Let us hope that Johnson has finally learned some lessons.

maddyone

I thought you meant vaccine complacency Maybee. The Australian poster has said that people are vary of the AZ vaccine although she has had it.

I think one of the problems in Vietnam is that, because they’ve done so well at containing the virus people weren’t being vaccinated. On top of that you get scare stories about the vaccines and people think it isn’t worth bothering. Thankfully Vietnam are making their own AZ vaccine and rolling it out. Let’s hope it works. It seems like one step forward two steps back again though.

* Maybee* yes that is a problem, but as I think most of us in the UK, or at least on Gransnet anyway, understand that until we’re all vaccinated we’re not completely safe. At the very least, we can’t travel too much whilst the rest of the world remains mainly unvaccinated. As my daughter and family have just gone to New Zealand to work as doctors there, my husband and I are eager to be able to travel there at some point. We’re fully vaccinated, but the rest of the world isn’t, including NZ, and in any case they won’t open their borders until their population is fully vaccinated. We all have an interest in the whole world being made safe by vaccination, so I hope it happens quickly.

GrannyGravy13

Apparently Peru have just readjusted their Covid death figures to 180,000, I wonder how many other Countries will reassess their data?

What was the number before the readjustment, please, GG13?

Baggs

GrannyGravy13

Apparently Peru have just readjusted their Covid death figures to 180,000, I wonder how many other Countries will reassess their data?

What was the number before the readjustment, please, GG13?

Just found a 66,000+ figure. So that's quite a big adjustment. I wonder how they were counting before?

I wish my lot could move to New Zealand. An old school friend of my daughters moved there just before the pandemic and we’re so happy for him. Lovely lad: possibly an old flame but I’ve never asked. Once upon a time I would have been horrified at the thought of my family moving so far away but all I care about these days is that they’re safe. I’m sure it won’t be too long before you will be able to visit them. How exciting.

These are the key tests that Johnson will apply to 21 June

So it seems that Johnson has learned zero.

Failing to close the border to India has landed us where we now are.

Whitewavemark2

So it seems that Johnson has learned zero.

Failing to close the border to India has landed us where we now are.

A big, fat yes from me on this.

Whitewavemark2

So it seems that Johnson has learned zero.

Failing to close the border to India has landed us where we now are.

How do you explain that Australia has got the Delta variant (formally known as the Indian variant)?

Viruses mutate, if it wasn’t the Delta variant it would have been another, Bolton/Manchester/London etc…

GrannyGravy the fact is that we have got the Delta variant and it’s causing us huge problems. If BJ had shut the border and imposed hotel quarantine at the same time as he did for Pakistan and Bangladesh, we wouldn’t be in this position now. We would have had more time to get more people fully vaccinated, and therefore fewer people in hospital.

maddyone

GrannyGravy the fact is that we have got the Delta variant and it’s causing us huge problems. If BJ had shut the border and imposed hotel quarantine at the same time as he did for Pakistan and Bangladesh, we wouldn’t be in this position now. We would have had more time to get more people fully vaccinated, and therefore fewer people in hospital.

Viruses mutate, if we didn’t have the Delta variant here the chances are extremely high that we would have had another homegrown Covid variant. It’s how viruses survive, they outsmart their hosts time and time again.

GrannyGravy13 the 7 day average for Covid cases this week in Australia is 7! They have tracked down the person who brought it into the country despite quarantine, and locked down. In what way are you comparing that with hundreds of flights coming into the UK and no hotel quarantine?

Casdon

GrannyGravy13 the 7 day average for Covid cases this week in Australia is 7! They have tracked down the person who brought it into the country despite quarantine, and locked down. In what way are you comparing that with hundreds of flights coming into the UK and no hotel quarantine?

Just trying to point out that Covid variants will continue to appear, whether travel restrictions are in place or not. As previously stated by many scientists/epidemiologists it’s what viruses do to continue to exist.

I do know about the Australian case, I have family in Melbourne.

rosie1959

Not me Algrias wouldn't want his job I have always been a Conservative supporter and I certainly dont hate Boris
But I wish he had slammed the door shut on India sooner I know we only let uk nationals back in but they obviously didnt all isolate as they should have done
Is there something in UK legislation where we have to give uk nationals time to get home or are we allowed to say sorry you went abroad now you can just stay there until this is over

They didn't seem to have a problem slamming the door on British nationals in Pakistan.

GrannyGravy13

maddyone

GrannyGravy the fact is that we have got the Delta variant and it’s causing us huge problems. If BJ had shut the border and imposed hotel quarantine at the same time as he did for Pakistan and Bangladesh, we wouldn’t be in this position now. We would have had more time to get more people fully vaccinated, and therefore fewer people in hospital.

Viruses mutate, if we didn’t have the Delta variant here the chances are extremely high that we would have had another homegrown Covid variant. It’s how viruses survive, they outsmart their hosts time and time again.

Viruses mutate when the infection rate increases. So it wouldn’t surprise me if the U.K. produces another variant over the next few months. I do wonder if the virus will continue to become more and more infectious but less dangerous though.

gg13 No that is absolutely incorrect.

Take yourself back to before April

The UKs vaccine programme was being successfully run, our home grown mutation was still the biggest threat, but we were beginning to be optimistic that our vaccine programme was defeating it.

Then the delta mutation was identified, in the Indian sub continent. We knew that it would find itself spreading throughout the world. We know that closing borders whilst not preventing its entry will slow its spread down.

Johnson as we know closed the border to Pakistan and Bangladesh on 9th April but kept the border open to India until it was clear that his planned trip to India as a face saving trade deal on the 19th April could not go ahead.

This resulted in seeding Delta in areas of the U.K. and we are seeing the result.

Johnson should have closed the border it is clear that he is responsible for the delay in opening up and the spread of the virus.

If you're interested in variants, here's an article:
Is there a limit to how much worse variants can get?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-57431420

Thank you for the link Chestnut

Theresa May and her speech about travel

news.sky.com/story/covid-19-theresa-may-tells-boris-johnson-to-level-with-the-public-as-she-slams-incomprehensible-travel-restrictions-12329678

I’m rather surprised that I agree with TM’s sentiments regarding Covid. They statistics currently suggest that those now suffering with Covid are in the younger age group and are not causing a huge influx of patients.

As she says we will have to learn to live with this virus just as we do with influenza.

Having obeyed all of the instructions I really want life to get back to nearer normal and 4 more weeks of this is not going to resolve the Covid issue. Talking to DD1 in NZ yesterday she told me they had to close the borders because they have very few ICU beds per head of the population. I think she said 3 beds per 100,000 whereas we have 30.

Whitewavemark2

gg13 No that is absolutely incorrect.

Take yourself back to before April

The UKs vaccine programme was being successfully run, our home grown mutation was still the biggest threat, but we were beginning to be optimistic that our vaccine programme was defeating it.

Then the delta mutation was identified, in the Indian sub continent. We knew that it would find itself spreading throughout the world. We know that closing borders whilst not preventing its entry will slow its spread down.

Johnson as we know closed the border to Pakistan and Bangladesh on 9th April but kept the border open to India until it was clear that his planned trip to India as a face saving trade deal on the 19th April could not go ahead.

This resulted in seeding Delta in areas of the U.K. and we are seeing the result.

Johnson should have closed the border it is clear that he is responsible for the delay in opening up and the spread of the virus.

Whitewave I absolutely and totally agree with what you have written.
Had the border been closed sooner it would have given us more time to vaccinate more people. The virus mutates when it’s free to roam. We gave it the room. That’s why we are where we are now.

Alegrias1

OK, so this is really a bash Boris thread then?

I can't believe I just wrote that....

Well yes it is basically.

JenniferEccles

Yes some countries have fared better than us in terms of deaths but unfortunately we are an unhealthy nation.
We are the second fattest nation in Europe second only I believe to tiny little Malta.
It’s been well documented that obesity is one of the major risk factors for dying from covid (plus many other illnesses of course) yet still too many people are in denial about their weight.
Boris Johnson is not responsible for that is he?

It’s not as simple as just looking at deaths per head of population.
Many other factors play their part.

Well said.

His obesity contributed to him being seriously ill with covid. And what happened to his intention to make the nation slimmer and healthier after his damascene moment? Did anything come of it or was it another one of his empty promises.

It’s just not true JenniferEccles that’s the issue. Death rates from Covid do not correlate directly to obesity.
ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Overweight_and_obesity_-_BMI_statistics
The death rate per million from Covid in Turkey is 570 per million, and yet Turkey has the highest level of obesity in Europe. In the UK it’s 1870 per million. Italy is one of the least obese countries, but has an even higher death rate than the UK.
So obesity is a risk factor, but it’s not the reason.

Covid, new cases on June 11

UK 8125
Spain 4142
France 3871
Germany 2194
Italy 1901

Three lockdown delays killed
10s of thousands and now it's the #JohnsonVariant debacle.