scrubbedexpat141

Italy's just shut all schools and universities for a few weeks.

HiHo

Haha There are but the telecoms firms block them to protect revenue.

HiHo

I work closely with an Italian company they have a travel ban in place

Cypselos

Say it ain't so!

Millhouse

It’ll all be over by Eid.

does anyone actually know anyone who knows anyone who met someone in a bar who overheard someone say they have it?

nonthaburi

Was planning to go to the UK with my family next week. Probably going to cancel everything. The Saudis are bringing in more and more travel restrictions, and what with the recent spike in UK infections, and expected spike in the coming weeks , I just can't take the risk of not being able to get back in to Saudi. Giving it a few more days to decide.

On the one hand is going to save me a fortune even after losing a bit on bookings already made, but on the other hand my 8 weeks are up and I need to get away.

Might go to Thailand instead because it seems like they've got things under control there, and at the moment only tourists into Saudi from Thailand are banned.

What to do?!

Pongo

Hotels in Yas are quite cheap at the moment...

martinbkk

Was in UK last week via a day in Doha, returned to Bangkok Tuesday via another day in Doha and straight on to a flight to Hong Kong. Weirdest trip to HK, ever. Nathan Road at 9pm was like a ghost town, totally deserted, same again this morning from 7-9am all buses running but nary a passenger in sight, emptysville. Had a nose at 4 different hotels around Yau Ma Tei area and all were the same as mine, all outlets closed for 2 months, no brekkie, nada. Starby's and McDs business as usual. Hotel occupancy around 0-1%.

After my meeting went straight to the airport and flew home to Thailand. Filled in the entry form including HK flight number and that I was coming from HK. No comment from immigration who just stamped me in without a word. finger print scanners in use and no wipes or sanitizer to be seen anywhere. Other than the forehead scanners on arrival you'd think there was no such thing as a coronavirus TIT I guess.

mrkjd

I heard that people leaving the UAE for BKK etc last week were told by immigration on exit that they couldn't come back for 3 months. Can anybody validate that story or is it just an expat rumour!

co durham boy

My Boss left the airport due to to the same kind of thing . Flying to BKK last week and was told he might not get back . It was total pandemonium , this was when the first travel ban came into play for citizens though . He just left , not worth the agggro.

mrkjd

So he was in DBX to fly out and decided it wasn't worth the risk of not getting back in UAE? I can't seem to find anything official on it but I can certainly see it become a reality. Worrying for me as I work rotations and my opo is in BKK at the moment!

scrubbedexpat141

Someone gave me an overview of a guys diary from the Daily Mail. Apparently mentions his cat dying too. Almost tempted to visit and read it.

From what I could see at the time it was confusion mainly. The 'ban' was for citizens not residents, but most got swept up in it.

Not sure what the situation is now, but there are still lots of flights going...

jam25mack

I'm away in 2 weeks.... Amsterdam, Iceland then a quick stop in the UK before coming back.... wonder if there will be an enforced ban. Could do with an enforced holiday.

jam25mack

Read that this morning. Symptoms sound like pneumonia.... which I have had and can confirm is shit.

He did mention his kitten dying but said he didn't know if it was linked. As far as I know there aren't many illnesses which can cross from one to the other..... unless you're f**king em that is.

scrubbedexpat141

We were/are meant to be travelling in a couple of weeks, but now school holidays have changed she can't go. She might fly this weekend and I might still go, might not. Don't want to go and then not get back easily, but don't think there'll be a meltdown of international travel and all flights banned etc.

In fact, we've just had a work email advising that if you travel for personal reasons and can't get back into the office for reasons of needing to be quarantined (if you go to somewhere on a list) - you either work remotely and that's that, or you have to take it as leave / unpaid. Everyone has a laptop and mobile though, so hardly an issue. If kids can be expected to learn from home then every office based adult on earth can work from home.

**** 'em, eat 'em - doesn't matter. Someone's going to do it.