UK Government to ban international travel and domestic hotel stays ‘except for work’

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• WaynedP says:

  2 Nov2 November 11:03

  We live in a Parliamentary democracy, and there is still time to influence the detail by writing to your constituency Member of Parliament.

  My Provincial has asked all clergy to encourage parishioners to urgently email their MPs to request full disclosure of the data that purportedly supports the intention to cease public worship.

  Not to foment civil disobedience, but to earnestly encourage a transparent and informed public debate on the best estimate risk vs benefit assessment of public worship being allowed to continue.

  A respectful and balanced presentation to MPs of some of the queries, assessments and personal dilemmas aired on HfP regarding travel may yet succeed in avoiding some of the more draconian, sensationalist public claims from being enacted in the final legislation and accompanying statutory instruments.

  • Jamie says:

    2 Nov2 November 11:22

    Well, that brought a smile to my face if nothing else. Cheers Wayne.

  • Anna says:

    2 Nov2 November 11:25

    Why does anyone need to worship in public?

    • WaynedP says:

      2 Nov2 November 12:00

      Valid question.
      It’s hugely meaningful to many.
      I’m happy to expand further, away from this forum, if/when you would like, Anna.

  • Littlefish says:

    2 Nov2 November 12:44

    To be fair, there is plenty of data and information around the risks of large gatherings in indoor spaces that can lead to mass spreading of the virus; talking/singing and time length of gathering also work against worship.
    Right now, the answer to this (as it is for Pubs, Restaurants, Hotels, Workplaces, etc) is the blunt instrument of closing-off; probably, a next to last chance to pull down the spread levels below R0=1.
    Personally, I’d like to see much more of how to apply learning of the last 3 months to make each of those activities safer and less susceptible to being Virus friendly. But currently, better prevention/mitigation (of transmission risks) is poorly understood by europe’s senior politicians.
    Put another way, likely much more mileage in the worship ‘industry’ explaining what its doing to make worship places much much safer (and then doing it and securing data); than trying to argue special status.

• Brian says:

  2 Nov2 November 11:18

  Instead of paying management consultant bluffers millions to support the failing test and trace system why not get South Korea to run it?

  Only 400ish deaths (50 million population) and their economy is now growing again, which isn’t the case for any country in Europe.

  World beating indeed

  • Anna says:

    2 Nov2 November 11:27

    From what I’ve read it’s quite an intrusive system which collects data from things like mobile phone records; it would have no chance here!

    • Brian says:

      2 Nov2 November 11:33

      It’s a good thing we’ve not had any intrusive policies in place in the U.K. over the last few months 🤣

  • TGLoyalty says:

    2 Nov2 November 13:21

    Track and trace is impossible with 40k cases a day. An effective T&T system had to be in place in July!

• B says:

  2 Nov2 November 12:13

  Thought experiment, not actual data.
  ~2.2 million vulnerable people to shield. 80% of those actually want to shield.
  1.7 million x £50k per person = £85 billion paid to cover all possible costs incurred by shielding. Then throw 15 billion at NHS capacity (c. 10% increase to the budget) and for £100B we could stop this insanity.

  • Mr(s) Entitled says:

    2 Nov2 November 12:18

    The average wage in the UK is a lot less than £50k, and that is per annum. So you could pay 100% wage for less.

    A lot of the vulnerable will already be on pensions so no additional cost to the public purse.

    Total cost would be a lot less than £100bn.

    Not that I am advocating it.

    • B says:

      2 Nov2 November 12:45

      50k should keep the leftists quiet, and would provide sufficient income for multigenerational households to move if needed. Even without change though 100Bn seems like good value compared to the current mess. I have 40 years before I can retire, I’d rather stump up some cash now than pay for it for the rest of my life..

      Some of the ‘overpayment’ from a scheme such as this will only go back into the economy through discretionary spending anyway

    • mutley says:

      2 Nov2 November 13:09

      Prior to first lockdown £27k

  • pauldb says:

    2 Nov2 November 13:20

    There are 9m people over 70 and 3m over 80. And how many young people with asthma and obesity will you include.

    How do you shield the elderly and chronically ill who need regular medical care or support? Are you going to isolate and pay off all their doctors and care workers? Perhaps you should also come up with an incentive for dying quietly?

    • EB says:

      2 Nov2 November 14:38

      “Perhaps you should also come up with an incentive for dying quietly?” This is a bit harsh, this is not about letting people die so we can collect some travel points this is about proportionality and helping all of society in the best way possible. Aiming for zero covid whilst bankrupting the country is as dangerous as it is naïve. There won’t be much of an NHS left for most of those alive today if there aren’t any tax receipts to pay for it.

      The 2.2 million came from the original list of people that were instructed to shield last time

      • James says:

        2 Nov2 November 20:37

        @EB – that exactly what it is you’re advocating. Simply shameful, and thick as mince.

        • Char Char says:

          3 Nov3 November 10:44

          @James you are the naive one

• ChrisW says:

  2 Nov2 November 12:54

  I’ll be interested to see what how this ‘travel ban’ is enforced. For a leisure destination like Tenerife, then flights will probably all be cancelled, but what about somewhere like Athens? I could be going there for work, or it could be a holiday. Will check-in staff ask for proof of a business purpose for the trip? Will single travelers in suits and briefcases go through unquestioned but families not?

  I wonder if airlines will turn people away…

  • Rob says:

    2 Nov2 November 12:59

    Not unless the airline is fined for carrying them, which it won’t be.

  • TGLoyalty says:

    2 Nov2 November 13:18

    People actually work in Tenerife too 🙂

    There are lots of non leisure reasons to be flying that don’t involve work either.

  • Paul says:

    2 Nov2 November 13:35

    British Transport Police at Waterloo checking at platform barriers today and we not even in lockdown yet. If arriving from a tier 3 and cannot prove travel for essential work then they were dishing out fines. This is easily policed so not worth the hassle and expense of trying to beat the system.

    • Paul says:

      2 Nov2 November 13:38

      I don’t see how they can do that today, it’s not law till it’s passed through parliament on Wednesday

      • pauldb says:

        2 Nov2 November 15:21

        Waterloo doesn’t get any trains from Tier 3.

    • TGLoyalty says:

      2 Nov2 November 14:23

      A fine for what?

      Tier 3 travel restriction was only advice and there’s no actual law banning travel until Thursday

    • Andrew says:

      2 Nov2 November 14:55

      I call bullsh*t on this one, the details don’t add up.

    • Jack says:

      2 Nov2 November 18:00

      I think you’re lying, frankly. I had to travel on the Tube even during lockdown in March / April and I didn’t see BTP one single time. I haven’t even seen them enforcing masks once since it began, and my Tube use is back to Pre-Covid levels.

    • mvcvz says:

      2 Nov2 November 21:03

      Checking for what? If everyone had clean underwear?

• bill says:

  2 Nov2 November 13:14

  mark my words, this lockdown will be extended by at least 4 weeks

  • Harry T says:

    2 Nov2 November 14:06

    I agree. At least 2-4 weeks.

    • Michael C says:

      2 Nov2 November 16:22

      Would’ve thought the easiest/best option would be to extend it to, say, 4 Jan., to make sure any good work isn’t immediately undone.

      • ChrisW says:

        2 Nov2 November 16:59

        There’s the small matter of 25 December to deal with!

  • ChrisW says:

    2 Nov2 November 15:59

    They will relax it for the week of Christmas.

  • James says:

    2 Nov2 November 20:41

    Yes, all thanks to BJ and his omnishambles government that can’t follow the science. Done when recommended by Sage would have resulted in a c.3 week lockdown that we’d be coming out of now.

• Colin MacKinnon says:

  2 Nov2 November 14:07

  Jet2 just cancelled my Wednesday flight to Fuerteventura from Edinburgh – Scotland not in the Boris Ban ( which doesn’t come in until Thurs anyway) – due to new Govt regulations

  • Colin MacKinnon says:

    2 Nov2 November 14:35

    Any chance I could claim a re-route on Ryanair on Saturday – which is now twice what Jet2 were charging?

    • Michael C says:

      2 Nov2 November 16:24

      Hey Colin, I’m guessing you saw the new law that came into the Canary Islands yesterday, requiring a Covid test 72 hours before entering any accommodation there?

      • Harry T says:

        2 Nov2 November 16:47

        Going to take a while to come into force though!

        • Michael C says:

          2 Nov2 November 17:23

          Harry, it was published Saturday, so came into effect yesterday.

      • Colin MacKinnon says:

        2 Nov2 November 17:44

        Looks like it is either 10 or 14 Nov that it comes into force. But no arguments, think it a good idea.

        • Harry T says:

          2 Nov2 November 20:25

          It’s not in effect yet. Dates seem to be variable about when it’s implemented but certainly not before 10th November. FCDO will no doubt up date their entry restrictions at such time.

• Oli says:

  2 Nov2 November 15:58

  So now we understand why the testing on arrival in the UK was delayed; people were questioning why it could not be immediately implemented. I bet the aim now is not to implement it before Jan 2021 to avoid too much travelling over the Christmas holidays. And maintain the lockdown until then too

• Dick D says:

  2 Nov2 November 19:23

  This will last into January. One bit of bad news at a time.

  • mr_jetlag says:

    2 Nov2 November 20:07

    will apparently require another vote to extend beyond dec 2. Parliament combining the best bits of brexit and covid, gotta love it

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