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

Now that the indian scariant in the UK is maybe being upgraded to it’s knighthood of a VOC could upset our travelling plans.

faceman wrote: »

They may address it. The NI health minister is making noise

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/non-essential-cross-border-travel-must-be-stopped-by-enforcement-if-required-1122994.html

Unionist wants a harder border. I'm shocked.

Happydays2020 wrote: »

Not sure. Does England decide and the devolved can decide to follow?

I was thinking that myself.

Though it does still leave a massive open door for Irish citizens wishing to internationally travel albeit a slight complication. ie from the 17th May ... fly from Belfast to England and then proceed to any of England’s green list countries. (Same process upon returning)

If there’s a will there’s a way.

The age of Irish cohort 20-30 won’t likely see a vaccine till September and I reckon they’d be more likely to avail of this international travel fix than people with families.

faceman wrote: »

They may address it. The NI health minister is making noise

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/non-essential-cross-border-travel-must-be-stopped-by-enforcement-if-required-1122994.html

This is interesting as I do not think that there were any such invocations from him when NI was at much higher levels and cross border infections were going the other way. England also has an open border to Ireland as no PCR test is required for travel within CTA, from their perspective.

Marcusm wrote: »

This is interesting as I do not think that there were any such invocations from him when NI was at much higher levels and cross border infections were going the other way. England also has an open border to Ireland as no PCR test is required for travel within CTA, from their perspective.

I can’t understand his level of concern tbh.
Has he checked the success rate of the vaccines and it’s likelihood of decreasing deaths and hospitalisations.

Is he aware that the level of N.I vaccine uptake is exemplary.

Very suspicious concern from the NI health minister

faceman wrote: »

They may address it. The NI health minister is making noise

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/non-essential-cross-border-travel-must-be-stopped-by-enforcement-if-required-1122994.html

The biggest fans of the Zero COVID strategy are the Shinners. This will soften their cough. Obviously they want an all island approach but Swann and co will want to enjoy the freedoms of an open UK and keep out the unvaccinated down south.

Are any hotels in Galway open Monday, can you get food and a beer if staying the night?

Klonker wrote: »

Great article. I think it puts into words very well how a lot of us feel in this thread and forum in general about the whole travel restrictions and MHQ.

There's a not to hidden dig at Eamon Ryan in there too, who'd be happy if foreign travel was put out of the reach of the majority of the population to push the green agenda.

A lot of the comments on the article are not surprisingly very critical of it. I think unfortunately that is a better gauge of the Irish public than this forum.

Jesus, how do people still fall for that insufferable journalist/troll mark Paul. Hes been advocating 'let it rip' since march last year. He was adamant we should open fully at christmas and cases will not rise substantively. He has been literally been on the wrong side of everything covid related.

The man has no morals, no sense of responsibility for his words. Hes a complete charlatan and a gutter journalist.

ginoginelli wrote: »

Jesus, how do people still fall for that insufferable journalist/troll mark Paul. Hes been advocating 'let it rip' since march last year. He was adamant we should open fully at christmas and cases will not rise substantively. He has been literally been on the wrong side of everything covid related.

The man has no morals, no sense of responsibility for his words. Hes a complete charlatan and a gutter journalist.

Whatever you may think of the man, or his previous work, he has hit the nail on the head this time.

dalyboy wrote: »

I was thinking that myself.

Though it does still leave a massive open door for Irish citizens wishing to internationally travel albeit a slight complication. ie from the 17th May ... fly from Belfast to England and then proceed to any of England’s green list countries. (Same process upon returning)

If there’s a will there’s a way.

The age of Irish cohort 20-30 won’t likely see a vaccine till September and I reckon they’d be more likely to avail of this international travel fix than people with families.

To get to 82%, everyone over 35 will have had to have at least one dose by 30 June so I would expect 20-30s will be earlier than September (even accounting for capacity required for second doses for under 50s).

dalyboy wrote: »

The age of Irish cohort 20-30 won’t likely see a vaccine till September and I reckon they’d be more likely to avail of this international travel fix than people with families.

The strategy to give the vaccine by age range will hit a wall pretty soon. I don't know any other country that did it. They opened the vaccination to general public under 45/50yo all at the same time.


In April when you had limited supplies, it was easy enough to create appointments for people in the 60-69 group. These people are at risk so their engagement is really high, they usually don't work and can go to an appointment even with a short notice.



Next month you'll have to schedule appointments for 40-49years old, people who may be less interested by the vaccine, who have a job and children, and cannot leave at anytime because they have been told that their appointment is tomorrow at 15h15. They will be plenty of missed appointments, plenty of reschedules and with an increased supply they will have to open to other age groups if they don't want to have unused vaccines at the end of the day.


In France they'll open the unused doses to the general public (18-55yo) from the 12th May.

josip wrote: »

And this part sums up some of the posters here and on the shut down the airports thread

Your "logic" is comletely arseways. It comes across as a simple confirmation bias of your own outrage.


This thread has predominately been about whether, and when, people who are here can go elsewhere. Not the other way around.

That is the opposite of blaming it on outsiders.

zebastein wrote: »

Next month you'll have to schedule appointments for 40-49years old, people who may be less interested by the vaccine, who have a job and children, and cannot leave at anytime because they have been told that their appointment is tomorrow at 15h15. They will be plenty of missed appointments, plenty of reschedules and with an increased supply they will have to open to other age groups if they don't want to have unused vaccines at the end of the day.


In France they'll open the unused doses to the general public (18-55yo) from the 12th May.

That's exactly why Poland accelerated appointments for younger age groups. Currently they are registering people in early 30's. Also, last weekend they did mass vaccination with J&J vaccine. They opened a number of walk-in centres in most of big cities. They were open only for 3 days, for J&J vaccine only, but it was open to all age groups (above 18) and you didn't need pre-registration. It was mainly to attract younger generation, only one jab and you're done.

This thread has just been a parallel offshoot from the 'airports' thread, they have been unfortunately indistinguishable for months.