Med boaters - will you get to your boat this year?

[DavidJ]

Another extension till March 30th for the next review.

Ministerio de Sanidad, Consumo y Bienestar Social - Gabinete de Prensa - Notas de Prensa

I’ve just done a google translate of the first paragraph

I notice that it doesn’t mention entry by land but I guess that’s included.

The Government extends the limitations on entry to Spain by air and sea from the United Kingdom and, by air, from Brazil and South Africa
The Council of Ministers has extended the agreement of December 22, established with the first country, and February 2, with the other two, until 6:00 p.m. on March 30.
The agreement is part of the government's determined action to protect the health of citizens and control the spread of the new variant of the virus.
As an exception, they may only be carried out when transporting exclusively Spanish citizens and residents in Spain, in addition to residents of Andorra and their nationals and passengers in international transit to a non-Schengen country with a stopover of less than 24 hours and without leaving the area. transit from the Spanish airport.

 

[longjohnsilver]

I’ve just done a google translate of the first paragraph

I notice that it doesn’t mention entry by land but I guess that’s included.

The Government extends the limitations on entry to Spain by air and sea from the United Kingdom and, by air, from Brazil and South Africa
The Council of Ministers has extended the agreement of December 22, established with the first country, and February 2, with the other two, until 6:00 p.m. on March 30.
The agreement is part of the government's determined action to protect the health of citizens and control the spread of the new variant of the virus.
As an exception, they may only be carried out when transporting exclusively Spanish citizens and residents in Spain, in addition to residents of Andorra and their nationals and passengers in international transit to a non-Schengen country with a stopover of less than 24 hours and without leaving the area. transit from the Spanish airport.

If you can drive there through France my understanding is that you should be fine. I have Dutch friends who drove from Austria to Spain last month, no roadblocks or border checks anywhere en route.
But getting into France is a different matter. And leaving our shores even more of a problem. I’m still hopeful I might get back to Spain in either late May or early June. But only time will tell.

 

[Hooligan]

If you can drive there through France my understanding is that you should be fine. I have Dutch friends who drove from Austria to Spain last month, no roadblocks or border checks anywhere en route.
But getting into France is a different matter. And leaving our shores even more of a problem. I’m still hopeful I might get back to Spain in either late May or early June. But only time will tell.

I remain firmly of the view that as long as we are not supposed to be allowed to leave the UK it is easy and practical to maintain a ban on UK residents visiting Spain. However when the UK lifts this, and it is inconceivable that we open up but refuse to allow Brits to travel, then it will open up. As Greece has rightly worked out, given the progress of our vaccine programme, the British tourist is going to be the the safest and most desired tourist. France, who knows, but I doubt that the Balearics can tolerate another disastrous year without permanent damage. Nor does it make sense.

 

[Deleted User YDKXO]

I remain firmly of the view that as long as we are not supposed to be allowed to leave the UK it is easy and practical to maintain a ban on UK residents visiting Spain. However when the UK lifts this, and it is inconceivable that we open up but refuse to allow Brits to travel, then it will open up. As Greece has rightly worked out, given the progress of our vaccine programme, the British tourist is going to be the the safest and most desired tourist. France, who knows, but I doubt that the Balearics can tolerate another disastrous year without permanent damage. Nor does it make sense.

I wish I shared your optimism. IMHO the success of the UK vaccine roll out is only half the story. The Spanish PM has stated recently that tourists would not be welcome until 70% of his own population had been vaccinated which is expected to be by the end of the summer. There may well be some rowing back on that position depending on how effective the UK vaccines prove to be at stopping transmission of infections but I really cannot see Spain or other Med countries throwing open their borders to Brit tourists in May or June. I suspect July or more likely August would be nearer the mark

And another factor which may affect the situation is whether the UK govt chooses to continue to impose quarantine rules on incoming visitors. At present those quarantine rules apply equally to unvaccinated and vaccinated people. Quarantine is a very popular policy in political terms which plays well with many British voters. Is the British govt going to lift the quarantine rules on travellers returning from the Med and possibly risk increasing infection numbers in the UK? And if not how will that effect the number of British tourists willing to travel to the Med? Personally I wouldnt fancy spending 2 weeks in August on my boat in the Med if the price was 10 days banged up at home afterwards

 

[TonyR123]

I read today that mallorca is offering the vaccine to 55 year olds from Friday which I was surprised about. That makes them pretty equal with the UK (they admittedly have far less people to vaccinate than we do). Also Balearic president stating they will be top holiday destination (albeit again he has to take orders from Spain themselves). Both on Majorca daily bulletin.

Think Ryan Air are as well based on they expect 60-70% of normal revenues this year. I am holding off on June, but July/August should be fine. I am as optimistic as Hooligan and even booked in the williams to be serviced and upgraded

 

[Clancy Moped]

I read today that mallorca is offering the vaccine to 55 year olds from Friday which I was surprised about. That makes them pretty equal with the UK (they admittedly have far less people to vaccinate than we do). Also Balearic president stating they will be top holiday destination (albeit again he has to take orders from Spain themselves). Both on Majorca daily bulletin.

Think Ryan Air are as well based on they expect 60-70% of normal revenues this year. I am holding off on June, but July/August should be fine. I am as optimistic as Hooligan and even booked in the williams to be serviced and upgraded

Was that in The Bulletin the 45 to 55 year olds? If it was, what they failed to report was this for front line workers not joe public?

El polideportivo Germans Escalas de Palma es desde este lunes un nuevo punto de vacunación - Mallorca Informa | El Periódico de los Periódicos

 

[TonyR123]

actually re-reading it it doesn't really make sense as also states vaccination of people aged 80 to 90 will start.

 

[MedDreamer]

I read today that mallorca is offering the vaccine to 55 year olds from Friday which I was surprised about. That makes them pretty equal with the UK (they admittedly have far less people to vaccinate than we do). Also Balearic president stating they will be top holiday destination (albeit again he has to take orders from Spain themselves). Both on Majorca daily bulletin.

Think Ryan Air are as well based on they expect 60-70% of normal revenues this year. I am holding off on June, but July/August should be fine. I am as optimistic as Hooligan and even booked in the williams to be serviced and upgraded

Not quite as I read it. They are going to start using the A/Z vaccine on under 55’s as they have a supply but they are still only using the Pfizer vaccine on over 55’s and as this is still in short supply it has only really been given to over 80’s and key care workers. The general population in the 56-80 age group have still to be vaccinated and won’t be until there is the necessary supply of the Pfizer vaccine

 

[Clancy Moped]

Keep an eye on this news outlet, it's quite dry but to the point.

Inicio - Mallorca Informa | El Periódico de los Periódicos

 

[RJJ]

We know vaccinated folk thus far around 1/3 or 1/4 end up carriers

Where do we know this from? I'm not aware there's any evidence on vaccinated people being carriers.

Also, although it's possible some variant may be more vaccine-resistant (although there's barely any evidence for this so far) that's not the same as saying vaccine-ineffective. More likely is that they'll be slightly less effective e.g., 80% kept out of hospital not 90%. Or whatever.

I think a lot of the misinformation about infection stems from misunderstanding of what infection actually means. It's not black and white, but a continuum.
- If somebody sneezed some live Covid virus in yer face and you inhale it, then you are carrying live virus. Theoretically, I suppose, you can sneeze those same particles onto the next person. Do you then count as "infected"?
- If those viruses then start to reproduce in your nose and throat....but your immune system is already fighting them n...are you infected?
- If the viruses multiply several times over and your immune system takes a while to kick them in the nuts...are you infected?
- then of course you're on to mild symptoms, significant symptoms, hospitalisation etc.

So back to the point: the vaccine might be highly effective at reducing transmission even if some people are still capable of being carriers. If it means the body prevents significant growth in viral load, and in an accelerated time, then the fact of being a "carrier" for e.g., a day rather than a week is a significant reduction. In contrast, it's hard to see exactly how the virus reduces symptoms and hospital without also somewhat reducing transmission.

 

[Simi]

I’m sure the uk government is not going to allow people to wander to any country where vaccine is not a a level of ours and bring back various variants
All these countries saying we can go that is only one side of the story I wouldn’t be getting to excited about trips abroad this summer

 

[Portofino]

Where do we know this from? I'm not aware there's any evidence on vaccinated people being carriers.

Also, although it's possible some variant may be more vaccine-resistant (although there's barely any evidence for this so far) that's not the same as saying vaccine-ineffective. More likely is that they'll be slightly less effective e.g., 80% kept out of hospital not 90%. Or whatever.

I think a lot of the misinformation about infection stems from misunderstanding of what infection actually means. It's not black and white, but a continuum.
- If somebody sneezed some live Covid virus in yer face and you inhale it, then you are carrying live virus. Theoretically, I suppose, you can sneeze those same particles onto the next person. Do you then count as "infected"?
- If those viruses then start to reproduce in your nose and throat....but your immune system is already fighting them n...are you infected?
- If the viruses multiply several times over and your immune system takes a while to kick them in the nuts...are you infected?
- then of course you're on to mild symptoms, significant symptoms, hospitalisation etc.

So back to the point: the vaccine might be highly effective at reducing transmission even if some people are still capable of being carriers. If it means the body prevents significant growth in viral load, and in an accelerated time, then the fact of being a "carrier" for e.g., a day rather than a week is a significant reduction. In contrast, it's hard to see exactly how the virus reduces symptoms and hospital without also somewhat reducing transmission.

The number I got from a paper I cannot find .How ever apart from that there is nothing I want to change from my earlier posts .
This might provide useful info ?

Can you still transmit Covid-19 after vaccination?

 

[TonyR123]

also from the bbc, I believe after just 1 jab.

The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is thought to reduce infections by around two-thirds.
Prof Lawrence Young, from Warwick Medical School. said: You can't spread the virus if you're not infected, and these studies show that the vaccine blocks infection in individuals who don't have symptoms but could pass on the infection."

 

[jrudge]

I feel fairly certain Spain will let us in. I feel fairly certain the U.K. will let us out.

the issue is on what terms. The tests and quarantine are likely to stay. Variants are the risk for now more than Covid itself. The cost is some £500 a head and 5 days quarantine with test and release.

all well and good for a long med trip but usual tourism will be cut off at the knees.

 

[Bouba]

A lot to contemplate.......

 

[RJJ]

The number I got from a paper I cannot find .How ever apart from that there is nothing I want to change from my earlier posts .
This might provide useful info ?

Can you still transmit Covid-19 after vaccination?

RIght, so it's probable there's some residual ability for vaccinated people to be carriers.

But everything points to it being considerably reduced. Back to your earlier suggestion, even if it's "1/3 to 1/4" of people, that's 2/3 to 3/4 of people who can't transmit infection. I don't think that's the same as saying a 2/3 to 3/4 reduction in R, but it's quite a lot. Enough for us to weather the autumn outbreak, when R was considered to peak around 2.5; bring that down to ~0.8 and we'd barely have noticed.

 

[Clancy Moped]

A lot to contemplate.......

Regurgitated photos hold no sway.

 

[Peterlewis321]

I feel fairly certain Spain will let us in. I feel fairly certain the U.K. will let us out.

the issue is on what terms. The tests and quarantine are likely to stay. Variants are the risk for now more than Covid itself. The cost is some £500 a head and 5 days quarantine with test and release.

all well and good for a long med trip but usual tourism will be cut off at the knees.

I certainly hope you are right....not managing to get out to Spain at least come July/August would be a total disaster having been stuck at home on endless ‘Teams‘ calls for the last few months....not to mention having the inevitable spend on annual lift/antifoul/polish and servicing etc etc - a lot of money on something one cannot currently use!!

 

[Cheery]

Spain will open quickly as both Cyrus and Greece are allowing tourists from the UK after the beginning of May. Will Spain want to lose out on all those tourists, many of whom will only be able to afford one holiday a year? Looking at the case rates Spain and Italy are on a par with France not far behind. Germany are around the same numbers as us, slightly higher I think. Will the former countries want to lose another years tourism income? I think not. The vaccination rates across Europe (for initial doses) are woeful and may have a bearing on our restrictions coming home.

 

[Clancy Moped]

As of today, pathetic.

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