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Post by katet on May 23, 2020 16:54:22 GMT
Hello, Forum friends. I haven't posted for quite a while, although I've been keeping an eye on 'things'. I've been re-reading my last May's report and seeing what we were doing each day < big sigh>. I hope everyone is well and has not been too badly affected by this year's unimaginable events ... still can't quite believe it! A real-life disaster movie. I should be flying out on Tuesday, but have managed to move it to next May. It was a package with Tui to the Myrtia in Koukounaries. I'm now hoping that I can do the same with the July week I booked ~ but that was a flight only (Tui again) and I've paid a deposit to the hotel. I'll be upset to cancel, as I'm sure the lovely family who run the hotel will be hoping that guests will start to arrive from the beginning of July. I worry that UK citizens won't be allowed to enter Greece by July because we haven't done all this very well (unlike some of our European neighbours ). It's only 7 weeks until I would be flying ... a little too soon. However, I'm hoping desperately that my September booking happens ... it seems such a long way away now and there are seeds of hope starting to push through, but this year has been one of such massive disappointment for us all. More than disappointment for some families, I must hasten to add, thinking of those who have experienced tragedy because of this damned virus. My heart goes out to them. For me, Skiathos is my healing place - a place that will be bittersweet to revisit, but one that I can't imagine never seeing again.
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Post by dennisn on May 24, 2020 9:38:29 GMT
Thank you for a lovely post Kate.
But it fills me with double sided feelings. I too want to go to Skiathos again, the sooner the better. But I daren't go whilst it is unsafe.
Our June 26th 2020 holiday has been transferred to 25th June 2021. Our September 2020 holiday is fully paid for and we wait to see what is happening with it. I have to say I hope TUI send the transfer email, because I'm not at all persuaded that the virus will have been put out of action by then - with two family members currently recovering from Covid19, the threat is only too obvious to us. At my age with ex-smoker's lungs, I seriously believe I couldn't survive it myself and Vera's health requires extra insurance premiums at the best of times, and her doctor said the other day that she should still be shielding.
I guess your seeds of hope are germinating from the various announcements about re-opening Greece and flights, but I think your flight in July has already been dropped by TUI (something on FaceBook about them emailing people?).
I wonder what travel advice the FCO will offer later, especially if arrivals are still subject to the imminent quarantine regulations.
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Post by katet on May 24, 2020 12:53:48 GMT
I don't blame you for worrying, Dennis - and I probably wouldn't even contemplate travelling if I had any health issues. Sorry to hear you have relatives who have been ill ... hope they make a full recovery.
I've just checked on the Manage my Booking page with TUI and they've not cancelled yet ... my date is 15th July. I'm going to hold out a little longer & see what happens.
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Post by dennisn on May 24, 2020 13:45:04 GMT
TUI most recent price promise :-
If you booked on or before 16 March 2020 a booking for 31st august or earlier, you can amend it to another which is on sale. If new one is cheaper, refund, if dearer, pay the increase.
It’s very recent on their website and I don’t know whether it excludes flight only.
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Post by balddave on May 24, 2020 17:03:28 GMT
We are also booked for September and very much waiting to see how things pan out, as things stand at the moment we are not comfortable enough to travel, but things could change dramatically over the next 3 months.
One thing we are not looking forward to is the check in and customs check at airports, in Manchester this is not a great experience at the best of times, it’s difficult how they will facilitate vast numbers.
Hopefully things will become clearer as time goes on, whilst we really want our holiday it has to be a safe enjoyable experience.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on May 25, 2020 6:29:01 GMT
Whenever it happens, I wonder what it’ll be like.
Massively crowded as everyone tries to catch up on their holidays at once?
Or half-empty as a significant number are not convinced things are yet safe enough?
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Post by cariad23 on May 25, 2020 10:03:01 GMT
very difficult decision Dennis, one only you can make, its not the experts lives. Would it be the same , i imagine alot quieter not so many people or places open. Part of skiathos attraction to me is the vibe, buzzing in town , relaxed elsewhere with a lovely holiday atmosphere ive never found elsewhere. my mother in law has only just received her letter to isolate 12 weeks from now and already has since march. Like vera she is diabetic, plus rheumatoid which affects the immune system and ex cancer patient chemo affects immune system also. At this rate we'll be lucky to be able to visit before winter. What does veras daughter think as a nurse. i know that the death rate in Leicester is still rising 323 now, although the figure being treated remains constant. Just be glad when its all over now.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on May 25, 2020 11:10:23 GMT
Thank you for a lovely post Kate.
But it fills me with double sided feelings. I too want to go to Skiathos again, the sooner the better. But I daren't go whilst it is unsafe.
Our June 26th 2020 holiday has been transferred to 25th June 2021. Our September 2020 holiday is fully paid for and we wait to see what is happening with it. I have to say I hope TUI send the transfer email, because I'm not at all persuaded that the virus will have been put out of action by then - with two family members currently recovering from Covid19, the threat is only too obvious to us. At my age with ex-smoker's lungs, I seriously believe I couldn't survive it myself and Vera's health requires extra insurance premiums at the best of times, and her doctor said the other day that she should still be shielding.
I guess your seeds of hope are germinating from the various announcements about re-opening Greece and flights, but I think your flight in July has already been dropped by TUI (something on FaceBook about them emailing people?).
I wonder what travel advice the FCO will offer later, especially if arrivals are still subject to the imminent quarantine regulations.
I feel for you. I'm 55. If I catch the virus I have 20 (TWENTY!) times the chance of dying than someone who's in their 20s. That increases for someone in their 60s, 70s, 80s and so on. In the UK, it's estimated that one in 400 people have the virus. Your chances of sitting next to someone on the plane or in a taverna are slim. Your chances of catching it from them are not huge. Your chances of falling seriously ill are dependent on age and other factors. But I'll throw two more stats in the ring as food for thought. If you turn 40 today, you have a 1-in 1,000 chance of not making it to your 41st birthday. Obviously, that increases with age. Apparently, across all ages, whatever your chances are of dying during the next year (under normal circumstances) are almost identical to your chances of dying from the virus if you catch it.
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Post by dennisn on May 25, 2020 12:24:06 GMT
Vera's daughter hasn't said anything about going on holiday - she is one of the two family members I said are currently recovering from Covid19, the other being her husband. Seven weeks now and she's anxious to get back to work even though she's still not recovered (in my opinion nowhere near well enough to go doing 12 hour shifts amongst the patients who infected her). She didn't have the benefit of being a Prime Minister with bedside service and oxygen etc. Don't get me going!! Vera's health insurance extra premium is to cover other matters as well as diabetes, e.g. including recovering under treatment for GCA.
YM, my chances of not reaching the age of 41 are quite slim indeed and the chances of sitting next to someone of the 1 in 400 may be slim, but SOMEBODY has to do it or the 1 in 400 wouldn't exist. And if more than one plane goes to Skiathos from UK, there will be a degree of certainty that at least one person will take the virus to Skiathos, where they have no facilities to deal with it. I see that apparently the islands are to get ambulance boats for urgent transfers to mainland hospitals - I wonder how that will work out in a storm or heavy seas and winds? Actually, I don't wonder, it simply won't happen. I understand that currently [Greek residents] have to pay a fortune to get urgent transfers.
Pardon me for saying, YM, but why do you quote the entire posts in replies? - it does seem a bit much to have to read the same few paragraphs again before I get to what you're saying. I'd suggest it would be sufficient to just include my (or anybody else's) name early on in your posts, or alternatively edit it to just quote the relevant bit (I'm not sure what bit of my post I would edit though - we're in a discussion about 'seeds of hope' so all our posts are relevant and don't need to be quoted in order to maintain the context).
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Post by yorkshiremouth on May 25, 2020 15:47:55 GMT
Interesting points.
On the 400 - I suspect most of the 400 will be diagnosed, in hospital, or self-isolating. Those attempting to fly who shouldn't be doing so may well be picked up at the airport.
But yes, I agree with your general point that the virus will turn up on the island sooner or later with these figures.
However, they're not letting us in yet, nor will they with the figures we have now.
Our new cases have halved in the last two weeks. Were that to continue for 2 more weeks, current cases would halve to 1 in 800. In a month 1 in 1,600. And just to repeat, that wouldn't be 1 in 1,600 wandering round, climbing on planes. Most should be out of circulation.
By mid-July, unless things go badly wrong, we'll be nowhere near 1 in 400.
As ever, time will tell.
Everyone has their own decision to make. The two considerations will be risk to others (are we bringing the virus to the island), and to ourselves (what if we get it while over there). Judgement on both will probably be best made nearer the time, but at the moment figures are heading in the right direction. Let's hope that remains the case.
My apologies if using the quote function offended.
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Post by katet on May 26, 2020 10:45:04 GMT
I feel I need to remain optimistic, for my sanity right now ~ and your stats, YM, are definitely encouraging those seeds to germinate!
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Post by yorkshiremouth on May 26, 2020 11:28:28 GMT
There's a smashing 2-3 minute piece rotating on the BBC News channel today about testers visiting a Greek island.
It gives some indication of what Greeks are doing to prepare.
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Post by yorkshiremouth on May 26, 2020 11:40:26 GMT
I feel I need to remain optimistic, for my sanity right now ~ and your stats, YM, are definitely encouraging those seeds to germinate! Thanks Kate. I try to be honest and realistic. I don't believe in scaremongering, nor in encouraging false dawns. I just think we need to be realistic, and call it as we see it. Right now the one big question is whether the easing of restrictions brings a second peak. If it does, Greece won't open its borders to us. If it doesn't, they'll be open for business to Brits. I think it looks as simple as that. Of course, if they do open, we then all have personal decisions to make. I work in a school. It's currently closed to most students, with between 15 & 30 kids of key workers in, so I'm on a rota for every other Wednesday. It looks likely (or at least possible) that we'll be having Year 10 back in 3 weeks, 25% of the year group at a time. That'll be around 50 + the 30 or so currently in + increased numbers of key worker children, as the key workers' partners return to work, so maybe 100 kids or so. I imagine I'll be in every week. This may or may not happen. But I need to ready myself for that possibility. Whether it happens or not, I need to ask myself how that risk at work compares to the risk I'd take going on holiday. I don't know what I'd do if I were in my 60s, 70s or older. I suppose I'd wait to see what the government advice is. If the government were saying don't leave your house, then I'd probably cancel. Regarding the stats, I'll be keeping a close eye on the Greek figures from this point on, too. Best wishes.
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Post by balddave on May 26, 2020 15:46:16 GMT
If there is an opportunity to travel in September, one downside may be flight costs, flight with baggage and selected seats coming out at over £700 each.
I assume this will be due to reduced seating etc.
Let’s just hope people will keep following guidelines in the UK , keep the R number down and avoid another peak., some of the scenes from the bank holiday didn’t instil much confidence. Cannot understand the mindset of some people.
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Post by dennisn on May 26, 2020 17:36:33 GMT
Long before any virus was even dreamed of, we amended our September 2020 date and paid £100 fee. Ignoring that £100, our fortnight self catering including selected seats works out at about £650 Each, so less than that flight only price.
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