Are we there yet? Your second Travel Megathread (threadbans in OP}

Micky 32 · 09-04-2021 08:33PM

hmmm wrote: »

The same week that the Biden administration undercut our Corporation Tax strategy, we are going to indefinitely effectively ban foreign investors, executives and staff from travelling to Ireland because of fear of some variant which may or may not arise in the future. We have lost our mind.

Some of the most prominent virologists are saying the fear of variants is overblown. I'm not qualified to say it isn't a risk, but it seems extraordinary that the government has gone all-in on one side of an ongoing debate. https://www.thestreet.com/latest-news/there-are-no-covid-super-strains-yet-says-virologist-vincent-racaniello

From RTE:

“”It is understood the incorporeal meeting at 8:30 was arranged due to increased concern about variants coming in to the country.””

I hate saying it but as long as the narrative is as above non essential travel will be a thing of the past permanently and we need to prepare ourselves for that. The virus and it’s variants can’t be eradicated.

I’d say by the end of the year most countries will be on it. They are just easing us into it by adding as they go along.

tiger_cub · 09-04-2021 08:33PM

Alast wrote: »

My wife is flying home through France on Sunday (she had to travel for a family death)

Do we reckon that (potential) EU countries MHQ will already be enforced by then?

Honestly can’t say with the way these crackpot “leaders” are behaving but no, realistically I think it will take them longer to get the actual hotel spaces up and running , think she’ll be fine and just make it. Sorry for your loss and the added stress of this.

ninebeanrows · 09-04-2021 08:35PM

tiger_cub wrote: »

Honestly can’t say with the way these crackpot “leaders” are behaving but no, realistically I think it will take them longer to get the actual hotel spaces up and running , think she’ll be fine and just make it. Sorry for your loss and the added stress of this.

72 hours usually once its announced before it goes live.

hmmm · 09-04-2021 08:36PM

Micky 32 wrote: »

I hate saying it but as long as the narrative is as above non essential travel will be a thing of the past permanently and we need to prepare ourselves for that.

I’d say by the end of the year most countries will be on it. They are just easing us into it by adding as they go along.

Everyone has to quarantine, whether it's essential or not.

And I disagree with your underlying rationale. The vaccines work very well against all known variants, the world is going back to normal later this year. If we had implemented this a year ago it might have made some sense, it makes no sense now. There's lots of bad things circulating in the world which could arrive on a plane at any time (Ebola for one), but we live with those risks.

Tazz T · 09-04-2021 08:38PM

Micky 32 wrote: »

From RTE:

“”It is understood the incorporeal meeting at 8:30 was arranged due to increased concern about variants coming in to the country.””

I hate saying it but as long as the narrative is as above non essential travel will be a thing of the past permanently and we need to prepare ourselves for that. The virus and it’s variants can’t be eradicated.

I’d say by the end of the year most countries will be on it. They are just easing us into it by adding as they go along.

They keep this up, they'll be removed by September. Someone will be held accountable for this monumental arse up.

Micky 32 · 09-04-2021 08:40PM

hmmm wrote: »

Everyone has to quarantine, whether it's essential or not.

And I disagree with your underlying rationale. The vaccines work very well against all known variants, the world is going back to normal later this year. If we had implemented this a year ago it might have made some sense, it makes no sense now. There's lots of bad things circulating in the world which could arrive on a plane at any time (Ebola for one), but we live with those risks.

I sincerely hope you’re right. As you said it’s not making sense. They are too fixated on variants.

namloc1980 · 09-04-2021 09:10PM

As long as the government remains fixated on variants then we're never getting out of this. There'll be travel restrictions long after everyone is vaccinated unless someone calls a halt to this insanity.

ninebeanrows · 09-04-2021 09:12PM

I am struggling to work out the metrics used to select these countries. Anybody work it out?

MIDLANDSMAN · 09-04-2021 09:22PM

Christ!!! I am absolutely livid, fuming, annoyed, depressed, angry with this news tonight. How in the name of God can anybody in government defend this brain dead announcement. We are one of the most open economics in the world and we decide to close the doors. We are going to meet Irish residents, foreign executives coming to make investments , tourists, our families coming home for funerals, etc, specialists and engineers coming to work on complex pieces of equipment with the army in camouflage gear and escort to detent centres. That is going to make one hell of a impression of Ireland.

We are already a laughing stock with our longest lockdown and now this.

Crybabygeeks · 09-04-2021 09:22PM

Omg, this is beyond depressing. I zoned out from the news over the last week and saw these headlines this evening. I mean.... I am lost for words.

GIVE YOUR TDS HELL. that's all we can do at this point.

Shame on all of them.

stargazer 68 · 09-04-2021 09:24PM

ninebeanrows wrote: »

I am struggling to work out the metrics used to select these countries. Anybody work it out?

Dont seem to be any! Darts and a map is the nearest I can come up with!

Corholio · 09-04-2021 09:26PM

Regina going rogue. I feel dirty for agreeing with her :P

https://twitter.com/ReginaDo/status/1380631231478521856?s=19

MIDLANDSMAN · 09-04-2021 09:28PM

I thought Coveny was keen on a job in Europe. How will this help his cause?

I though the AG last week had concerns that MHQ was a non- runner, Coveny was also against it, and the EU was against it. What has changed?

I'm thinking and it's a long shot that the government don't want MHQ to work but they can't back down now and admit defeat and they will have to listen to the opposition, zero Covid fans and the media all shouting for it. this way it might get shot down by Europe and then they can blame Brussels for calling it off.

It's the only way I can think that they would do such a stupid thing or else they are just pure stupid.

Str8outtaWuhan · 09-04-2021 09:32PM

MIDLANDSMAN wrote: »

I thought Coveny was keen on a job in Europe. How will this help his cause?

I though the AG last week had concerns that MHQ was a non- runner, Coveny was also against it, and the EU was against it. What has changed?

I'm thinking and it's a long shot that the government don't want MHQ to work but they can't back down now and admit defeat and they will have to listen to the opposition, zero Covid fans and the media all shouting for it. this way it might get shot down by Europe and then they can blame Brussels for calling it off.

It's the only way I can think that they would do such a stupid thing or else they are just pure stupid.

Because Germany is not on the list

Donald Trump · 09-04-2021 09:35PM

ninebeanrows wrote: »

I am struggling to work out the metrics used to select these countries. Anybody work it out?

It has to do with the levels of variants of concern prevalent there.

Despite what some appear to think on here, they are a worry because there is evidence that some of them reduce the efficacy of the existing vaccines.

They can and will tweak the vaccines of course. But what do you do if you have a new and improved vaccine? Do they continue with the original vaccination schedule or do they tell ninebeanrows - "sorry, we need to push your vaccination back 6 months and continue Level 5 because we need to go back and do the nursing homes again with the new vaccine because variant X123 is running rife"

I want things to get back to normal here. Some might be fine with the way things are. If MHQ can help to stop us being set back to zero, then I want it in

embraer170 · 09-04-2021 09:36PM

And most of Central/Eastern Europe is not on the list? Rather odd.

mmclo · 09-04-2021 09:36PM

Responder XY wrote: »

Fingers crossed - can't see how she won't be successful here. See in the article they seem to be trying to argue she's not being detained by anyone! That's really a grasping at straws defence!

That was the judge! Just like the other case, this is the district court where there is very little law argued. The smart Alec comments by judges would be grounds for appeal in themselves

ninebeanrows · 09-04-2021 09:38PM

embraer170 wrote: »

And most of Central/Eastern Europe is not on the list? Rather odd.

I would say a few delegates were told to jog on. 'Hold on Mr Irishman, we let you in here in January when your house was burning down, but now you want to put us in a cell when we are struggling?'

hmmm · 09-04-2021 09:41PM

Well that's any chance of the Irish tourist industry recovering in the second half of the year finished, even if everyone is vaccinated. You might have held off booking for a while to see how things went, but if you live in one of those countries you're going to look elsewhere and that's most of our big markets. Good job Ministers.

Donald Trump · 09-04-2021 09:42PM

embraer170 wrote: »

And most of Central/Eastern Europe is not on the list? Rather odd.

I'd imagine that they have access to more data than your average boards.ie or twitter user.

09-04-2021 09:44PM

Donald Trump wrote: »

I'd imagine that they have access to more data than your average boards.ie or twitter user.

They must have access to better data than the other Governments in Europe who aren't introducing these draconian measures or perhaps the Irish Government just loves its citizens more. (sarcasm)

Mr. Karate · 09-04-2021 09:44PM

namloc1980 wrote: »

USA and Canada added to the list as well as a raft of EU countries. This government has lost its mind! It's insane what is going on with little or no debate.

Like I said in a previous post this is politically motivated under the cover of "muh variants". US and Canada along with France and Germany are Countries the Irish will most likely move to in order to find work and feed their families.

hmmm · 09-04-2021 09:45PM

Donald Trump wrote: »

I'd imagine that they have access to more data than your average boards.ie or twitter user.

There will need to be an explanation as to why Germany is not on the list and France and Italy are. It looks completely arbitrary, P1 and B.1.351 are throughout Europe at low levels.

Del Griffith · 09-04-2021 09:47PM

Donald Trump wrote: »

It has to do with the levels of variants of concern prevalent there.

Despite what some appear to think on here, they are a worry because there is evidence that some of them reduce the efficacy of the existing vaccines.

They can and will tweak the vaccines of course. But what do you do if you have a new and improved vaccine? Do they continue with the original vaccination schedule or do they tell ninebeanrows - "sorry, we need to push your vaccination back 6 months and continue Level 5 because we need to go back and do the nursing homes again with the new vaccine because variant X123 is running rife"

I want things to get back to normal here. Some might be fine with the way things are. If MHQ can help to stop us being set back to zero, then I want it in

These variants that may or may not ever exist, they must have it in for Ireland do they, and nowhere else, only Ireland?

CUCKOO

ninebeanrows · 09-04-2021 09:48PM

hmmm wrote: »

There will need to be an explanation as to why Germany is not on the list and France and Italy are. It looks completely arbitrary, P1 and B.1.351 are throughout Europe at low levels.

I was thinking maybe it could be a combination of >400-500 per 100 14 day av + variants of concern? rather than either

But that would not work for US and some places?

Donald Trump · 09-04-2021 09:54PM

Del Griffith wrote: »

These variants that may or may not ever exist, they must have it in for Ireland do they, and nowhere else, only Ireland?

CUCKOO

Del, just because you are not aware of them does not mean they do not exist. The people with responsibility for public health cannot be restricted in their decisions because boards.ie users are ignorant of facts.

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/variant-surveillance/variant-info.html#Concern

Some of those have been shown to reduce the efficacy of vaccines. What you need to understand is that an efficacy of say 95% does not mean that everyone who gets the vaccine has their symptoms reduced to 5%. Some people who are vaccinated will still contract serious cases of the disease. If the efficacy is reduced, the number of people who still get seriously ill goes up.

Micky 32 · 09-04-2021 09:54PM

Del Griffith wrote: »

These variants that may or may not ever exist, they must have it in for Ireland do they, and nowhere else, only Ireland?

CUCKOO

The ironic thing is a variant could mutate in Ireland at any minute.

mmclo · 09-04-2021 09:56PM

faceman wrote: »

No. She’s vaccinated so it’s likely that by the time it hits the HC or thereafter that there will be quarantine exemptions for vaccinated travellers. So either way MHQ in its current format will inevitably change

The case with the 2 girls will be more interesting.

The courts can't amend laws, it will either stand or be struck down generally

Donald Trump · 09-04-2021 09:57PM

Micky 32 wrote: »

The ironic thing is a variant could mutate in Ireland at any minute.

That is not really ironic though Micky. Mutations can happen anywhere. The more cases that there are, the higher the chance that it will happen. Mutations are also more likely when people get severe cases because it gives the virus more time to mutate.

So every country needs to keep the numbers down to prevent that happening until people are vaccinated.

josip · 09-04-2021 09:59PM

Kramer wrote: »

Stephen Donnelly, shortly after deporting Simon Coveney back to Cork

Are we there yet? Your second Travel Megathread (threadbans in OP}

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