We got Pfizer, i'll be ok so......