France in August?

[Mickyb123]

wongo, think we get it, you don’t like Boris.

Think the Vietnam variant is being identified as a mix of the Indian and Kent strain. Be interesting to see what happens with rising numbers here, a lot depends on if it increases hospital admission.

 

[Wongo]

Strewth we are agreeing again WG
Wongo, no doubt different decisions may have resulted in different outcome. We will never know.
The whole point is, it’s about learning lessons for the future.
The Govt, made decisions on advice from numerous different sources. Some of that advice has in hindsight been proved to be wrong. But that’s in hindsight.
The question to ask is would any other govt have done it any different or any better? IMO unlikely.
The govt may have made errors along the way? Quite possibly, did they do what they thought was best at the time with the available information and advice they had? IMO yes.
Human nature though is to target someone to blame. So if that makes you happy fine.
For me all I want to see is that lessons learnt are remembered in any future event.

Second wave, hindsight?? Reclessness

wongo, think we get it, you don’t like Boris.

Think the Vietnam variant is being identified as a mix of the Indian and Kent strain. Be interesting to see what happens with rising numbers here, a lot depends on if it increases hospital admission.

i despise Alexander Johnson as a fraud, charlatan and narcissist. I worked at the GLA i know him for what he is, nasty & vindictive.

 

[WelshGas]

Second wave, hindsight?? Reclessness

i despise Alexander Johnson as a fraud, charlatan and narcissist. I worked at the GLA i know him for what he is, nasty & vindictive.

Aah. That explains a lot.

 

[Mickyb123]

Wongo, we know! Your free to have yr opinion.
Mebbee comment on the issues, not you personal politics

 

[kave]

I am not a Boris fan. I am not a brexiteer. I am not a tory.

I am someone who recognises that the world, not just this country, has been blind-sided and devastated by a totally unforeseen circumstance of catastrophic proportions,

I do look back and see responses based on a whole set of wrong assumptions to be unfit for the challenges faced. Only a truly Independent inquiry given the authority to demand all the facts and briefing papers could finally be in a position to evaluate how well or how bad the while spectrum of informed resources, from ministerial to academic advisory, fared.

I do have concerns over certain aspects of statements given by ministers more for political expedience than for pandemic control,.

I do think we should be in a position of a new normality going forward where the epidemic is contained before throwing bricks. Churchill dropped enough bricks to build a whole post-war new town but he got us through the crisis. That is the first concern. Get back to a new normality, then start counting the bricks, not before.

The sooner people realise we cant control nature this way the better. No country to date have managed to control the spread with NPIs. Now the public will soon realise the vaccines dont provide a 100% protection from beeing infected, as they where not even designed for this in the first place. I get that many want to believe in various measures working because they have so much fear. This is going to get through everyone everywhere before it is over. The risk if dying is 0.097% under 70 years old. Does this mean it is unharmful? Obviously not, but there is only so much we can do about it.
Meanwhile we have so much worse issues that gets no attention to at all in the world. Thinking about all poor kids that has not received vaccinations last year that is now in danger of getting seriously ill. Cancer, diabetes, overweight pandemic etc etc.
For me the sooner we get back to normality the better re this virus.
All this talk about vaccine passports is something to lure people into vaccinations. I dont see how one can fly or whatever anytime soon without a negative test anyway.
Am I against vaccinations, no, but one needs to have proper expectations on them. Hopefully they will protect you from beeing seriously ill.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

Somebody said Australia had the opportunity to control the virus because they are so isolated. The last time I looked at a map the UK was an island. Just because the distances are different we had the same opportunities, wether by rail under the sea or ferry or air we had the same opportunity as New Zealand and Australia but we cocked up badly and are paying the price. Just because I’m Australian doesn’t mean I think they get everything right, they don’t. But this they did.

 

[Wongo]

It now appears from tomorrow you can’t travel to France even if you wanted to .France has put a ban on UK citizens because of the Indian variant. Just Enjoy the UK for this year.

Only today has Johnson introduced a seperate channel for arrivals from Red list countries, its no wonder France acted.

 

[B J G]

Only today has Johnson introduced a seperate channel for arrivals from Red list countries, its no wonder France acted.

Seems that only applies to Heathrow not the other entrance points. Token gesture of control??

 

[Mickyb123]

How many direct international flights from red countries fly into Gatwick? Birmingham? Stansted? Bristol?
And it’s not Johnson that is introducing it! Its the airport that failed to do it sooner because of cost!

 

[kave]

I would say it could also have been even worse for the UK.

 

[Mickyb123]

In other words the airport authority more interested in profit margins than safety.

 

[Mickyb123]

as for Aus and U.K. both being islands so therefore the U.K. could have done the same as Aus, very very different types of islands, so not a line for like, or anywhere near like for like.

 

[WelshGas]

Seeing as the above has Not Been Published in the Guardian it can't be True.

 

[WelshGas]

as for Aus and U.K. both being islands so therefore the U.K. could have done the same as Aus, very very different types of islands, so not a line for like, or anywhere near like for like.

Australia and NZ equivalent to Branch Lines and UK to St Pancras/Euston.

 

[Ozzy Pete]

as for Aus and U.K. both being islands so therefore the U.K. could have done the same as Aus, very very different types of islands, so not a like for like, or anywhere near like for like.

Now explain what a type of Island is. Border control is Border Control.
They let in who they want and feel safe to let in the same as we should have. No excuses No ifs and buts. The UK cocked up in a big way.

 

[WelshGas]

Now explain what a type of Island is. Border control is Border Control.
They let in who they want and feel safe to let in the same as we should have. No excuses No ifs and buts. The UK cocked up in a big way.

If only it was as simple as you make out.

 

[Mickyb123]

The difference with Aus compared to U.K. is geographically for one. Aus can effect be self sufficient. UK cannot! There are certain industries that require travel, they would stop without them. Industry I am in for one, without travel to other parts of the world Aus would have stopped, so folk had to travel into U.K. for that but did not have to travel into Aus.
UK and Europe are international travel hubs, Aus isn’t. It’s not like for like

 

[Mickyb123]

Aus did not close its borders it just severely restricted numbers.
Closing the borders of Victoria, a lot easier than closing the borders of Yorkshire.

 

[Borris]

I am determined not to get involved with this argument but I must just say that it's just too early to be going on holiday abroad. Disagree if you like, but you are merely making excuses to carry on with your summer foreign holidays as normal when you know that isn't advisable.

One further thing. It's laughable that people will keep insisting on comparing the UK's stats and performance with that of other countries. What is the point? It will never achieve any sensible conclusions as all countries have different factors effecting their stats and performance.

To use just one example: Many times have I read recently that New Zealand has done so well and if only we had............! There is no doubt that New Zealand has done a very good job of managing their covid response and being about the same geographical size as Great Britain it has been rather too tempting for some to resist using their performance as a stick with which to beat our own government. However, the population of NZ is currently less that five million and is therefore much less densely populated than that of the UK. Also NZ isn't anywhere near the major transport hub that the UK is.

If NZ had a densely packed population of nearly sixty eight million and was a major transport hub then it's safe to say that they might not have done quite so well.

So why keep making these pointless comparisons?

 

[Wongo]

As ever everyone else is to blame. The government control (sic) the borders not airport management, Johnson has become a cult, open your eyes.

 

[Mickyb123]

wongo, try getting off your political horse.
Borders may be controlled by U.K. govt policy, note U.K. govt not the PM.
The decision on who uses which terminals in an airport and how that airport is managed falls to the airport operating authority.
No one person is to blame.
but if you want to blame folk as you obviously do.
try looking outside yr front door.

 

[WelshGas]

As ever everyone else is to blame. The government control (sic) the borders not airport management, Johnson has become a cult, open your eyes.

We know you don't like Borris, maybe the feeling was mutual when he was mayor.

 

[bob_summers]

What, exactly, is to like about the man? Serious question, not my PM so I don't know.

Johnson has become a cult, open your eyes.

Reminded me of this.

 

[TripleBee]

If I go on holidays abroad, I don't have to meet people.
If I go to work everyday, I meet people everyday.

Going on holidays is much safer for me than going to work.

(going shopping for food is equal here or elsewhere, so this doesn't count)

And yet I am restricted for going on holidays in another country.

Where is the logic?

 

[larrylamb]

If I go on holidays abroad, I don't have to meet people.
If I go to work everyday, I meet people everyday.

Going on holidays is much safer for me than going to work.

(going shopping for food is equal here or elsewhere, so this doesn't count)

And yet I am restricted for going on holidays in another country.

Where is the logic?

Work is more important at this time than an a holiday in another country.