It seems like the government is telling people to use common sense without demonstrating any. Allowing in any untested travellers, from France, doesn't seem too sensible ... ... it's how our island became infected in the first place. It's like having a massive moat around your castle then leaving the drawbridge down during an attack.
The channel is the thing that has protected this country throughout history... it's been our single biggest defence since time immemorial - yet our leader who loves both borders and a history books, seems to have missed that fact.
I wanted to believe he'd be the man to get us through this crisis. But it's hard to trust someone who deliberately shook hands with carriers and nearly died ... ... then lectures people about common sense. I think he saw it as his 'Princess Diana' photo opportunity.
'Herd Immunity' despite the initial public outrage, and official denials, this has always been the Gov agenda, and before anyone says otherwise please explain the why we have world- highest death rates? Through 'Following the Science' a flawed eugenics theory that was scorned at worldwide! Johnson, Cummings, et al are complicit to this mass murder. Suitably we where informed by the rhetoric : 'Operation Last Gasp or Take It On The Chin'.
This article is pretty much at the point I've arrived at. I thought the PM could pull off his Churchill impersonation and unite the country. Sadly I think its all been quite divisive and now we're at the point where ministers have boycotted one of the main news channels and only appear on the government approved station ... people in Russia will be smiling at that. https://amp.theguardian.com/comment...duty-prime-minister-boris-johnson-coronavirus "Take the plan to require international arrivals to the UK to quarantine for 14 days, which will start not even now, but at some unspecified point, soonish."
If he’d been willing to admit he was stupid / careless , whatever, he had an opportunity to say “ look , perfect evidence that no one can assume the idea that , oh it won’t touch me , I’ll be ok “. Not that some people would have taken heed like
I'm thinking it's either- some sort of herd immunity tactic to minimise the second wave, or Boris & co are morons.
But there’s the massive issue with the ‘herd immunity’ option. There’s been no clear evidence yet that you can’t catch it twice, there’s multiple cases, including the high profile one of Juventus player Paolo Dybala, of people being reinfected.
Well tee off 10.50 tomorrow, simple rules do not kiss and cuddle playing partners. So I will make sure it's an ugly old curmudgeon like myself, not one of the young pretty lady members
As somebody has just said, common sense is all that's needed. It's easy to pick daft scenarios like you've just done. But in reality, you wouldn't get on a crowded plane, or a crowded bus just to speak to your son, when Skype and FaceTime etc are available. The economy has to start moving somehow, before we run out of money. And the unfortunate thing is, we will have to make sacrifices somewhere along the line. It's a pandemic that's struck the world out of the blue. And people seem to expect a perfect response from a government that has never dealt with such circumstances before.
It was just an example. What I was talking about is that it's a long way from 'common sense' for the government to allow free uninhibited travel from France.
But a government is elected to LEAD, not to give a general guideline. Im fine with it all, I know what I will do and what I won’t, I don’t feel at risk and I won’t put myself or anyone I know at risk. Facts are if folk aren’t clear, and they aren’t, then that’s on the people making the decisions to clarify. There’s a complete lack of continuity, and complete lack of logic and a complete lack of leadership coming through.
I live in Spain and I watched as Italy began reporting a crisis in the Lombardy area and the local doctors were warning people that this was coming to every country in Europe in the coming weeks. 2 weeks later we started to have the same situation starting to develop in Madrid and it was clear all European countries had to brace themselves for this oncoming plague. Some countries reacted quickly by starting testing programs and 2 started to close their borders even at this early stage, Germany closed its border with France while Austria took similar measures with its neighbours. In Britain not much was happening, it was being covered by the news outlets but Government Ministers didn't seem to grasp the severity of what was happening across the channel, there was talk of we are all in this together, herd immunity was muted as a solution and indeed was the model that was followed for 2 or so weeks until new research showed there could be as many as 500,000 to 1,000,000 deaths from the virus. Boris Johnson who a few weeks earlier was portraying himself/Brexit Britain as Clark Kent ready to emerge from the phone booth as the worlds champion was asked on the 5th of March if flattening the curve of the pandemic was his aim he replied “That’s where a lot of debate has been and one of the theories is that perhaps you could take it on the chin, take it all in one go and allow the disease, as it were, to move through the population, without taking as many draconian measures… I think it would be better if we take all the measures that we can now to stop the peak of the disease.” Yet still nothing was done about social distancing, staying at home, protecting the vulnerable as pubs, clubs, restaurants and sporting events carried on as normal. Britain finally announced its version of lockdown on the 23rd of March more than 4 weeks after the warnings from Italy. What did the British Government do in that 4 weeks? What did Boris do in that 4 weeks? Boris shook hands with infected patients as a PR stunt (that ended well) instead of attending Cobra meetings and preparing the country for what was coming. Did he stop non Brits coming through airports? Did he quarantine Brits returning from Europe and further afield? Britain wasted precious time by not reacting to what was unfolding elsewhere in Europe, that wasted time has cost thousands of lives needlessly. The Government totally ****ed up and still is doing so today, just look at the confusion created by this weeks press conferences. Just look at the countries with the fewest fatalities and what they have in common, they saw the problem and reacted swiftly. Those that saw the problems and didn't react positively are clearly incompetent and not fit to govern.
I agree. But it's easy to pinpoint one or 2 decisions like this, out of millions that have to be made. How many people are flying from France into England? With hotels shut, and not being allowed to stay with family. Plus as you've said yourself, you wouldn't step foot on a plane at the moment.
Of the responses of the govt only the chancellor with his bailing out of businesses and individuals comes out of this with any credit. As for Bonko and the rest of his retinue... Even though it is acknowledged we have some very good medical scientists in the UK, who war-gamed a potential virus epidemic...they proposed a raft of recommendations most of which were ignored. The govt of the past 10 years has... Run down the NHS, even selling bits off to its chums like Branson. Run down the stockpile of PPE, relying on just in time overseas purchases, something they were specifically warned against Did not have a procedure in place to join up testing facilities so a large number of people could tested. Nor was any protocol established for track and trace, as recommended. Ignored warnings about Care Homes needing support. Did not go into lockdown quickly enough, some stupid idea of herd immunity apparently. Thousands of people came in bringing the virus seeding it all over the UK. Fatty Bonko went around shaking hands caught covid 19 and nearly died, lots of big events, football horse racing etc occurred. Now with the economy tanking and the treasury running up a huge debt, lockdown is being lifted, as financial cost is being weighed against more deaths... FFS kids are not supposed to be affect by covid19 much but Kawasaki disease is increasing So no I do not think the govt has served the country well in this epidemic Even its statements about how to lift lockdown have been botched.
