Governments - UK and France etc. etc.

[Danllan]

Once again trying to set aside the bitching and politics... are they all peopled by idiots?

I had a Skype chat with a chum in France last night and, in passing, he mentioned his lot's latest rules on travellers to France and Covid tests. I was ignorant, so checked what he told me - not that he'd lie, it just seemed so unlikely - and he was right. All travellers entering France must show a negative test within three days of entering, except road travellers. Unless President Macron has discovered some amazing anti-viral property in tarmac the latter seems daft and as for the first bit, barn doors come to mind. My chum - French, not expat - thinks this is stupid beyond words, although he found some, and that it makes the curfew and the probably coming lockdown pointless...

It would be great to have a gloat about this from the smugness of a sensibly organised ant-virus nirvana, but our lot are as stupid; why on Earth are they still faffing about regarding quarantine for people coming into the country? Even PP has told us that we weren't strict enough in the first wave, so why repeat the bloody mistake...

Family, friends & news from elsewhere give me reason to believe that the UK & France aren't alone in this affliction.

 

[More to life]

Certainly crazy if your an island and have porous borders.

 

[Mek]

Once again trying to set aside the bitching and politics... are they all peopled by idiots?

I had a Skype chat with a chum in France last night and, in passing, he mentioned his lot's latest rules on travellers to France and Covid tests. I was ignorant, so checked what he told me - not that he'd lie, it just seemed so unlikely - and he was right. All travellers entering France must show a negative test within three days of entering, except road travellers. Unless President Macron has discovered some amazing anti-viral property in tarmac the latter seems daft

I’m not entirely sure but I don’t think that’s quite correct. The negative test must be within three days before entering. Then there is a quarantine and a negative test must be produced after the quarantine. This applies to ferries and planes (and probably the tunnel ). The same requirements are required at EU land crossings except for commercial travelling,lorries ,business etc. But as I said I’m not entirely sure.

 

[Ashtree]

I get an uneasy sense this past couple of weeks, that no government anywhere, perhaps bar Israel and NZ, are anywhere near on top of this virus. The UK seemed to have made impressive start on the vaccination program, but it’s not clear they can keep that up, due to supply issues mainly. Supply bottlenecks are sure to crop up and slow the global vaccination program.
Of more concern perhaps, is the seemingly increasing rate at which the virus is mutating, and some mutations at least seem more virulent than older versions. One has to be concerned about the possibility by year end, that there is a new Covid which isn’t covered by the current generation vaccines.
I heard on radio this morning that 250 travellers from Brazil and SA, came to the island of Ireland so far this year. Extrapolating from that, probably 3,000 came to mainland UK.
WTF?? Isn’t it behind time that this travel is just stopped.

 

[Gong Farmer]

Those who can, do
Those who can't, become politicians.

 

[Danllan]

I’m not entirely sure but I don’t think that’s quite correct. The negative test must be within three days before entering. Then there is a quarantine and a negative test must be produced after the quarantine. This applies to ferries and planes (and probably the tunnel ). The same requirements are required at EU land crossings except for commercial travelling,lorries ,business etc. But as I said I’m not entirely sure.

Yes, that's right. But my point, and my chum's, is that a lot can happen in 72 hours and, anyway, it's daft to assume that commercial travellers aren't carrying it.

At Mrs Danllan's workplace, if someone has missed a covid test day at work (done twice weekly), they have an 'emergency' test done the next day they are working. This requires sitting around for twenty minutes to confirm the result before carrying on.

Surely it isn't beyond the realms of the possible for this sort of test to be timetabled into all international travel, commercial and otherwise. Thinking on that, had it been mandatory from, say, last Spring, it's unlikely we would be in the present situation.

 

[Mek]

I think the French have adopted the attitude that if you’re not travelling for a business reason then the travel isn’t necessary. Just a much firmer stance than the UK.

 

[Muck Spreader]

The current information from the French government site:-

If you are in the United Kingdom, you can only enter France in certain limited circumstances, which are set out on the travel certificate. Before boarding, you must present:

• A certificate for travel from the United Kingdom to France, available here in English and in French.
• A sworn declarationstating that:
  • You do not show signs of COVID-19;
  • To your knowledge, you have not been in contact with anyone confirmed to have COVID-19 in the 14 days before travel;
  • You agree to submit, if you are aged 11 years or older, to a virological RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 upon arrival in France;
  • You agree to self-isolate for 7 days upon arrival in France;
  • You agree to submit, if you are aged 11 years or older, to a virological RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2 at the end of the isolation period.
    Hauliers are not subject to the 7-day isolation period or to the requirement to submit to a test at the end of this period.
• If you are aged 11 or over, regardless of your nationality, a negative PCR test result, carried out less than 72 hours before boarding.
  By exemption, hauliers may, in the absence of a PCR test, present the negative result of an antigenic (lateral flow) test, if the test is capable of detecting the N protein of SARS-CoV-2.

 

[Danllan]

I heard an interview earlier with a chap involved in the Oxford vaccine's production and he said that vaccine supplies would be adequate for the ongoing vaccination program - I didn't catch the start of it, so I can't say if that means for the UK only or for all countries they have committed to supply.

Either way, I've posted a link at the bottom which gives a daily update as to the percentage of vaccinated people in any given country; it shows historical data as well, an interesting page.

I think the key questions are whether or not vaccine producers have overstated their ability to produce, and whether or not governments are going to hide behind such problems to mask their own failures in distribution.

The UK is doing well enough at the moment, but let's not forget that back in December there were repeated overstatements by HMG of the number of jabs being done. Hopefully, and bearing in mind my first paragraph, things will stay as they are or improve; we'll see...

COVID-19 vaccine doses administered per 100 people, Jan 23, 2021 (ourworldindata.org)

 

[le bon paysan]

Once again trying to set aside the bitching and politics... are they all peopled by idiots?

I had a Skype chat with a chum in France last night and, in passing, he mentioned his lot's latest rules on travellers to France and Covid tests. I was ignorant, so checked what he told me - not that he'd lie, it just seemed so unlikely - and he was right. All travellers entering France must show a negative test within three days of entering, except road travellers. Unless President Macron has discovered some amazing anti-viral property in tarmac the latter seems daft and as for the first bit, barn doors come to mind. My chum - French, not expat - thinks this is stupid beyond words, although he found some, and that it makes the curfew and the probably coming lockdown pointless...

It would be great to have a gloat about this from the smugness of a sensibly organised ant-virus nirvana, but our lot are as stupid; why on Earth are they still faffing about regarding quarantine for people coming into the country? Even PP has told us that we weren't strict enough in the first wave, so why repeat the bloody mistake...

Family, friends & news from elsewhere give me reason to believe that the UK & France aren't alone in this affliction.

Can only agree with you / your friend.
Macron to speak Wednesday night, third lockdown on its way. The first was reasonably effective, the second a waste of time. Who knows this time?
Edit , Negative Covid test within 72 hours of arriving at the French border.
https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coronavirus-covid-19
In english

 

[le bon paysan]

You may find this interesting, again in English.
https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/202101...reemptive-strike-on-uk-variant-macron-address
Graph is worrying.

 

[DrWazzock]

Something like 75 people already here with the S African variant according to something I read on the BBC. Those will just be the ones they know about.
It seems inconsistent that we haven’t been allowed to travel far from home locally yet people are still travelling internationally. Fair enough if it’s essential but if it isn’t, why the delay yet again? Stable doors again.

 

[bobk]

You may find this interesting, again in English.
https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/202101...reemptive-strike-on-uk-variant-macron-address
Graph is worrying.

Graph is nearly 3 weeks out of date , I agree with the comment about fabric masks .

Best way out of this job is to get jabbing .

 

[czechmate]

Once again trying to set aside the bitching and politics... are they all peopled by idiots?

I had a Skype chat with a chum in France last night and, in passing, he mentioned his lot's latest rules on travellers to France and Covid tests. I was ignorant, so checked what he told me - not that he'd lie, it just seemed so unlikely - and he was right. All travellers entering France must show a negative test within three days of entering, except road travellers. Unless President Macron has discovered some amazing anti-viral property in tarmac the latter seems daft and as for the first bit, barn doors come to mind. My chum - French, not expat - thinks this is stupid beyond words, although he found some, and that it makes the curfew and the probably coming lockdown pointless...

It would be great to have a gloat about this from the smugness of a sensibly organised ant-virus nirvana, but our lot are as stupid; why on Earth are they still faffing about regarding quarantine for people coming into the country? Even PP has told us that we weren't strict enough in the first wave, so why repeat the bloody mistake...

Family, friends & news from elsewhere give me reason to believe that the UK & France aren't alone in this affliction.

Well, neither has/had trump

 

[Stuart J]

Once again trying to set aside the bitching and politics... are they all peopled by idiots?

I had a Skype chat with a chum in France last night and, in passing, he mentioned his lot's latest rules on travellers to France and Covid tests. I was ignorant, so checked what he told me - not that he'd lie, it just seemed so unlikely - and he was right. All travellers entering France must show a negative test within three days of entering, except road travellers. Unless President Macron has discovered some amazing anti-viral property in tarmac the latter seems daft and as for the first bit, barn doors come to mind. My chum - French, not expat - thinks this is stupid beyond words, although he found some, and that it makes the curfew and the probably coming lockdown pointless...

It would be great to have a gloat about this from the smugness of a sensibly organised ant-virus nirvana, but our lot are as stupid; why on Earth are they still faffing about regarding quarantine for people coming into the country? Even PP has told us that we weren't strict enough in the first wave, so why repeat the bloody mistake...

Family, friends & news from elsewhere give me reason to believe that the UK & France aren't alone in this affliction.

Simple. Because we have a UK government that is the most incompetent, nepotistic, cronyistic and useless one in history.

 

[Pasty]

Simple. Because we have the most incompetent, nepotistic, cronyistic, useless government in history.

I know the SNP is bad but that is harsh. Maybe fair.

 

[caveman]

I know the SNP is bad but that is harsh. Maybe fair.

Nah.
Just his hair shirt getting to him.
Along with having to suck his daily lemon.

 

[uztrac]

Something like 75 people already here with the S African variant according to something I read on the BBC. Those will just be the ones they know about.
It seems inconsistent that we haven’t been allowed to travel far from home locally yet people are still travelling internationally. Fair enough if it’s essential but if it isn’t, why the delay yet again? Stable doors again.

We are the most porous island on the planet.Aircraft arriving from every part of the globe,illegals coming in by what ever means available,and thats only the ones they manage to catch.To end it all a very biased national broadcaster who is incapable of positive good news.As you say "Stable Doors".

 

[bobk]

We are the most porous island on the planet.Aircraft arriving from every part of the globe,illegals coming in by what ever means available,and thats only the ones they manage to catch.To end it all a very biased national broadcaster who is incapable of positive good news.As you say "Stable Doors".

Annoys me the press keep harping on about NZ , ffs there's no comparison . Isle of Man have managed reasonably well

 

[Ashtree]

Meanwhile Eurocrats very unhappy with the explanations from Astra Zeneca about the delays in delivering their contracted quantities to the EU. Astra CEO unable to give clear answers about the real output and capacity vs their contracted supply agreement with the EU. Eurocrat gave Mr. Astra Zeneca a further day to get his spreadsheet in order. Suggestions at this time, that Astra have diverted supplies to another country.
Outcome of the newly presented spreadsheet will be interesting!