4 ms·

I crossed the border (by Ferry) into Estonia the other day, and was informed by the border guard that I would need to isolate for 14 days[1], and asked to sign

by vertis 6y ago

I crossed the border (by Ferry) into Estonia the other day, and was informed by the border guard that I would need to isolate for 14 days[1], and asked to sign a document saying that I understood the isolation. The way the border guard approached the subject, made it seem like he was worried that I would flip out at having my movements restricted. I'm guessing, but I think this was because I travel on an Australian passport, and the assumption becomes that I'm a tourist and that it will ruin my holiday. As soon as I started talking about my isolation plans (I even went to the supermarket in Sweden before the ferry[2]), he relaxed a lot. It became "very good then, carry on". I do wonder how many people are becoming unreasonable in situations like this. [1] You can take tests to shorten it. [2] It is allowed to go to the supermarket here while in isolation, but I didn't know that before arriving.

bredren 6y ago
> I do wonder how many people are becoming unreasonable in situations like this. Pushback on masks or any type of covid-altered behavior is not limited to "walmart meltdown" youtube social shame videos. While it has been walked back, poll workers in a Missouri county were told: "You may act surprised that you don’t have a face mask on properly and then apologize as you put the mask on,” “Wear your mask correctly until the voter leaves the polling place. Please do this every time a voter says something to you.” [1] https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/516943-st-louis-poll-workers-told-to-act-surprised-and-put-on-mask-if https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/516943-st-...
qwerty1234599 6y ago
The people traveling abroad currently are mostly absolute idiots. Exactly the kind that will break mandatory isolation and are way more likely to have an ongoing covid infection than a random person from the general population, due to overall careless behaviour. The sensible people are all waiting in their homes. So yes, I guess the border guard you spoke to has had to endure tantrums from these people on a daily basis
- vertis 6y ago
  It's my impression that Europe has been a little bit more relaxed than "only idiots are traveling". It's only now that the numbers are rising again that they're again putting increased measures in place.
  - dgellow 6y ago
    Yes, it's correct, it was possible to travel between EU countries during the whole summer without that much restrictions (some places required a quarantine of 14 days, but others didn't). The number of identified cases only started to rise again in central Europe around mid August.
- BrandoElFollito 6y ago
  Why do you think there is a magical virus barrier at the border? It does not matter if you travel to the next city or to the country nearby. Yes, there are clusters but at least in Europe we do not have vast empty areas between populated places. It is pretty much a continuum.
  - user_501238901 6y ago
    Travel creates new unidentified clusters, the tourists also tend to leave the area rather quickly => very hard to find and trace who originally caused the cluster, and who were in contact. Tourists also tend to have much different riskier behaviour compared to the average native inhabitant of a city (eg nightclub hopping many days in a row)
  - nicoburns 6y ago
    If you're travelling a short distance over a mostly open land border then sure. If you're flying somewhere then it's a different story.
  - TeMPOraL 6y ago
    There isn't a magical virus barrier at the border. But there's a jurisdictional barrier there. Contact tracing across the border is much more painful than doing it locally. Our civilization-level immune system is bureaucratic in nature, so you can say that national border is a barrier for its antibodies.
masklinn 6y ago
> I do wonder how many people are becoming unreasonable in situations like this. Would be an interesting stat. I would hope not that many but expect a large population given they'd be people who have elected to take short-term vacations in foreign country during a pandemic, they'd either be very self-centered or not very bright.
- leptons 6y ago
  My wife worked with fashion models before covid, and as one would expect - they aren't the brightest people out there, and sure enough, cheap plane tickets! woohoo! - they go off to mexico, europe, wherever and post photos to instagram of them partying it up without masks, and sure enough, they got covid. And this is why my wife had to quit in March, because she knows how idiotic, selfish and reckless those people can be.

by vertis 6y ago

bredren 6y ago

> I do wonder how many people are becoming unreasonable in situations like this. Pushback on masks or any type of covid-altered behavior is not limited to "walmart meltdown" youtube social shame videos. While it has been walked back, poll workers in a Missouri county were told: "You may act surprised that you don’t have a face mask on properly and then apologize as you put the mask on,” “Wear your mask correctly until the voter leaves the polling place. Please do this every time a voter says something to you.” [1] https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/516943-st-louis-poll-workers-told-to-act-surprised-and-put-on-mask-if https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/516943-st-...

qwerty1234599 6y ago

The people traveling abroad currently are mostly absolute idiots. Exactly the kind that will break mandatory isolation and are way more likely to have an ongoing covid infection than a random person from the general population, due to overall careless behaviour. The sensible people are all waiting in their homes. So yes, I guess the border guard you spoke to has had to endure tantrums from these people on a daily basis

vertis 6y ago
It's my impression that Europe has been a little bit more relaxed than "only idiots are traveling". It's only now that the numbers are rising again that they're again putting increased measures in place.
- dgellow 6y ago
  Yes, it's correct, it was possible to travel between EU countries during the whole summer without that much restrictions (some places required a quarantine of 14 days, but others didn't). The number of identified cases only started to rise again in central Europe around mid August.
BrandoElFollito 6y ago
Why do you think there is a magical virus barrier at the border? It does not matter if you travel to the next city or to the country nearby. Yes, there are clusters but at least in Europe we do not have vast empty areas between populated places. It is pretty much a continuum.
- user_501238901 6y ago
  Travel creates new unidentified clusters, the tourists also tend to leave the area rather quickly => very hard to find and trace who originally caused the cluster, and who were in contact. Tourists also tend to have much different riskier behaviour compared to the average native inhabitant of a city (eg nightclub hopping many days in a row)
- nicoburns 6y ago
  If you're travelling a short distance over a mostly open land border then sure. If you're flying somewhere then it's a different story.
- TeMPOraL 6y ago
  There isn't a magical virus barrier at the border. But there's a jurisdictional barrier there. Contact tracing across the border is much more painful than doing it locally. Our civilization-level immune system is bureaucratic in nature, so you can say that national border is a barrier for its antibodies.

masklinn 6y ago

> I do wonder how many people are becoming unreasonable in situations like this. Would be an interesting stat. I would hope not that many but expect a large population given they'd be people who have elected to take short-term vacations in foreign country during a pandemic, they'd either be very self-centered or not very bright.

leptons 6y ago
My wife worked with fashion models before covid, and as one would expect - they aren't the brightest people out there, and sure enough, cheap plane tickets! woohoo! - they go off to mexico, europe, wherever and post photos to instagram of them partying it up without masks, and sure enough, they got covid. And this is why my wife had to quit in March, because she knows how idiotic, selfish and reckless those people can be.