Make your damned minds up!

[Workingman]

The variant first discovered in India is now a variant of concern. You know the one, the one we left the borders open for with travel to and from India even though it was all over the world's press. Apparently there is only some evidence that it is more transmissible than our own variant yet still the vaccines work.

So, we are going to bring 2nd dose dates forward for over 50s and prioritise those areas where it is rife - effectively rewarding poor and reckless life choices. That alone removes doses from other areas that stuck to the rules.

Then there is the 'irreversible' ending of all restrictions on June 21st. Well according to Bozo it is now reversible because it's 'data not dates' you see. Monday's relaxations will still go ahead but things will have to be closely monitored. We could possibly, probably, maybe have another wave, though nobody knows what number it will be, and further lockdowns - local, regional, national - cannot be ruled out.

We are being played yet again.

[TheOstrich]

I don't have a problem in the reallocation of vaccines to the current Indian variant hotspots such as Bolton and Blackburn - so long as the punters up there present themselves for the jab. There must be a heavy lean from the authorities, whatever the ethnic sensibilities.

What I do have a huge problem with is international travel and our porous borders. To be quite frank, it's my view that there should be no international travel into or out of this country until we have the vast majority of our people inoculated. Say 85-90% of the population - we are only at around the 50% mark at the moment.

The holiday companies and airlines should be told to take a hike, and European countries trying to tempt British holidaymakers overseas should be immediately blacklisted. Mark Drakeford has told his people not to go abroad; he has my full support and Dithering Johnson should be saying the same.

[Suff]

Heard anything about the ZA variant? Or the Brazilian variant? Or the Kent Variant?

Of course not because the vaccines are effective against the variants and they are working to slow and, eventually, stop, transmission. It will be the same with the Indian variant.

There is a certain logic in swamping these areas with vaccines. If you asked those prudent and responsible people if they would rather be locked down for another 3 months or just get the idiots vaccinated I know what the vast majority would say. Just get the idiots vaccinated and let us get on with out lives.

Even then, I dug into the Moray figures. You know the ones which were going to stop Scotland coming out of lockdown. I mean the numbers hit just over 100 people per 100,000. Must be the end of the world. Then you hear that Elgin academy had 50 cases.

Put the numbers together. Data see. Population of Moray? 95,000. 50 students infected, over 50 per 100,000.

Every time someone writes something in the press about Covid we are being played. Because nobody tells the whole truth. Just the story they want people to swallow. We had a cluster here in our local area, shock, horror, it was 5,000 people per 100,000, for that locality. God the world must be ending? There were 15 of them.

When you say "make your mind up", the government did. Unless the average figures for the whole country were over the green levels, 25 per 100,000, then they were unlocking. Today the UK recorded 3.2 new cases per 100,000. So we are unlocking.

What was forgotten when data not dates was mentioned? They said there would be hotspots and they said they would deal with hotspots as they came up but that hotspots would not stop the UK unlocking unless the number for the UK as a whole went over the green list value of 25.

As for the rest of the idiots? Ignore is the best thing.

[Kaz]

I don't have a problem in the reallocation of vaccines to the current Indian variant hotspots such as Bolton and Blackburn - so long as the punters up there present themselves for the jab. There must be a heavy lean from the authorities, whatever the ethnic sensibilities.

What I do have a huge problem with is international travel and our porous borders. To be quite frank, it's my view that there should be no international travel into or out of this country until we have the vast majority of our people inoculated. Say 85-90% of the population - we are only at around the 50% mark at the moment.

The holiday companies and airlines should be told to take a hike, and European countries trying to tempt British holidaymakers overseas should be immediately blacklisted. Mark Drakeford has told his people not to go abroad; he has my full support and Dithering Johnson should be saying the same.

I tend to agree with much of this Ossie x

[Workingman]

I don't have a problem in the reallocation of vaccines to the current Indian variant hotspots

But many of us do....

These people travelled from the UK to Pakistan, India and Bangladesh for weddings, funerals, Eid and Kumbh Mela, aka a party, knowing that the region was in the midst of a disaster. Many of them then returned via circuitous routes to avoid hotel quarantine (at their expense) self-isolation and testing. It is said that many used UK passports out and their dual one to return via Turkey, Jordan, Egypt etc. so they damned well knew what they were doing. They flouted the rules and yet are being pushed to the front of the queue for treatment. Meanwhile in the UK we could only be in small groups, outside, except in gardens, and no hugging.

I wonder; were we so accommodating to the Brits returning from the Greek Islands, Benidorm, Majawka and Eebeetha last summer? Not as I remember.

[JoM]

*Meanwhile in the UK we could only be in small groups, outside, except in gardens, and no hugging.*

Don’t forget that in all that time, while people were flying to and from India, we were told to ‘Stay Local’ too.

[Workingman]

Here's and interesting timeline of B.1.617.2, (official name) with numbers.

I wonder how attitudes will change if what has happened and is happening now brings down another lockdown on our heads because of them. Johnson is saying that it could make it more difficult to move to step four in June and that there was "the risk of disruption and delay".

B.1.617.2 on its own has an R number of ~R=1.3, which is at the top end of any we have seen. It's total is currently 1,313 cases.

I do not want another lockdown or extended restrictions, I have had enough, but I do fear that we are being softened up for something and it's not a media driven thing.

[TheOstrich]

I don't have a problem in the reallocation of vaccines to the current Indian variant hotspots

But many of us do....

I can quite understand. But how else are you going to react to the emerging situation? Do nothing? Surround Bolton with tanks and light infantry? It's difficult! You don't want a further lockdown or restrictions, and that's fine, I respect your PoV - but I'm in the "do whatever it takes" camp, and if that means upsetting Andy Burnham and the pro-civil liberties brigade, no problem from this end.

However, this situation has arisen because we allow international travel. It should have been banned - period. If the Government hasn't got that into its thick skull after nearly 16 months of this fiasco, what can we do? Apart from a campaign on social media to publicly "shame" people wanting to fly, especially those opting for foreign holidays, not a lot, I guess.

But at the end of the day, even compulsory surge vaccination may be ineffective, because the cat, unfortunately, is already out of the bag.

[Suff]

but I do fear that we are being softened up for something and it's not a media driven thing.

The government will have to take some actions, but mass vaccination is the most likely.

Unless the whole country goes over green list values, I can't see another lockdown.

This was the promise and the reason fo the current lockdown. Once we had sufficient people vaccinated, a lockdown would not be needed.

The government is aware of the cost of not dealing with hotpots as hotpots and it was always in the plan.

The only people hyping this up are the usual scientific suspects and the press. The government is low keying it and will continue to do so.

[cromwell]

This was as predictable - and predicted - as the sun coming up.
Just a few days before lockdown is eased, here comes a shroud-waving "expert" gravely saying that due to the new "mutant" Brazilian strain/Kent Strain/SA strain/Groin Strain which could evade the vaccines, that if we don't abandon said relaxation of lockdown, dreadful things may happen. (Note the use of the words "could" and "may").

This panic stricken shreiking has happened before in this saga and trust me, it is going to happen again just a few days before June 21st. Fair play to Johnson, he's stood up to it this time. Will he do it again next month?

I don't have a problem in the reallocation of vaccines to the current Indian variant hotspots such as Bolton and Blackburn - so long as the punters up there present themselves for the jab.

But unfortunately they aren't, and they won't.
Months ago I wrote on here about meeting a man from Bradford when I was on a day out to Hornsea, on the east coast. He informed me that we would still be under restrictions a year from now because "the asians in Bradford are just doing what they want - they aren't taking any notice". This man has been proved right in both cases.

It's a problem. One the one hand I don't much like the idea of compulsory vaccination. On the other hand I am up to here with sticking by the rules (albeit through gritted teeth) whilst others take the mickey, and I will be raging if I am placed under lockdown because the government can't or won't deal with the mickey takers.