Continental updates please

The black art of moving from A to B on foreign soil
johnnyboxer
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by johnnyboxer »

92kk k100lt 193214 wrote:Friend travelled to Spain, got back on 15th August.

Goes to work Monday.
Not feeling good Tuesday.
Covid positive.
In the meantime he has infected the work location including his key people who infect another work location. Both building sites are shut down. But it has spread outside them.
Had negative test in Spain before leaving but got infected before getting on the plane. Tracing has identified even more cases.

Don't make any long term travel arrangements, they could go pear shaped.

I hadn't seen him since he got back, fortunately.
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Seminole
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by Seminole »

The only people getting positive are those not jabbed.. Simple as that.
I wish people would stop posting utter bollox, it indirectly harms others


Plenty of vaccinated people are getting infected, It does however seem to be protecting most of them from serious illness
This also doesnt mean the vaccinated and asymptomatic yet infected person cant go on and infect someone else who does suffer badly.
berin
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by berin »

Seminole wrote:
The only people getting positive are those not jabbed.. Simple as that.
I wish people would stop posting utter bollox, it indirectly harms others


Plenty of vaccinated people are getting infected, It does however seem to be protecting most of them from serious illness
This also doesnt mean the vaccinated and asymptomatic yet infected person cant go on and infect someone else who does suffer badly.
True, and without wanting to turn this into the covid thread it’s certainly the case that vaccinated people are testing positive and transmitting, as described in the paper below.

It would help if people just posted actual information on travel rather than uninformed shite.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm ... id=3897733
daveuprite
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by daveuprite »

Pass Sanitaire

We've got kind of used to this now, here in France. Our phones have got 'TousAntiCovid' apps loaded and the double jab QR code allows access to restaurants, bars, cinemas etc that are checking for them. But it's been a slight ball ache for non-EU visitors until now.

The French government has now launched a new online portal for foreign visitors to access the Health Pass or Pass Sanitaire. The Health Pass is required to access public events, bars, restaurants, and cultural venues around France, and can be accessed via France’s TousAntiCovid App. However, up until now, the app has been tricky to access for non-EU visitors.

While those who received their vaccinations in EU countries or the UK can simply scan the QR code on their French or NHS-issued certificate into the app, visitors from America, Canada, and other non-EU countries must transfer their vaccination certificate into a French one fist—a rather long-winded process. The good news is that you can now request this French certificate online here. To do so, you will need copies of your vaccination certificate (showing full vaccination with an EU-approved vaccine), your passport, and your return airline tickets to France (in a PDF, JPG or PNG format). Once your application has been approved, you will be sent a QR code which you can scan into the app to activate your Pass Sanitaire.



Macron’s Vaccine Gamble Pays Off

While we reported in last week’s News Digest about the many protests against France’s Health Pass, it seems like President Macron’s plan to encourage the French to get vaccinated is paying off. France’s slow roll-out of vaccinations was widely criticised at first, but the latest figures have seen France overtake many other European countries (including Germany and Spain) for first-dose vaccinations.

The current vaccination figures, as of August 23rd, show a cumulative uptake of at least one vaccine dose in over 18s in France at 88.4% and 68.6% fully vaccinated. That means more than 47 million people have now received at least one vaccine dose.
Barcelona Pat
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by Barcelona Pat »

Well flying back to UK again tomorrow, and must say there appears to be less faffness than the last round trip in June - though I do remain very mindful of some of the COVID issues posted earlier on this thread.

I've been doing (free) regular lateral flow tests for the last couple of weeks for peace of mind - and will be heading into the city later to do the 'official' certified one that will get me on the plane. Cost is €45, half that for PCR tests, and of course you get the result and required confirmation on the spot, so less stress.

The EU vaccination passport scheme was very straight forward here - essentially the Catalan health service online platform automatically produced that for me after the 2nd vaccination. I think that is similar in the UK for the NHS one. Feels like vaccination rates are now pretty comparable across European nations.

The UK's online mandatory passenger locatator form is easy to complete - though the system remains a little glitchy if you want to set it up in advance of 48 hours before travel, then return to the website to complete just before. I've given up trying to do it early and now just sort it the day before.

Booking the required day 2 PCR test in the UK was easy (68 pounds this time) and getting the required reference for the passenger locator form. Only day 2 test needed this time as coming from an amber country with a valid vaccination passport. There are cheaper PCR tests available - but I had some issues with delivery from Randox last time and ended up having to cancel the booking and sort day 2 and 8 tests locally after arrival - which was lots of faff and extra cost. So have gone with the 'official' supplier in Wales (NHS) this time, even if it is a few quid more.

No isolation in the UK necessary, which is helpful, unless of course I test positive on Day 2 test. But I'll be continuing my programme of regular free NHS lateral flow tests throughout my month long stay in the UK anyway. I don't have to, but the tests are free, and I'd prefer to do what I can to keep those I'll be meeting safe (inc my 90 year old mam).

I take all the docs electronically on my phone - as well as printed copies in my backpack. Usually the phone works fine.

So, in summary, there are still a few more documents etc to sort, alongside tests, compared to pre-COVID. But total extra cost around 100 pounds this time (240 last time - over 500 the time before), so it is getting cheaper.

I'll update on my return trip in due course.

In June my return flight to Spain was the 5th reschduled one in the end as airlines kept cancelling my bookings due to lack of business - that was a lot of faff, time and stress - and I ended up having to travel from Gatwick, so a long and expensive train journey adding to the mix. Will see this time.

More generally, I'm starting to plan my next trip on the bike for late spring. Its been a couple of years since I've done the run, so may take more time and take a roundabout route. Current thinking is to come up via Ireland...
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by daveuprite »

Thanks Pat - very useful post.

I'm doing my first trip to UK in a couple of weeks (after oct 4th) , to finally see my Mum after 21 months. It'll be an unusual journey, so any advice is welcome...

I'll be going to collect her from the UK and bring her back with me to France for a week, which means I'll only myself be in the UK for about 36 hours. So how will the '2-day' test work for me? By the time I get the result posted to my Mum's address I'll be back in France !! I don't really understand this aspect of the covid testing policy.
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Mickdb1
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by Mickdb1 »

I'll be going to collect her from the UK and bring her back with me to France for a week, which means I'll only myself be in the UK for about 36 hours. So how will the '2-day' test work for me? By the time I get the result posted to my Mum's address I'll be back in France !! I don't really understand this aspect of the covid testing policy.
[/quote]

Seems barmy to me as well Dave that, after the 4th of October coming to UK you don't need a test before boarding, but up to 2 days after possibly infecting the folks on a ship plane train etc. you need to do a self test (who's watching that).
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Snaf MKII
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by Snaf MKII »

daveuprite wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:46 am I'll be going to collect her from the UK and bring her back with me to France for a week, which means I'll only myself be in the UK for about 36 hours. So how will the '2-day' test work for me? By the time I get the result posted to my Mum's address I'll be back in France !! I don't really understand this aspect of the covid testing policy.
From Gov.uk
If you will be in England for less than 2 days you still need to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test. You only need to take the test if you are still in England on day 2.

I guess the result isn't just for your benefit, it's a record of potentially new strains entering the country. Do you not also have to take a test upon returning to France?
Hope you both have a good trip.
daveuprite
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by daveuprite »

Snaf MKII wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 2:28 pm
daveuprite wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:46 am I'll be going to collect her from the UK and bring her back with me to France for a week, which means I'll only myself be in the UK for about 36 hours. So how will the '2-day' test work for me? By the time I get the result posted to my Mum's address I'll be back in France !! I don't really understand this aspect of the covid testing policy.
From Gov.uk
If you will be in England for less than 2 days you still need to book and pay for a day 2 COVID-19 test. You only need to take the test if you are still in England on day 2.

I guess the result isn't just for your benefit, it's a record of potentially new strains entering the country.
Thanks Snaf
Yeah, that makes sense.

So if my arrival to the UK is counted as Day 0 and I am back in France within 36 hours, I never enter 'Day 2' - so I don't need to take the test?

I've nothing against taking tests, but if it's just to line the pockets of tory-donor fly-by-night 'testing' companies then I'd rather avoid it if it's not strictly necessary. There's no test to re-enter France at present - I just present my Pass Sanitaire QR code and my Residency Card at passport control. But I will have taken an up-the-nose swab test 48 hrs before I depart for UK.

Then I've got to do it all again on my return with my Mum when I deliver her back home again (she's 89 and finds the travel all too confusing nowadays so I'm her escort on both legs). And of course she will have to take the Day 2 test herself on her return...

It's all great fun innit?
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Re: Continental updates please

Post by daveuprite »

Hang on a minute. I just re-read your gov quote, Snaf, and I just found it myself on the website.

So they don't give a damn if I have the virus or not, they just want my money? Seriously? I have to pay for a test but I don't take it? That's extraordinary.

Just when I think the UK government can't get more greedy or incompetent, they suddenly surprise me with a fresh piece of policy excrement. It's shameless...
Last edited by daveuprite on Wed Sep 22, 2021 2:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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