Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Haven’t checked recently but are there even international flights to and from Wales at the moment?  Seem to recall they were all stopped for ages.

Arrivals board at Cardiff Airport just now.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

They said they're going to have a look at the evidence before coming to a decision, as Scotland are and no doubt Northern Ireland too. They were still arguing about it in London this afternoon, I don't get the hysteria about a short delay in the other countries.

Why decide regards the removal of the amber list and not this?

Why not delay any announcement until the full decision was ready?

The removal of pre-departure testing and amber lists was flagged for days before Shapps' announcement - are you trying to tell me the Scottish Government didn't discuss the possibility of pre-departure testing being removed?

It looks to me like petty political point scoring for the sake of it.

See when you keep using the same modus operandi there comes a point when you end up looking like the boy who cried wolf.

I've no issue with politicisation but there is a time and place for it - this isn't it.

[Thereisalight..]

I never thought I'd see the SG being so authoritarian and bringing in needless rules to show they "care more" (masks and not allowing a negative LFT for events). The last few months have made me border on despising the SG and goons like Humza and Swinney (and Godley...)

[Left Back]

12 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

They said they're going to have a look at the evidence before coming to a decision, as Scotland are and no doubt Northern Ireland too. They were still arguing about it in London this afternoon, I don't get the hysteria about a short delay in the other countries.

What is it you think they have to figure out in Edinburgh and Cardiff before they make a decision?  Are they having another think about whether they can shut the borders with England or not to make their current position viable?  What is this evidence you think they’re looking at?

They’re playing political games to be seen to be more caring and morons like yourself lap it up.

[welshbairn]

15 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Why decide regards the removal of the amber list and not this?

Why not delay any announcement until the full decision was ready?

The removal of pre-departure testing and amber lists was flagged for days before Shapps' announcement - are you trying to tell me the Scottish Government didn't discuss the possibility of pre-departure testing being removed?

It looks to me like petty political point scoring for the sake of it.

See when you keep using the same modus operandi there comes a point when you end up looking like the boy who cried wolf.

I've no issue with politicisation but there is a time and place for it - this isn't it.

For one they could decide on random PCR checks on arrival that would cover the sequencing for new variants angle. It's not a binary decision.

[Abdul_Latif]

3 minutes ago, Left Back said:

What is it you think they have to figure out in Edinburgh and Cardiff before they make a decision?  Are they having another think about whether they can shut the borders with England or not to make their current position viable?  What is this evidence you think they’re looking at?

They’re playing political games to be seen to be more caring and morons like yourself lap it up.

There was an excellent point on the radio this afternoon about how foreigners barely understand the borders in the UK (not to mention we cross them freely), essentially meaning this is nonsense. Hard to disagree.

[Bairnardo]

What is it you think they have to figure out in Edinburgh and Cardiff before they make a decision?  Are they having another think about whether they can shut the borders with England or not to make their current position viable?  What is this evidence you think they’re looking at?
They’re playing political games to be seen to be more caring and morons like yourself lap it up.

They are trying to make it loom like its within their power to credibly go another way, before ultimately accepting that its a non starter, but teying to frame it as their own decision. Pure games. Shite.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

For one they could decide on random PCR checks on arrival that would cover the sequencing for new variants angle. It's not a binary decision.

Still utterly pointless when you can travel to Scotland without setting foot in a Scottish airport.

You can't police it when there is a common border

Or are you proposing PCR checks at the Scottish border?

Or home visits to do PCR checks?

It really wasn't a difficult decision to make.

[Granny Danger]

8 minutes ago, Bairnardo said:

14 minutes ago, Left Back said:

What is it you think they have to figure out in Edinburgh and Cardiff before they make a decision?  Are they having another think about whether they can shut the borders with England or not to make their current position viable?  What is this evidence you think they’re looking at?
They’re playing political games to be seen to be more caring and morons like yourself lap it up.

They are trying to make it loom like its within their power to credibly go another way, before ultimately accepting that its a non starter, but teying to frame it as their own decision. Pure games. Shite.

Pissed already.

[Left Back]

9 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

For one they could decide on random PCR checks on arrival that would cover the sequencing for new variants angle. It's not a binary decision.

My word you really are trying to defend the indefensible.  How many random PCR tests should they do?  More or less than the number of people that cross the border to/from England every day?

[welshbairn]

6 minutes ago, DeeTillEhDeh said:

Still utterly pointless when you can travel to Scotland without setting foot in a Scottish airport.

You can't police it when there is a common border

Or are you proposing PCR checks at the Scottish border?

Or home visits to do PCR checks?

It really isn't a difficult decision to make.

It's quite possible London will consider an amendment to keep everyone on board. I don't see why the rest of the UK should automatically agree to everything coming out of London without considering alternatives.  Antigen tests are just as much a pain as PCR tests, they could easily make them cost the same for example.

Edited September 17, 2021 by welshbairn

[DeeTillEhDeh]

Pissed already.

Are you?

[HeartsOfficialMoaner]

16 minutes ago, Left Back said:

What is it you think they have to figure out in Edinburgh and Cardiff before they make a decision?  Are they having another think about whether they can shut the borders with England or not to make their current position viable?  What is this evidence you think they’re looking at?

They’re playing political games to be seen to be more caring and morons like yourself lap it up.

More caring than the Tories, hard to believe.

[Left Back]

2 minutes ago, Granny Danger said:

Pissed already.

Guessed you’d be along at some point.  Didn’t realise it took you so long because you’ve been on the lash all night.

[DeeTillEhDeh]

It's quite possible London will consider an amendment to keep everyone on board. I don't see why the rest of the UK should automatically agree to everything coming out of London without considering alternatives.

No-one is saying they should - but the reality is that when it comes to international travel they really don't have much choice.

People will just travel to Scotland via the North of England airports and there's nothing to stop them.

PS There clearly was already an amendment - we still have the PCR day 2 tests until some unannounced date in October - that looks very much as if it is still up for discussion.

[welshbairn]

3 minutes ago, Left Back said:

My word you really are trying to defend the indefensible.  How many random PCR tests should they do?  More or less than the number of people that cross the border to/from England every day?

As I said before, they only sequence 5% of day 2 pcr tests at the moment. They could be offered free as an alternative to the antigen test.

[Left Back]

13 minutes ago, welshbairn said:

As I said before, they only sequence 5% of day 2 pcr tests at the moment. They could be offered free as an alternative to the antigen test.

What difference does it make from a public health perspective if they PCR test/sequence everyone flying in to Scotland or no-one?

 If someone arrives with a vaccine busting world ending killer variant it’s already here and spreading for at least 3 days before the results are in before you even consider the open border with England which it will get in through anyway.

The only possible answer here is none so what is it you think this will achieve?

Edited September 17, 2021 by Left Back

[welshbairn]

Just now, Left Back said:

What difference does it make from a public health perspective if they PCR test/sequence everyone flying in to Scotland or no-one?

 If someone arrives with a vaccine busting world ending killer variant it’s already here and spreading for at least 3 days before the results are in before you even consider the open border with England which it will get in through anyway.

The only possible answer here is none so what is it they’re trying to achieve?

If 5% of arrivals are voluntarily PCR tested and sequenced it will give the same data it does now. There's no reason why that couldn't be UK wide. It's pretty well exactly the same swab experience as the antigen one, so if they don't have to pay extra, what's the problem?

[Left Back]

1 minute ago, welshbairn said:

If 5% of arrivals are voluntarily PCR tested and sequenced it will give the same data it does now. There's no reason why that couldn't be UK wide. It's pretty well exactly the same swab experience as the antigen one, so if they don't have to pay extra, what's the problem?

What purpose is it serving from a public health perspective?  We keep being told border controls are to stop variants getting in.  The above plan will stop zero variants getting in.

Who is going to carry out/administer these tests?  Border force, the NHS, another new department that isn’t already over-stretched or do we just fire it onto the military as we seem to do with everything else these days where it’s deemed we can’t cope?

[welshbairn]

6 minutes ago, Left Back said:

What purpose is it serving from a public health perspective?  We keep being told border controls are to stop variants getting in.  The above plan will stop zero variants getting in.

Who is going to carry out/administer these tests?  Border force, the NHS, another new department that isn’t already over-stretched or do we just fire it onto the military as we seem to do with everything else these days where it’s deemed we can’t cope?

It would detect new variants as rapidly as now. Instead of an antigen test 5% of travellers would take a PCR test. They wouldn't notice the difference. All the infrastructure is already here.

Edited September 17, 2021 by welshbairn