‘I’ve cancelled my Stephen’s Day flights home.’ How Omicron is changing

Neil Power: I have cancelled my Stephen’s Day flights home
New South Wales, Australia
I have cancelled my Stephen’s Day flights home, as things have heated up both at home and down here. Even before Omicron it was beginning to look a bit hairy in Ireland. My folks, who are both in their 80s, don’t need me running into their arms after getting off a plane with 300 passengers from all over the world. They’ve worked too hard over the past two years to have to deal with that. I’m now aiming for May. It’s all good. We’re playing the long game.

Daniela Sordi: My priority is to spend this Christmas with my parents. I hope
Dublin
You call it “Christmas plan”, I call it “family”. That’s the story of an ordinary Italian woman who is living in Ireland almost eight years. My last Christmas in Italy was two years ago, when all members of my family were still alive. Covid has caused the deaths of my granny and my grandad, and my family is not the same as it was. My parents are alone in Italy and I’m here, with a flight booked for Saturday, December 18th. Covid has divided the world and changed all priorities. My priority is to spend this Christmas with my parents. I hope.

John Kelly: We’re praying Covid tests don’t throw any surprises
Zurich, Switzerland
We – my wife, Connie, and I, plus our two boys, Jack and Vince – live in Switzerland. We are hoping to make the trip home – I’m originally from Cork – on Wednesday, December 22nd, to celebrate with my mum and five siblings and their families in Dublin and Cork. (We’re praying Covid tests don’t throw any surprises.) It’s almost two years since we were home, and we can’t wait for a lively reunion and lots of cousin fun.

Karl McGrath: Last Christmas was the first time I failed to make it home. This year could well be the second
Catalonia, Spain
I had a flight booked to return home for Christmas yesterday, on December 16th, but I have changed it to Wednesday, December 22nd. Now I’m not sure about travelling at all. I’ve been living in the province of Girona for almost 10 years, and last Christmas was the first time I failed to make it home. This year could well be the second. I’ve missed others, years ago, when living much farther away, but it’s frustrating being this close and not knowing whether to travel back. My main concern would be picking up coronavirus and bringing it home to my folks, who are, let’s say, not exactly young.

Although I had a negative DIY antigen-test result…