Europe 2021

[willem jongman]

Yes it was two remarks: one by Gove on experts and one by Schapps on vaccination recognition. The latter is yet another example of the UK unnecessarily trying to be as obnoxious as possible. What do they think it will get them?

[MrsHJ]

Yes it was two remarks: one by Gove on experts and one by Schapps on vaccination recognition. The latter is yet another example of the UK unnecessarily trying to be as obnoxious as possible. What do they think it will get them?

You’d have thought UK (ok, English) voters but actually a lot of the relaxation isn’t that popular in the UK (especially the lack of mask mandate which is more about playing to the tory back benches).

[Psamathe]

I am not surprised that Gove does not like people who actually know somethng about a subject. The amateurism is all too obvious. As for mutual vaccination status recognition, it is nice for the minister to be glad 30 other countries recognize UK vaccination, but the other side of the coin is just as important. After all, the EU corona app is fully functional by now.
Anyway, I can only hope many countries will keep their borders closed for UK travellers if UK infections continue to move in the direction that they do.

I don’t think it was Gove- it was the even less competent and more dodgy backstory Grant Schapps. Nuts that there isn’t recognition of EU vaccination apps yet. Usual insular view of the world from this government although I presume the recognition is following soon (and that was implied). Agreed that our infection rates are about to make us a pariah again.

Gove certainly did do the "had enough of experts". That's not to say that others didn't as well (as they all pretty much repeated pre-written sound bites from Cummings)
From about 0:45 (45 seconds into video)

(Although if you're an expert from an organisation without an acronym then you're probably OK! I confess I'm not smart enough to understand why working for an organisation with an acronym invalidates your expertise)

Ian

[Jdsk]

You’d have thought UK (ok, English) voters but actually a lot of the relaxation isn’t that popular in the UK (especially the lack of mask mandate which is more about playing to the tory back benches).

Yes, there's a very interesting discordance between public opinion, the politics and the news coverage.

Jonathan

[willem jongman]

As a professional (economic and social) historian I can promise one thing with absolute certainty: my future colleagues will uncover all the dirty secrets, and will judge harshly. As a profession we have quite a good track record on such things - but then that is the achievement of experts.

[simonhill]

Maybe the Govt is waiting to join a Pacific region vaccination app.

[willem jongman]

[borisface]

As a professional (economic and social) historian I can promise one thing with absolute certainty: my future colleagues will uncover all the dirty secrets, and will judge harshly. As a profession we have quite a good track record on such things - but then that is the achievement of experts.

As a D.Phil in history, I agree. However, much of the source material where many of bodies will be buried, so to speak, will be emails/texts/what's app messages and whether these will survive is doubtful. Oh for a good piece of parchment!

[willem jongman]

That will depend on your rules on archiving. The US has set a good example. But even so, I am very optimistic.

[MrsHJ]

Coming back loosely to topic I have flights booked for September. Assuming that the rules remain as present (although with rising UK infections I’m sceptical) can I just check my understanding:

Switzerland- accepts fully vaccinated visitors from the UK (Astra Zeneca is ok and I don’t have one of the problem batch numbers). No mention I saw of a PCR test but maybe I missed it. Edit Have now seen a mention of a PCR test which is fine.

France (I will cycle across the border anout 5 days after I arrive): UK fully vaccinated residents can visit with a PCR test. I suspect in reality if I’m cycling from Switzerland to France that may not be picked up. Presumably though there will be somewhere in Geneva to get it done if needed. Edit Suspect if PCR tested for arrival into CH onward travel will then be ok.

On the way home from Marseille- do a Covid test before I travel and then do one on day 2 after arrival. This should be easy as will visit friends for a couple of days before flying back.

[willem jongman]

All this remains completely uncertain, and September is a long way off. What I notice is that countries only demand a PCR test on top of completed and documented vaccination if the infection rate in the country of origin is very high. Full vaccination makes you a lot less infectious, so to insist on a PCR test only makes sense if the infection rate is very high, which is not unlikely in the case of the UK.

[MrsHJ]

Indeed - I reckon I have about a 30% chance of travelling but it gives me a target to get fit for.

Glad this made me check my flights to get in touch with my friends in St Tropez as the Marseilles flight was cancelled yesterday and I missed the email. Have now moved it to Nice (downside that I have long been aware of it that there are no trains south east of Marseilles due to difficult terrain).

[willem jongman]

Getting fit is always good. My target is a planned trip in Germany (Eifel), but with the skyrocketing infection rate after the lifting of restrictions in the Netherlands I suspect Germany will soon become much harder to travel to, even though I have had my second jab. We shall see. The Dutch government is likely to introduce new restrictions tonight, and we really need them. Infections in my town have increased about fifty times in a period of less than two weeks. Our vaccination rate is now almost as high as in the UK, but like in the UK there are still enough unvaccinated (young) people to sustain an outbreak, so this should be a warning. The good news is that we continue to vaccinate at breakneck speed.

[Merlin]

As has probably been said, July and August are best avoided given that the whole of Europe goes camping.

June or September usually offer similar weather and far quieter campsites and roads.

[simonhill]

I saw on my Google news feed that Brittany Ferries are advertising and welcoming people.

Lots of talk in the news of aggro at airports - nothing about the ports. Not much Immigration infrastructure at most ports in the EU days. Not sure how they will cope with all the new rules.