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

dan786 · 08-05-2021 01:40PM

A friend of mine who travelled to Ireland one month back got a call from contact tracing team yesterday saying that few people on his flight tested positive and asked him if he got a test done. He didn't as he was off work so just self isolated at home for 14 days. They said that he will need to get tested now, a full month later.

He does not have to isolate at all but still needs to get tested (free of cost).

What would be the point of this?

Dr. Em · 08-05-2021 01:43PM

BringBackMick wrote: »

I thought it was a high probability that non-essential EU travel will be underway again for those vaccinated with 1 shot from 15 July?

Is this what you mean? The proposal to allow non-essential travel from non-EU countries for people who have received the final dose of an EU-authorised vaccine at least 14 days prior to travel:

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_2121

Member states are supposed to be working on it, but I haven't found anything that says when it will be operational.

Dr. Em · 08-05-2021 01:45PM

dan786 wrote: »

A friend of mine who travelled to Ireland one month back got a call from contact tracing team yesterday saying that few people on his flight tested positive and asked him if he got a test done. He didn't as he was off work so just self isolated at home for 14 days. They said that he will need to get tested now, a full month later.

He does not have to isolate at all but still needs to get tested (free of cost).

What would be the point of this?

Locking the barn door after the horse has bolted? That is disappointingly slow contact tracing.

Nermal · 08-05-2021 02:02PM

Marcusm wrote: »

You are right which seems to mean that the fine for going to a port or airport now lapses on 10 May and “no international travel except for essential reasons” becomes advisory rather than a penal provision.

Any further developments on this? Or is the fine still set to lapse on the 10th?

CruelSummer · 08-05-2021 02:15PM

Dr. Em wrote: »

In short, as I understand, everything is in flux.

Originally, they seemed to be saying that the EU Green Cert should be operational 'before summer'. In the most recent article I saw, it mentioned July, not June. Getting a digital cert up and running across so many different health services, many of which do not have digital records, is a major undertaking and it would be surprising if they get it right the first try and deliver it on-time. As long as the infection rates remain high in many countries across the EU, there will be some countries hoping to delay the digital cert. All in all, I would guess that it will be operational by the second half of August (I know, I'm a pessimist). If the epidemiological situation improves drastically though, I would expect a lot of obstacles to the digital cert to suddenly evaporate. The EU/EEA weekly Covid rates page is what I would watch.

Each country will have some discretion on how they implement the cert, but restrictions will have to be applied equally to all member states. When they say 'EU' they really seem to mean 'Schengen', and Ireland might end up with different rules.

This is a personal guess only, but I can't see it being a priority for the government to cap PCR test costs. The companies could also reasonably argue that they have high staff costs to process the tests (those taking the samples + lab costs). At the moment with few flights, they are probably paying for more staff at peak times who might not be needed at other times. The costs could go down naturally if there are more flights spread out through the day.

Thank you for the detailed reply. I know I had read previously that the Green Cert might be in place in early June and that Ireland would have 6 weeks in which to get themselves 'ready' to sign up. However I haven't seen any updates from the Commission this week on its progress.

Corholio · 08-05-2021 02:25PM

Would they have to legally publish something somewhere if the fine ended on the 10th, or soon etc? I don't know too much about when legislation has to be published, announced etc.

Dr. Em · 08-05-2021 02:27PM

CruelSummer wrote: »

Thank you for the detailed reply. I know I had read previously that the Green Cert might be in place in early June and that Ireland would have 6 weeks in which to get themselves 'ready' to sign up. However I haven't seen any updates from the Commission this week on its progress.

Yes, I haven't seen anything definite either. This article seems to indicate that there should be more updates in the next few weeks: https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-40283999.html%3ftype=amp

08-05-2021 03:01PM

dan786 wrote: »

What would be the point of this?

Why statistics and box ticking of course.

Can't have an unticked box on the computer that tells the human what to do

gozunda · 08-05-2021 03:03PM

Marcusm wrote: »

Ireland is one of the few countries on Portugal’s good list. Entry from Ireland requires only a PCR test and there are 6 or so flights a week from Dublin to Lisbon. Woukdn’t see the point in routing via U.K.

That comment was in response to a poster talking about sneaking off thru a UK airport to go abroad.

Atm there is an Irish Government Advisory in operation against all non-essential international travel.

In the UK it is still illegal to travel abroad for travel or leisure purposes.

I think some people though there would be a free for all come May 17 out of the UK. The UK seems to have quashed that with a very limited number of potential countries on their green list one of which is Portugal. Although Portugal is only permitting essential travel from the UK at present.

I definitely wouldn't be booking anything just yet ...

08-05-2021 03:04PM

Corholio wrote: »

Would they have to legally publish something somewhere if the fine ended on the 10th, or soon etc? I don't know too much about when legislation has to be published, announced etc.

No I don't think so. There's a thing issues by the government where new speed limits and the lines are published. In order to be legally enforceable they need to be in that but I don't think it applies to cancelling.

Someone please remind me what it's called, it's driving me mad now

Lumen · 08-05-2021 03:15PM

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

No I don't think so. There's a thing issues by the government where new speed limits and the lines are published. In order to be legally enforceable they need to be in that but I don't think it applies to cancelling.

Someone please remind me what it's called, it's driving me mad now

Lapsing?

The legislation doesn't need to be cancelled because it contains an end date.

Ray Donovan · 08-05-2021 03:20PM

More Green Cert updates here.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/government-doing-everything-possible-to-have-system-for-eu-vaccine-travel-certs-by-end-of-june-40401817.html

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/eu-member-states-aim-to-agree-on-vaccine-certificates-for-travel-by-mid-june-1.4559477

Going by that second article and our government’s conservative nature I think we cand safely say August for this to be operational here.

freida · 08-05-2021 03:24PM

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

No I don't think so. There's a thing issues by the government where new speed limits and the lines are published. In order to be legally enforceable they need to be in that but I don't think it applies to cancelling.

Someone please remind me what it's called, it's driving me mad now

Is it a statutory instrument?

eltonyio · 08-05-2021 03:26PM

Ray Donovan wrote: »

More Green Cert updates here.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/government-doing-everything-possible-to-have-system-for-eu-vaccine-travel-certs-by-end-of-june-40401817.html

Populists cry for mandatory quarantine.

Populists get mandatory quarantine.

Populists shout for system to reopen tourism.

'Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said it was not good enough for the Government to “hope” that the infrastructure will be in place. "What we all want to see Thomas is not someone playing silly political games with this because there are 140,000-plus jobs dependent on getting this right.'

08-05-2021 03:31PM

Lumen wrote: »

Lapsing?

The legislation doesn't need to be cancelled because it contains an end date.

Thanks but we were all aware of that.

freida wrote: »

Is it a statutory instrument?

No, aggghhhhh. It's like a newsletter issued by government. Where's marcusm when he's needed?!?

Marcusm · 08-05-2021 03:33PM

Corholio wrote: »

Would they have to legally publish something somewhere if the fine ended on the 10th, or soon etc? I don't know too much about when legislation has to be published, announced etc.

There was no logic is a 6 day extension other than to let it expire. An SI is required to extend it further and I haven’t seen one. I would expect that a decision has been made NOT to announce the removal of the penal provision just as not formal announcement highlighted the ability to travel to NI.

Nermal · 08-05-2021 03:36PM

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

No, aggghhhhh. It's like a newsletter issued by government. Where's marcusm when he's needed?!?

Iris Oifigiui?

Marcusm · 08-05-2021 03:43PM

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

Thanks but we were all aware of that.

No, aggghhhhh. It's like a newsletter issued by government. Where's marcusm when he's needed?!?

Niner is talking about Iris Oifiguil which, inter alia, publishes new bye laws, statutory instruments etc. The extension from 4 to 10 May was included in SI 212 of 2021 on 30 April being a ministerial order signed by Donnelly. No further relevant one has been published so far as I can tell so I believe this has lapsed.

Good news for me as it means I can, soon, head to Portugal to deal with the numpties who are refurbing my house (badly).

Lumen · 08-05-2021 03:48PM

gozunda wrote: »

In the UK it is still illegal to travel abroad for travel or leisure purposes.

Actually the rules are quite interestingly worded. They refer to "international travel" but then exclude the CTA from that definition.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do#travelling-within-the-uk-the-republic-of-ireland-and-the-channel-islands

As far as I can tell it isn't even required to have a PCR test to travel from Ireland to the UK, at least from a British perspective.

08-05-2021 03:50PM

Nermal wrote: »

Iris Oifigiui?

Marcusm wrote: »

Niner is talking about Iris Oifiguil which, inter alia, publishes new bye laws, statutory instruments etc. The extension from 4 to 10 May was included in SI 212 of 2021 on 30 April being a ministerial order signed by Donnelly. No further relevant one has been published so far as I can tell so I believe this has lapsed.

Good news for me as it means I can, soon, head to Portugal to deal with the numpties who are refurbing my house (badly).

Ahhhhh, the soothing relief of being resolved.

And while I'm at it, ooh la di da Mr summer house

Marcusm · 08-05-2021 03:55PM

Niner leprauchan wrote: »

Ahhhhh, the soothing relief of being resolved.

And while I'm at it, ooh la di da Mr summer house

Says the man who is going over and back to Spain to see his kids!

Corholio · 08-05-2021 03:56PM

Marcusm wrote: »

Niner is talking about Iris Oifiguil which, inter alia, publishes new bye laws, statutory instruments etc. The extension from 4 to 10 May was included in SI 212 of 2021 on 30 April being a ministerial order signed by Donnelly. No further relevant one has been published so far as I can tell so I believe this has lapsed.

Good news for me as it means I can, soon, head to Portugal to deal with the numpties who are refurbing my house (badly).

Interesting, thanks for that. If this lapses on the 10th without extension, would you think information would have to be edited, changed on official communication, websites to acknowledge this?

seenitall · 08-05-2021 03:59PM

Lumen wrote: »

Actually the rules are quite interestingly worded. They refer to "international travel" but then exclude the CTA from that definition.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do#travelling-within-the-uk-the-republic-of-ireland-and-the-channel-islands

As far as I can tell it isn't even required to have a PCR test to travel from Ireland to the UK, at least from a British perspective.

I don’t get this, but I’m probably missing something; why did Leo then say that, a couple of days ago, about there being a few weeks where the UK residents will be able to come here unimpeded but not the other way around? When it is already the case that we can travel there more or less freely (from the UK point of view)?

titan18 · 08-05-2021 04:01PM

eltonyio wrote: »

Populists cry for mandatory quarantine.

Populists get mandatory quarantine.

Populists shout for system to reopen tourism.

'Sinn Féin TD Louise O’Reilly said it was not good enough for the Government to “hope” that the infrastructure will be in place. "What we all want to see Thomas is not someone playing silly political games with this because there are 140,000-plus jobs dependent on getting this right.'

Ya, about 5/6 weeks O Reilly was calling for more countries to be added to it and going further back said the plans were not enough.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-40233728.html%3ftype=amp

Lumen · 08-05-2021 04:05PM

seenitall wrote: »

I don’t get this, but I’m probably missing something; why did Leo then say that, a couple of days ago, about there being a few weeks where the UK residents will be able to come here unimpeded but not the other way around? When it is already the case that we can travel there more or less freely (from the UK point of view)?

Ireland doesn't make exceptions for travel in the CTA, whereas the UK does.

So it's legal to leave the UK to travel to Ireland, but not legal to arrive in Ireland from the UK (without a PCR test and quarantine).

Confusing eh?!

seenitall · 08-05-2021 04:09PM

Yes. Confusing is one word for it. I can think of some other ones as well, but I try to live up to my standards of civility, so I’ll leave it at that.

Corholio · 08-05-2021 04:21PM

Italy, Austria, and others removed immediately from MHQ.

https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1391063625926946818?s=19

Marcusm · 08-05-2021 04:25PM

Corholio wrote: »

Interesting, thanks for that. If this lapses on the 10th without extension, would you think information would have to be edited, changed on official communication, websites to acknowledge this?

I would expect citizens info and the covid pages will be altered to state that the government has banned, discouraged, advised against overseas travel but the reverence to penalties will be removed.

TeaPot918 · 08-05-2021 04:28PM

I there a possibility they extend again or is fine permanently finished?

Tinder Surprise · 08-05-2021 04:40PM

Corholio wrote: »

Italy, Austria, and others removed immediately from MHQ.

https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1391063625926946818?s=19

Thanks for sharing. Does this mean good to go to Italy end of June?

And not have to quarantine on return, or worry about $2k fine.

Thanks

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

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