So angry at the Government this evening

[Moonme]

I’m SO mad. I haven’t been on this board for months and I was feeling really optimistic about life feeling like it was returning to normal.
It is criminal that they have let this variant in. It’s literally ground hog day. Playing politics with public health to do trade deals (because of bloody Brexit) with India.
I know there is hope that the vaccines will do there jobs but we shouldn’t be in this position. This wasn’t inevitable. Arggh so cross

I thought Xenia was a poster with 5 children?! Seems odd to complain about overcrowding

That would be an irony overload! :D

So what if he does have a speech impediment? What has that got to do with anything?

Because it would explain his inability to get his words out and confused word salad speeches. I know Joe Biden has a speech impediment and works hard to minimise it and speak fluently.

@DenisetheMenace

Today 09:15 Thefourbells

Do all the people saying "oh but there won't be any serious illness now the vulnerable have been vaccinated so does it matter if cases spread" genuinely think they know better than a group of scientists working at the highest level confused

I find it baffling.“

It’s not just “the vulnerable” who have been vaccinated. They are calling 30 year olds where we are (in the NW).
Yes, infection rates are rising but serious cases and hospitalisation aren’t, so the vaccine programme IS doing all we had hoped for and more.
My CEV husband and I, worst still our youngest who still lives at home, spent the past year shielding in strict lockdown, we followed every rule and will do so as long as they are required.
The balance has tipped now though . We owe younger people so much for all they’ve given up. Businesses can’t carry on with this stop/start regime , lives and livelihoods are at risk. Nearly half a million people have been waiting for over a year for their surgeries. Half a million, many in agony and distress every single day. Those surgeries will take years to catch up with.

Every scientist I have heard speaking on the Today Programme, Newsnight etc. has confirmed that hospitalisations are not increasing because of the India variant and that it is likely that whilst the vaccine may be less efficacious against new strains, they believe in the evidence they have seen so far that they will offer good protection. Of course, we need data but that will be available within weeks. New vaccines are being worked on now and will be available by autumn, possibly to be delivered with the annual ‘flu vaccines.

The balance has shifted and the economy, livelihoods and the well being of our young people are far more at risk now than the NHS and the population is from Covid. Those who are still vulnerable to more aggressively transmitted strains because they have chosen not to be vaccinated must come to terms with the consequences of their choice and not expect others to take up the slack.
I am very sympathetic to those who are unable to take vaccines but again, the majority can’t be expected to live severely restricted lives forever because of that.
(My husband has a life threatening genetic condition, it can be set of by any infection, he is allergic to the ‘flu jab so every winter we hunker down and keep away from people, no-one’s fault, that’s life).

I'm sorry but we dont all owe younger ppl anything. Everyone has suffered through this.

The ppl we owe are the nhs staff and ppl that worked through it. All those who worked to produce the vaccines and the volunteers who allowed them to be tested on.

Some posters really need to get a grip.

Life exits beyond MN...try it.

@HouseofWindsor

There's some communities that need to pull their finger out and comply with the Government restrictions and measures.

The Government know who this communities are. However to mitigate risk they still allowed communities to freely travel back and fore to see family etc.

Blame Government AND communities in the hotspot areas.

Yes exactly and instead of taking measures to ensure these communities comply they’re tieing themselves in knots trying to keep everyone happy and letting the virus spread.

I'm sorry but we dont all owe younger ppl anything.

I'm very aware of what younger people have lost due to covid lockdowns to protect the elderly. I feel a debt of gratitude to them and I hope they won't be burdened by the cost forever.

Well I just hope Boris can say the word U-turn! I think there has to be one, it is make or break time for the third wave, and by letting Monday's relaxing go ahead, it is making the third wave.
Shame it is not a Mexican variant, so that we could talk about 'a Mexican wave'!!!
We only need to keep restrictions as they are for a tiny bit longer whilst we go to town on getting the rest of the adults their first doses.
This is our last chance to stop a further devastating wave.
Long Covid is already a huge problem, and apart from deaths a further wave will create a load more Long Covid cases for the young too. Not enough emphasis is placed on Long Covid, it may be we need adverts of people of all ages who are suffering from this to get it across.
The NHS really need a chance to sort of the backlog of non covid patients.
An unhealthy population is an unhealthy economy

@Julia001

People in red countries are flying to turkey etc to be able to get flights back - I know this for a fact , but let’s blame the government , of course it’s their fault , I doubt that any other government could have done any better - this is a once in a lifetime situation, everyone is still learning.

Yes I know this too, but surely border control should be all over it?

Is it so hard to enforce a rule that people cannot get on a plane without some sort of qr code which links to their planned flight locations, test details and quarantine hotel booking reference ?

@Standrewsschool

Out of curiosity, why is the Kent version called Kent, and not British variant?

Because apparently the first cases were in Kent.

@BigWoollyJumpers

Indian immigrants whose family regularly go back and forth to India

But this has always been the issue. International travel was banned unless for "exceptional" circumstances. A BA pilot of our aquaintance brought back a full flight from India in April, full of family who had gone out for a "third cousin twice removed" kind of wedding, with "family" from around the globe. It isn't surprising that certain areas have never been out of lockdown when they don't take things seriously. They were all UK residents, and should have gone into isolation, did they? Obviously not.

If they had all gone straight to a quarantine hotel it would have been contained.

Why oh why did they give so much notice to return?

And why can’t I visit my dm who lives at the other end of the country, but these people have been able to fly half way round the world??

Perhaps we should really be angry with the individuals who came back to the UK from high risk areas who refused to quarantine, either at home or in an hotel, knowing that by not doing so, they risked spreading variants. ( Oh, forgive me, that's not politically correct or woke enough to say, is it ?!) It's so easy to lay the blame at the door of the Government, and believe me, I think they've made many mistakes; but at the end of the day, it's us, as individuals, who have the most influence on how this virus progresses, and as long as there are people who think "I'm alright Jack, it's other people's responsibilities, not mine, it won't matter if little old me ignores the rules, what difference will it make if I mix with family and friends even though I've been in a country/area with high Covid levels?", then things will never settle down. Blaming the government is easy, but acknowledging that we, as individuals, have a huge part to play, is probably much more difficult, especially as it might impinge on what we want to be able to do with our lives - yet by being selfish all that is going to happen is a prolonging of restrictions

I fully expect to be shot down in flames now, but frankly, don't care.

@Frequentflier

Most immigrants fly back once a year to see their families. Please direct your ire at the influencers who dash off to Dubai or Europe every month. You were calling for people to stay in the villages they were born. If that is not an anti-immigrant sentiment, I don't know what is.

My ire is directed at anyone who chose to travel abroad when it was/is illegal. (Unless a direct relation was dying).

All of us like to travel home once/twice a year if we live away from family, but some of us (me included) have not been able to for months even though family are in this country. (Too far away for a day trip and limited by tier system).

We have complied fully as we believe it is the responsible thing to do but it makes my blood boil to see these flights full of people who don’t believe in doing things for the greater good.

@Greenshed

Perhaps we should really be angry with the individuals who came back to the UK from high risk areas who refused to quarantine, either at home or in an hotel, knowing that by not doing so, they risked spreading variants. ( Oh, forgive me, that's not politically correct or woke enough to say, is it ?!) It's so easy to lay the blame at the door of the Government, and believe me, I think they've made many mistakes; but at the end of the day, it's us, as individuals, who have the most influence on how this virus progresses, and as long as there are people who think "I'm alright Jack, it's other people's responsibilities, not mine, it won't matter if little old me ignores the rules, what difference will it make if I mix with family and friends even though I've been in a country/area with high Covid levels?", then things will never settle down. Blaming the government is easy, but acknowledging that we, as individuals, have a huge part to play, is probably much more difficult, especially as it might impinge on what we want to be able to do with our lives - yet by being selfish all that is going to happen is a prolonging of restrictions

Well said

What happened to the South African variant and the Brazil variant?

Where are they now?

I believe they are about but not spreading anywhere near as fast as the Indian variant

That's what we're being told, is it? Everything about them seems to have gone silent.

My point is - this is probably a big fuss about nothing.

It all comes down to the how quickly the Indian variant is able to transmit compared to the other variants. If it only transmits 20% more quickly, then it seems things won't be too bad, but if it transmits anything above 40% more quickly than our other variants in circulation, then we are in trouble.
The gov need to hang on, with restrictions as they are, until we know the percentage.

I think they will carry on with next stage and assess what the damage is during the next 4 weeks. That will determine 21st June.

The scientists suspect it could be 50|% more transmissible, I think Chris Whitty knows it is not looking good, it was written all over his face.

If it is 50% more transmissible, I would have thought by the 21st June, there will be no turning back, and a lot of damage set in.....a lot can happen a 4 weeks or so.

Forgive the gloom!
I am still not sure bringing the 12 weeks forward to 8 weeks is the best action, I can't help thinking perhaps put all focus on those unvaccinated.

@SonnetForSpring

I'd say it's written all over Whittys face personally.

I thought this too.

I've been getting increasingly concerned this last week, I've been so looking forward to meeting friends for a wander round museums/galleries and a cake and coffee.

Reading between the lines, didn't Chris Witty say that they expect the Indian variant to become the dominant one and overtake the Kent. So the next 4 weeks I'm guessing will give it more freedom to establish itself widely into population and that's how it'll become the dominant one

Déjà vu same old same old! Masks on and keep your head down as the bumpy next wave rolls in! Very predictable and never any lessons learnt as forever pandering to unsustainable short termism rather than long term containment and a post pandemic prospect saving more lives and livelihoods! Will the floodgates continue to be government scantioned to relax further multiple and international mixing despite the potentially detrimental impacts of vaccine challenging variants of doom!?