Corona virus and its effects on GLA

[Clive]

Wonder if the Scottish airport managers and travel industry talking heads are feeling suitably contrite at continually lambasting the Scottish Government over the last 14 months for closing down virus circulation by travel and in particular over the last month when they thought England was going to throw the doors open to all and sundry on 17 May?

There was never any certainty for any nation in the UK. They were duped and they fell for it big time.

Will the Scottish Government adopt a traffic light system round about the same time? Yes of course they will if they deem it safe to do so.

[McG]

The traffic light system is only intended to let you know what destinations you will be required to quarantine for 10 days either at home or in a hotel on your return to the UK.

It doesn't actually tell you that you can travel to a country and be allowed entry. Australia and New Zealand are on the Green list but tourists aren't allowed to travel there. Some of the places on the green list are British dependencies in the South Atlantic where islanders may have to travel to UK for medical, family, education reasons.

I think Turkey has been added to the red list after the BBC reported that UK travellers returning from Pakistan and India were routing via Istanbul where it was alleged they could book a hotel for 10 days for a few hundred quid and then avoid the high cost quarantine hotels in the UK.by quarantining at home.

Also the EU are looking at bringing in a system where to go on holiday there two weeks will need to have elapsed since your second Jag or provided a negative test prior to travel with further testing in resort or have had Covid and have antibodies.

[Clive]

BA!!! have already reacted by adding a weekly MAN-FAO, and twice weekly NCL-FAO. BACF also adding EDI-FAO 1 x weekly

More fool them.

Portugal now removed from the UK’s green list.

Why are Covid cases rising again in Portugal? Because they let tourists in.

Mental.

[bill]

BA!!! have already reacted by adding a weekly MAN-FAO, and twice weekly NCL-FAO. BACF also adding EDI-FAO 1 x weekly

More fool them.

Portugal now removed from the UK’s green list.

Why are Covid cases rising again in Portugal? Because they let tourists in.

Mental.

Yep! It ain't rocket science is it?

[will1983]

LS have cancelled all flights up to 1st July at earliest, and not operating to Turkey until late July.

Doubtful their summer 21 programme will go ahead.

[jetblue497]

BA!!! have already reacted by adding a weekly MAN-FAO, and twice weekly NCL-FAO. BACF also adding EDI-FAO 1 x weekly

More fool them.

Portugal now removed from the UK’s green list.

Why are Covid cases rising again in Portugal? Because they let tourists in.

Mental.

Sorry - speculative at best. That is classic definition of circumstantial. The UK government has even invented a variant (Nepal) that nobody else knows about.
Lets say these numbers are correct. How severe are these cases? Any hospitalizations? Any deaths? Source of infections? Proof that it was tourists? What countries have seen a rise in infections due to returning tourists?
We will have to learn to live with this going forward and reacting this way to every blip is not the way forward.
The US was warning about a new surge when southern states defied the scientific advice and dropped restrictions well before the rest of the country and - surprising to me and many others - cases dropped and continue to do so. The UK is better vaccinated than the US yet continue to do this over the top reaction - great way to install confidence in the vaccination program.
Like just about everyone else on here I dismissed the crazy conspiracy theories but recent events and actions are smelling like week old fish left in the sun.

[Clive]

BA!!! have already reacted by adding a weekly MAN-FAO, and twice weekly NCL-FAO. BACF also adding EDI-FAO 1 x weekly

More fool them.

Portugal now removed from the UK’s green list.

Why are Covid cases rising again in Portugal? Because they let tourists in.

Mental.

Sorry - speculative at best. That is classic definition of circumstantial. The UK government has even invented a variant (Nepal) that nobody else knows about.
Lets say these numbers are correct. How severe are these cases? Any hospitalizations? Any deaths? Source of infections? Proof that it was tourists? What countries have seen a rise in infections due to returning tourists?
We will have to learn to live with this going forward and reacting this way to every blip is not the way forward.
The US was warning about a new surge when southern states defied the scientific advice and dropped restrictions well before the rest of the country and - surprising to me and many others - cases dropped and continue to do so. The UK is better vaccinated than the US yet continue to do this over the top reaction - great way to install confidence in the vaccination program.
Like just about everyone else on here I dismissed the crazy conspiracy theories but recent events and actions are smelling like week old fish left in the sun.

All governments have a duty to protect their citizens. No government will apply any level of Covid restrictions for a moment longer than is deemed necessary. All want back to normal as soon as is safely possible. There shouldn’t be any doubt about that.

The notion of what’s “safe” seems to be disputed by the anti-vaxxers and Covid deniers who have a vested interest in their own business over public health.

No one here and no one in the travel industry knows the subjects of epidemiology, virology and public health protection better than the WHO and the experts charged with advising our governments.

The airports wanted the traffic light system so that travel could begin where safe to do so. That’s what they got. It guarantees nothing because this pandemic is still active.

[jetblue497]

75.5% have had first shot. WHO has 70% as starting point for herd immunity. Add those infected and recovered we are well into the 80% range. If the UK is not in the throes of herd immunity right now it never will. Deaths are hospitalizations are vastly lagging positive tests. These are all reported number by the government that appears to have done all it can to protect the population. Part of that responsibility is to allow the population to live their lives, not just have a controlled existence. The protection of the populus in now in their own hands - refuse the vaccine and accept your fate, dont make the vast majority suffer any longer.
Another fact that gets lost. The variants are more infectious yes but the forecast increase in death rate due to them is nowhere to be seen. Thats with both the so called Kent and South Africa variants. The newer "Indian" one is looking to have the same characteristics.
I have had faith in the science since this started but there appear to be a significant proportion of those who believe the bad news science and ignore the good news science. We need to get out of this negativity and see the light that is getting brighter by the day at the end of this very long tunnel.

But the cynic in me says why should the government lose this lucrative source of income - the pseudo fines for allowing citizens back into their own country, never mind those who have legitimate needs to enter. Lets just make up new variants.

[Clive]

75.5% have had first shot. WHO has 70% as starting point for herd immunity. Add those infected and recovered we are well into the 80% range. If the UK is not in the throes of herd immunity right now it never will. Deaths are hospitalizations are vastly lagging positive tests. These are all reported number by the government that appears to have done all it can to protect the population. Part of that responsibility is to allow the population to live their lives, not just have a controlled existence. The protection of the populus in now in their own hands - refuse the vaccine and accept your fate, dont make the vast majority suffer any longer.
Another fact that gets lost. The variants are more infectious yes but the forecast increase in death rate due to them is nowhere to be seen. Thats with both the so called Kent and South Africa variants. The newer "Indian" one is looking to have the same characteristics.
I have had faith in the science since this started but there appear to be a significant proportion of those who believe the bad news science and ignore the good news science. We need to get out of this negativity and see the light that is getting brighter by the day at the end of this very long tunnel.

But the cynic in me says why should the government lose this lucrative source of income - the pseudo fines for allowing citizens back into their own country, never mind those who have legitimate needs to enter. Lets just make up new variants.

Oh dear.

I refer you to my previous reply.

[atuk]

Oh dear, indeed! Not!

I have to say I agree with JetBlue and his balanced reply.

Why is it that on this forum any opposite viewpoint is always trashed, treated in a condescending manner or simply deleted by the Moderator(s)?

We are vaccinating as many people as we can in the UK; at least those who bother to turn up!

We are in real danger of having no aviation industry left in this country. First it was the anti Heathrow brigade, despite it being the number one airport in the country. Secondly we have the green brigade who are anti fossil fuels! Does this extend to diesel lorries delivering to supermarkets who feed the vast majority of the population or farmers whose diesel tractors plough the fields to sow the seeds be it grain or vegetables.

I laughed this morning when the Former Transport Minister being interviewed regards new electric busses for Glasgow said “we must eradicate diesel from allScottish transport”. Does that include Scotrail whose “new” 125s operate through Dundee to Aberdeen and to and from Glasgow or the Sprinters which provide the stopping service from Glasgow to Arbroath?

Or take the much vaunted, much cancelled Caledonian Macbrayne who, quite frankly couldn’t run a ménage, let alone avreliable ferry service.

And so it goes on. Now Covid is here and it’s here to stay. We have to learn to live with it. After all what did we do during epidemics before Risk Management took over and the tail wags the dog. We took care, got on with life and coped even if through gritted teeth.

I’m quite frankly sick of the U.K.,their inept politicians in all four countries and the fact that somehow, somewhere the Public Sector in this country has become the be all and end all; a type of sacrificial cow to be retained at all costs despite the damage to every other sector and folks livliehoods. Rather like PIK against EDI/GLA!

If it was my choice the bloated, overpaid, underworked Public Sector would form a maximum 30% of GDP with private covering the remaining 70%. And that is just for starters.

Now. An we please have a sensible approach adopted to travel consulting and consorting with those in the industry who actually know how it works and how it can be controlled in a realistic way.