I thought vaccines were our way out??

[user2021]

Why are we introducing travel restrictions now? And why are we being told things won't be back to normal by the summer/not to book any holidays abroad?

I thought the vaccines were our way out of this mess?

What needs to happen to get us back to normal? I thought once hospitalisation numbers are greatly reduce and the NHS can cope then that's that?!! We were never perusing a zero transmission policy, we were pursuing a don't-overwhelm-the-NHS-policy, or am I missing something?

The theory sounds good & is prudent. That said UK isn’t self sufficient so there will always be ‘routes in’.

They are. Will take time to vaccinate the adult population and in the meantime sensible precautions need to be taken to prevent new variants entering the country. One of the few sensible decisions the Government has made, better late than never.
In a year or so, Covid will be like seasonal ‘flu. We’ll get our updated jabs, the very, very frail will unfortunately succumb, as do an average of 11,000 most years to ‘flu, life will go on.

So far there hasn't been any new strain or variant to seriously worry us, has there?

Are you for real?

I am amazed at the number of people who just don’t get it. The virus HAS mutated, we have the Kent variant with it would appear vaccine maybe affective against, but not necessarily against the SAvarient. Just yesterday bits berm discovered there is another variant which appears to be a cross between the two,

Why would we allow other variants from other countries in until we are sure the vaccines are effective, there is talk the Astra one is not necessarily effective against the SAvarient,

I think it is realistic. It is a pandemic!! Don’t go on holiday for a bit or do it in the UK. It seems sensible to me!

@reprehensibleme

Avocados, why would 'they' want pubs, restaurants, shops, festival organisers, wedding businesses and so on to go bust? What purpose would it serve?

I don't think they WANT businesses to go bust, it's just that it's an inevitable consequence of their actions.

Rather like how meat eaters don't head off to the supermarket saying "I really want that cow dead", even though it's an inevitable consequence of them buying a steak.

Apparently they've said don't even book anything in the UK this morning so it's not a borders / variant issue is it?

It's a "we are locking you up until the end of the year" issue.

Perhaps when half the population has commuted suicide corona will no longer be an issue.

Imagine if the government ignored the significance of these new overseas strains which may have the ability to evade our vaccines. Imagine all the "should have done more" comments like they get over tougher lockdown measures from the beginning. Cant please everyone but for me im glad they're being realistic about the situation. Coronavirus tend to mutate at a rapid rate. So basically just as we've learnt about the new SA variant a new one will be brewing in the background.
As it stands right this moment our NHS is overrun with covid. There should be no talk of lifting any kind of restrictions until that changes for the better.
Don't forget, no one has received a 2nd vaccine dose yet, thats going to take us well into spring before the second doses start to be rolled out.

Hang in there, dont think too far ahead but be realistic and stay positive that this will come to an end eventually xx

Don't forget, no one has received a 2nd vaccine dose yet

Yes they have...

Yes they have

A handful

@Followthelarch

Yes they have

A handful

Yeah not nobody and better than none

"I thought the vaccines were our way out of this mess?"

No.

Look at the government actions since March. Look at the changes in law. Look at the big fat profits made.

Well aren't you the cheery one confused

I mean, it's not like we live in a capitalist society or anything, where other businesses will spring up to replace ones that went bust. No, the government controls everything, and for some unfathomable reason want everyone to go bust

Just like how lots of new businesses sprang up to replace the coal mines in the Welsh valleys? Ha-bloody-ha-ha.

The sheer level of investment needed to start up a business like a restaurant is phenomenal - you can easily spend £500k-£1m fitting out and starting a new restaurant. How many restaurant owners - still smarting from being forcibly put out of business - will be able and willing to start a new restaurant?

How many banks will be willing to lend that sort of money to start new restaurants?

Anyone starting a new fashion business nowadays does it online. Look at the relative fortunes of Arcadia and Asos. High street fashion retail will never look similar to how it did in 2019. The likes of Topshop have gone forever and won't ever come back, because no one is starting a new bricks and mortar fashion retail stores.

Some sectors will never recover.

Please do not take this the wrong way but why did you believe them when they said vaccines were a way out? As soon as schools reopen and retail starts up again the numbers will rise and we’ll be back in lockdown. The vaccines are like a bunch of 🥕 dangling to keep you moving forward that’s all, they don’t stop you getting covid and they don’t stop lockdowns or restrictions.

approx 500,000 people in the UK have had their second dose of the vaccine

The vaccines are like a bunch of 🥕 dangling to keep you moving forward that’s all, they don’t stop you getting covid and they don’t stop lockdowns or restrictions.

Well what do you think is the point of them then?

@Thewiseoneincognito

Please do not take this the wrong way but why did you believe them when they said vaccines were a way out? As soon as schools reopen and retail starts up again the numbers will rise and we’ll be back in lockdown. The vaccines are like a bunch of 🥕 dangling to keep you moving forward that’s all, they don’t stop you getting covid and they don’t stop lockdowns or restrictions.

Please do not take this the wrong way, but you're talking bollox.

@Thewiseoneincognito

Please do not take this the wrong way but why did you believe them when they said vaccines were a way out? As soon as schools reopen and retail starts up again the numbers will rise and we’ll be back in lockdown. The vaccines are like a bunch of 🥕 dangling to keep you moving forward that’s all, they don’t stop you getting covid and they don’t stop lockdowns or restrictions.

Exactly.

Plus the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine only offers between 10-22% protection from the South African variant, and that's the vaccine the UK has the most of unfortunately

Yes, this variant is very concerning to the government. Most of the over-70s have been given the AZ Oxford vaccine simply because we have more of it.

This vaccine's efficacy against the South Africa variant is so low that South Africa yesterday stopped using the AZ Oxford vaccine in their own country.

If our country imports even more of this variant from abroad, then the vulnerable section of the population will no longer be protected and the NHS will be overwhelmed with them again and the case rate and death rate will increase again.

If we can get it under control here and have more domestic freedom it’s a trade off for international travel

Why would we be allowed domestic freedom? We are just as likely to grow a new variant here as anywhere else with high case rates.

We have to get the virus really low here so restrictions until everyone is vaccinated and efficacy against new variants monitored first.

I can't see much opened except schools tbh.

FFS. Do people here not bother to watch the daily news, to see how things are changing? The government can't promise us anything right now, because it's a rapidly changing picture.

We thought the vaccine was (one) way out, but the new mutations are suggesting that it's not going to be as effective as we had hoped for the original virus.

So until we know what's happening, no-one can promise that the current vaccines are 'a way out'.

The problem is the Government is dammed if they do and dammed if they don’t. Last year there were lots of promises of being opened up, back to normal and then things happened and they were criticised for promising to much.

They now have gone the total opposite. Promising nothing and saying no guarantees and people are complaining that there’s no certainty, business will go to the wall. (Which is also fair as business do need certainty).

Grant Shapps didn’t say there won’t be holidays, he said it was too soon to book. Again they don’t’ want to say, ‘sure it will be fine by summer, book away ” - something could happen - including out of their control (other countries for example could say no travelling there).

Vaccines are the way out. Once we have vaccinated groups 1 - 9 that is 99% of mortality cases. Preliminary data is showing the vaccine is dramatically reducing infection rates in those groups.

It's best for everyone that the vaccines we have are given a chance to make the difference before we get flooded with variants. And when the time comes to take on the slight differences in impact potentially of our vaccines against the variants, we'll be in a much better position to deal with them from a hospital capacity side and from already partially resistant numbers if people side too.

Just sit tight, we are really getting there if you can hold it together.

The Astra Zeneca jab is still effective against severe disease and hospitalisation for the S.Africa variant. It has shown to be less effective at preventing mild to moderate disease. It’s unhelpful to quote inaccurate info about vaccines. Shouldn’t be allowed actually. Though the media don’t help.

If people aren’t getting seriously ill and being hospitalised then the NHS can cope. That was supposed to be the aim.

Will we keep locking down for a mild/moderate disease? I guess we’ll see.

There was a great (calm) interview on the BBC yesterday about the vaccines and all the panic with a scientist. The fact that the Kent strain is dominant here is actually a good thing. She wasn’t panicked about the S.African variant. So much media spin at the moment.

I haven't read that about the AZ vaccine against the SA variant yet. Do you have a link?

mobile.twitter.com/profshanecrotty/status/1358836374103752705

unherd.com/2021/02/how-worrying-is-the-south-africa-variant/

So if the vaccines aren't a way out... then what?

Live like this forever?

I'd rather be dead.