Coronavirus: UK moved into category B

[Paphos Life]

The UK will be placed into Category B from August 1, following an assessment of the countries' Covid-19 risk, the ministry of health announced on Monday.The health ministry reiterated that passengers arriving from Category B countries are required to present a negative test result taken within the last three days....

Read the article and chat about it below...

[PhotoLady]

So, will UK tour operators do what they said and cancel holidays until UK is in Category A, especially after the Spanish weekend fallout?

[Jimgward]

Spain is raging that the UK did this. Especially when UK infection rates are higher and deaths much greater. It appears to be a deflection situation with the UK, when we dont even check temperatures at airports and haven’t forced isolation for foreign nations for 4 months. ~~It grabs the headlines and the government will no doubt use it as a way to appear to be hitting hard.

[Devil]

http://www.xtenzio2.com/pio/tl.php?p=nd ... id%3D14959

[Kili01]

To be honest many here hope so! Much better If we don't follow the same path as Spain did. Much better to limit arrivals to independent travelers...

Dee

[Dominic]

Spain is raging that the UK did this. Especially when UK infection rates are higher and deaths much greater. It appears to be a deflection situation with the UK, when we dont even check temperatures at airports and haven’t forced isolation for foreign nations for 4 months. ~~It grabs the headlines and the government will no doubt use it as a way to appear to be hitting hard.

Infection rates in Spain are higher than the UK now.

[Jimgward]

Yes, Dominic, my mistake - I was looking at wrong data - here is the updated comparison... however, the UK looks like following this upward trend...

[PhotoLady]

Rumour has it that Spain have massively increased testing. People being tested who may already have had the virus but were not tested or diagnosed at the time so possibility of false positive results being received.

The spikes in mainland Spain are fairly localised to a number of areas, similar to those in UK but around Catalonia including Barcelona and further to the northern areas.

Costa Brava and Dorada holidays were removed a few weeks back so very difficult to lay the cause on UK tourism just now, whereas at home is a different matter.

If the tour operators stop holidays to Cyprus for the remainder of the season, what will be left afterwards has to be a worry for all hotels, restaurants, bars, shops etc.

[Jimgward]

The poker game of trying to decide whether to allow visitors and what needs to be done to safeguard your own population has been handled very well by Cyprus. If only the UK had done similar over the past 4 months. According to Pritti Patel, 0.5% of the UK infection rate, would be the numbers of visitors to the UK who were infected - so at least 1500 people came to the UK with infections. Many when the R rate was 3 and above. However the science behind these numbers is not proven. They simply calculated the numbers of infected v the population and applied that to visitors. Despite flights coming in from Northern Italy, Madrid, China, Iran and other places that were hotspots. Including New York of course.

[Firefly]

I have booked with Easyjet to fly to Larnaca on 1st September, I'm waiting to see if they will cancel my flights too.

Jackie

[bromerzz]

My son and his family are booked with Easyjet next week.
Last week EJ contacted them and said the flight was cancelled and they could either request a refund, request a voucher for a future date or book a future date. He replied to EJ overnight that he would like a refund. The following day EJ replied he could NOT have a refund as the flight was now operating as originally booked. Confused?
Later that same day he received an email from EJ that the return flight was cancelled and they could request a refund, request a voucher or book at a future date. He has not replied to that.
I have told him forget it for a few hundred quid the hassle ain't worth it.

[Kili01]

I am interested to hear that EasyJet are messing other people around by advertising flights, which having been booked and paid for are shortly after cancelled by this airline.
I have had 3 flights from PFO to Bristol cancelled in this way. I am now increasingly reluctant to book another flight back to Bristol, even though it is my nearest airport. I could book with Ryanair who seem to fly from PFO to Bournemouth, but this airport is much further away.
Has any one else been caught by this?

Dee

[Firefly]

I have a suspicion that Easyjet may be cancelling flights, due to lack of bookings, I don't suppose they will fly with just half a dozen passengers on board. Do they state the reason for cancellation ?

[Firefly]

Lloyd

Thanks for the info. I hope all goes well for your neighbours, yes everywhere is in a total mess right now.

As for Ryanair, there was someone on my local radio station complaining about them today. I'm surprised they are still in business.

Jackie

[harveywinning]

Just been looking at the UK Foreign Office advice to people wanting to travel to Cyprus. It seems to suggest that if you have not been in UK for the past 14 days or more e.g. in Greece then you can travel onward to Cyprus without restriction. On the Cyprus Flight Pass there is declaration box to tick in relation to this. I suppose it's not of much use to most people in the UK although those with plenty of spare time might find it useful.

Have I interpreted it correctly and has anyone tried this?

[Dominic]

No, you can indeed fly to a Cat A country, spend two weeks there, then fly on to Cyprus.

[Kili01]

Hi Lloyd,
Sorry to hear that you have been shafted by Ryanair, hope that they will settle up eventually.
I am a bit fed up with EasyJet, though at least they are better about giving refunds or vouchers. But at the same time, EJ canceling flights at their convenience has stopped me from getting back to the UK from Apr to Jul... I may have to travel with Ryanair if this goes on with crossed fingers!
Dee

[sunspot]

Termites Dream, we had the same problem. Our flight was on a Monday. We tried to get tested in UK within 72 hours of the flight. Rang a testing centre in London. They said it was not possible because the 72 hours covered a weekend. Had our flight been on a Thursday, for example, it would have worked.

[Kili01]

Hi HIC
I take your point about Ryanair not paying out for a cancelled (by them) flight.But with EJ not honouring their advertised flights to Bristol, Ryanair appear to be the only alternative as I am looking for a flight to an airport west of London.
EJ are also complicating matters by offering another flight to Bristol from Larnaca, thus possibly dividing a smaller no of clients from Cyprus who are trying to get to Bristol! The trick would be to decide which flight is more likely to operate? I don't want yo waste more money by booking on both flights! Grhh..
Dee

[Firefly]

EJ have just contacted me to say that the aircraft for my flight has changed, (Bristol - Larnaca) and therefore my seat number may have been changed. I have checked my booking just now, and the seat number is the same, but I will check again in another few days.

Jackie