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Coronavirus

Plague Island!

(95 Posts)
Daisymae Tue 22-Dec-20 14:29:49

www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/22/worlds-media-ask-how-it-went-so-wrong-for-plague-island-britain-covid this is how Britain is being portrayed around the world. Not sure that it's quite fair but there you go.

Smileless2012 Tue 22-Dec-20 14:34:20

Not fair at all. Thankfully our media were more sympathetic when cases were rampant in other countries.

Shinamae Tue 22-Dec-20 14:35:04

Words fail me.....??

GrannyGravy13 Tue 22-Dec-20 14:39:15

As the variant of Covid-19 has been found in multiple EU Countries and Australia seems over sensationalist.

Pantglas2 Tue 22-Dec-20 14:40:40

I remember when France had 80,000+ cases in one day not so very long ago! Short memories indeed!

Lollin Tue 22-Dec-20 14:44:28

Isn't it all true? Isn't it only what UK papers have been saying? Are there any other islands whose figures are as bad as ours?
It is all very sad.

Smileless2012 Tue 22-Dec-20 14:47:16

It's true that our numbers are rising yes, but 'plague island'!!! have UK papers described the UK as plague island?

varian Tue 22-Dec-20 15:00:27

More than 1500 lorries are currently queuing in Kent

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55405299

Parsley3 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:06:13

It is sobering to see ourselves as others see us.

Daisymae Tue 22-Dec-20 15:07:28

I think its the combination of things, especially Brexit, brought to a head by the closure of the French border as the hundreds of lorries are so visible. Plus the new variant, which is already in other countries and who knows where it originated from. But we have not been able to control the infection rate so have allowed the variant to develop. Going to take a while to rebuild our reputation.

Isa66 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:10:57

It seems a lot of countries have a very short memory... after all, it was not so many years ago that ‘Plague Island’ was virtually fighting alone to save the freedom of others...not that I can remember the 2nd world war but I’m sure the Brits will dig deep and find the good old grit to see it through, with or without fresh salads!!

GillT57 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:16:20

From what I have read, the reports are more critical of our pathetic government and their shambolic handling of the virus, rather than criticism of the people ourselves. There are many reports for example, that the government was alerted to the new variant a good while before they were forced to release the news, potentially a good while after people had unwittingly spread it everywhere including other countries. Can you imagine the fury of the xenophobic British Press if France announced a new more contagious variant a couple of weeks after their lorry drivers had been in and out of Dover?

Kim19 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:18:49

And to think I mentally celebrated the fact that we were an island when all this was really kicking off in March. Much good it did us.

trueblue22 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:26:20

It's The Guardian. That paper is hardly going to publish anything positive about how the country is run atm.

trueblue22 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:27:27

Well said isa66 !

trueblue22 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:30:34

grannygravy13 ....and in South Africa apparently

Casdon Tue 22-Dec-20 15:30:52

Your site name gives you away trueblue22, I think we’d have guessed you’d say that about the Guardian!

Lucretzia Tue 22-Dec-20 15:33:08

They'll need to change tune now. The EU has ordered these European countries to drop this travel ban .

GrannyGravy13 Tue 22-Dec-20 15:34:35

varian

More than 1500 lorries are currently queuing in Kent

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55405299

Most of the drivers are French along with other EU drivers, Macron is basically stopping EU citizens from returning home.

Macrons fault not the UKs

GagaJo Tue 22-Dec-20 16:03:18

The UK, and to a large extent, the British people scare me. Populist government, when we need strong leaders and a population with a large minority who think they are the exception (as exemplified by the royals travelling around, politicians using public transport, idiots arguing against masks and on and on).

Ellianne Tue 22-Dec-20 16:28:17

That lot "over there" are not very good at commiserating when things get rough.
I've had two WhatsApp messages today from different friends:
"Quelle horreur que cette situation chez vous!"
C'est dûr, dûr, dûr pour vous."
Blimey, don't hold back! "Plague island" indeed. Camus' La Peste springs to mind!

Then, when I enquired how Macron was, the reply was "un peu fatigué".
Nothing like Boris's at death's door reports.

It's all down to how our own media lay us open to criticism. A lack of pride, maybe?

lemongrove Tue 22-Dec-20 17:02:22

It’s the British papers, they’ve always been the same.....take whatever they say with a bucketload of salt.
Even better, stop reading and believing them.

Callistemon Tue 22-Dec-20 17:11:01

lemongrove

It’s the British papers, they’ve always been the same.....take whatever they say with a bucketload of salt.
Even better, stop reading and believing them.

We are told that frequently on GN are we not!

The EU Commission says:
In a statement the Commission said while "all non-essential travel to and from the UK should be discouraged", other "essential travel and transit of passengers should be facilitated".
"Flight and train bans should be discontinued given the need to ensure essential travel and avoid supply chain disruptions," it added

Callistemon Tue 22-Dec-20 17:13:33

GagaJo

The UK, and to a large extent, the British people scare me. Populist government, when we need strong leaders and a population with a large minority who think they are the exception (as exemplified by the royals travelling around, politicians using public transport, idiots arguing against masks and on and on).

Yes, we really should have followed the Chinese in how to tackle this.
Don't report it for a start.

growstuff Tue 22-Dec-20 17:15:18

Lucretzia

They'll need to change tune now. The EU has ordered these European countries to drop this travel ban .

The EU can't order the sovereign countries to do anything.