MSE News: Portugal axed from travel 'green list' after traffic light scheme review - your rights

JamoLew

gordon_harris said:

MattMattMattUK said:

cubegame said:

This is why the government needs to go. Making completely irrational decisions without evidence or reasoning is not what the UK needs from any leaders at any time, let along now!

If the government were making rational decisions there would be no green or amber list and hotel quarantine would be compulsory on return for everyone from all destinations. The current increase is almost entirely due to the Indian variant, a variant that would not be circulating in the population if we had introduced full hotel quarantine. 

This is hardly workable in reality. We rely on foreign truck drivers for a large amount of our food for a start. There will have to be exceptions one way or another and it makes sense to at least have some kind of judgement based on where people are travelling from.

My problem with the hotel quarantine is it's basically a barrier to poor people whereas rich people can easily afford it. What we should actually have is a system where you're allowed in with a valid reason and pay nothing/little for quarantine, but you aren't allowed in if you don't have a valid reason. This is precisely what some other countries are doing. The current system in the UK is having a deeply negative effect on those select few who have to travel from a red list country for whatever reason (including for instance people who just can't get a flight without going through somewhere like Dubai) while rich people can do what they like because the cost of the hotel means nothing to them.

True - but I hope you don't disagree that it acts as a very effective (?) deterrent to the masses

jimi_man

MattMattMattUK said:

cubegame said:

This is why the government needs to go. Making completely irrational decisions without evidence or reasoning is not what the UK needs from any leaders at any time, let along now!

If the government were making rational decisions there would be no green or amber list and hotel quarantine would be compulsory on return for everyone from all destinations. The current increase is almost entirely due to the Indian variant, a variant that would not be circulating in the population if we had introduced full hotel quarantine. 

I don't think there is a scientist in the country that believes that to be the case. They are all of the opinion that it was inevitable that we'd get it. Even the darlings of the pandemic, Vietnam, New Zealand and Australia who had stringent travel policies, have been unable to avoid it.

cubegame

MattMattMattUK said:

cubegame said:

This is why the government needs to go. Making completely irrational decisions without evidence or reasoning is not what the UK needs from any leaders at any time, let along now!

If the government were making rational decisions there would be no green or amber list or hotel quarantine. The current increase is almost entirely due to the Indian variant, but it's not really relevant in a highly vaccinated country with practically NO unvaccinated vulnerable people.

Fixed that for you.

MattMattMattUK

gordon_harris said:

MattMattMattUK said:

cubegame said:

This is why the government needs to go. Making completely irrational decisions without evidence or reasoning is not what the UK needs from any leaders at any time, let along now!

If the government were making rational decisions there would be no green or amber list and hotel quarantine would be compulsory on return for everyone from all destinations. The current increase is almost entirely due to the Indian variant, a variant that would not be circulating in the population if we had introduced full hotel quarantine. 

This is hardly workable in reality. We rely on foreign truck drivers for a large amount of our food for a start. There will have to be exceptions one way or another and it makes sense to at least have some kind of judgement based on where people are travelling from.

The system can be managed, we do rely on food imports, but the majority of that is manageable and a huge amount the trailers get dropped off and then the truck returns with a previous empty one. The thing is the vast majority of people flying around, especially those from long haul destinations should not be free to roam on return.

gordon_harris said:

My problem with the hotel quarantine is it's basically a barrier to poor people whereas rich people can easily afford it. What we should actually have is a system where you're allowed in with a valid reason and pay nothing/little for quarantine, but you aren't allowed in if you don't have a valid reason. This is precisely what some other countries are doing. The current system in the UK is having a deeply negative effect on those select few who have to travel from a red list country for whatever reason (including for instance people who just can't get a flight without going through somewhere like Dubai) while rich people can do what they like because the cost of the hotel means nothing to them.

I do not care if it is rich or poor, if they have quarantined it means that it is dramatically reducing the risk of transmission if they have to spend ten days locked up on return. 

MattMattMattUK

cubegame said:

MattMattMattUK said:

cubegame said:

This is why the government needs to go. Making completely irrational decisions without evidence or reasoning is not what the UK needs from any leaders at any time, let along now!

If the government were making rational decisions there would be no green or amber list or hotel quarantine. The current increase is almost entirely due to the Indian variant, but it's not really relevant in a highly vaccinated country with practically NO unvaccinated vulnerable people.

Fixed that for you.

No you did not, you added in your biases. 

elsien

I'm probably going to get hammered for this, but if I had a holiday booked to Portugal in the next few weeks I'd still be going. There is not an outright prohibition on travel, just a recommendation, I can work from home so could self isolate for 10 days without an issue and I've had both my vaccines.
Having an amber list just muddies the water - it's kind of a "we'd really prefer you not to go but in practice we're not going to do anything to stop you."

Butts

mattyprice4004 said:

Anyone booking holidays abroad at the moment is frankly bonkers while the situation is so fluid. 

No great loss really, the situation will chop and change lots before ‘normality’ is restored

Just call me "Bonkers Butts "
Provided it's with the right operator to the right destination there is no risk involved and bargains to be had.

cubegame

Butts said:

mattyprice4004 said:

Anyone booking holidays abroad at the moment is frankly bonkers while the situation is so fluid. 

No great loss really, the situation will chop and change lots before ‘normality’ is restored

Just call me "Bonkers Butts "
Provided it's with the right operator to the right destination there is no risk involved and bargains to be had.

Same as last year really, albeit with some unnecessary and expensive intrusive medical tests and too many delays on returning to the UK.

casjen

nyermen said:

I do feel for those with postponed holidays from the 2020 (booked likely back in 2019) who are still trying to take those holidays.   New holiday bookings was I think a bit brave on the other hand.

Not convinced the bigger decisions such as borders and lockdowns would have been much different whomever is in charge (I seem to recall mutterings of racism in response to border restrictions being discussed back in early 2020).  Who knows what MP's etc would have accepted, plenty of cross-party MPs pushing against restrictions.  And with all the political pressure and changing circumstances, a lot of people pushing back against the rules (from scotch-eggs to outright ignoring of rules)

However, whatever the specific guidelines being agreed, I suspect most people agree the government communication has been utter garbage.

Many people I know who have contemplated travelling dont think this at all. People use this excuse to cover their incompetence in planning properly for ALL events.

Butts

cubegame said:

Butts said:

mattyprice4004 said:

Anyone booking holidays abroad at the moment is frankly bonkers while the situation is so fluid. 

No great loss really, the situation will chop and change lots before ‘normality’ is restored

Just call me "Bonkers Butts "
Provided it's with the right operator to the right destination there is no risk involved and bargains to be had.

Same as last year really, albeit with some unnecessary and expensive intrusive medical tests and too many delays on returning to the UK.

Start "local" (CTA) and work your way outwards as restrictions will hopefully ease over the course of the year.
No tests or queues so far - Newcastle and Belfast.