The rush to get out of Pakistan...before it’s added to the red list..

[Watermelon1234]

Read this earlier and felt irritated on many levels.

1. If the covid numbers over there are high enough for it to be added o the red list, why give so much notice to allow everyone to get out before the need to quarantine in a hotel? Our numbers are under control now so it seems naive or foolish to risk disrupting this. It reminded me of the stampede to get out of London before Christmas and we know how that ended, with the Kent variant spread countrywide.

1. If the government think that people returning will quarantine in their own homes for 10 days without taking public transport or buying food etc, then they have learnt nothing from the last few months. And also, what if they return to households where other members (who haven’t been away) are having to work/attend school etc?

1. It seems there are large numbers rushing to return. Surely not all have had funerals or work commitments abroad, or am I missing something, when we’ve not been able to meet with our family who live at.the other end of the country, or even get a haircut etc? I thought holidays were still illegal?

Excuse the rant, it’s been a long week of Easter holidays......

@ I think I might have to agree here. I'm quite I intrigued why onmy Pakistani were pinpointed here?

Just to make it clear OP since we are being questioned. so I have a family who went there to see their mother in hospital and before she died. It was allowed then. They are returning as the brother need to work to pay a mortgage.

Another family left when it was allowed as their mother was dying. Now they have to return as the kids are left with family they also need to work to make mortgage payments.

Another family lost their 3 sons and mother and father.

Many community members have lost family or are on the brink of death. Remember er uts a 3rd world country and people die from simple illnesses so COVID is a big punch to them.

People mostly went to visit family members who died and are returning since they need to get back to work to pay Bills, mortgages and their taxes so we can help the country out, as we have done and as our fathers and grandfathers have done. Or did you not expect Pakistani to be working?

However I will agree with you OP letting people fly in and out of the country is no good in a pandemic. ANY country.

@One2late

However I will agree with you OP letting people fly in and out of the country is no good in a pandemic. ANY country.

Fling in and out for pure leisure reasons perhaps not, but many have to travel for work purposes.

We seem to have an awful lot more people doing work that requires truly essential travel than many other countries...

New Zealand and Australia also allow (essential) work travel. They also have (proper) quarantine.

@notimagain of course some people have to work, that's not up for debate. Those people who have return for work have been mentioned in my previous post. I'm discussing the people who seem to be visiting for the leisure, that's no good for anyone.

Just recently back from Australia and the flight from Singapore was absolutely full. I was shocked. The other flights I'd taken getting to Aus earlier in the year, and then Aus to Sin were so empty I had several rows to myself. Then essentially voluntarily making yourself known to staff at the airport if you'd been in a red list country. Compared to what it was like arriving in Australia it was a complete joke.

[quote One2late]@notimagain of course some people have to work, that's not up for debate. Those people who have return for work have been mentioned in my previous post. I'm discussing the people who seem to be visiting for the leisure, that's no good for anyone.[/quote]
I'm not sure how many are visiting purely for the leisure...Heathrow is currently handling about 10% of it's "normal" daily passenger figures..strip out those who probably have had justifiable reason to travel (work, serious family issues) and I'm not sure how many are left purely on their holidays..

Whatever the reason certainly from what I've heard recently from somebody who had to travel into the UK at long last the UK Gov are actively monitoring isolation at home ...

No I know of a family who went for a wedding, not to Pakistan but to India. However the OP was commenting on the sudden rush of Pakisnis leaving Pakistan. The point I was making was that the people I know went when allowed and for reason such as visiting parents who were dying and they had not seen in years. However there are some leisurely visits. I teach an indian pupil who has extended family that went away for a wedding. People are some how getting away, however not in troves.

It was reported earlier this week. 8,000 tourists a day are coming in.

@Tealightsandd

The whole UK 'quarantine' system is a farce. It's not quarantine if you can't magic yourself from the airport to your home. Majority of people, red, green, blue, purple, or yellow list, will use public transport - train or cab - to travel from the airport. That's after mixing with all the different coloured lists on flights and in the airport. As for giving people notice so that they can get back in time to spread covid (which was always a stupid thing and should never have happened for any country), it's clear the UK government doesn't understand what quarantine means and it's purpose.

Proper quarantine is what NZ, Australia, Vietnam, and other East Asian countries (some African ones too) have done or continue to do.

International travel and our open borders is our achilles heel in keeping cases down and new strains out.

Thank you for explaining what I was trying to get across.

This is the point exactly. It is irrelevant which country we are talking about, it’s the same for anyone coming back from any country with high numbers.

By all means return, but quarantine properly...

To all those asking why I mentioned Pakistan in the thread title.

It was because I read the article below. I’m sure it’s the same with all red list countries too.

To me it’s illogical to give warning to people to get back before a deadline due to numbers being high and feel that anyone who goes abroad should be prepared that they may need to quarantine in a hotel on return.

Passengers film scenes in Islamabad as hundreds race to reach UK

@Tealightsandd

It was reported earlier this week. 8,000 tourists a day are coming in.

I saw that report but TBH I'm a bit

Those were supposedly Border Force figures but that then begs the (fairly obvious?) question that if a Border Force Officer knows somebody is ATM attempting to enter the UK solely for tourist purposes why are they allowing that individual entry?

There's someting

...

There was nothing .....

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9452909/Passengers-film-chaotic-scenes-Islamabad-Airport-hundreds-race-reach-UK.html

Sorry link didn’t work

Ah, that explains it all. It's the Daily Mail. We believe everything it says, and there's no other truth to be told. Hmm, a notoriously divisive media source couldn't possibly have an agenda.

I’ve no doubt at all that it has an agenda and is deliberately inflammatory but that doesn’t alter the fact which remains that the government continues to give excessive notice to people who have travelled abroad during a pandemic (even if done legally) and allowed them to travel home and avoid hotel quarantine despite very high numbers.

It’s like the government haven’t learnt from doing this with Brazil, Spain, South Africa etc...

The government shouldn’t be allowing people to fly in and out without supervised quarantine. While mandating the rest of us to stay in our houses and not even go to the frigging shops!

Thing is are told we have herd immunity almost (whether that is true, who knows). Are we now saying we don't trust our vaccines to deal with different strains from other countries? Because, if that's the case, we are fucked - we really are.

Has Spain been added to the red list?!

NO

Why racist? How ridiculous.

the crowd scenes in Islamabad - being the DF I would question when they were filmed
On the QT its a very busy airport & from my past experience -rather chaotic at the best of times -queueing is NOT a national past time there &with people doing tests & extra security it will be a nightmare
As I said previously its the end of Easter holidays & families & rushing home to get back before than so there would be crowds
with families meeting & saying goodbye etc etc
NB do you remember those pictures of Heathrow (or was it Gatwick?)recently all though crowds ...

@savethegrannies

Thing is are told we have herd immunity almost (whether that is true, who knows). Are we now saying we don't trust our vaccines to deal with different strains from other countries? Because, if that's the case, we are fucked - we really are.

AFAIK there is no variant that is resistant to all vaccines, and I read that immunity from infection will protect against variants too. Unlike influenza, Coronaviruses generally do not mutate significantly (there will be some slight mutations) and Pfizer are confident their vaccine will protect against variants. Personally I think all this talk about variants is getting a bit ridiculous and is borderline fear mongering. Until there is solid evidence that a dangerous vaccine resistant variant is around we should not panic too much.

“being the DF I would question when they were filmed
On the QT “

Yes I agree, I never trust photos, including those of beaches in the summer which were made to look busier by the angle taken.

“its a very busy airport & from my past experience -rather chaotic at the best of times -queueing is NOT a national past time there &with people doing tests & extra security it will be a nightmare”

Yes and for that reason I hope everyone properly quarantines when they get back. Including not using public transport and sending kids back to school.

“Its the end of Easter holidays & families & rushing home to get back before than so there would be crowds “

Crowds and pandemics not a great combination. Or kissing goodbye. And most of us over here have not had an Easter holiday as we’ve been pretty much still locked down.....

I know a family that has come back from pakistan yesterday. Their kids will be at school on monday. Is the government going to check on that or do they just get away with it?

What a disgrace tbh. There have to be some civil responsibility but obviously some people are just ignorant and selfish.

I don't blame individuals. My finger is squarely pointed at the government who are allowing it to happen.

We had two choices over how to deal with the pandemic. The Australian/New Zealand/East Asia/African way - restricted borders and proper quarantine but mostly free to travel domestically with no or limited very short term lockdowns, or our way - open borders with no real quarantine and long term repeated lockdowns. Personally I'd have preferred the other option.