Travel restrictions have me worried

I'm trying to wrap my head around travel restrictions to and from the UK as they stand right now.
As far as I can see, there is still a ban on UK travel to the US with very few exceptions. (As in, nobody from our British family legally could visit us in the US right now.)

Likewise, is there currently a similar ban on Americans traveling to the UK? Or will there be a ban imposed?

I know traveling this summer is a write-off. However, now I'm starting to worry about the holidays, which are our kids and our only hope of seeing any family at all this year. (All in the UK, none in America.) Do you think it might still be like this come December?

There's a 2 week quarantine period currently for visiting the UK. No way to say how it will be come December. How long is a piece of string?

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If you can predict the future of coronavirus, you would stand to be filthy rich and a hero at the moment!

It's hard the whole world over.  Thankfully we are not at war.  This is a peaceful time.  While hard, we just need to stay home, sit on our sofas, watch tv, eat, and video call with our families for the foreseeable future.  It'll end.

Both the UK and the USA have responded rather poorly to the virus and both countries numbers reflect that.  We are definitely two high risk countries that until we "get our acts together" are likely to be in this cycle for a long time.

"How long is a piece of string?"
Exactly.That's what's driving me crazy, not being able to plan ahead or count on anything. This doesn't bother 99% of people for whom traveling abroad is just a fancy holiday, but it's a nightmare for those of us who are now separated from our families by law. (I know there are so many others on here going through this too!)

Our state has very few cases and I literally know nobody who has had the virus, but the recent rumors of a blanket ban on US travel to the EU just really freaks me out.

Are you concerned about flights you’ve already booked?  Airlines are being really good with everything.

My parents were supposed to come in August for an awesome trip for my 40th. All cancelled now but no lost money.  We will see each other again when it’s safe.

Thankfully, no. Their travel plans for this summer were canceled, with the thought that "oh well, at least we'll be together again at Christmas".  It was the light at the end of the tunnel. My in-laws are turning 70 this summer too. (I never got to celebrate my own parents' 70th sadly.) Our state is one of the "safest" in the country with very few deaths, so I was thought the tide was slowly turning, based on what we see here. I just hope things settle down by December. Their holidays are restricted to specific timeframes so it either had to be next month or it will have to be Christmas. Otherwise we might not see them until July 2021.

Sorry your 40th won't be what you imagined. It's an all around awful year for people who live far apart from their loved ones. There are very few people in our unique situation who understand what it's like.

I think there are a lot of people in your situation who simply accept that for public health and the safety of those we care about we are forced to sit tight and be patient. How would you feel if your family got on that flight, caught the virus and died? Or brought it with them and suddenly one of your family members survives but never fully recovers? Just because you don't know anyone who has caught it doesn't mean it isn't ravaging lives. I personally know multiple people who have lost family members here in the UK and in the US in areas with "not many cases". I have multiple friends who are on days 60-100 and have battled pneumonia and blood clots and fatigue and its still coming in waves. Sorry to be so blunt but it's very selfish to think you are unique and somehow more special than anyone else missing their family and uncertain when they will see them again. Many of us are currently also in visa limbo on top of it all. Be patient and understand that some things are out of your control, and the safety of your family should come first!

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I disagree that I'm selfish, margo, and if you knew me personally you'd know that's not the case. I've lost both my parents, so I'm already aware of how fragile life is. I think it's reasonable to be worried about when we can see our only remaining family again, especially now that there are actually international laws in place preventing it. It's not like they live the next town over and we can have a socially distanced visit in the back garden, but we miss them just as much as people who can do that. I know I'm not alone feeling this way either. I'm just devastated, and don't need any shaming for feeling that way.

No hard feelings otherwise.

My parents were supposed to come in August for an awesome trip for my 40th. All cancelled now but no lost money.  We will see each other again when it’s safe.

My mom was supposed to come in May and that was all cancelled and we probably won't see her until we (hopefully) go back at Christmas (IF our flights aren't cancelled and the US doesn't still have a ban on being allowed to enter the country as i won't go without my husband). My parents haven't seen our new home (our forever home) yet and they are getting up there in age (my dad is 70 in October). And we are feeling the exact way as KF said...we will see each other again when it's safe to do so. My mom wanted to risk flying here and i told her under no circumstances was she to do that as i could not live with myself if anything happened to them or they brought it here to others (as Margo said). It's obviously not ideal and everybody is feeling it, but we'll get to the other side and be reunited again. Just wait and see what happens towards the end of the year. If you've not got any flights to worry about, i would just wait it out and see what happens without getting too worried just yet. We all have loved ones we want to see and places we want to go and we just have to be patient unfortunately.

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We’ve accepted that Christmas is unlikely to be safe.  We may have a vaccine around then but I highly doubt we will be high on the priority list.

Shame as we are being “forced” to take all remaining holiday over Christmas.  But as with all of 2020, c’est la vie.

I’m just so grateful my in-laws survived this disease.  And I wouldn’t wish it on ANYONE.  Happy to watch Netflix and FaceTime from the safety of our homes.

We’ve accepted that Christmas is unlikely to be safe.  We may have a vaccine around then but I highly doubt we will be high on the priority list.

Shame as we are being “forced” to take all remaining holiday over Christmas.  But as with all of 2020, c’est la vie.

I’m just so grateful my in-laws survived this disease.  And I wouldn’t wish it on ANYONE.  Happy to watch Netflix and FaceTime from the safety of our homes.

We're playing it my ear but my mom has also said if it's not open to both of us, she doesn't expect me to come without my husband and is supportive. We're just crossing fingers and bridges when we get to them. At the end of the day, there's nothing else we can do and getting upset won't fix things. We're just adopting an "it is what it is " mentality.

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Daughter is still chafing to go back to the USA. Where there will be no work and where we will be in lock-down (realistically) for many more months. We will have a two-week quarantine when we arrive, and then have to find a place to live. Have done a lot of legwork up front and so we have a number of options - have contacted the places, so if they still have vacancies it'll be easier. They report that very few people are moving right now (shocker there) so that's as lined up as it can be.

Scotland has a very low Covid rate at present. It's still on more of a lockdown than England is. (England, who is going to allow people to go to foreign countries to congregate at beaches there, etc., and then come back home with "souvineers." Yes, I know they are doing it to save the travel industry. But they're going to pay for it. Would have been nice if they'd discussed this with the other three countries in the "United" kingdom before announcing it on BBC that "The UK has"....) Anyway, Scotland is relatively safe. The USA is a train wreck. The area we are planning to go to has been there and come back already, but is still bound to be less safe than sitting here.

BUT, things will kick off again in a big way in a few months, with schools starting back and people thinking it's all over. When that overlaps with the flu season, it could get ugly again. Which would mean more lockdowns. So if we don't get out in the next few months, I think it'll be next year. (We are dependent on the moving company being able to work, otherwise we could go at any time. They can supposedly start working again tomorrow.)

Yeah, travel is a stressor all around.   I read this morning that there was a cluster caused by people sharing a cigarette lighter somewhere. So all travel would need to be "hands in pockets" with masks, and wiping everything down with sanitizing wipes, not eating while in transit anything we didn't bring with us,  and worrying the whole time that the person who sat near us for part of the journey was infected and didn't know it. It seems if you step outside your home, you're taking risks with it. Traveling locally is more dangerous. Traveling internationally seems unwise if there is any way to not have to do so. I think it's going to be that way for a good year, at least. Extra care is going to be required - especially when traveling to/from the USA.

We're playing it my ear but my mom has also said if it's not open to both of us, she doesn't expect me to come without my husband and is supportive. We're just crossing fingers and bridges when we get to them. At the end of the day, there's nothing else we can do and getting upset won't fix things. We're just adopting an "it is what it is " mentality.

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Your husband can go under current restrictions, as the spouse of a USC. Of course, that could change.

Your husband can go under current restrictions, as the spouse of a USC. Of course, that could change.

I wasn't sure if it would be okay and i thought i'd wait to see closer to the time but that is good to know, thank you!

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I wasn't sure if it would be okay and i thought i'd wait to see closer to the time but that is good to know, thank you!

Under the rules as they are at the moment, he can go with you:

https://talk.uk-yankee.com/index.php?topic=98142.msg1299105#msg1299105