Borders Closed To Shut Out New Strains (Apparently)

[Spungle]

The headlines today are "Borders Closed to Shut out new strains" (of Covid)- the question is do we have an effective Border Force to repel illegal entrants, when we have 15,000 illegal immigrants a year attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK?
https://www.europol.europa.eu/migrant-smuggling-use-of-small-boats-to-cross-english-channel-0

[douglas9401]

Reports suggest a few problems, protection-wise.

[Bobbisox1]

Even they're mad to want to come here just now !

[mushroom25]

the virus knows that anyone who arrives on a beach in a rubber boat will be exempt from travel restrictions, and has therefore agreed not to infect them - provided they are given priority in the vaccine queue.

[grumpy01]

Shutting the Borders now is another example of Boris dithering,this should have been done when this strain of Covid-19 was detected.

[Maydup]

Have we shut the borders, or are we just asking for negative tests within the last 3 days?

[ichkeria]

The borders aren’t “shut” despite the headlines.
This can surely only be a short term measure.
You can’t really legislate for new strains of the virus indefinitely

[New Judge]

//…provided they are given priority in the vaccine queue.//

Which they will be because they will almost certainly be classed as “homeless”:

https://www.bigissue.com/latest/homeless-couple-given-covid-19-vaccine-in-oldham-world-first/

(similar reports from elsewhere in the country are available).

Which intrigues me a little. I understand that people who are not registered with an NHS GP practice but who instead pay a General Practitioner privately will not be called to receive the jab. This is despite them being no burden on the health service (if they pay to see a GP the chances are they probably pay for all their other treatment). It also means they won’t be able to have the vaccine at all because it is not being provided to private concerns. But somebody pitching up in a rubber boat goes straight to the head of the queue.

[sevenOP]

'In August, it was reported that in 2020 so far almost 4,000 people had crossed the Channel illegally, using at least 300 small boats. On 6 August a record number of migrants arrived, at least 235.[15] It has also been observed that while it was originally mostly men that were arriving, young children and pregnant women and babies are now often among those arriving'
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Channel_migrant_crossings_(2018%E2%80%93present)#2020


https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/images/thumb/f/fd/Number_of_first_instance_and_final_decisions_on_asylum_applications_%28from_non-EU-27_citizens%29%2C_2019_%28thousands%29_1.png/500px-Number_of_first_instance_and_final_decisions_on_asylum_applications_%28from_non-EU-27_citizens%29%2C_2019_%28thousands%29_1.png

https://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=migr_asyappctza&lang=en

[gulliver1]

12.10 Anyone would be mad to want to go to UK right now, not just migrants.
With the new British Strain of Covid ,and Brexit sanctions about to kick in . Not a lot to be happy about at the moment.

[johnny.5]

how do they fit ?
we're full !

Am I Right ?
I'm Not Wrong !

[Sunk]

If all flights and travel to the UK is restricted, then all immigration should be curtailed including illegal immigration.
But we are doing that, as best we can, already.

The UK itself has grown a mutant strain, so barring every body is for their own good.
And closing the air corridors is as much to stop infected Brits going to other countries and infecting them, as it is stopping a variant strain coming here.

There are quite a few on AB that incredibly have holidays booked that will not now happen. It is time people stopped being selfish.

[sevenOP]

Worth keeping an eye on:

"23 deaths associated with covid-19 vaccination of which 13 have been assessed. Common adverse reactions may have contributed to a severe course in elderly people who are frail." [ Pfizer-BioNTech jab]

https://legemiddelverket.no/nyheter/covid-19-vaccination-associated-with-deaths-in-elderly-people-who-are-frail

Hopefully covid will not continually mutate necessitating annual jabs, or worse, even more frequently.

[ummmm]

Sunk....how is it selfish? Many people booked their holidays before the pandemics started or before we realised how serious it was.

[Bobbisox1]

/// There are quite a few on AB that incredibly have holidays booked that will not now happen. It is time people stopped being selfish.///

How's that being selfish?
I've got a holiday booked and I'll go when it's deemed safe to fly , what's selfish about that?
It's becoming tiresome having these digs at people who wish to have a holiday, does it actually impact on you ??

[Sunk]

OK ummmm.

We have know about covid for a year, and how serious it is for 10 months. If you made your booking last January, you get a pass. If you booked after March, you are the problem.

Just reading about the Isle of Wight. At the end of November it was in tier 1 with very few cases. Today it is one of the worst places in the UK and in tier 4.
How did that happen? At the beginning of December they let in thousands people from tier 4, who partied because the bars and restaurants were open there.

[Bobbisox1]

Phew, I booked last August ( just checked);so do I get a pass ?

[Sunk]

I think you will find last August came after last March.
The dangers of travelling were well known in August.
The Government have now stopped you going, so it has all worked out for the best.

[Bobbisox1]

I went away in October , I had no problems, Why? Because the rules had been relaxed for travel, you still haven't said how people booking holidays are selfish?

[gulliver1]

The Brits need their Holidays , they need to escape from the UK. Even if only for a couple of weeks a year,they deserve to. It should Compulsary. With all the rules and regulations , and I fear it will only get worse when Brexit really takes hold, and people realise what they have voted for. It's not so much migrants trying to sneak into Britain , its more about the Brits trying get out. But they seem to have shot themselves in the foot by making foreign travel more difficult for themselves by voting against freedom of movement (Brexit)enjoy the non E/U Citizens Queue at the airport .

[Bobbisox1]

I knowwww, can you imagine shock horror, we will have to go through the Non EU channel at customs , whatever will we do:0(