I need to have a bit of a rant! I’ve spent the morning phoning some of my British friends, who live in France, to wish them happy Xmas etc. I’m shocked and dismayed at how many of them are planning to travel to the UK to spend Xmas with their families and don’t seem to be concerned they may be increasing their risk of catching COVID19. I personally have been self isolating for the past 9 months and haven’t seen any friends since February. I can’t grasp how people are confident in traveling to another highly infected country to spend time with family of all ages and then return to France, without being concerned that they may be bringing whatever infections with them. I feel it’s totally irresponsible and selfish or is it me being far too cautious? I really hope the French authorities close our borders to help stop the risk of transmitting this killer virus, especially as it’s now mutated into a faster spreading infection. Well, that feels a bit better, thanks for listening.
I’m inclined to agree. Get 'em in, hunker down with whoever is already to hand and get on the phone, wazzapp, Skype et al for the socialising. This plague is no respecter of Christmas nor any other traditional get-together.
Yes, with all the social media on hand there’s really no excuse to travel unnecessarily. I haven’t seen my kids and grandkids for nearly 2 years but don’t feel I’m unduly missing out as I am in regular contact via WhatsApp.
It’s the “It won’t happen to me it only happens to someone else” attitude, right up to they catch it or they pass it on and it severely affects or kills someone they know.
Guilty as charged.
Got covid tests this morning. Going via tunnel so staying in the car, seeing just parents then back - I think risk is minimal.
Feel free to comment - go for it, I am a big boy!
A close friend has driven to UK to see his elderly Mum.
He drove… never went anywhere else (apart from peeing in the bushes in the wilderness somewhere… and was slathering himself with gel every little while, as necessary…
They’d both been isolating for weeks… so reckoned it was safe for them to get together… even so he was put through the sheep dip when he arrived at her house… 
It was a quick flit… she’s in her 90’s and it’s taken the place of her annual trip here… to spend Christmas with us mad lot…
The plan was carefully thought through and went without hiccups… thank heavens. 
I found out about it yesterday… just glad they didn’t ask my thoughts before he went… as I always err on the side of caution… 
There are the unknowns though, passport control, check-in at the ferry/tunnel, petrol/diesel pumps etc to contend with, in the end it is a lottery as you are either going to be lucky or not.
Is going to the UK for Christmas any different from travelling across France?
I don’t think so
The issue to me is whether this spreads the new strain that seems to have appeared in the UK and brings it here.
Trouble is since so many are asymptomatic one could bring it back and spread it without knowing…
Isolation, test before, isolation and test after should be mandatory for any movement no matter how far.
heartily agree… but the man in question… I know he will have had gloves/masks/gel and whatever it took to keep himself and his Mum safe…
His wife assures me that he (and she) will be self quarantining (or whatever) when he gets back. As she said to me… we don’t go anywhere these days… to SQ will be no hardship at all.
As for Mum… she hates going outdoors anyway… her son does online shopping for her and has a special set-up whereby he can keep an eye on her … from afar… so she should not see any change in her lifestyle …
although she has firmly told him “I shall not go anywhere or see anyone” (and she made it sound like a sacrifice, the cunning old dear… )
Just remember that viruses mutate all the time, it is expected, normal behaviour for almost all viruses and definitely the Covid virus - and it can take a relatively small advantage for a variant to slowly become dominant, as happened with the “G614” variant. Just because the virus has changed a bit does not mean it will be “worse” for us - in fact it is predominantly in the interests of the virus (insofar as it can be said to have “interests”) to be a very transmissible, but very mild disease.
Regardless of whether you can travel the length and breadth of Europe, surely the point is whether it is considered to be essential travel. Both French and UK governments are saying to consider whether the journey is really necessary and to stay local. The more you travel, the higher the risk of having an accident which then puts more strain on the emergency services and hospitals. I feel that COVID tests are only a snap shot in time. As soon as you leave the testing area you could contract the virus, who knows? The one proven certainty of this virus is it is spread by movement of people hence the lockdowns. So any unnecessary travel is just wrong in my opinion. With a (hopefully) successful vaccination program just on the horizon, why can’t people just wait a while and then go ahead with their travel plans when most of the population has been inoculated.
You are a grown up. If you do end up getting or dying of covid or infecting your parents that’s up to you.
Yes, if the virus was endowed with consciousness, then it would say: “Now how many can I make as sick as possible without mutating myself out of existence ?”
Because they don’t want to and they aren’t obliged to. It is their gamble - if they die they die, it is their problem.
I shall be staying cosily at home but as my children are all turning up and I see about a 1000 people a week at work I don’t think travelling would be any bigger a risk for me at least. Up to everyone to sort themselves out really, according to their circumstances.
I really really do not mind if they kill themselves. But it’s like passive smoking - I REALLY, REALLY mind if they kill me and anyone I know and love.
It’s a very fine line… what one person calls “essential”… will not necessarily be seen as essential by another.
Personally, I would have suggested my friend stayed here… but I do know how close he and his Mum are… they are all they have… one another… as the rest of that family line is dead.
Plus, knowing how carefully they live their lives, they are possibly the only folk I know, who can do it… and do it right!
Mum is the same age as the Queen… so late 90’s… he hasn’t seen her at all this year. He would normally fetch her over 2 or 3 times Spring/Summer plus always at Christmas…
I am glad that Mum and he have been able to spend a day together…
It wouldn’t, it would simply say “how do I make as many copies of myself as possible” - making your host ill or dead is actually counterproductive to this goal.