Indian variant - Is anyone else incredulous at Boris yet again having shut the stable door after the horse has bolted?!

Australia figures include people in hotel quarantine as well though, they are repatriating their own citizens from India but their quarantine is very strict so it’s unlikely it will get out of control there.

Haven’t we discussed this on another couple of threads? But my reaction is still the same: “Why did WE bloody bother ( doing as we were told)”

I agree with eazybee people need to take responsibility for themselves and not need constant government nannying.

I think that the risk is exaggerated because the PM and his scientific advisers are terrified at losing their hold over the public.
What do you mean by this, please? I may be misunderstanding your post, but are you saying that the government is enjoying having us under their control? I have heard this before, and don't really understand why they would want to have us all locked away, particularly when it is 'costing them' money, and so on.

Clearly, a compliant population is easier to deal with than a free-thinking one, and I do hope that some of the emergency legislation introduced on the back of the pandemic is repealed ASAP, but 'terrified of losing their hold' seems a step (or three) too far.

Well I’ve noticed that the varieties are always start in the same areas. So yes Boris should have shut down borders. But he didn’t but it also says a lot about the ppl in them areas because they obviously haven’t followed the rules like the rest of us have. But don’t forget ppl enter our country by dingy yes they bring in some but what about the ones that sneak into country that no one knows are here. They could have also brought it here. But it could also enter on an animal. If a virus wants to spread it will find a way. Also how many ppl are still sanitizer hands and trolleys. I was doing mine yesterday and the amount of ppl not was shocking and that included a store assistant.

Incredulous, yes, extremely angry, yes, surprised, no! I am also very upset. We haven’t seen our DD1 who lives in London since Christmas 2019 and we have booked a site in London to go next month in our motorhome. I am just hoping that this doesn’t put paid to our plans. We had to cancel last year when things started to rapidly go downhill. ????

Critical as I am of the way the government have handled the pandemic they do seem to have got people on board regarding lockdowns and mask wearing. The downside is that it was all done too late and resulted in deaths. We’ve all got used to mask wearing and social distancing, schoolchildren in particular seem to have just accepted it. I know my son tells me his two year old says ‘mask’ when he goes out! . If this is suddenly lifted in June it will be difficult to get people on side again. It’s a small price to pay for being able to meet up and socialise imo. Someone told me today that 150 people booked in for vaccinations down the coast decided to go to the beach instead as the weather was nice. Is it any wonder we’re in such a mess?

The reports from Heathrow are terrifying; all those people from different countries all crammed into the arrivals lounge, using the same toilets etc. India has been a strange case though; last year it seemed to be coping very well, even as people from the cities travelled back to remote villages, but suddenly in the past month or so it has blown up into the biblical plague that we are seeing daily in news reports. I know that there was unwise political rallies and religous gatherings, but surely these were happening last year as well? I am sure that this is baffling bigger brains than mine, but one thing is for sure, we should have closed entry a lot quicker than we did, and surely we could manage some sort of lane/filtering system at Heathrow or wherever to keep flights apart? It is not as if the airports are as bust as they used to be. Oh, and we didn't need those business people from India here during G7, they are not members, and we learned that at least 2 of the delegation tested positive for covid19 after arriving here.

27 flights came into Heathrow this morning in 4 hours. India, Bahrain, New York----as I've said before, I give up.

People aren't taking responsibility for themselves---they don't care. Why bother worrying ?

Nannashirlz

Well I’ve noticed that the varieties are always start in the same areas. So yes Boris should have shut down borders. But he didn’t but it also says a lot about the ppl in them areas because they obviously haven’t followed the rules like the rest of us have. But don’t forget ppl enter our country by dingy yes they bring in some but what about the ones that sneak into country that no one knows are here. They could have also brought it here. But it could also enter on an animal. If a virus wants to spread it will find a way. Also how many ppl are still sanitizer hands and trolleys. I was doing mine yesterday and the amount of ppl not was shocking and that included a store assistant.

Not true. The Kent variant was first identified in Kent (not surprisingly) and south Essex.

And there is absolutely no evidence that the virus has been brought by dinghy.

Let me think - what do people on dinghies and people in "them areas" have in common? Now, that's a difficult one!

farview

I live in Bolton...the vaccination roll out,I think,has been really good...the amount of people refusing to have the vaccine is the big problem here!!!!!....plus ,of course,people visiting, then returning here from India...

Interesting.
Do you think that those in the Asian community in Bolton will now have the vaccination, are they not worried by it all?

Whitewavemark2

“So in short the Indian variant might mean we don't return to normal for a much longer time. And the Indian variant is here because of Brexit and Boris Johnson's determination to make an eye catching trade deal with India. Well done everyone. Great job.”

Who are you quoting here? Not that I agree with it in any way.
The many Indian families within the UK travelling back and forth to India ( mainly for weddings and funerals lately) would have brought the variant back here regardless.
Pakistan was only closed (by our government) as a destination a couple of weeks ago, so even if India had been on the list at the same time, the variant would have arrived here, it only takes a few people to spread it into their communities.
Viruses mutate, it’s what they do, and this one hasn’t finished yet. Getting everyone to accept the vaccine is the only way we will be able to live with it.

You say ''The many Indian families within the UK travelling back and forth to India ( mainly for weddings and funerals lately) would have brought the variant back here regardless.''

how could they have brought it back if they had not been allowed to go back and forth ?

Families in the UK or in nearby Europe have NOT been allowed to go back and forth, or to attend funerals and weddings.

Atqui

Haven’t we discussed this on another couple of threads? But my reaction is still the same: “Why did WE bloody bother ( doing as we were told)”

Because we are adults? Although I may have got that wrong. May I ask how old you are?

Because it would have been classed as essential travel presumably, especially for funerals of family members.

Whitewavemark2

“So in short the Indian variant might mean we don't return to normal for a much longer time. And the Indian variant is here because of Brexit and Boris Johnson's determination to make an eye catching trade deal with India. Well done everyone. Great job.”

What, nothing whatsoever to do with Brexit, for goodness sake, next you’ll be saying Brexit caused COVID-19.

Am sure that somebody somewhere on a forum has already said that Lin ?

eazybee

No, I am incredulous at all the criminally stupid people who thought it was all right to fly to India knowing the pandemic was raging there, and then considered it was equally all right to return to Britain with a good chance of carrying the disease.
I am also incredulous at the number of people in the Bolton area who have steadfastly refused to take the vaccine, and are having to be persuaded to accept it.

My thoughts exactly, plus must agree the PM should have made India a red zone at the same time as Pakistan and Bangladesh.

EllanVannin

I'm soooo annoyed---selfishly, because I'm thinking of myself for once, in that having only had the one vaccination which made me so ill, and because of rank carelessness over our non-closure of borders/ airports etc, I'm torn between having/risking being ill again for a month by having a second jab or being " confined to barracks " for weeks to come.

I'm not a person to be forced to do anything I don't want to do but it annoys me that because of someone else's carelessness in not looking far enough ahead or studying pandemics that were all told to vaccinate vaccinate vaccinate.
It's not my fault that the virus entered the country !
Sorry, but I'm furious and would have closed off this small island of ours for 12 months !!

Think you have to thank all the travellers too, no way would I travel overseas during a pandemic.

Who are you quoting here? Not that I agree with it in any way.

Some random bloke on Twitter who calls himself Otto English and describes himself as a Professional Irritant. I'd call him something else. Oh, and he's got a book out.

IMO, there's no place for hyperbole on either side of an argument.

There’s a picture of Priti Patel having her first COVID vaccine this morning on the BBC news webpage. She met ministers from India last week when the delegation was in the UK - and she’s 49- odd.

Doodledog

*I think that the risk is exaggerated because the PM and his scientific advisers are terrified at losing their hold over the public.*
What do you mean by this, please? I may be misunderstanding your post, but are you saying that the government is enjoying having us under their control? I have heard this before, and don't really understand why they would want to have us all locked away, particularly when it is 'costing them' money, and so on.

Clearly, a compliant population is easier to deal with than a free-thinking one, and I do hope that some of the emergency legislation introduced on the back of the pandemic is repealed ASAP, but 'terrified of losing their hold' seems a step (or three) too far.

I think you are a conspiracy theorist with an axe to grind.

I live in Bolton and I believe everyone now in Bolton, no matter what age, can have the vaccine. There are massive queues at the vaccination centres. My 32 year old son is having his tomorrow hopefully. I am just hoping that this big vaccination drive will be successful. Bolton has been in lockdown for virtually 12 months now. Everyone I know has followed the rules and been extremely careful. It's so disheartening to be in this position now.

I do think the borders should have been shut much earlier but I also think people should take more personal responsibility and they should have isolated upon return to the UK.