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politicalbetting.com » Blog Archive » As we head into August the impact on holidays becomes the big

Today’s front pages give a good representation of the main pandemic stories and what the papers think are the issues most likely to impact on their readers.
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https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-53562437
It's inconvenient but a lot less inconvenient than having an intubation tube rammed down your esophagus for 3 weeks.
They did act too slowly but more recently they have improved. The mistake is not acting severely enough.
Face masks should be mandatory in all public places with on the spot fines and stricter measures for persistent law breakers. I could go on. We have been too slack rather than overreacting.
The virus is coming back with a vengeance and people whingeing will be made to look foolish.
Yes it's tough. But it's better than dying.
I think the press have misjudged this badly. For once the government has made the right call and hopefully done it soon enough.
One of their vaccines (partly because their vaccine tech is quickest and cheaper to develop than conventional vaccines, they have more than one in the clinic) seems to work very well in older people - producing a better immune response than the disease itself does in those who recover.
https://twitter.com/AndyBiotech/status/1287864230922694657
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1287880895051907072
https://twitter.com/MackayIM/status/1287973007034445824
Plus, once you've stepped in once to stop jobs being lost, it becomes increasingly hard not to continue doing it.
I hadn't previously thought of Dominic Cummings as a prototype Ted Heath, but I think they're temperamentally much more similar than they look.
The reality is that certain European countries, in an attempt to get their tourism industries going, have opened up sooner than they should have.
The news that their full spike vaccine appears significantly more effective than their RBD targeting version was a bit of a surprise.
https://www.statnews.com/2020/07/27/pfizer-biontech-pick-covid19-vaccine-begin-pivotal-study/
... Philip Dormitzer, a Pfizer vice president in charge of vaccines, said the selected vaccine appears to generate a stronger response, in part because it includes more of the spike protein. That could mean less variability in how people respond to the vaccine. It also seemed to cause fewer side effects. “It just seemed a bit milder,” Dormitzer said in an interview. “There were fewer reactions to immunization, and that was an important mark in its favor.”
Why this vaccine candidate would have milder side effects is not clear, but Pfizer scientists speculate it is because of changes made to the messenger RNA that make it easier for mammalian cells to produce it. Whatever the reason, Dormitzer said, this is the candidate Pfizer is testing during the pandemic, though it can’t rule out that other variants might be taken off the shelf in the future. “This really is the final choice,” he said....
Fortunately 89% of Brits have taken the decision not to holiday abroad and have demonstrated pure common sense
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/13584458
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-florida-could-go-blue-in-2020/
https://twitter.com/WYeates/status/1287872806198210561
Or is it to operate on the basis than any in theory allowable activity can be effectively curtailed at a moments notice, meaning that there is constant uncertainty and nobody can do any serious planning beyond next Tuesday. Impossible for businesses and impossible for any (particularly amateur) social activity.
In any event, what we have is ‘honesty box’ quarantine, which people who are generally sensible and who will have travelled taking every precaution will generally observe, and people who are reckless and who have been careless or worse on their holiday will take no notice of whatsoever.
Germany - which has done much better than us so far - is currently preparing to test everyone returning from areas it considers at risk. Are we doing anything so proactive? Answer on a postcard (no need to write anything on it).
As I said earlier lots of hypocrisy on display today
If the "quarantine" was actually quarantine then perhaps they had a point. As it is if someone is even there at the airport to collect your form the authorities appear to spend zero enforcing it as them calling on you and you not being there is fine for a whole host of reasons. As with so much of their stuff it is nonsense on stilts.
We want to get as back to normal as possible to protect people's livelihoods while reacting quickly to squish any outbreaks when they pop up. Whackamole is the right analogy and the right tactic.
I don't see anything wrong with wanting honesty from people. Overwhelming majority of people don't want to break the law or do the wrong thing.
What we have done instead is not quarantine. Lock yourself away - after getting public transport or a taxi if you need to. Stay home - unless you have to go out for a list of reasons including shopping. Or we'll use your form which you may not even have handed in and nobody has checked for accuracy to come check up on you. Except that we won't as no police force will waste one penny trying to enforce a colander to keep in water.
When we needed to lock the doors, Priti Patel stood there with her smirk doing nothing. Then months down the line she shuts the bottom half of the stable door and leaves the top half open. Enough action to destroy the travel industry, not enough to have any impact at all on virus management. Forget Spain that is just one country added to a long list of countries many of whom have the rona out of control. And we just let people in without a care. Whilst throwing a totem onto the fire LOOK, we are TOUGH.
Honestly some people's sneering and condescension here just shows how out of touch and what a lack of understanding they have for the livelihoods of millions who are struggling right now.
We cannot afford another lockdown. If this helps, even at the margins, it is the right thing to do.
1. a game
2. can never be beaten
Awesome.
Not a mistake. The industry is devastated at the minute. And while going out it's entirely possible to think about what you order and choose a healthier option and not a supersized meal with sugary drinks.
The key to having a healthy weight is to make smart choices ... it is categorically NOT to never go out!
And if the risks are unacceptably high for testing on entry, then do testing after, say 4 days. Or what ever period is considered acceptably safe. All is better than 14 days, no testing, and then do what you want. Because there is even a risk then that some percentage will slip through undetected. And that’s even before you factor in non compliance.
And for my favourite restaurant the staff costs are minimal. Owner and owner's wife plus 1 cook who lives above the restaurant.
Separately I should say (and forgot) that we were in the lakes last week and it was very busy. Hawkshead was as busy as any of us could remember it, Grasmere was busy and we were only able to eat in Keswick because we were quick and were able to be slotted in between bookings.
2. Yes.
Containing it right now is the solution. It can't be beaten for now but it can be contained. The idea whackamole doesn't end and lasts forever is a rather delusional criticism otherwise if you've ever played it even once you still would be playing it.
A PM launches an obesity drive on the back of an ill-fated public appearance. Then the junk food manufacturers that sponsor every major sporting league (and bankroll the party) get involved...
Coincidentally, Tate & Lyle are big Brexit supporters
By design we are acknowledging that more issues will pop up but we need to be alert to that and prepared for when they do to squish them too until this ends (which whackamole does, it does end).
What pillocks are saying otherwise?
Forgot to add the snood for the first 20 seconds. After apologising discovered that the policy is "we can't enforce it".
I'd say the answer is "yes, they can - or at least remind". Not impressed with such sloped shoulders.
France, Germany, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Norway and Ireland all have some requirements - Norway the only one with a full new national quarantine? although Ireland effectively the same as released other countries apart from Spain from their quarantine list.
One meal does not obesity cause. A lifetime of smart choices is required to keep healthy.
The government should not be saying all or nothing. Education and moderation are key, what is wrong with that?
The Canary and Balearic Islands have a lower incidence of the virus than the UK.
"Defending the decision to extend advice against non-essential travel to the Spanish islands as well as the mainland, Local Government Minister Simon Clarke said it was taken to "minimise disruption" for travellers.
“Clearly you do have to make decisions on a country-wide basis." he said.
This is clearly nuts. If I were holidaying in the Canaries I would go ahead and simply ignore the government's advice to self isolate for 14 days on my return with no qualms whatsover as it wouldn't increase risk.
Expect an announcement tomorrow...
Time to holiday in the UK
Come on. You know what McDonalds punters are in there for. Its not for a salad bowl.
Also, mask usage is not some binary yes/no cure here, it just reduces the risk a bit. If 80% are wearing them, 10% are exempt and 10% are Cummings then the risk is being reduced substantially still.
What annoys me most about this government is that they insult our intelligence with the messaging. Stop playing games. Either imported cases matter, in which case stop fucking about and ban RyanAir from flying and take arrivals to central quarantine facilities. Or it doesn't matter in the grand scheme with good flight hygiene and pre-boarding testing and let people do what they want.
It's like the country is being run by the two facets of Tyler Durden.
I do not see any changes, indeed I see more countries being included
Pedro Sánchez said tourists in most Spanish regions would be safer from coronavirus than in the UK"
Really? Safer than the south west of England for example? Leads me to think you are desperatelly talking out your arse, Pedro...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53562603
If you actually eat their nobody puts a gun against your head and forces you to buy a meal with large fries and large sugary Coke.
When we go we get out children chicken nuggets with carrot sticks instead of fries in their happy meal. I tend to get a burger and side salad instead of fries and Coke Zero.
Personal choice and responsibilities are things for people to learn.
It is not a quarantine.
As for the comments about Tesco enforcing masks why should a poorly paid shop worker open themselves up to more violence and abuse? They've been on the receiving end of some horrendous examples during this pandemic already. If aggressive young scrote / libertarian gammon doesn't want to wear a mask the shops aren't going to make them change their minds.
Follow the guidance, unless you don't want to, like Dom...
I wonder if they are worried about being sued by people in the situation where false positive rater >> actual incidence?
But I entirely agree with you. People who travel should accept the risk of being quarantined and stop whining, however many of them see Mediterranean holidays as some sort of right.
Were I in power all these firms would be managing the quarantine rules...
Of course fines would need to be bigger to cover the costs but there is zero reason why the fine should be £100, £500 would more than cover any required incentive.
https://twitter.com/ahandvanish/status/1287525539859910657