International travel / Covid

Please can someone explain to me the point of restricting travel due to the new Omicron variant?

There must be thousands of undetected cases in the UK already and virtually every country in the world by now. Even Japan has cases.

Admittedly I’m biased because I’m due to be abroad at Christmas. I’ve no problem with paying the extra £15 for the PCR tests (as it helps with sequencing and detecting new variants) but don’t want the rules changing whilst I am away and having to rush back (again) to beat a quarantine.

The pre-departure tests to return to the UK are pointless because, with the exception of Portugal, none of the tests done on me have been administered properly. A quick slap of the swab on the tongue, a negative test receipt - €50 please. At least in Portugal they tickle your brain with the nasal swab.

Think the basic premise is to slow the spread rather than stop it, buying the scientists time to work out the impact to health, and effectiveness of vaccines.

No way of stopping the variant spreading across the country, and gives a window for the boosters to be rolled out. That said, it remains unclear how effective the booster will be.

I’d hazard a guess and say it’s more to do with additional cash that can be made, but then I’d be called a cynical conspiracist.

I remember when Covid was allegedly at its peak and international travel was banned, except it wasn’t and flights were taking off daily and whilst it was generally business folk and sports teams flying, it was still happening. I know this because a close family member flew to several places for work…he didn’t need to really yet was still able to.

A good friend lives in France and has been travelling a lot since being able to, mainly because he has friends all over the world due to work and being a musician. He’s said as much about the pointlessness of the tests given how they’re not administering them correctly, probably highlighting that most folk aren’t arsed anymore.

Ive argued since the outset that surely, something so serious should surely be tested for by a trained professional and not just done yourself…

In most countries the tests have been administered by medical professionals during the pandemic. Never here, however. I suspect this is because we knew we didn't have enough medical professionals to cope with the regular work to be done, let alone much swabbing. Another example of getting the bare minimum done to stop the NHS being completely overwhelmed but then just hoping that vaccination will eventually resolve the pandemic.

Blundellpork is entirely right about why it is a good idea to limit spread as much as possible. The aim is to massively ramp up the booster programme as the thought is, theoretically at least, that you should be very well protected against serious disease from Omicron if fully vaccinated.

It should also be noted that, if we can cut Delta infections right down before Omicron starts to take over as the dominant variant (as seems certain from the rate of spread in SA), I will ease some of the pressure on the NHS. Whether or not it will survive the Omicron wave remains to be seen. I think there's a fair to middling chance of a lockdown in January now. Hopefully, the vaccine programme will be effective enough that it can be avoided.

Omicron B is an anagram of No Crimbo.

Credit to Mike the Groundsman for that snippet.

Quoted from ginnywings

Omicron B is an anagram of No Crimbo.

Credit to Mike the Groundsman for that snippet.

Omicron is an anagram of moronic. Make of that what you want.

Extremely well timed these variants…

Christ on a bike, don't start with the conspiracy nonsense. Yes, of course these variants are developing to ruin our Christmas break. That's clearly the end game of viral evolution.

Either that, or The Man wants to damage our economies and shut down businesses so is carefully releasing variants.  

Don't know what the big deal is about Xmas anyway. Over rated binge fest.

We are buggering off in our camper away from the madness and the germs.

Quoted from ginnywings

Don't know what the big deal is about Xmas anyway. Over rated binge fest.

We are buggering off in our camper away from the madness and the germs.

So you’re the reason the West Yorkshire Old Bill have shat their pants…