UK Government to ban international travel and domestic hotel stays ‘except for work’

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• the_real_a says:

  31 Oct31 October 20:47

  Does anyone know what proof you need that you are staying for work if self employed? I didn’t travel during essential-only travel last time around, but its unavoidable this time.

  • mradey says:

    1 Nov1 November 06:34

    If it’s unavoidable……….

• Tracey says:

  31 Oct31 October 20:54

  Wondering how BA will deal with this. Have a trip to Seychelles later in the month, would happily move it forward to Wednesday if I was confident BA would be still be operating to bring me back home in a couple of weeks time

  • Colin MacKinnon says:

    31 Oct31 October 21:24

    Time to become a “travel blogger”!

    Then it’ll be a work trip.

    • Tony says:

      1 Nov1 November 09:28

      All I can say is poor bloody airlines.
      This is in my humble opinion so unnecessary as air travel is the safest way to travel with cases worldwide linked to do lying minimal.

  • Cat says:

    31 Oct31 October 21:26

    Perhaps instead of wondering how BA will manage it, you should question the morality of choosing to travel for fun, from a known COVID-19 hot-spot, to a place with low case numbers, an epic heroin problem and very limited healthcare provision.

    Rebook for a time when there’s a much lower risk you will import the virus and kill people you encounter.

    • James says:

      31 Oct31 October 22:53

      +1
      Sadly there are too many selfish individuals on here.

      • babyg says:

        31 Oct31 October 23:59

        If she travels before the rules kick in there is nothing wrong with that.. in fact the less people here the better… and having just come back from the seychelles i know were id rather be.

        • Jack says:

          1 Nov1 November 00:45

          Being lectured at by moralistic Guardian readers is so boring. Most people will ignore this and continue with their lives. You can’t get the time back. She should go and just enjoy it.

        • Cat says:

          1 Nov1 November 00:56

          The *fewer* people here the better – that’s better for us, not better for the Seychellois.
          Where you’d rather be has nothing to do with it, and bending the rules in order to have a holiday, knowing that it’s potentially at the expense of the health and possibly even lives of others is beyond morally bankrupt.

        • mradey says:

          1 Nov1 November 06:37

          Presumably, Cat, you never leave the house. I mean your actions could be “at the expense of the health and possibly even lives of others”. Deah, or dear.

    • Tracey says:

      1 Nov1 November 00:39

      I’m travelling from an area in the UK that is tier 1 and will have a had a covid test before departure. I’m travelling to a country which needs its tourist industry and is encouraging Brits to visit.
      How am I harming the British covid effort by being away for half of lockdown?

      • Cat says:

        1 Nov1 November 01:04

        The Seychelles have 4 active cases, and need for it to stay that way. Whatever tier you reside in, you’d be travelling from one of the highest concentrations of cases on the planet to one of the lowest. That’s exactly what you shouldn’t do in a worsening pandemic.

        When was the last time they encouraged Brits to visit? You’re not harming the British COVID effort, so much as the Seychelles’.

        • Magic Mike says:

          1 Nov1 November 01:21

          If the Seychelles didn’t want Brits they could do what dozens of other countries have done and ban them. That they haven’t suggests that they would quite like their tourism economy not to go entirely down the toilet…

        • Ian M says:

          1 Nov1 November 06:07

          Perhaps you should leave it to the Seychelles to decide if they want Brits to visit or not Cat?

        • Adam says:

          1 Nov1 November 07:48

          You’re missing the point – if someone has a negative COVID test as a prerequisite of admission to the country what’s the marginal risk increase from them being admitted?

        • Ryan Gill says:

          1 Nov1 November 09:24

          Perhaps the Seychelles need the money from tourism to fund treatment centres for their heroin epidemic. I suspect workers there can’t lockdown with 80% wage govt contribution. I’m sure tourism helps them provide a level of health service, to hopefully catch the diseases and viruses that the Covid focused Govt instructed NHS neglects to screen for. Poor people see Covid as insignificant compared to feeding their families.

        • Heathrow Flyer says:

          1 Nov1 November 10:43

          I’m afraid you’re only seeing one side of the coin, Cat. The Seychelles do indeed have one of the worst heroin problems per capita, but maybe some of that tourism income helps fund the treatment centres there? Clearly the government would rather have COVID negative tested tourists than none at all. Besides tourism and fishing the Seychelles doesn’t have much of an economy.

          Lecturing about morality based on your own views does not contribute to the debate.

    • Anne says:

      1 Nov1 November 09:41

      Precisely what kind of works we have become where people don’t care we are in a global pandemic with around 600,000 cases globally DAILY. This is a medical war with this virus and our healthcare system are on the frontline and all we can bother to worry about is travelling? Are we humans anymore or some forms of degenerate being without any conscience?!!

      • Rob says:

        1 Nov1 November 10:02

        Unemployment, lack of education and lack of access to medical care for other issues kill lots of people too, unfortunately.

        An ex-Tory minister was in the paper today – his wife killed herself in June due to depression.

        • Cat says:

          1 Nov1 November 12:27

          Lack of access to medical care becomes an issue when tourists bring the virus to a country with 4 active cases, and hospitals become overwhelmed. Currently access to healthcare isn’t an issue in the Seychelles. It will become an issue, if they keep the borders open to European tourists.

        • Magic Mike says:

          1 Nov1 November 14:28

          (replying to cat but theres no reply link on that post)

          I’m sure the Seychelles government are capable of making the trade-off between accepting tourists with confirmed negative tests and keeping their economy afloat vs the risk of importing covid through tourists who may then result in a burden on local health infrastructure, and may lead to a risk of local transmission. Looks like they’ve made that assessment and put the relevant rules in place. I’m sure if the balance changes they will reassess that.

          Could do with a bit more of that sort of holistic thinking in the UK rather than the current approach of random ever increasing restrictions with no idea if they help or not, while the economy and livelihoods go down the pan. That’s the economy and livelihoods that pays taxes that funds the hospitals schools and other public services.

          Btw I’m in Antigua right now, who have similarly made the assessment of covid risk vs economic collapse and has been open to tourists since July. The only imported case I’m aware of has been a returning national who somehow managed to get on a plane without having had a test at all, and was tested positive on arrival. In the meantime, their tourist industry, while struggling, is at least contributing something to keeping the country afloat.

        • OHR says:

          1 Nov1 November 21:33

          Suicide deaths greater than Covid deaths for September and October in UK. Things only going to get worse with a second lock down

  • Hana says:

    3 Nov3 November 07:21

    The hoops for Seychelles for UK residents seems stressful and risky. Covid test within 48 hours of departure, only after this can you apply for travel approval, that has turnaround of 6hrs. I have up and decided to go antigua instead.

• Mike P says:

  31 Oct31 October 21:14

  Go home and stay there for a month is basically the message. Not great but I don’t think I’d be trying to travel before December 2nd if I could possibly avoid it.

  • Alex Sm says:

    1 Nov1 November 10:11

    Why is going to a second home banned? Perhaps, it’s more because of travel, than the second home itself

• James says:

  31 Oct31 October 21:15

  You reference ‘UK’ in the article but surely you mean England ? The Clown can’t stop people staying in hotels in Scotland surely?

  • Colin MacKinnon says:

    31 Oct31 October 21:22

    The words “applies to England” are at the top of the govt page referenced above.

    So although it talks about National all the time, it only refers to England. So jet2 to the Canaries on Wednesday for me!

    • James says:

      31 Oct31 October 21:29

      Thought so, very englandshire-centric site!

      Let’s hope Nicky sticks to her own 5 level approach and get some roadblocks set up at the border!

      Good luck in the Canaries…not the weather right now for ‘outdoor exercise’ here !!

      • Fenny says:

        1 Nov1 November 00:39

        England is a nation in the same way Scotland is a nation. When it says “Applies to England”, it means it’s a national thing in England. Next we’ll be getting someone complain that it’s racist because it discriminates against Scotland, Wales or NI. Or even France & Italy!

    • Gin and Tonic Please says:

      1 Nov1 November 00:23

      It’s specific to England because of our legal structure. Separate laws on public health apply to Wales, Scotland and NI. That said, I’d be surprised if we don’t see things align over the next week or so.

• Andrew says:

  31 Oct31 October 21:15

  “ Overnight stays and holidays away from primary residences will not be allowed- including holidays in the UK and abroad.“

• Jamesj says:

  31 Oct31 October 21:24

  Yet the primary reason for the surge in the virus, schools and colleges and Universities going back – is not addressed. what a mess.
  If there’s a ban on air travel (which I don’t see from the .gov site) then surely airlines will be seeking compensation, and remember they haven’t had anything like the financial support in other EU countries

  • Cat says:

    31 Oct31 October 22:04

    Having a national lockdown but keeping schools, colleges and universities open, is like brushing your teeth while eating a bag of Wotsits.
    (stolen from social media!)

• jil says:

  31 Oct31 October 21:30

  IHG free night voucher expires end of dec, hope it can be extended again

  • Alan says:

    31 Oct31 October 22:47

    I’m hoping that too, otherwise will need to make a gamble and book something for late 2021 (you can book 12 months in advance, however you lose the voucher if you subsequently cancel past the original expiry date).

  • Wilf says:

    1 Nov1 November 10:10

    +1

• Alex M says:

  31 Oct31 October 21:32

  Trip to Harrods on Monday it is then!

  • Andrew says:

    31 Oct31 October 21:53

    I wonder if they will extend the Harrods offer to end of December as I’m sure Harrods intention was to get us in store and spending more than £100, not finding some wine and Christmas pudding online for exactly £100 for free.

    • Rob says:

      31 Oct31 October 22:40

      I’m not risking it – will pop in on Monday!

    • Alan says:

      31 Oct31 October 22:48

      Still no sign of the offer here, so much for the rumour of it being rolled out more widely!

      • George K says:

        31 Oct31 October 22:59

        No luck here either, although I do have a spend 200, get 75 back on my actual Harrods Amex…

      • Andrew says:

        31 Oct31 October 23:05

        It doesn’t start until Monday!! It will appear then.

        • Alan says:

          1 Nov1 November 09:57

          We’ll see – seems only some received letters in the post.

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