The penny has dropped

We have to wait months for more accurate worldwide figures. Maybe not for a year or more

I'm not saying that as a Tory vote either.

But the fact is Italy reacted quickly yet it didn't stop the deaths

There are so many variables

Italy has an excellent health service as well

This virus isn't going away any time soon. It's attacking certain sections of society. A unique state of affairs

Ours will beat it

Just one thing. There is nothing simple about this. It's not just a case of entering lockdown too late or whatever

Look to Italy.

First country in Europe to impose a lockdown

Closed their borders

But have a massive death rate

The testing is not coming into force until the end of the month for people arriving in the U.K. via the borders. The Home Secretary has been in touch with her counterpart in France re. the number os immigrants arriving in England illegally. Coronvirus is spreading in the camps in Calais apparently, I'm not sure if this is here say.

This is all too late. Even the people who have come into the country have been very surprised that they could just walk out of the airport get onto public transport and go wherever they like. They were given no advice whatsoever.

What IS the point? We have a higher rate here than nearly anywhere. We're far more likely to give it to them than get it from them.

What I want to know is where are all these people who are flying in coming from, and why? I know that there are still some people who have been stranded abroad, but that can't account for the large numbers of passengers we are told about, surely. Are there still people flying for business, or even worse, holidays?

Also, the airlines and airports seem to think that this quarantining is going to have a serious impact on their businesses - why? And is that any reason to endanger the rest of us by not imposing the quarantining which should have been in place for months now?

(Is quarantining a word and if so, have I spelt it wrongly? It doesn't look right - but I'm sure you know what I mean )

I find it appalling that we had two weeks notice from Italy and an Island where we can monitor our borders we have the second highest death rate in the world.

Remember the first cases in Wuhan, when Brits were there on arrival in the UK they were put in quarantine in the Wirral? Why not for other people who were travelling in Italy when the virus hit there?

I am appalled we haven't managed the borders. So many people staying at home, to see people fly in unchecked!!

Moving away from the airport scenario but countries that are controlling the pandemic quite well are, when it comes to supermarkets, having people put hand sanitisers on peoples hands as they enter, taking temperatures, wiping trollies between customers and implementing social distancing. Oh, and everyone has to wear a mask. Not sure which countries I'm referring to. And not sure what measures are being taken here as I stopped shopping a long time ago.

I think that a few people on this thread need to stop and think 'There, but for the grace of God, go I'.

I’m so saddened at “our” extremely poor response. Too little far too late.

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

But it's the libertarian right-wingers who re shouting about infringement of personal freedom. They're not renowned for concern about human rights and racism.

The really bizarre thing is that one of the mantras that Johnson used to spout about sovereignty was “we will take control of our borders”

The one thing he didn’t do amongst others was

“Take control of our borders”

Odd that.

“Human rights and racism”

Not in this governments case.

Johnson is far more concerned with small government and as a result he hangs back from decisions such as this.

That is why we are always later than most countries.

Nothing to do with human rights.

Chrwbacca
Agreed.

Agreed Oscaroll.
Why bother about upsetting those whose paranoia about freedom of movement etc. gets in the way of the health of the majority ?
It wouldn't have bothered me to have ordered shutting down the whole country from January, we wouldn't have had all this nonsense now, as it is nonsense. Next month will mark over 6 months of this KNOWN virus !

The reason they don’t do it is the usual one which outweighs every sensible way forward for this country: the cry of racism and human rights being infringed. That’s why they don’t take these decisions. Other countries don’t seem to be weighed down by this in the way that our country is. Terrified of offending someone, hence nothing is ever done.

And how soon before one of bleaters comes up with 'uman rights being infringed?
The numbers game is pointless, no two countries are recording in the same way or even the same thing, comparisons are odious, the true figures will never be known.

The issue of people coming into the UK, by whatever means of transport, and being tested/quarantined was discussed on a previous thread on GN a few days ago. In the 3 months before lockdown 18.1 million people came into this country. Of those just 273 were formally tested and quarantined.

I don't agree that we can't compare the UK with New Zealand/Australia; if we had been as proactive as they've been we wouldn't still be having hundreds of new cases reported every day. New Zealand has had zero new cases for over a week now, as a direct result of closing its borders to the rest of the world. It's lunacy to say that well start to take action but not until the end of the month. What's the point of that? We should have acted weeks ago.

Far too many people enter this country without any checks of any kind. We came back from holiday beginning March just as it was all starting to kick off. No checks at Gatwick, everybody just breezed straight through as normal. No matter where they had landed from. In Australia you were quarantined for 14 days on entry. The airports were locked down pretty quickly too, hence they’ve not had it so bad over there.

Ignore my ramblings about the Republic of Ireland.

They already have a 14 day quarantine in place for incoming travellers.

So providing that remains in place the loopholes I was waffling on about won’t actually exist.

We have been too slow to act on pretty much everything we’ve done, so I agree with you Oldbat1.

In my opinion this should have been done two, three or more months ago. Eighteen million people entered Britain just before and around the time the virus took hold in Britain. Fifteen thousand a week were entering during our (loose) lockdown. Scientists think the virus most common here came from Italy and Europe, apparently there are three strains of the virus, A,B, and C although all closely linked.
I’m not convinced any government would have behaved much differently, but we will never know that.

This is still not due to happen until the end of May!!!! So yet again we are at the coo’s tail. What don’t the government understand.