Britain officially no longer in a pandemic

Until it is under control in other countries, any travel keeps us all at risk. I am not trying to be gloomy be suggesting there will be another wave once people start flying around the world again, just realistic. Although the current vaccines are a brilliant achievement, they will need to keep up the good work to adjust them for new variants, and keep a regular programme going to keep us safe.
Meanwhile I am enjoying the sunshine, have had my hair cut, been to the opticians and bought new underwear since having my second jab.

Strange that they have been quicker to say it isn’t a pandemic than they were to acknowledge that it was one last year (and I realise that was the fault of the WHO although it was patently obvious to everyone else).

Hallelujah. Deep feeling of satisfaction here.

Definition of a pandemic:

an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area (such as multiple countries or continents) and typically affects a significant proportion of the population

The first half of the sentence remains true, as does the second half for most countries, but it is not affecting a significant proportion of this Country, or indeed of places like Israel and Gibraltar. We need a worldwide effort to get as many people vaccinated as possible, as quickly as possible.

I don't think the pandemic is over but can appreciate the effort, the progress, the politics, the criticism and golden shafts of springtime sun.

Esspee you really cannot tell people what to think or do and expect them to comply; why should they if they don't agree with your standpoint? Throwing all care to the wind will probably not "cheer up some of our more anxious members".

Thank you Alegrias1; all links very interesting. I think the Good Morning Britain on Twitter may be the one GrannyGravy13 (Fri 23-Apr-21 12:14:27) refers to. The introductory comment is "Professor Sarah Walker has said Britain has moved from a pandemic to an endemic, ..." This interview seems to show her desperately covering herself.

Although the quoted articles are inappropriately worded in my view, we do have some reason to be pleased but no reason for us not continuing to be as cautious as we can be as there is still a pandemic and still mutations of the virus. However, as I have said before, I am happy to heap praise to the NHS and the international scientists, who exchanged knowledge in ways we have never seen before, which enabled to rich countries to work towards a successful vaccine rollout. Here's hoping we can roll it out in other, poorer countries before we have other strains.

Esspee

I posted this as a bit of positive news to cheer up some of our more anxious members. Let’s celebrate a little good news after a dire year and leave politics and negativity out of it.

It is a like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day Esspee

Esspee

I posted this as a bit of positive news to cheer up some of our more anxious members. Let’s celebrate a little good news after a dire year and leave politics and negativity out of it.

Thank you for posting Esspee.
I did not think for one moment you wanted the good news to get trodden down with politics and criticisms.

I posted this as a bit of positive news to cheer up some of our more anxious members. Let’s celebrate a little good news after a dire year and leave politics and negativity out of it.

I assume the Covid alert level for the UK will go from 4 to 3 at some point soon then, probably May 17, if that milestone is triggered.

It’s a completely different situation in WA though pinkquartz. It’s an airport worker who’s had both vaccinations who tested positive, and the lockdown is a precautionary one for three days. We don’t go to that extreme in the UK to prevent spread, but hopefully all the returners from India will quarantine as they should, and will take further tests as required - there’s no reason why they wouldn’t, I’m sure they are all so grateful to be home given how serious the situation is in India.

we are having many thousands of travellers back from India today,a country where Covid is out of control.

It will only need one person with the Indian varient to change the numbers back here to much higher.

This pandemic is just that a pandemic and I fear the numbers rising again if people stop being so careful.

I watched the news footage in India with horror and sadness. It is a beautiful country but not one with an organized health care system in place. If I was there I would hurry back here also but that does make the UK more vulnerable again.

Just one person has started Covid off in Western Austrailia. It was a person who had quarentined but then gone out into the local community and now the Perth are has to hvae lockdown.

It’s very encouraging that the vaccine take up in this country is still very high even though we are now vaccinating those in their forties who might not feel particularly susceptible.

The French apparently are much more vaccine resistant which, along with their slow rollout doesn’t bode well at all.

Canada are in a terrible mess, pandemic wise. I wonder how many people won’t bother being vaccinated if they think the pandemic is over? Covid wise, countries can turn on the drop of a hat. Look at India and Japan.

Agree Pippa. I thought the term endemic was when an infection was restricted to a specific country and pandemic when it’s worldwide, as with Covid. So what’s changed? We can’t say we’ll never have another wave in the UK. Very cautiously optimistic here.

And ‘endemic’ is pretty rubbish. Not much to celebrate about that imo

Great news. I’m having my second jab on Sunday and Mr. B’s is in a few weeks time. We will carry on being careful but feel much more optimistic ?

Daisymae

So it's a global pandemic, with the exception of the UK? How does that work then?

Well, we’ve got what a lot of people have wanted for a long time. Little Britain. Was it announced on St Goerges Day by any chance? Cynical? Moi?

Fake vaccines? My God. Some criminals will stop at nothing. Scum.

I saw her interviewed on TV this morning.
Along with saying that U.K. was now at endemic numbers, she also said that Covid is here to stay and by vaccines, boosters we (the world) will live with it like we do influenza and other viruses.

Good news indeed, hopefully the rest of the world can crack on with vaccination programmes.

Incidentally fake Pfizer vaccines have been found in Poland and Mexico. The Dark Web is selling vaccines for $1,800.

Wonderful news isn't it. Thanks for the thread Esspee. We're not 'out of the woods' yet but this is the best news we've had for more than a year.

I don't think we're out of the woods until its under control over the whole world.
Just got my appointment for 2nd vaccine and very glad of it. I'll continue to do my small part in keeping the virus under control.

Here you go PippaZ, this is what I found.

twitter.com/GMB/status/1385485433006698497

Interestingly, also found this:

We're out of the pandemic, says expert.

No we're not, says another expert on the same program.

www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/gmbs-dr-amir-khan-urges-23966880

This, maybe?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-56731801

Apparently, according to DT paper this morning, not pandemic, but CV19 has become endemic.
The vaccination programme has been stupendous, so why the caution?