Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Frankie S]

17 hours ago, Lyle Lanley said:

Walking through the city centre in Edinburgh earlier today and noticed there is still some queuing systems outside of some shops. 
 

No reason for any of these shops to stick to daft rules like this when social distancing is gone. 

Dropped into a sandwich shop in Leith to pick up my lunch today. I was the only customer in the shop, and while I was waiting on my filled roll and coffee, a woman (who was clearly in the double vaccinated demographic) hovered around outside the shop masked-up, pointedly waiting for me to exit before crossing the threshold. I had to go through the palaver of leaving the shop and hanging around outside while she got served, then coming back in after she’d left to collect my order. Even before social distancing was ditched they were allowing more than one person in the shop at a time. I get the feeling it’ll be some time before certain sectors of the populace adjust to the fact that social distancing has been jettisoned.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, pozbaird said:

I enjoy my overseas trips as much as anyone, but I have no intention, none whatsoever, in booking anything abroad until at least the middle of 2022. From the e-mailed correspondence I have received from those businesses I am subscribed to receiving such things from - a few airlines, hotel chains, etc, the message remains the same. The message comes at me assuming the reason I won’t want to travel is because I’m shit scared of catching Covid 19 if I do. Everything is ‘we know you may be unsure about flying in these times, but rest assured, we’ve sanitised the fcuk out of our aircraft, and our cabin crew will be in full PPE looking like they’ve captured E.T. and are experimenting on him before he phones home’.

Hotels are the same - ‘we know you maybe… blah, blah, are scared shitless, blah, blah, but we’ve introduced a thorough deep clean of everything, we’ve ditched the breakfast buffet, we won’t come into your room to make it up unless asked, our staff are dipped in ultra-strong Mr Muscle lavvy cleaner before each shift, blah, blah…

No, no, thrice no, that is NOT the reason I don’t want to risk going abroad. I’d go tomorrow, the reason I don’t want to go is government rules, tests, the fact it is unlikely to feel normal. The fact you need to book a breakfast slot or a time to go to the hotel pool. Facemasks, hoops to jump through, the fact that the government could invent an amber or red rating for wherever I was. The fact a test could throw up a false positive..

Everyone, and I do mean everyone I know in my circle of family and friends is the same. They aren’t scared of catching covid. They just cannot be arsed spending a lot of money until a far more normal overall travel experience is pretty much assured, without the fcukers in Westminster or Holyrood sticking their neb’ in.

I don’t know why the default position of these businesses is that we’re staying put in huge numbers because we’re scared to death.

I'm in the same boat as you, however I've no option as regards "booking holidays" as it's still the ones from last year that I'm having to keep moving or will lose the lot !!

I 100% agree though, the actual covid is not an issue, it's the UK / Scottish Gov restrictions, the hassle and cost of testing and the potential for disaster if proving positive while abroad.

[Elixir]

6 hours ago, Billy Jean King said:

7 hours ago, Elixir said:

Except there's the October Holidays, and Christmas, and the fact that the UK will continue to slip further behind its competitors. I also imagine as the number of fully vaccinated folk 'testing positive' abroad increases over autumn and winter and therefore leaving them stranded, which isn't happening to EU or US citizens, the media criticism will only continue.

I'm not disagreeing and I have two trips booked between now and Christmas. Long weekend in Paris in October is simply unviable with the current testing requirements and while I would grudgingly pay it in November for 2 weeks in the Canaries I'm far from convinced that won't be cancelled by the operator as they are currently cancelling left right and centre to consolidate flights due to the lack of demand which is almost certainly down to the cost and uncertainty caused by the testing requirements.

Aye, long weekends away/city breaks abroad are a 'nope' at present. Considering London in October for my fix in the meantime, as have only been once before - when Hearts played Spurs in Europe ten () years ago, but all I saw was the inside of pubs, the tube, and White Hart Lane.

 

6 hours ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

I can think of at least one major carrier who won't survive this if it goes on much longer.

It would be far cheaper for the government to either reduce or get rid unnecessary tests (or at least provide them for free) than the substantial bailouts they will need to pay to keep the industry going or to cover costs of travel businesses that go under.

Yup. The thing is, it's Tory mates that are making a sweet coin from the testing farce and they won't want that well to dry up. Sooner than later though they're going to have to realise that the billions on the line with this section of the economy matter so much more.

 

5 hours ago, welshbairn said:

I've heard from people in the trade that airlines are scheduling ghost flights that are never intended to fly just to keep slots and routes open till everything opens up. So you book a flight and it's cancelled a few weeks later. It's happened to me months before flight dates with no change to traffic lights etc.

Yup, airlines are indeed doing that.

[superbigal]

Home Nations Daily update  :  UK Average  282.2 to 285.1 up 1.03%, England  296.6 to 299.2 up 0.88%, Wales 150.4 to 153.8 up 2.26%, Northern Ireland   454.0 to 464.0 up 2.64%

Northern Ireland continues to be Europe's basketcase.

33,074 cases today so a substantial shift upwards.  Well over 90% (If I read correct) under 40 which is good.

Over 41,000 1st Vaccines which is very decent.  Over 173,000 2nd doses.

[superbigal]

37 minutes ago, Frankie S said:

Dropped in a sandwich shop in Leith to pick up my lunch today. I was the only customer in the shop, and while I was waiting on my filled roll and coffee, a woman (who was clearly in the double vaccinated demographic) hovered around outside the shop masked-up, pointedly waiting for me to exit before crossing the threshold. I had to go through the palaver of leaving the shop and hanging around outside while she got served, then coming back in after she’d left to collect my order. Even before social distancing was ditched they were allowing more than one person in the shop at a time. I get the feeling it’ll be some time before certain sectors of the populace adjust to the fact that social distancing has been jettisoned.

There you go.  She thought you were a smelly b*****d.

[Monkey Tennis]

1 hour ago, The Master said:

Or how many are testing themselves despite showing no symptoms then following up with a positive PCR test?

Obviously if the PCR test is positive then yes, they are a genuine case. But there has to come a point where the vaccines allow us not to bother actively seeking out asymptomatic infections.

Is that going on though?

I'm annoyingly having to isolate just now, while immediate family await PCR results.  The testing was done, however, following symptoms and a positive LFT.  

I wouldn't imagine that too many are arranging PCR tests simply for the Hell of it.

[The Master]

30 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Is that going on though?

I'm annoyingly having to isolate just now, while immediate family await PCR results.  The testing was done, however, following symptoms and a positive LFT.  

I wouldn't imagine that too many are arranging PCR tests simply for the Hell of it.

Sorry, I wasn't clear - I meant people who are asymptomatic but testing twice a week (because the adverts tell them to), then following-up a positive LFT test with a positive PCR test.

At some point, we need to stop telling asymptomatic (and more importantly double-vaccinated) people to test themselves otherwise this will never end. 

Edited August 12, 2021 by The Master

[Monkey Tennis]

2 minutes ago, The Master said:

Sorry, I wasn't clear - I meant people who are asymptomatic but testing twice a week (because the adverts tell them to), then following-up a positive LFT test with a positive PCR test.

At some point, we need to stop telling asymptomatic (and more importantly double-vaccinated) people to test themselves otherwise this will never end. 

Fair enough.

It was just that you said it beneath a quote about the Dumfries situation.  It seemed that you were suggesting that in addition to being Tory face lickers, we also love nothing more than thrusting cotton buds on sticks up our noses at all times.

[Lyle Lanley]

 

[The Master]

1 hour ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Fair enough.

It was just that you said it beneath a quote about the Dumfries situation.  It seemed that you were suggesting that in addition to being Tory face lickers, we also love nothing more than thrusting cotton buds on sticks up our noses at all times.

I was trying to offer an alternative explanation as to why a place with a high vaccination rate also has a high test positivity rate. 

Are you saying that @superbigal was right to attribute it to face-licking? 

I’m glad we’re not in the same league as Queen of the South this season if you are…

[Detournement]

10 minutes ago, Lyle Lanley said:

 

It begins.

[Todd_is_God]

LOL @ @Detournement using an example of an event not using vaccine passports as proof of his bizarre fixation.

I'd say that they are using this to get approval from GCC to have more than 5,000 people gathered. The fact that anyone going can just enter a negative LFT into the system without actually taking a test makes this laughably pointless.

[Jacksgranda]

20 hours ago, craigkillie said:

Banks seemed to be doing that long before covid was a thing. I remember a few times turning up to pay money into my account and while I was queuing someone coming up to me and telling me I could just deposit it in an envelope into their wee box.

Same here. I don't mind getting money out of a hole in the wall, but I'm damned if I'm putting money into a hole in a wall.

[Monkey Tennis]

44 minutes ago, The Master said:

I was trying to offer an alternative explanation as to why a place with a high vaccination rate also has a high test positivity rate. 

Are you saying that @superbigal was right to attribute it to face-licking? 

I’m glad we’re not in the same league as Queen of the South this season if you are…

It's just the Tories who are face lickers - a minority in the town, despite the prejudice we encounter on here.

 

Anyway, my daughter (SNP) has just tested positive, so that's a bugger.

The accompanying text says the entire household needs to isolate, but surely the latest Scottish guidance is that double vaccinated adults don't need to if they acquire a negative test of their own.  Her younger brother should also be in the clear because although unvaccinated, he has received a negative PCR result.

Is that other people's understanding?  If so, why the initial message alongside the result?  Is it out of date?  Can local rules be put in place which override the national ones?

I wouldn't have thought so but I'm a bit bemused by the mismatch between the separate sources of what should surely be the same Information.

[Jacksgranda]

3 hours ago, Monkey Tennis said:

Is that going on though?

I'm annoyingly having to isolate just now, while immediate family await PCR results.  The testing was done, however, following symptoms and a positive LFT.  

I wouldn't imagine that too many are arranging PCR tests simply for the Hell of it.

I've had to self isolate 3 times since July 1st.

[superbigal]

It's just the Tories who are face lickers - a minority in the town, despite the prejudice we encounter on here.
 
Anyway, my daughter (SNP) has just tested positive, so that's a bugger.
The accompanying text says the entire household needs to isolate, but surely the latest Scottish guidance is that double vaccinated adults don't need to if they acquire a negative test of their own.  Her younger brother should also be in the clear because although unvaccinated, he has received a negative PCR result.
Is that other people's understanding?  If so, why the initial message alongside the result?  Is it out of date?  Can local rules be put in place which override the national ones?
I wouldn't have thought so but I'm a bit bemused by the mismatch between the separate sources of what should surely be the same Information.

Suppose because you have to isolate until you prove your negative.
Either that or because scotgov think your tory face lickers. [emoji848]

[Left Back]

1 hour ago, Monkey Tennis said:

It's just the Tories who are face lickers - a minority in the town, despite the prejudice we encounter on here.

 

Anyway, my daughter (SNP) has just tested positive, so that's a bugger.

The accompanying text says the entire household needs to isolate, but surely the latest Scottish guidance is that double vaccinated adults don't need to if they acquire a negative test of their own.  Her younger brother should also be in the clear because although unvaccinated, he has received a negative PCR result.

Is that other people's understanding?  If so, why the initial message alongside the result?  Is it out of date?  Can local rules be put in place which override the national ones?

I wouldn't have thought so but I'm a bit bemused by the mismatch between the separate sources of what should surely be the same Information.

Younger brother has to serve the full sentence.  If you’re double jagged you’ll get paroled if you have a negative PCR.

[Monkey Tennis]

Just now, Left Back said:

Younger brother has to serve the full sentence.  If you’re double jagged you’ll get paroled if you have a negative PCR.

He's too young to be vaccinated, but has a negative PCR test.  As far as I can see, that puts him in the clear.

[Monkey Tennis]

20 minutes ago, superbigal said:

Either that or because scotgov think your tory face lickers.

That would be harsh.  

 Barely 30% of voters voted Tory in 2019 and that was in a constituency that stretches 80 miles west of Dumfries.

Far less than 30% vote Tory in the town, and even some of them don't actively lick faces all that often.

[Left Back]

6 minutes ago, Monkey Tennis said:

He's too young to be vaccinated, but has a negative PCR test.  As far as I can see, that puts him in the clear.

Assumed you were talking about an adult so you’re correct mostly.  Bizarrely the cut off age is 18 years 4 months.  Younger than that a PCR puts you in the clear.  Of course you could already be double jagged by then so it also has no logic.