No1 Lounge re-opens at London Gatwick Airport today

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• Brian says:

  23 Jul23 July 06:27

  Ireland is certainly not the only European country to let in fully vaccinated UK citizens without testing. Germany and Poland for example do the same. I suspect that the claim is based on the fact that the UK won’t require tests to return, which it does from elsewhere.

• David says:

  23 Jul23 July 06:48

  Greece also allow double vaxxed to enter from the UK with no testing.

  • YC says:

    23 Jul23 July 07:08

    I think Rob meant no testing on either side. Ireland UK

    • Mark says:

      23 Jul23 July 07:13

      Sure he did but many might mis-interpret and not realise the welcoming data driven approach of EU countries.

    • Pete M says:

      23 Jul23 July 07:14

      So does Germany, and it won’t quarantine the whole plane if one person tests positive on arrival! 😜

• Roger W says:

  23 Jul23 July 06:56

  Great news and good on Eire for refusing unvaccinated from visiting their country although I have sympathy for those waiting for the second jab.

  • Daniel says:

    23 Jul23 July 09:02

    Can someone please explain why PCR tests are no good when travelling whilst vaccinated travellers can still transmit the disease to each other? In my understanding, if everyone had negative PCR upon boarding, there would be minimal chance of contracting covid, however now there is a way greater chance to get ill if there are no tests required whether you are vaxxed or not…

    • ADS says:

      23 Jul23 July 11:43

      But the 72 hours between negative testing and travel gives ample opportunity for the 180 passengers on a B737 or A320 to contract the virus, and pass it on during the flight.

      I suspect this is how I caught it last month … on a flight to Dublin !

  • Sukes says:

    23 Jul23 July 09:36

    Ireland is not refusing entry to unvaccinated travellers. Such persons can enter on basis of neg test + quarantine.

    • Daniel says:

      23 Jul23 July 11:24

      So why there is no quarantine for vaccinated if they can still spread the disease? Trying to understand the logic…

      • Rob says:

        23 Jul23 July 11:55

        It’s remarkably simple. They have loads of infected people, so getting a handful of infected-but-vaccinated people makes naff all difference, whilst the money you will spend makes a huge difference.

• Mark says:

  23 Jul23 July 07:12

  Irish Republic is only country that UK Double vaccinated can go to AND return to Great Britain without tests or quarantine in BOTH directions.

  Other Eutopean countries such as România permit hassle free entry with full vaccination.

  The UK [which is more likely to export Covid than import it from most of EU] now still insists on multiple tests regardless regardless of data and .. ignoring low risk from fully vaccinated Europeans requires almost all of them to quarantine. Ideology maybe rather than data?

  • Lady London says:

    23 Jul23 July 11:23

    no, money grab for all the tests for government cronies must be the reason as no science.

    UK residents are more dangerous to other countries than residents of anywhere else in Europe but the UK just doesn’t get it.

    Everywhere a cluster of UK residents goes (Dubai last Christmas and favourite UK tourist destinations now) has a big uptick in infections follow. If the UK required 10 days quarantine before *leaving* the UK it would make more sense.

• Anna says:

  23 Jul23 July 07:21

  So no pre-departure and day 2 tests returning to the UK? This would make Ireland the only destination currently worth going to for a mini break in that case.

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    23 Jul23 July 07:38

    With flights so cheap atm… Most cities are worth a weekend break even with the testing requirements.

    Been on several already and off to Malaga this weekend.

    Nothing open in Ireland atm too…

• Dave1985 says:

  23 Jul23 July 07:22

  Remember when people said vaccine passports wouldn’t be a thing? (Even though they’ve already been a thing in some countries for years)

  • AndyGWP says:

    23 Jul23 July 12:52

    Yeah – I remember number 10 saying vaccine passports had been ruled out as discriminatory because penalised people who were unable to receive the vaccine

• Anna says:

  23 Jul23 July 07:26

  What’s the current US position on travel to ROI? The recent announcement re Americans being advised not to travel to the UK becomes even more unjustifiable if UK citizens can now travel freely within the CTA again.

  • IanM says:

    23 Jul23 July 09:09

    Ireland was part of EU last time I looked so no access to USA. Hopefully Biden will adopt this approach + tests

    • Rhys says:

      23 Jul23 July 09:18

      To, not from. Americans already travelling to lots of European countries.

• JC says:

  23 Jul23 July 07:58

  France also does not require any pre arrival tests for double-vax

  • stevenhp1987 says:

    23 Jul23 July 08:45

    Rob means any tests. No tests required to enter UK from Ireland.

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