Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Michael W]

The government has dug its own grave with the variants stuff. Went well overboard on the Kent variant to mask that their own f**k ups with the Tier system and failure to see off  glorified transport commissioners in Burnham and Khan ultimately led to the next lockdown. The variant card was a cheap attempt at saying it's not out fault and they've gone big on it, making a song and dance about stopping variants from abroad. Only to end up with a smattering of South African variant cases that fizzled out and of course the now dominant strain, so great success. 

Every single passenger entering from India presented a negative PCR before departure. 4% tested positive after arrival. And no, hotel quarantine doesn't keep it out either as we've seen with Australia. It's impossible to say what impact red listing India sooner may have had and where cases may have peaked (undoubtedly significantly lower) , but we would not have kept it out forever. Indeed, the outbreak where I live was as a result of a quarantine hotel leakage. 

On the one hand we have those that want the borders sealed off and the testing is basically there to try and appease them. It doesn't really work well, creates an administrative shitshow and just costs people money for no good reason. Get it in the bin for the doubled-vaxxed ASAP; the vaccines work, so trust them. And also give us that normality we were promised in exchange. 

The most concerning part is that there is no strategy to move past this. Our airports are fucking gubbed on much reduced capacity with the hassle thus causes, so anything approaching normal times is going to see the system break. Set up monitoring of foreign variants, use the UK's expertise to help identify them and then set travel policies appropriately based on them. It's not difficult. 

Edited August 5, 2021 by Michael W

[Moomintroll]

7 minutes ago, Damaged Radio said:

Excuse me? What on earth have I posted to prompt that outburst??

You clearly haven't experienced much of the Internet if you class that as an outburst.

You appear to be adopting the persona of a refined upper class chap, the likes of which probably hasn't existed since the 1960's, yet paradoxically you seemed mighty quick to jump on @Bairnardos post & accuse him of trolling which suggests that you know the site well.

How have you been anyway Grahame?

[scottsdad]

10 hours ago, ICTChris said:

Safe as f**k 

 

I saw a film once that had a room like this in it, except there were wee holes cut into the walls at waist height. 

[welshbairn]

50 minutes ago, Billy Jean King said:

1 hour ago, Michael W said:

Unless a PCR is mandatory, then he can piss off with that. The insistence on this testing can f**k off all the same. 
It's better than it was, but until the testing nonsense for fully-vaxxed passengers is gone, short breaks are an expensive pain in the arse. I don't think I'd consider a break any less than 5 days as it stands. 
France now amber and La Réunion now on the red list. A rare outbreak of sense! 

Yip. I've rolled over tickets for Longchamp in October but the testing makes a 2 night trip totally impracticable cost wise. Also got Canaries in November which is 2 weeks so would put up with additional cost for that and concern is today's Spain PCR advisory is the start of the usual drip feed that will be made mandatory at the next review.

It's possible one test before you leave would cover you for a two night trip, at least if the rules have changed a bit by October. That's what I did for a short Euros trip from Portugal to Spain and back, all within a 72 hour deadline. The test I took for Spanish rules was still valid for Portuguese rules when I returned. 30 euros in total, at least it would have been if I'd known they changed the rules the morning I took a PCR test, dropping it to a lateral flow test. Useless info at the moment, but worth bearing in mind if the rules change, October's a long time away in Grant Schnapps little brain.

Edited August 5, 2021 by welshbairn

[Moomintroll]

3 minutes ago, Damaged Radio said:

I’ve genuinely no idea what you’re wittering on about. 

Well you aren't Grahame as he would never be so quick with the coloured circles.

I will watch your posting career with interest.

[well fan for life]

Quote

As well as changes to the traffic light list, the cost of staying at a quarantine hotel - which is mandatory if arriving from a red list country - is increasing.

The price for single adult travellers will increase from £1,750 to £2,285 from 12 August, with a second adult paying £1,430. 

The government says this better reflects the costs involved. That includes transport to the hotel, security, provision of welfare services and the two PCR tests which must be taken on day two and day eight of the stay. 

Children aged 5-12 will still cost £325; it is free for children aged under five.

Link.

https://inews.co.uk/news/boris-johnsons-brexit-jet-company-quarantine-hotels-1134197?ito=twitter_share_article-top

I hate this plague ridden island.

[Billy Jean King]

It's possible one test before you leave would cover you for a two night trip, at least if the rules have changed a bit by October. That's what I did for a short Euros trip from Portugal to Spain and back, all within a 72 hour deadline. The test I took for Spanish rules was still valid for Portuguese rules when I returned. 30 euros in total, at least it would have been if I'd known they changed the rules the morning I took a PCR test, dropping it to a lateral flow test. Useless info at the moment, but worth bearing in mind if the rules change, October's a long time away in Grant Schnapps little brain.

Yes not totally given up hope as a lot can change in the next 2 months as you say but it does need to change.

Some scramble started in Mexico for Brits out there to get back. Not going to be easy that one !!!

[superbigal]

South East Asia as highlighted by our Thai inhabitant, that was doing so well last year.  Looks pretty fecked with tiny vaccination numbers and huge case numbers of Delta now.

Good article this morning on CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/04/asia/southeast-asia-delta-covid-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html

 

As an add on taking India of the Red list when you look at who is still on it, cannot be the fecking "Science"

Edited August 5, 2021 by superbigal

[Suspect Device]

2 minutes ago, well fan for life said:

https://inews.co.uk/news/boris-johnsons-brexit-jet-company-quarantine-hotels-1134197?ito=twitter_share_article-top

I hate this plague ridden island.

 

That's the same company who have the monopoly on PCR tests for arrivals in Scotland. CTM. 

[Have some faith in Magic]

19 minutes ago, superbigal said:

South East Asia as highlighted by our Thai inhabitant, that was doing so well last year.  Looks pretty fecked with tiny vaccination numbers and huge case numbers of Delta now.

Good article this morning on CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/04/asia/southeast-asia-delta-covid-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html

 

As an add on taking India of the Red list when you look at who is still on it, cannot be the fecking "Science"

Has BJ got a re-arranged trip soon to see fellow headcase Modi? 

[Moomintroll]

23 minutes ago, superbigal said:

South East Asia as highlighted by our Thai inhabitant, that was doing so well last year.  Looks pretty fecked with tiny vaccination numbers and huge case numbers of Delta now.

Good article this morning on CNN

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/08/04/asia/southeast-asia-delta-covid-explainer-intl-hnk/index.html

 

As an add on taking India of the Red list when you look at who is still on it, cannot be the fecking "Science"

32 cases recorded per day last week out of a population of 600k in the Cabo Verde Islands, still on the red list even though they are concentrating their vaccination efforts on Sal & Boa Vista as the main tourist destination islands.

[Alex_14]

Melbourne / Victoria away into lockdown in 15 mins. Given about 4 hours notice.

[TheScarf]

6 minutes ago, Alex_14 said:

Melbourne / Victoria away into lockdown in 15 mins. Given about 4 hours notice.

Our Antipodean friends might want to start vaccinating people.

[Guest]

I just had an annoying experience in Tesco, there's me approaching the checkout with my basket and couple in front are loading their shopping into bags, wife has trolley in strange position so husband is standing slightly over the yellow and black line, however I proceeded to place my basket at the checkout and start unloading the stuff when supervisor tears over roaring "stop", "get back", "you cannae stand there until it's clear". I just shook my head and muttered at her under my breath, however she then gets asked by till operator "is this still gonnae be like this efter Monday ?" to which she replied, "aah doh no, bit ah hope sae as it's jist no safe".

Honestly..........

[mizfit]

I think the biggest laugh I’ve had in supermarkets was the 2 standing talking and blocking the aisle who went mental when I squeezed past them.

[vikingTON]

1 hour ago, Gordon EF said:

Why do low risk adults "have" to take a vaccine?

They shouldn't have to take the vaccine. They pose zero threat of putting sufficient pressure on the health service while all eligible vulnerable groups have already had the opportunity to get double jabbed. Offering every adult in the country is a valid gesture given that the younger generation had to put up with all the shite of rolling lockdowns for hee-haw improvement in their safety, but that's about it. All the recent frothing hysteria about a lower rate of vaccination among healthy 18-30 year olds is completely misguided. They would soon acquire (or already have) natural immunity at little cost anyway.

When it comes round to booster jabs for a current or similar strain, a competent government should only be giving them to groups defined as vulnerable. At some point very soon we are going to have to treat Covid like a bog-standard disease and apply a rational use of limited public health resources to it, rather than some special, end of the world plague or something that can be eliminated if only we had more restrictions. 

[scottsdad]

Vaccine passports in the USA.

 

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

1 minute ago, scottsdad said:

Vaccine passports in the USA.

 

However did you find out about this?haha.

[Guest]

6 minutes ago, mizfit said:

I think the biggest laugh I’ve had in supermarkets was the 2 standing talking and blocking the aisle who went mental when I squeezed past them.

The rules are frustrating enough without all the morons completely incapable of using their common sense or applying simple logic to a given situation.

Very, very, annoying.

[welshbairn]

2 minutes ago, scottsdad said:

Vaccine passports in the USA.

 

Here's the template, just print off your own and fill in a few squiggles.