The end of coronavirus restrictions could be delayed by more than a month, a health minister conceded this morning

[PicsInRed]

This is from The Times today - we're already today being warned by government sources that this could drag on well beyond July 19, including possibly further "lockdown"! How does everyone else feel about this? I feel wearily unsurprised, and simultaneously angry at the directionless, incompetent drift of it all.

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/19e03dea-cc88-11eb-9bfa-a3bc386e6928?shareToken=5cc2ada8bfe2082b7a4b85703fdf8c17

The end of coronavirus restrictions could be delayed by more than a month, a health minister conceded this morning.

Edward Argar said it was “possible” that restrictions could be extended again beyond July 19 as Boris Johnson prepares to announce a delay this evening.

The prime minister will appeal to the nation to be patient when he sets out the case for delay at a Downing Street press conference.

The move has angered Conservative backbenchers, with Sir Charles Walker, vice chairman of the 1922 Committee, saying he now has an “overwhelming sense of pessimism” that Covid restrictions will continued into 2022.

“If you can’t lift restrictions at the height of summer, and we are in the height of summer, then you almost certainly are looking at these restrictions persisting and tightening into the autumn and winter,” he told BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme. “We were told we were going to live with Covid-19 and it now looks like most of the remaining of this year, and certainly the first half of next year, will probably end up with some form of lockdown.”

Really @MaybeCrazy2? There surely can't be anywhere near their normal summer schedule happening?

There's 5 departures and 5 arrivals today at my local airport and they're all short haul 'out and back' trips for the crew.

@AuntieStella

I would guess that those supplying ppe and testing equipment as well as any residual private tracing resource/software will be raking it in, also banks, real estate industry and supermarkets. There's a mixture of profit and also elimitation of competitors

That's really not enough that to offset a tanking of the economy in general. Nor does it explain any of the global aspects

Those making money care about where THEY are making money. A crash in the economy merely affords further opportunity to arbitrage some value somewhere.

Globally, there is a huge movement ar the top to address climate change - for their own children...but only ordinary people are to change habits, travel less and experience less variety and comfort. Not their own families and friends. Private jets to Cornwall G7 etc.

@BarbaraofSeville

Really *@MaybeCrazy2*? There surely can't be anywhere near their normal summer schedule happening?

There's 5 departures and 5 arrivals today at my local airport and they're all short haul 'out and back' trips for the crew.

There's certainly absolutely nothing like a normal schedule for long haul or short haul flights running out of either of the two the UK airports I'm most familiar with.

However unfortunately from what I've heard from those that have had to travel that fact doesn't stop queues forming/it appearing busy, sometimes down to a convergence of flights at the same time, often couple with reduced manning causing choke points/congestion at things like security (outbound) or Border (inbound).

Yes really. 21 flights from 8pm-11pm last night. (Obviously some of those were crew flights, but only a handful). Also all 21 wasn’t full (due to social distancing) but 21 in a few hours is a lot. He does work at a “main” airport though.

To give that some context though whether 21 movements in three hours is busy, a "lot" or not depends on the airport you are referring too ( and I hasten to add I'm not digging for further info or saying anybody should be outing where they or their partners work).

Just to provide comparison in normal times at a major airport such at Heathrow you'd be looking at perhaps 40 plus departures an hour, more if Air Traffic could manage it, so certainly 21 departures in three hours at that major airport wouldn't be much to write about.

Factor in (as you say) crew only/cargo flights, and also reduced loads on some flights due demand or due social distancing some airlines engage in and you can see why the industry is definitely not running at anything like a profitable level.