nk15

January will be a very bleak month everywhere in the Northern hemisphere, peak virus season anyway, plus the post holiday surge... I expect lockdowns to intensify...It also looks like the UK will be cut-off internationally because of the new variant, so you won't even be able to connect there...

the810

Being in Sweden myself, I still believe it's the best place to be right now. How long that lasts is another question - the pandemic management is becoming political and Löfven's government is apparantely prepared to repeat all the mistakes made elsewhere in Europe. It's a bit sad, watching those press conferences where they even admit those things probably won't change much, but introduce them anyway.

I'm no longer too sure I'll stay here through the spring, but on the other hand I still haven't found a better place to be. Definitely not in Europe and probably not in the world.

I'm now considering travel outside the EU, but most places seem to be having mask mandates, even tropical tourist destinations that try to attract visitors, so I haven't found anything yet.

GUWonder

This year, Spring Break came early (or is it late) to Quintana Roo in Mexico. But with all the tourist flow to Mexcico comes the risk of one of the poorer OECD countries being increasingly at risk from Covid-19 more extremely swamping its healthcare system.

Kgmm77

I’d hazard a guess that the thousands of excess dead and their relatives grieving for them, all with a vaccine on the near horizon, might disagree.

But yeah, wearing a mask is a real ordeal....

Global Adventurer

If that happens, then the blame will go to both the tourists and the hotel industry, as I witnessed a lack of enforcement of the mandatory hygiene rules while I was there a few days ago. Glad I got out of there before the christmas/new year rush came along. All the places have indoor dining and once people are finished eating they just leave their masks off and roam through the hotels and elevators maskless. I can see Quintana Roo being placed on lockdown again in Jan/Feb.

volabam

I was referring to the jailing of tourists but I suspect you knew that and chose to try to put words in my mouth.

TravelingZoomer

No, I did not think that it is in your opinion that arresting willful super-spreaders of a highly contagious, deadly disease is draconian. Thank you for clarifying

volabam

Everything is a "super-spreader event" with the doomers.

GUWonder

Is this like the case of the college-aged American woman who is subject to prosecution in the Caymans for violating Covid-19-related restrictions so she could check out her boyfriend racing in a motorized water sport?

The jailing of tourists for violating legal requirements where the violations legally invite the risk of being locked up? That's been a reality before Covid-19 too and is during the Covid-19 era too. Negligence of the law -- or blatant disrespect for the law -- in a destination is not a get out of jail free card for all violations. People traveling abroad nowadays too need to really do their research, but that's not really anything new.

A more informed traveler is a better traveler, no less so during this winter in a pandemic.

Sjoerd

Reminds me of the Dutch tourists who believed it was a good idea to spend a long weekend in London, and are currently unable to return home. The Dutch government has advised against ALL non-essential foreign travel since early November, specifically mentioning that “transport options may suddenly become unavailable”.

And of course those tourists now stuck in London are demanding our government to help them to return home before Christmas. To which our government has said: sorry, nothing we can do, find yourself a safe place to sit this out.

Thai-Kiwi

Same here in NZ - citizens and Perm Residents only allowed in unless you are an essential worker and can get a special visa. And for all returnees there is 14 days mandatory managed isolation/quarantine and paying the ~USD$2200 fee (waived for permanent returnees).

This won’t be relaxed until the NZ population is protected- I assume this won’t be until folks are vaccinated, which might not be until Dec 2021.

At present we have zero community cases, except those cases detected during the 14 days quarantine. Usually at Day 3 test, sometimes at Day 12 test. Of course the international tourism economy has tanked... but not all are complaining that we have the country to ourselves for a bit.

the810

Sweden has relaxed rules for shops, malls, gyms and similar businesses. The recommendation to avoid these places has been withdrawn. Instead, there is a new physical distancing rule for these places - only one customer per 10m˛ is now permitted inside. This rule is legally enforcable.

I view this as a very positive development. Restaurants have been opened under similiar rules for months and it worked well, so I'm glad it is extended to other businesses that are now OK to visit again.

On the other hand, the ban on events with more than 8 people now covers private events as well. Note that this only applies to organised events, it doesn't affect meetings at home, in a park, etc. Fine can only be given to a business that would rent premises for such event, not to individual attendees.

GUWonder

Sweden is tightening the rules for shops, malls, gyms and other commercial locations where customers make purchases, as the legally binding rules -- legally binding upon the commercial operators but not upon customers -- will now mean that such venues are not allowed to have more than 1 person inside per 10 square meters of space.

Previously, the above sort of venues here were not subject to any such restriction. The interesting thing about the more stringent rules for shops/malls and gyms is that these new, tighter restrictions don't yet have a fine schedule affiliated with them. In other words: Sweden has tighter rules coming into place for this coming week; but as the fine amounts are still to be determined, there are no fines applicable to the commercial operators until after the fine schedule is set up so as to be enforceable.


Private events at restaurants are also subject to an 8 person attendance restriction. This new restriction applicable to private events at commercial venues was put in place to tighten rules because people were exploiting the absence of restrictions for private events in order to have large group events at F&B places/event hosting venues with there even being some large parties.

Misco60

I agree that the changes that Sweden has announced represent a significant tightening of the restrictions around covid-19, not a loosening. That is certainly how the media, both in Sweden and abroad, is reporting them.

The new law permits the government, for the first time, to restrict the number of people in shops, businesses and public places including theatres and swimming pools, to fine individuals for flouting coronavirus rules and to order businesses to close in the case of violations. It has also, for the first time, recommended the use of face coverings on public transport.

GUWonder

The new rules in Sweden are without a doubt an additional tightening of the rules, even as they don't directly shutdown much of anything. [There was a rush on swimming pool visits today in some parts of Sweden, perhaps to get a visit in before the consequences of the restrictions play out in full and become obvious.]

For individuals spending the next weeks of the winter in Sweden, there are still no fines applicable unless the individual has/has hired a commercial venue or runs a commercial activity that involves violating some rules.

Individuals' failure to use masks when taking Swedish public transport is still not being acted upon for systematic approach by the public transport companies. Since the masks are only being suggested for a few weekday morning and late afternoon/early evening hours daily during the common workweek in Sweden and people are suggested to not travel at peak hours, mask use is sporadic even around peak hours since many people in Sweden don't have any masks, won't go to pick up a free one, and/or won't buy any.