Coronavirus - The Thread :(

[gar074]

As the hub of the newly mutated virus is in the south east corner (Kent-Folkestone; Essex-Harwich; London-Heathrow/Eurostar) it is indeed likely that the new strain has come from abroad.

However, as our scientists discovered it (or were the first to go public?) we will collectively have to shoulder the blame......makes Brexit timing rather ironic!

This is a complete and utter non sequitur. Statistically, a mutation in the virus is more likely to have occurred in those parts of the country with the densest populations, i.e. the South East.

 

[gar074]

Shutting the boarders is the perfect opportunity for europe to make a point about what will happen if the uk doesn’t make a deal. It’s not really clear why stopping traffic leaving the uk will stop the new strain getting to Europe (assuming it’s not already there) but with days left till the brexit negotiations come to an end and with no deal in sight, it’s a great way for europe to say “this is what’s coming if you don’t make a deal”

I suspect that the EU is more concerned about stopping the (further) spread of the mutated virus from the UK than wanting to make a petty point about the consequences of Brexit. Stopping traffic leaving the UK is one way of reducing cross-infection to the European mainland (although almost certainly too little, too late).

 

[AndyRKett]

OR for UK to say "this is what's coming if you don't give in to our demands".
It's 50/50 in truth

This isn’t 50/50 this is france shutting the boarder crossing from Dover.

The uk government didn’t shut the boarder

 

[plasticpig1972]

The UK have shut Flights to Canada.(not France)
I think personal opinion it's 50/50.
That's to say there are two sides to the story and to consider reasons on both sides.
Again my personal opinion if the UK had been presented the implications of Brexit i'm not soo sure the result would have been the same. As it was only 52% to leave.
Maybe it would have been the same but i think full facts should have been given before the Vote.

Scotland wanted to stay in EU but England will not let them have their independance and use their rights.
The above are MY PERSONAL views only.
Alan

 

[dave]

It's not the EU that's banned travel to and from the UK, it's individual Member States, exercising their sovereignty, as they are able to do under EU law in circumstances such as these (and as the UK could have done, back in the Spring, rather than using the EU as an excuse to delay imposing a travel ban).

my point was if others can do it now we could have done it then.

 

[gar074]

my point was if others can do it now we could have done it then.

Yes, I know. I was just seeking to clarify that it's Member States that are imposing travel restrictions, not the EU. We're on the same page on this!

 

[gar074]

This isn’t 50/50 this is france shutting the boarder crossing from Dover.

The uk government didn’t shut the boarder

The UK didn't shut the border because the mutant virus is rampant in the UK, not in France. We had no reason to shut the border.

What's the betting that, if a much more infectious mutation of the virus had originated in France, and had been declared by the French Health Minister to be "out of control" (Hancock's words) in France, the UK would have shut the border with France? (Although judging by this Government's too-little-too-late response up until now, they'd have shut the border too late to prevent the mutant virus from spreading across the Channel.)

 

[09 johno]

Scotland wanted to stay in EU but England will not let them have their independance and use their rights.

Err because Scotland is part of the UNITED KINGDOM as are Wales and Northern Ireland and the decision was made as a Nation.
perks of living in a democracy.

went out to buy a box of teabags this morning, the queues were like first lockdown, out the shops around the car park and down the road, Panic buying at it's worse and we are in tier 2!!!!!:bang:

 

[plasticpig1972]

True the three Flags together to make the "Union Flag".
But as Brexit is proving unions can be broken. We'll have to remove a Star from the EU Flag.
Alan

 

[AndyRKett]

The UK have shut Flights to Canada.(not France)
I think personal opinion it's 50/50.
That's to say there are two sides to the story and to consider reasons on both sides.
Again my personal opinion if the UK had been presented the implications of Brexit i'm not soo sure the result would have been the same. As it was only 52% to leave.
Maybe it would have been the same but i think full facts should have been given before the Vote.

Scotland wanted to stay in EU but England will not let them have their independance and use their rights.
The above are MY PERSONAL views only.
Alan

No that was Canada as well who have stopped flight, basically other countries shutting their boarders to us because of this new coronavirus strain. Nothing to do with the uk closing boarders. Nothing to do with the uk trying to exert its authority and I don’t see what stopping flights to Canada would achieve for the uk if it were brexit related anyway, you’ve definitely gone off on a bit of a tangent there.

It’s one thing for Canada to stop passenger flights, it’s another for france to stop all flights and freight at the ports

 

[plasticpig1972]

I don't think i've gone off on a tangent.
It was said that France closed border inferring that it was only France doing that. Many countries have closed the border and an example is Canada.
The title is Covid and maybe this is getting mixed with the Brexit situation.
"Boarders" ?(lodgers!!) i think you meant to say Borders.
Alan

 

[dave]

went out to buy a box of teabags this morning, the queues were like first lockdown, out the shops around the car park and down the road, Panic buying at it's worse and we are in tier 2!!!!!:bang:

big queue outside waitrose too but inside was empty and shelves full. i think shops want to create the panic as that equals more profit. make a long queue others see it put it on the internet before you know it shops sold out all their xmas food they was going to be stuck with now xmas is cancelled.

 

[09 johno]

True the three Flags together to make the "Union Flag".
But as Brexit is proving unions can be broken. We'll have to remove a Star from the EU Flag.
Alan

Scotland were given an independence vote and also voted to remain within the Union of the united kingdom and all that comes with it. The Union voted to leave Europe and that is what is happening. how sad that you lose a star (bad behavior!) however we gain our territorial rights and law once more. The next possible vote for Scotland being 25 years from the last vote (I think).....memories are short arn't they.

I know what you mean we went a bit further out in the end and the shops were a bit quieter.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

We intentionally didn't do shopping over the weekend but were up bright and early to day and off to the new Leth Aldi, arriving just before 10am. No queues, walked straight in. felt very happy selecting our goods and only one person in front at the checkout (floor markings and socially distanced.

There are a few things where we prefer the Lidl brand (my instant cuppaccino for instance) so we went on to the Lidl branch at the foot of Leith Walk. It doesn't have it's own car park but we were lucky and got in at the part behind the Kirkgate centre. The store itself didn't seem too busy, no queues and walk straight in, but there were more people than at Aldi. However we had only been in there for about 15 minutes when we became aware that there seemed to be a bit of a "scrum" developing near the entrance, As we had picked up most of what we had gone for we rapidly went to the check out, where there was one customer in front of us and as we were unloading our stuff onto the end of the belt a very large aggressive chap shouldered in behind Mrs J and slapped down a couple of items on the belt. He was far too close and the woman, who should have been next in the queue, having just started waiting behind us, pointed out to him that there was a queue. He just looked at her with such aggression she just stopped talking. I considered remonstrating with him but Mrs J said "NO - Don't even think about it, we haven't time to go home via the hospital" so we paid up and left the store before the "scrum" of new customers got near us. There didn't seem to be any door control being applied. Normally we go to their branch down at Granton and I think, in future that's where we'll be going. (Perhaps we should have guessed there would be more customers in a high density area like the Foot O' The Walk).

Finally we went to the Asda just to the East of Newhaven Harbour which was very quiet indeed with social distancing very easily achieved. There was also some of the best floor markings I've seen. At the checkout there was a very politely authoritarian tall woman - who I think was actually store manager - getting us all organised, standing on the distancing stickers and allocated to checkouts. It was all extremely well organised and we were quickly through the checkout, back at the car and able to take our masks and gloves off and for me to clear the condensation from my glasses!

So, a slightly "exciting" morning. Back in the house before 3 pm and all our Christmas victuals now stashed safely away and lots of hand washing (even washed my face) and wiping of purchases packaging with anti viral wipes. Just finished a nice cup of tea and a delicious Aldi Lebkuchen chockolate biscuit! Yum Yum! Waiting for Boris to depress us with his broadcast - Oh, here he is now!

 

[jimboy]

Tuesday is my shopping day. I’ll be at ALDI around 8am as usual, we are lucky here that we really don’t have queues. One of the plus points in my neck of the woods. It’s very rarely I come across problematic shoppers.

I’m a firm believer it’s down to the slower pace of life here, in fact, in the past friends that we’ve had visiting from Southern major cities, have commented how peaceful they felt while here.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Tuesday is my shopping day. I’ll be at ALDI around 8am as usual, we are lucky here that we really don’t have queues. One of the plus points in my neck of the woods. It’s very rarely I come across problematic shoppers.

I’m a firm believer it’s down to the slower pace of life here, in fact, in the past friends that we’ve had visiting from Southern major cities, have commented how peaceful they felt while here.

Yes jim, I grew up in the depths of the border country in the 1950's. Very peaceful and "sleepy" and a little bit "railway children" as the, now long closed, Gala to Selkirk branch line went right past our bottom field. Waving to the driver and putting pennies on the line was a big excitement! The half hour bike ride into town gave you no supermarkets just wee local shops. Butcher, fish monger, tobacconist/newsagent, chemist, etc. Oh, and the local cafe, almost next door to the record shop. We were forbidden from entering the cafe because "Teddy Boys" and other "Louts" were known to frequent it. I'll not "incriminate" myself by commenting further, except to say the expresso was quite palatable!

 

[AndyRKett]

I don't think i've gone off on a tangent.
It was said that France closed border inferring that it was only France doing that. Many countries have closed the border and an example is Canada.
The title is Covid and maybe this is getting mixed with the Brexit situation.
"Boarders" ?(lodgers!!) i think you meant to say Borders.
Alan

OR for UK to say "this is what's coming if you don't give in to our demands".
It's 50/50 in truth

just to recap on what you actually said. again to clarify, the UK is not closing its "BORDERS" (sorry to offend you're spelling needs.) it is the EU using covid as an excuse to put the pressure on the UK. Canada doesn't come into that situation.

 

[Eklipze3k]

Tuesday is my shopping day. I’ll be at ALDI around 8am as usual, we are lucky here that we really don’t have queues. One of the plus points in my neck of the woods. It’s very rarely I come across problematic shoppers.

I’m a firm believer it’s down to the slower pace of life here, in fact, in the past friends that we’ve had visiting from Southern major cities, have commented how peaceful they felt while here.

I used to live in Forres and I really miss it.

 

[jimboy]

I used to live in Forres and I really miss it.

I find that people up in these parts, including the likes of Forres, Nairn, Elgin, nobody worries too much about being too politically correct and tend to speak from the heart. Non stories that seem to worry some in other parts of the country doesn’t affect people here, far too busy getting on with their own lives and just being normal.

 

[gar074]

it is the EU using covid as an excuse to put the pressure on the UK.

Sorry, but this is just plain wrong! Other sovereign countries (some of which belong to the EU) are closing their borders to the UK in an attempt to prevent transmission of the new variant of Covid from the UK. You can't pin this on the EU, no matter how much you'd like to.