Originally Posted by Niamh. (Post 10973566)

My brother reckons all this banning UK travel and harsher restrictions (which we're going to have announced tonight here) is all a ploy to make sure people comply and get vaccinated

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier (Post 10973574)

I also am pretty much convinced that France's reaction at the border has more to do with Brexit than Covid. Not saying it isn't prompted by Covid - but it smacks of "Hmph well you don't want to be in the EU anyway so HA" and I think if Brexit had never happened, it's very, VERY unlikely that the same action would have been taken. I'm anti-Brexit ... but that is just ridiculously petty.

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier (Post 10973574)

I also am pretty much convinced that France's reaction at the border has more to do with Brexit than Covid. Not saying it isn't prompted by Covid - but it smacks of "Hmph well you don't want to be in the EU anyway so HA" and I think if Brexit had never happened, it's very, VERY unlikely that the same action would have been taken. I'm anti-Brexit ... but that is just ridiculously petty.

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier (Post 10973573)

I got eye-rolled at last night for posing a few conspiracy theories about the convenient timing of a lot of these new revelations :joker:. e.g. one of mine is that they didn't "suddenly" get worried about this new strain - they've been tracking this strain since September - what ACTUALLY happened was, they realised that the 5 day restrictions-free-for-all was an absolute disaster waiting to happen but couldn't just say "actually we've decided it's maybe not a good idea so now we're saying no" and thus needed a "new threat" to justify backpedaling on Christmas, and to scare people into compliance :whistle:.

This theory hinges on what revelations come about this new strain after the Christmas and New Year period. If they come out with "actually it's not that much worse than the original strain after all" in early January then I'll be pretty convinced that this is what happened.

It's "interesting" that there are specific figures being quoted about "how much more infectious it is" despite a low sample size and there being no lab-confirmed details.

Also "interesting" that virologists from other countries are verifying that the strain being talked about is real, but noting that pockets of that strain haven't resulted in huge case surges in those areas (or at least not yet).

SUS :suspect:

I don't really believe in coincidental timing.

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier (Post 10973536)

"As an island" - an over-populated island that is NOT by any stretch of the imagination self-sufficient - We couldn't survive closing the border on this side at the start of the pandemic any more than we can survive it being closed by others now.

Honestly, a painfully naive suggestion and what makes me genuinely concerned that people don't realise how much of a problem it is that we're seemingly being cut off right now.

Ban individual travel, by all means, but closing the borders is not feasible. 48 hours is going to be a disaster, the idea that we could do it for weeks or months? Mad.

Originally Posted by Niamh. (Post 10973578)

:laugh: Yeah, I mean it's not even that wild of a conspiracy theory really, is it? The timing is like you said very convenient hhhmmm

I'm not very comfortable with the UK being used as a scapegoat either tbh Brexit aside, we're in the middle of a crisis, people are suffering. A bit of honesty would be more appreciated instead of trying to blame people who aren't to blame and make us all afraid of each other and cause even more chaos and panic and limit food supplies

Originally Posted by Ammi (Post 10973487)

...panic buying or stock piling lettuce and Brussel sprouts, really...?..the whole concept of stock piling/panic buying is so, so grim...if anything becomes in shortage then surely we should all be buying a little less of it is the only only thing that makes sense, so that there is more product for more people../...I mean that’s the only logic, surely...that’s something that we would and do apply through life to any shortage...a little for many as opposed to more for fewer and a ‘haves and have nots’, thing.../..not a great mindset, I feel...

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier (Post 10973574)

I also am pretty much convinced that France's reaction at the border has more to do with Brexit than Covid. Not saying it isn't prompted by Covid - but it smacks of "Hmph well you don't want to be in the EU anyway so HA" and I think if Brexit had never happened, it's very, VERY unlikely that the same action would have been taken. I'm anti-Brexit ... but that is just ridiculously petty.

Originally Posted by Alf (Post 10973565)

A bit of Watson

Originally Posted by Oliver_W (Post 10973594)

:joker:

I forgot that dude even existed!

He's the reason people sarcastically say "eemagine moi shawck", right?

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier (Post 10973574)

I also am pretty much convinced that France's reaction at the border has more to do with Brexit than Covid. Not saying it isn't prompted by Covid - but it smacks of "Hmph well you don't want to be in the EU anyway so HA" and I think if Brexit had never happened, it's very, VERY unlikely that the same action would have been taken. I'm anti-Brexit ... but that is just ridiculously petty.

Originally Posted by Kizzy (Post 10973701)

As usual our attitude towards both issues stinks... Other countries quite rightly do not want exposure to the new strain, so the sensible thing is close the borders from the UK. No doubt we would all champion that should it be France for instance with the same issue.

That leaves 2 problems ...how we treat incoming vehicles bringing in our essential supplies, these people are guests in the UK, how do we treat them? Are facilities provided, toilet and washing areas..skips for waste? No. They get a parking ticket! Shameful.

Another problem is once here how do we aid the European drivers to return home? ... no news of this either.

Originally Posted by arista (Post 10973709)

Yes some broke off
and parked in the Town,
of course, they get a Ticket.

Originally Posted by Kizzy (Post 10973718)

How do they get food if they are stranded... by driving to the nearest town.

It's not ideal of course but it's not their Fault they are in this predicament is it?
I little understanding and basic human decency would be good.

Not in little Britain.

Originally Posted by Kizzy (Post 10973701)

As usual our attitude towards both issues stinks... Other countries quite rightly do not want exposure to the new strain, so the sensible thing is close the borders from the UK. No doubt we would all champion that should it be France for instance with the same issue.

Originally Posted by Ammi (Post 10974291)

800 free hot meals delivered to stranded lorry drivers in Kent by Sikh community...


Members of the Sikh community provided hundreds of lorry drivers stuck in Kent with hot meals overnight.

More than 800 free meals were made in less than three hours on Tuesday afternoon at a Gravesend gurdwara (temple), with an aim to make a further 1,000 hot meals on Wednesday.

Read more: How to fight the urge to stockpile, according to psychologists

On Tuesday, volunteers working with Sikh humanitarian charity Khalsa Aid whipped up 300 mushroom and pasta dishes at the Guru Nanak Darbar, as well as 500 chickpea curries.


https://uk.yahoo.com/style/sikh-comm...124742709.html



...:lovedup:...

Originally Posted by Toy Soldier (Post 10973723)

In general I would agree but it's been confirmed repeatedly that the strain is already active on the continent & beyond. I know they want to limit exposure to the primary source and I suppose taking as many precautions as possible is understandable, but I also think we know from experience with this virus that if the strain is active at all in those countries it's not going to be contained for long. I agree with comments above that the restrictions seem mostly to appease public pressure, and not really about limiting spread.

Again if it had ONLY been identified in the UK then it would be sensible to try to limit it to the UK... but the cat is already out of the bag :shrug:. It may well not even have originated in London - again, London being the seed point for it in the UK increases the likelihood that it was imported via international travel.

Originally Posted by Ammi (Post 10974291)

800 free hot meals delivered to stranded lorry drivers in Kent by Sikh community...


Members of the Sikh community provided hundreds of lorry drivers stuck in Kent with hot meals overnight.

More than 800 free meals were made in less than three hours on Tuesday afternoon at a Gravesend gurdwara (temple), with an aim to make a further 1,000 hot meals on Wednesday.

Read more: How to fight the urge to stockpile, according to psychologists

On Tuesday, volunteers working with Sikh humanitarian charity Khalsa Aid whipped up 300 mushroom and pasta dishes at the Guru Nanak Darbar, as well as 500 chickpea curries.


https://uk.yahoo.com/style/sikh-comm...124742709.html



...:lovedup:...

Originally Posted by Ammi (Post 10974291)

800 free hot meals delivered to stranded lorry drivers in Kent by Sikh community...


Members of the Sikh community provided hundreds of lorry drivers stuck in Kent with hot meals overnight.

More than 800 free meals were made in less than three hours on Tuesday afternoon at a Gravesend gurdwara (temple), with an aim to make a further 1,000 hot meals on Wednesday.

Read more: How to fight the urge to stockpile, according to psychologists

On Tuesday, volunteers working with Sikh humanitarian charity Khalsa Aid whipped up 300 mushroom and pasta dishes at the Guru Nanak Darbar, as well as 500 chickpea curries.


https://uk.yahoo.com/style/sikh-comm...124742709.html



...:lovedup:...