British hopes of summer holidays abroad quashed!

[chrissyg]

Try Jet2, they are still going on the15th ( at the moment anyway) i honestly think that these airlines are thinking people will give up on the idea of Greece accepting them and arent booking or are cancelling and going somewhere else. When i booked the Jet 2 flight there were lots of seats available still and these flights arent going to go if they are nearly empty.

[Andy]

That's the point, airlines are selling tickets for flights that they cannot fulfil. For a long time the 15th July date was media speculation now it is fact and it turns out that is 23:59, which is really the 16th.

I wonder what tradings standards would think.

Andy

[Kilkis]

The rules are being set by Greece as a "ban". When it says "flights are banned from country X until 15 July" it means up to and including 15 July. Midnight on 15 July is classed as 00:00 on 16 July hence the use of 23:59. It does not mean you can fly on 15 July. I don't think there is any possibility of this ban being changed before 15 July so the best possible outcome is that flights may be allowed from 16 July. That is not guaranteed. If infection rates in the UK start to increase between now and then, or even stay flat, I suspect, but don't know for sure, that the ban will be extended.

Warwick

[Guy M]

A serious question re this.

Should people from the U.K. be trying to get to Crete? If I arrive as planned in July and am tested positive at the airport, what happens then? I can’t go out for 14 days - should I expect people to shop for me while I stay indoors just because I want to go to my second home? What if I get ill and place a burden on Crete’s healthcare system? Would Crete be better off if U.K. residents just stayed away this year?

[chrissyg]

It would be better if no tourists came at all with no risk, and probably better if no-one went on holiday to anywhere this year, and i cant see really why anyone wants to go on holiday with all these restrictions and dangers. Sitting in an aeroplane for hours with a mask on doesnt exactly appeal to me. Holidays normally feel like freedom to me and they wont feel like that this year. But for society and the future i dont think we can afford not to.

[Maud]

A moral question by you Guy, and an economic response in Chryssyg’s last sentence.

I guess there has to be a balance, however without people, (especially ones well enough to work), there would be no economy. What a disastrous situation the world is in just now.

[Kilkis]

The economic response is easy. You let the virus spread and simply leave people to die. Hospitals will not be overwhelmed if you simply don't admit anybody who develops advanced symptoms. Hospitals can then just carry on treating all the other complaints they normally treat. From an economic point of view letting one or two million people die is a lot less disruptive than closing the economy. There are plenty of people in the world to replace them. You could easily recruit two million people from Africa in a matter of weeks. Most people who die will be older and probably not economically productive anyway so it is a no-brainer.

Warwick

[jackdaw]

The economic response is easy. You let the virus spread and simply leave people to die. Hospitals will not be overwhelmed if you simply don't admit anybody who develops advanced symptoms. Hospitals can then just carry on treating all the other complaints they normally treat. From an economic point of view letting one or two million people die is a lot less disruptive than closing the economy. There are plenty of people in the world to replace them. You could easily recruit two million people from Africa in a matter of weeks. Most people who die will be older and probably not economically productive anyway so it is a no-brainer.

Warwick

These words would not seem out of place coming from the mouth of the UK's favourite/least favourite (delete accordingly) government advisor.

[Guy M]

It’s not necessarily a trade off between morality and economics.

If I bring the virus I might cause much more damage to the economy than if I don’t visit Crete at all. The only way I can see to resolve this is to get tested just before flying (as originally mooted by the Greek government). Even temperature checks at the U.K. airport may not work if i’m asymptomatic..

[chrissyg]

Yes Warwick, i can see Scummings new slogan, Die for Britain, Spend for Britain, We' ll bounce back!
I agree Guy, the only sure way is to test everbody going anywhere. What happened to that 20 minute saliva test they were talking about? Spend billions on that, test everyone and isolate the positives. All gone in few weeks. If only.
I really feel that we are still in lockdown. The normal is still horrible. I can go to the pub, i can have my hair cut and i can travel a bit.Woopee. I still cant hug my kids, i cant visit my vulnerable father unless i wear a mask and keep 2 metres away, i cant go and meet up with friends for a cosy meal , i cant hold my nieces new baby, i cant go swimming which is my hobby.These are the important things to people..Sorry, Boris but we are nowhere near out of 'lockdown' and the 'new normal' sucks ( as my kids would say)

[DJ]

Ha - so it is possible to visit your second home in Greece - right now - apparently !
https://greece.greekreporter.com/2020/0 ... ed-greece/

[Tim]

Ha - so it is possible to visit your second home in Greece - right now - apparently !
https://greece.greekreporter.com/2020/0 ... ed-greece/

I think you'll find, DJ, that the rules don't apply to either politicians or celebrities. Stanley probably qualifies on both counts, so I can't see the problem.

Tim

[chrissyg]

Yes im sure it would be possible for me but look at the headline, its looked on as breaking the rules.

[Maud]

By a moral problem, I was thinking more along the lines of someone feeling guilty about possibly taking the virus from the U.K. to Greece. We should have been in Greece since the 16th April. We are desperately missing being out there. I do however have reservations about travelling from a country where the daily numbers of new cases are almost the equivalent of the total deaths in Greece! We live in a very Greek community when on Crete, and I would never forgive myself if we contracted the virus and brought it to our Greek friends.

I think Warwick that you have been having too many conversations with Dom! Thank goodness we can all maintain a sense of humour on here. Mind you...............only joking!

Finally, as for Stanley, it is a shame he is so hard up that he has had to make an ‘essential journey‘ to Greece to prep his house ready for the tourist season! He was on our local news last week discussing his latest book. - How he loves to be the centre of attention.....just like his elder son!

Update.....
It seems the U.K. advice is just that. - A bit like the ‘advice’ when Cummings travelled to Barnard Castle!

From the Guardian just now.....

Stanley Johnson was quoted on Britain’s Daily Mail newspaper website as saying he was in Pelion “on essential business trying to Covid-proof my property in view of the upcoming letting season”.

Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said: “We have banned flights, direct flights from UK and Sweden until 15 June. If a citizen from these countries arrives in a different way to Greece, of course they can come.”

Boris Johnson’s spokesman declined to comment on the specific case but when asked whether the prime minister thought the public should follow travel advice, he said: “In relation to Foreign Office advice, that is what it is, it’s advice and it is for individuals to make the judgments themselves.”

Last Updated: 14:41 Thursday, 02 July 2020
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41m ago

[ros21m]

As British people arriving here now, are travelling against the UK Government advice, I assume most won't have any travel/medical insurance cover. A lot will have their EHIC cards with them, for medical cover. I think it would be a good idea, if the UK government, stated that they would not cover the cost of people using EHIC cards whilst travelling against Government advise!