There was news coming out from the UK today that foreign travel may be allowed at the earliest after mid-May, but the ban is likely to last longer, perhaps until August.
Also, the question is, now that the UK is not part of the European Union, whether Schengen/EU/EEA countries are ready to welcome Brits who could further spread the more virulent variant of Covid-19 that is prevalent on the island.
Here’s UK’s government’s road map page.
Here are the steps:
Conclusion
It doesn’t look good for those living in the UK wishing to do foreign travel this Spring or Summer earlier than August, and then only to those destinations welcoming visitors from the island.
Let’s hope that there are positive developments in the coming months in Europe and the world when it comes to Covid-19.
This is a paradoxical situation: millions of vulnerable people being vaccinated, several vaccines approved YET restrictions never seem to end
They have seen a compliant population, and power and control seem to be the orders of the day.
Hmmm let’s look at per capita deaths by country:
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/coronavirus/
UK number 5 when I just checked and all the countries ahead of it are a microstate and small nations (e.g. Belgium, Slovenia, Chechia, and Gibraltar). Even if you account for understating deaths, likely the only big country near the UK in deaths is Mexico and well they are poorer than England so they may have no choice but to allow folks to die of the virus. The UK has a choice… very big difference.
It is easy to put the restrictions in place, but very difficult to relax or remove them.
The restrictions go away when people stop spreading the virus. If everyone was properly masked and socially distanced then the virus would spread far more slowly.
Well maybe that’s why there were restrictions. England lifted many restrictions and life returned to normal but so did the virus along with deaths! Also in addition to deaths, no one talks about the lingering effects on COVID on those that survive. Until most folks can be vaccinated, restrictions need to be in place.
If you look at the predictions from the Economist, it won’t be until 2024 before the world’s population has been vaccinated.
Okay, they go away when folks keep spreading the virus at such a high rate that it starts to fill up ICU wards in hospitals then. As long as new variants don’t develop that put those vaccinated into the ICU it will be by the end of this year.
I think they’re trying to avoid a skyrocketing event with new variants.
Found this article quite negative about the UK. It has a plan and our vaccine strategy is helping to reduce the infection and death rate We seem to be way ahead of the EU in regards to vaccination and a way out of Covid. Maybe we should be more concerned about travelling to the EU and beyond than them receiving us with a vaccination cert and negative test
Being vaccinated and allowed to travel are two entirely different issues.
I was pointing out that UK is now a third country and Schengen Countries do the decision who are allowed in and who are not. Brits no longer have THE RIGHT to enter as they previously did.
Like previously, I had the right to live and work in the UK if I so wish, as a citizen of Finland. I no longer do. Same applies to Brits in regards to EU/EEA.
We certainly have the right to enter the EU countries like we have with many other countries without a visa. Of course there are restrictions presently due to Covid and quite rightly so. Maybe individual EU countries should have close individual borders but unfortunately decided to close EU borders which is a pretty large Covid breeding ground. The EU have made a terrible job both of getting hold of the vaccine along with starting their programme. Yes our status as members of the EU has changed but that was happening with or without Covid. Many of the EU states already had this variant and when you look at places like Portugal who sit on our red list why would you even attempt to visit there. I’m a pro-Europe person and wish we had never left but that’s democracy for you. Articles like this though so make it sound like you are pitting the UK against the EU which is never productive in my humble opinion.
Stay safe
You do NOT have the same right to enter the EU/EEA and work and live as previously. It used to be your legal right. It no longer is.
It is up to the immigration agent to decide your accessibility each and every entry,
I never said we had the same right, I said we had a right to enter without visa as per many other countries. Even when I had a right prior to Brexit I still had to show my passport and the agent still could refuse my entry should something be not to their liking. Things may change in 5 years once the current agreement lapse. However by then I’m sure we will have a similar agreement to Switzerland and Norway who seem to coexist without to many dramas with the EU. Yes it’s frustrating but we need them as much as they need us in regards to trade and tourism euros and pounds.
Previously, UK was not part of Schengen and hence the ID check at the border. It didn’t even have to be a passport but national ID was enough (did this many time when traveling to the UK).
You had the same right to enter and work in any EU/EEA country as any other EU/EEA national, but this obviously has now changed.
John we don’t have ID cards as you know coming from NI only passports. Also my comment was about travelling to the EU not arriving in the UK which would require 10 days mandatory quarantine of some form or another. A lot of those rights are still there for the people who were working at the time of Brexit as neither the UK or EU wanted an exodus hence this 5 year agreement to leave things for incumbents. It’s not ideal, but I’m sure things will calm down.
Since when is August in Fall ?
Remember that I am originally from Northern Europe!
Eh? Not sure why you’re using terminology like ‘Fall’ for an article about the UK. Surely August is still summer anyway? Also the UK is doing incredibly well with vaccination (which are effective against variants discovered so far) and plans to offer it to the entire adult population by July. Part of the reason the UK has picked up on these variants is due to extensive genomic sequencing (eg Wales did more than the entirety of France!). The variants from different countries mainly seemed to be in the same area of the spike protein so undoubtedly there are similar variants in other countries that just haven’t been detected yet. The US is also doing well with vaccine roll out so I would imagine international US/UK travel may even be possible before UK/Europe!
Quite right, Alan.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter is the way it goes.
No “fall” as I recall.
Incidentally you are six months out with August: it’s quite cold, but not so cold as July, when it can be quite cool at night, even in Brisbane.
Maybe August is late spring rather than early Fall?
As soon as the topic Covid comes the tensions go high….I hope this nightmare is gonna end soon….
I support the Swedish way to handle Corona. But I dont have more energy to discuss about it.
Better get tested; fatigue and your message doesn’t smell!
The Swedish way started great unfortunately is not finishing quite as they expected