Good news for those of us who want to travel to the UK in the Fall. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-cases/uk-says-5-million-get-second-shot-as-covid-daily-deaths-fall-to-10-idUSKBN2BQ0FP
I'm planning a trip for late October. I'm fully vaccinated and hope there's a vaccine passport for the UK by then.
Sorry. Is it just me getting fed up of people thinking that just because they are vaccinated that it means that they are at no risk from Covid? You can still spread the virus to locals and catch it even if vaccinated. You are less likely to get severely ill.
Most of us in the U.K. have had the Oxford AstraZeneca jab, which is supposedly useless against the Brazilian variant, which is why I am hoping that our borders remain restricted/ closed for as long as possible. We don’t want that to be imported.
I hope that you get your trip, assuming the risk level here has reduced. No one knows what the situation will be like then, so make sure bookings are flexible.
Really relatively good news for the UK. I read yesterday (BBC news? Don’t recall where) that Britain had its first day of zero deaths since the pandemic began. The 3,400-odd daily new cases is still unfortunate, but things are going in the right direction overall. We’re hoping that our late Sept. trip, with a connection at Heathrow, followed by a full week in London in October. Hope your trip works, and that Covid19 deaths dwindle even further.
Yes, I would take the weekend figures released for the U.K. with a pinch of salt. Even the official government website states there is NO data from Wales and only vaccination figures from Northern Ireland for 4th April. And it is not necessarily true that merely being vaccinated is a carte blanche guarantee that you’ll be able to travel to the U.K. - likewise we may not be able to travel out without swingeing and expensive restrictions.
That said, the trends on COVID in the U.K. are mercifully downwards, but I fear not conclusive enough yet to warrant the removal of all restrictions and precautions. In my view we took our foot off the brake a little too soon after the first wave and it’s not a mistake we would want to make again. ‘R’ number is at 0.7 - 0.9 which I suspect the medical experts will not be satisfied with currently.
Having done my fair share of positive covid reporting this year, a 0 day may just mean no data submitted that day.
Optimism is good, but don't buy your tickets based on that.
Fed up with people thinking the vaccine is a panacea.
The U.K. has the right to keep out foreigners as long as it likes. If you want to ban all visitors, vaccinated or not, you can write your MP. Obviously, I will respect all laws in effect. But why spend your time telling me off instead of writing your MP?
Check the almost daily youtube videos of Dr. John Campbell for good information and data on Covid
I think Jennifer is just expressing her own frustration with needing to say the same thing many times - not telling you off. I have read exactly that same sentiment expressed from EU citizens on the Facebook Rick Steves Europe Group page, so she isn’t alone.
The truth is maybe no one will be traveling - too early to know anything. For now, it helps my mental sanity to plan, even if I don’t go. (But we aren’t all the same.) I have at least 3 fully planned trips that I could implement, and truthfully will probably take none of them this year. But increased vaccinations and lower death rates (with far fewer hospitalizations) are really encouraging and I would rather think about that (and travel) than all the gloom and doom and conflict we’ve been experiencing for a year. I also have tickets for the fall - but they are with miles that I can cancel and have reinstated, so no financial risk either.
Travel issues aside, I am simply glad for the UK residents' sake to see that the death rate is falling in the UK. I am hopeful that we will see this start happening around the world soon.
It will be shocking for most of us to transition out of our "covid precautions" way of thinking and it is likely that we won't all be at the same place at the same time in our comfort levels. We will need to continue to show kindness and patience for our fellow humans who may manage things differently than our personal preference.
I know I find weekends particularly troubling. At work (I'm a teacher) I spend all week making sure that students are 100% mask compliant. Not only do they have to wear their masks, they are required to wear them correctly. They manage to do this with very little difficulties. They know the expectations and they follow them. Then the weekend hits and I go out in public and am apalled at the sloppy mask wearing (or not wearing) habits of many of my neighbors. I have to remind myself that the "mask compliance role" is only my job at work. I've learned to bite my tongue and just veer away from people who make me feel uncomfortable with their choices.
It can be frightening for a community (or country) to deal with tourists that don't seem to follow local norms for safety precautions. Our number one goal has to be the health and well-being of society. Travel will follow in its time.
Travel will increasingly open up as we approach summer.
I see kids in the park playing soccer, limited attendance at baseball games, restaurants reopening, high school spring football games, and other sports nearly back to normal. No crisis or histrionics.
I wasn’t telling you off - I am just frustrated! We are doing well with our vaccination programme, but this is likely to be pointless if we let the Brazilian variant in.
Most of us in the U.K. have had the Oxford AstraZeneca jab, which is
supposedly useless against the Brazilian variant, which is why I am
hoping that our borders remain restricted/ closed for as long as
possible. We don’t want that to be imported.
Jennifer, that is cause for concern and a desire to keep the borders closed is legitimate, If that is what the UK decides to do, then it should be respected and accepted. I have my own opinions on the issue, but I am not a citizen of the UK, nor do I know enough about the situation in the UK, the impact of all of this and the consensus of the people of the UK to be correct in expressing that opinion. G-d Bless and stay safe.
We are doing well with our vaccination programme, but this is likely to be pointless if we let the Brazilian variant in.
Internet searches are telling me that the Brazilian variant is already in the UK and that AstraZeneca is effective against it.
The expectation is that vaccinated people will not be able to spread the virus, but it hasn't been proven yet.
It's the South African variant that is the concern as studies have shown the Oxford/Astazeneca vaccine to be less effective against it in comparison to other strains however it is already established in the UK and whilst it is no more deadly than other variants it is effective at spreading more easily.
The Pfizer vaccine has shown better defence against the South African variant however the UK has moved towards heavier reliance on the O/A vaccine as a result of the threatened EU blockade of vaccine supply to the UK (the UK doesn't produce the Pfizer vaccine although it does supply some of the required ingredients to the respective factories in Europe). As such, there is caution within the British government in respect of loosening restrictions that may increase the risk of major importation of the South African variant. Consequently many European countries are likely to be included on the 'Red List' of countries when travel restrictions are lifted on May 17th due the high infection and death rates affecting much of the continent.
An aside but this is good news for New York-bound travelers. Onerous testing on arrival and the risk of a fine if not found quarantining for 2 weeks after arrival now gone.
The expectation is that vaccinated people will not be able to spread the virus, but it hasn't been proven yet.
There's good news on that front: "Scientists have debated whether vaccinated people may still get asymptomatic infections and transmit the virus to others. The new study, by researchers at the C.D.C., suggested that since infections were so rare, transmission was likely rare, too." https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/world/pfizer-moderna-covid-vaccines-infection.html?action=click&module=Science%20%20Technology&pgtype=Homepage
Thanks, Robert. Some people always see the glass as half-empty while proclaiming their objectivity and "following the science."
Right.
I'm looking forward to filing my trip report this summer lol.
BigMike, funny you should mention Bomb Shelter. I happen to own one in Budapest. Complete decontamination vestibule and steel doors. If you ever feel the need you can use it (or buy it).
