Spanish border

[steve watson]

Here we go again, another 4 weeks to wait, does anyone know if spain has got the delta (indian) variant yet and what rate is it going at ??

[Spurs]

Here we go again, another 4 weeks to wait, does anyone know if spain has got the delta (indian) variant yet and what rate is it going at ??

steve I suspect most of the world has the delta variant, and as with the Kent one will go on to be dominant  there are only 2 countries in the world the UK and Denmark that can actually accurately find new variants .which explains why we found the Kent variant as well as this variant . The UK has done proportionately more tests per person than just about any other country , you would expect to find more cases if you do more tests. As an example the UK have done nearly 3 tests per person compared to France at 1.3 per person.this also explains why the death rate looks high in UK as the measure is death for any reason within 28 days of a positive test. So if you don’t test like India the death is not included in the numbers .  The real measure will be excess deaths by country after it’s all stable

[wilson]

Whether you enable location sharing or not , your provider knows exactly the location of your phone is, I can't imagine though that track and trace have access to your phone location though, it's all bluff.

The mandatory quarantine period, forms part of current Covid legislation, your locator forms gives the relevant authorities the legal authority and ability to locate you and be satisfied that you are complying, the technology used is really quite standard in the emergency service world. Not enabling certain accesses doesn’t change a thing, your only chance is using a Nokia 8210 on 2G with no gps or WiFi/internet and even then your probably only up to 250 yards. Suggesting it’s a bluff could be costly so compliance is essential.

[kevinb]

I'm not suggesting you dodge quarantine, we stayed at home for 14 days last October, I'm saying it's unlikely that track and trace have access to your phone providers location tracking. I know people who had track and trace turn up on their doorstep recently after flying back to Stansted.

[Derek]

The cost of this surveillance must be enormous. I find it hard to understand the risk if passengers are tested before they leave Spain.

I wonder if it is overkill or really necessary. The total cost of the tests and the not going out for ten days once back in the UK must put a lot off from going. 

I've got a new car over in GA that has not moved for over a year and what a waste of money that was. The house fortunately does not cost much to lay dormant. Others like myself must think should I cut and run.

I just cannot see travel ever being allowed again. What would you do in my position?

Age also has a bearing on this at 78.

Derek 

[Spurs]

Derek I’ve been mulling over what to do with my flat in Spain, like yours it costs very little to leave it dormant but for the last 11 months I’ve had this little nagging concern about leaving it that long all that money tied up and not able to use it .This is main reason I went last week.
Having been and looking back on it I’m not sure what I’m going to do from now on , sell it or keep it i mean . With half of GA closed it was not the same as it’s been

My conclusion is that I’m not making any decision until the winter mainly to see if the lockdowns and borders closed etc are a thing of the past . If we get another lockdown , travel ban I may well push button and sell it .

I’m sure all us owners are having the same thoughts

[TRIDENT]

Hi  If one was to travel to the UK for less than 8days is there a way to only pay for the 2nd day test or is it a package.? Asking for a friend..

[Pewster]

With half of GA closed it was not the same as it’s been

Yes it’s quieter in terms of numbers, and there’s a number of bars closed. But if that equates to half of GA closed I’d hate to think what the % in the U.K. is.
Life isn’t just about bars, and over here you’ve still been able to pretty much shop anywhere, see doctors, hairdressers, bank staff and whoever face to face ( albeit wearing a mask ) throughout, we haven’t been reduced to a life of telephone consultations or zoom meetings as seems to now be the norm in the U.K.

[Spurs]

It wasn’t the bars being closed that bothered me it was no family out this year testing has made that impossible for most. I used to visit about once every 5 weeks this time was first in 11 months Lack of neighbours etc most apartments were empty . Brexit hasn’t helped being a second class citizen at the border wasn’t what I signed up for. And as for the face masks god they are terrible.
I hope covid vaccinations work and that we can return to normal but if I can’t visit again at some point for months on end I may well pull the trigger

[Derek]

Hi Spurs.

It is nice to know that I am not alone with my thoughts.

I seriously cannot afford the cost of testing and the quarantine period. Yes I used to go over about ten times a year for a cheap holiday and the novelty is now wearing off very quickly. 

I might make a final trip and put it on the market and sell the car. It has only done about 1,200 kilometers.

Derek
 

[Blue and white stripes]

I have no intention of selling up in Spain as long as Ryanair can get me there and back at a reasonable cost. I go out for about 10 days every month and I like to see the calendar filled with Spanish trips way in advance.
Testing and the extra cost is a pain but I'm at the age where I don't consider it my money anymore. I'm not cutting down just to leave the kids a few quid more. I will continue to go until either the Spanish government, our government or my health forces me to stop.

[Maria Jones]

I don't know what to do with our house at the bottom on avenue Polonia,whether to sell or not and we have a car as well .We haven't been out since February last year.

[kevinb]

I'm not giving up Spain, enjoy it too much , we are scheduled to go out end of July, hang the expense.

[Pewster]

Unfortunately, how long all the extra testing and quarantine costs are going to be in place is pretty much in the hands of the U.K. government.
They’re the ones insisting up on them, and as yesterday’s latest ‘U turn’ illustrates, they seem to have no problem making it up as they go along in order to keep people spending in the right place.

The situation with apartments may be slightly different, but the urbanisations with houses and bigger properties in GA now have a larger % of full time residents if anything, with many Spanish moving out here from the cities over recent months in fear of another lockdown and the cramped conditions they experienced last year.

[kevinb]

The goal posts are being moved all the time, now is as good as it will ever be re the virus so we need to just get on with it. What the government should be doing is telling people to get fit, lose weight and excercise, there's no doubt that we as Brits are an unhealthy lot and this has massively contributed to deaths, me and the missus are in a walking group and use an excercise bike, it does have big health benefits, I might add that all our friends and most of our extended family are totally sedentary, it doesn't bode well for the NHS.