The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Weird Covid rules that could ruin your holiday
Masks on beaches, cruise-ship bans, vaccine passes for five-year-olds… Greg Dickinson sifts out the draconian diktats that could still catch you out
Only undertwos are exempt from taking a test 24 hours before entering the US
SOME COUNTRIES DEMAND DOUBLE MASKING
While the UK has dropped mandatory face masks in public, and the majority of countries require a single mask to be worn in certain public areas, there are some outliers that require not one but two masks in certain situations.
In Greece, for example, there are situations where you will be required to wear two masks if you do not have an N95/FFP2 version. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office says: “It is mandatory to wear a mask in all indoor and outdoor public spaces, in all areas of Greece. In certain areas, such as in supermarkets and pharmacies, and on public transport, you will be required to wear either double masks (at least one of which should be surgical), or an N95/FFP2 mask.”
The same rule applies in Peru, of which the FCDO adds: “A face shield is recommended.” This means that there are some scenarios where you are advised to wear two masks and a shield. You must also wear two masks on your flight to Peru.
CRUISE SHIPS STILL CAN’T
DOCK IN THE SEYCHELLES
Since the spring of 2021, the Seychelles has been one of the more liberal countries when it comes to entry requirements. You can get in with a negative PCR result, regardless of your vaccination status, with no need to quarantine. Unless, that is, you are arriving on a cruise ship. “Cruise ships from any country worldwide will not be permitted to berth in Seychelles until further notice,” the Seychelles FCDO page advises.
Some other cruise destinations, such as Aruba and Bonaire, will turn away ships with positive cases on board, but an outright ban is oddly strict for a country that has been so welcoming of tourists during the pandemic.
EGYPT GIVES HEATHROW PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT There is nothing odd about Egypt’s requirement that unvaccinated passengers must arrive with a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before travel. Many countries have a protocol along these lines. What seems somewhat epidemiologically shaky, however, is the fact that people arriving from Heathrow airport are given a further 24 hours to get swabbed.
The FCDO page reads: “The Egyptian authorities have advised that PCR tests must be conducted no more than 72 hours prior to flight departure. Passengers arriving from London Heathrow only are permitted to have their PCR test conducted no more than 96 hours prior to flight departure.”
MASKS ON THE BEACH IN TURKEY AND SOUTH AFRICA
In theory, masks are mandatory on the beach in Turkey. The FCDO advice reads: “The wearing of masks is mandatory at all times outside the home throughout Turkey. This includes, but is not limited to, all public places, including streets, side streets, parks, gardens, picnic areas, markets, sea side and public transportation including Metro, buses, taxis and ferries. Masks are also mandatory in all shops, restaurants, hairdressers and barber shops.”
People are also required to wear a mask at all times in South Africa. The FCDO advice reads: “You are legally required to wear a face mask when in public and may face a fine or imprisonment for breaking this rule.”
THE US DEMANDS TESTS FROM TODDLERS AND VACCINES
FROM INFANTS
Once known as one of the friendliest places in the world for little ones on holiday, the US imposes tight restrictions on incoming children. To enter a restaurant in New York City, for example, five-year-olds must have received a single dose of the vaccine (which, of course, no infant in the UK has received). This is the case in a number of states. Some are more lenient (such as mask-free Florida) but simply to enter the country you must twizzle a swab up your toddler’s nose; only under-twos are exempt from taking a test 24 hours before entering the country. Other destinations, such as Greenland, also demand tests from two-year olds.
COUNTRIES ARE STILL BANNING TRAVELLERS FROM SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRIES
Many countries around the world, including Greece, the Maldives, Russia and Peru, continue to impose strict sanctions on African countries, even though omicron has now spread across the world and the WHO has confirmed it is the dominant variant, ahead of delta. The bans affect countries including Botswana, Eswatini, Hong Kong, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe, and typically anyone who has been to these countries in the last 14 days.
FRANCE HAS TRICKY RULES ON TEENAGERS
Nothing is entirely straightforward,
anywhere on Earth when it comes to Covid regulations. But our friends across the Channel have got themselves into quite a pickle when it comes to how they treat teenagers. In terms of getting British teenagers over the border into France, things are fairly straightforward. Under-12s can enter without any additional documentation. For 12- to 17-year-olds, a negative test taken 24 hours before travel is required, and there is no need for vaccination or isolation if you are accompanied by a vaccinated adult.
Yet things get fiddly as soon as you want to step indoors with your teenager. In France it is a legal requirement for anyone over the age of 16 to show a “pass vaccinal” or NHS vaccination certificate to enter all public spaces including restaurants, cafés and bars – and even to sit outside. To activate the new pass vaccinal, all adults over 16 must have two doses and a booster (if their second dose was more than seven months previously), or one dose and a proof of recovery certificate from the previous six months.
Are you still following? Because there is more. Teenagers aged 12 to 15 are treated differently. They may access public spaces using either the pass vaccinal, or the old pass sanitaire, which can be activated for 24 hours with a QR code from a negative antigen test carried out by a health professional within France, or by vaccination. The conclusion? If you are travelling with an 11-year-old, a 13-year-old and a 16-year-old, there are three different sets of rules to get your head around.
If you have had a problem with your holiday or travel arrangements, contact our troubleshooter, Gill Charlton, or our consumer expert,
Nick Trend, at the email address below.
We also have more than 150 destination experts all over the world who can help with suggestions for great places to stay, to eat and to visit. Please email asktheexperts @telegraph.co.uk, giving your full name and, if your query is about a dispute with a travel company, your address, telephone number and any booking reference. We regret that we cannot personally answer all queries, but your email will be acknowledged.