Prime Minister to hold press conference at 16.00

Those who are member states of the EU are able to talk to each other through the various channels that are available to all, such as the EU Commission, EU Parliament and any of the various councils of ministers within the European Union structure.

Britain now not being a member of the EU does no longer have those facilities available to it to even discuss the ban on freight and people into and out of EU countries.

In times of crisis, the easy availability of communication is paramount. But of course, Britain wished to "Take Back Control,"

A number of EU countries and others within the Schengen area have temporarily reintroduced border controls.

ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/borders-and-visas/schengen/reintroduction-border-control_en

The UK was never in the Schengen area anyway.

Nezumi65

Maybees point (I assume) is that we were always told we had no control over our borders in the EU. When actually we always did (as they are demonstrating) ukandeu.ac.uk/we-can-control-eu-migration-we-just-havent-done-it/

It is written into European Union treaties that all members states have to allow the free flow of goods, services and people across all borders with other member states.

Of course, we are no longer members of the European Union and therefore their member states can now close their borders to incoming and outgoing goods, services and people from the United Kingdom.

In that, we no longer can appeal those closures to the European Commission, European Parliament or any of the councils of ministers.

Perhaps we are now learning just what it means to break or even weaken Britain's ties with our nearest neighbours and the worlds largest trading bloc.

Maybees point (I assume) is that we were always told we had no control over our borders in the EU. When actually we always did (as they are demonstrating) ukandeu.ac.uk/we-can-control-eu-migration-we-just-havent-done-it/

I thought the French weren't letting our lorries in because of our new variant virus

Strange isn’t it. I thought brexit was all about controlling our borders and yet the EU seems to be controlling their borders ....

GoldenAge

The mutation will be all over Europe like a rash in just another week - the traffic queuing up at the port of Dover because of Brexit is ridiculous, with some drivers sitting in their cabs in jams for up to ten hours is a perfect breeding ground for all sorts of interesting bugs from Europe - Kent is only the place where it was found in numbers and if you ask me it's the port that's allowed it - it's not rocket science. It beggars belief that we have a buffoon for a PM who has been so indecisive as to be comical. His performance at the briefing? Weak as usual.

Although they seem to be shutting Europe to us now. I see Eurostar stops at 11pm tonight and we can't fly to many places in Europe now.

I agree that truck drivers in miles of queues with no toilet facilities isn't exactly ideal....

I'm not missing the point at all. JCVI haven't actually said what will happen after Phase 1. In fact they said this in early December:

As the first phase of the programme is rolled out in the UK, additional data will become available on the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines. These data will provide the basis for consideration of vaccination in groups that are at lower risk of mortality from COVID-19. The Committee is currently of the view that the key focus for the second phase of vaccination could be on further preventing hospitalisation.

So obviously wait and see.

No, I haven't heard that before.

AJKW

I’m astonished people believe everything the government tells them. With a 98.85% survival rate surely it’s right to allow people to live normally whilst protecting and providing for the vulnerable.

I’m so glad I’m not alone in my thinking. Reading through posts on here I’m astonished that so many are blindly believing ‘the science’, ie. Whitty and Valances pronouncements. Does nobody remember the falsely inflated statistics that were presented recently that sent us into needless lockdown at the beginning of November?

The mutation will be all over Europe like a rash in just another week - the traffic queuing up at the port of Dover because of Brexit is ridiculous, with some drivers sitting in their cabs in jams for up to ten hours is a perfect breeding ground for all sorts of interesting bugs from Europe - Kent is only the place where it was found in numbers and if you ask me it's the port that's allowed it - it's not rocket science. It beggars belief that we have a buffoon for a PM who has been so indecisive as to be comical. His performance at the briefing? Weak as usual.

You really are missing the point I think Nezumi65 when it comes to vulnerable groups, of course they will offer the vaccine to the next most eligible people if the uptake is low - but say it’s 70%, that leaves 30% unvaccinated so still vulnerable.
Vaccination is about protecting the individual initially, but once they get more supplies it will be rolled out very quickly and ultimately it is likely to be offered to everybody over 16 who wants it - they are saying it’s unnecessary for under 16s, but are looking at using it for very vulnerable children as well, under trials now. My children are in their twenties, and both will want it ASAP, even if it’s only of marginal benefit and they have to pay, as with the flu vaccine - I can see it being developed to be given as part of the same annual vaccination programme ultimately.

No. Not touched a nerve. I just don’t see the point of all the vitriol (in general, not talking about you) aimed at people who don’t want to accept the vaccination yet/ever when at the moment we don’t even know what the long plans are for the whole population.

I’m more interested in increasing the priority order for people with learning disabilities - who have a much higher death rate than those without - than whether people are deciding they don’t want it.

No, but a lot of the trouble we are in now is because of lack of forward planning or thinking about policy until the last minute, so now is as good a time as any to consider the way ahead.

Also, my post was aimed at all ages. The school comment was just one part of a larger whole - have I touched a nerve? The principle applies to any places where large numbers of people are in close contact for any length of time.

I won't be making policy, though, so I'm simply musing, which is all any of us can do in posts like this.

Well most parents won’t be offered it until September or later anyway.

They’re not currently vaccinating to reduce spread - if they were they would not be starting with the over 80’s, they would be vaccinating teachers and workers. They are currently vaccinating to protect those most likely to become ill from it. At the moment we don’t even know whether that will remain the vaccination policy (as it largely is for flu), or whether they will move to prioritising spread.

Until then there really is no point grumbling about people who refuse the vaccination - they’re not making any difference to anything at the moment and depending on policy may not in the future.

Sorry, even HOW true!

Whitewavemark2
You have heard of Trump, haven't you?

The most sensible thing I have heard about this Pandemic is as follows ‘the virus doesn’t move, people move the virus’ now true!

No, but banning the children of parents who refused would, which is what I said. If a child picks it up from an unvaccinated parent they can still pass it on to others.

There are no plans to vaccinate under 16s yet doodledog. So I don’t think banning people from school would make much sense.

We simply don't know, yet, how long immunity will last after vaccination. It could well need a yearly repeat.

I've heard that there may be no plans to vaccinate younger adults - it's still to be decided.

Of course, we'll rely on worldwide vaccination for effective herd immunity. That's a huge underlying problem.

Sparklefizz

Mrsdof

Why the hell are we still allowing people in and out of the country? My son lives in Melbourne and anyone arriving there is put on a bus and taken to a hotel where they have to self isolate for 2 weeks at their own expense. Their rate is now very low, so it obviously works! This is what we should have done back in March, we are a small island and should have closed our borders immediately instead of allowing all and sundry to arrive at airports and then travel all over the country spreading it far and wide. Unbelievably stupid.

Because we are too bloomin' liberal, that's why!

Well, I would much rather live in a liberal society than one where I was constantly told what to do. I don't think a liberal approach to government is a bad thing, but it only works if people take personal responsibility. That's a whole other thread, though.

All the same, whilst I wouldn't make vaccines compulsory, I would restrict the ability of refusers to go to public places. No state schools for their children, no hospital treatment, no staying in hotels, travelling on planes, trains or buses with the vaccinated and so on. I respect their right to decide against having a vaccine, but not their right to infect people who have take precautions.

Anyone who decided to wait to see whether the vaccine has side effects should have the same restrictions applied after they have had the vaccine for the length of time they refused one, so that they can't treat the rest of us as lab rats, or wait until they want to fly (or do something else from which they have been excluded) to get it.

So worry about it in a year to 18 months , not now.

By which time we may know how many need to be vaccinated and whether herd immunity is even going to be possible with this particular virus

It won’t cause more deaths - because they will just give the next person on the list their vaccine earlier. Whether or not people are refusing the vaccination only makes a difference when everyone who is going to be offered one of given one.

I don’t agree with you, it’s really important for those at greatest risk to be vaccinated as soon as they are offered the chance, delaying will result in more deaths and long term effects. It won’t be any comfort to their loved ones that they chose to ‘wait and see’.