# Government announces UK travel ban



## odyssey06 (20 Dec 2020)

The Government is set to impose a suspension on almost all travel from Britain following fears over the spread of a new strain of Covid-19.

The move was agreed by the three coalition party leaders who held discussions this afternoon, and an announcement is expected this evening.

Officials are still working on the final details of the plan which will include a number of exemptions, including for essential workers and for the delivery of goods into the country.

Consideration is also being given to exempting people who are transiting through Britain on their way home to Ireland from other countries.









						48-hour ban on flights from UK over new Covid-19 strain
					

The Government is to impose a 48-hour ban on flights from Britain following fears over the spread of a new strain of Covid-19, while ferries will be limited to freight travel.




					www.rte.ie


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## odyssey06 (20 Dec 2020)

Flights and passenger ferries from Britain to Ireland suspended for 48 hours from midnight
					

Several countries have stopped travel from the UK as a new strain of coronavirus spreads.




					www.thejournal.ie


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## odyssey06 (20 Dec 2020)

BaBa BlackSheep said:


> To little, too late. 30 flights from U.K. into Dublin today. Most of those passengers are breaking UK restrictions by taking those flights.
> How many will self-isolate for 14 days?



I think there must be possibility this is closing the stable door after the horse has bolted... these measures will reduce the numbers incoming but if this new strain is as transmissible as reported it must surely already be on the island of Ireland already.


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## Leo (21 Dec 2020)

odyssey06 said:


> I think there must be possibility this is closing the stable door after the horse has bolted... these measures will reduce the numbers incoming but if this new strain is as transmissible as reported it must surely already be on the island of Ireland already.



Yes, it's been circulating since September, it would be inconceivable that it's not here already.


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## Sunny (21 Dec 2020)

It is inconceivable that this this strain has not being seen in other countries at this stage. And yet the UK is the only Country that is seemingly claiming that the increase in numbers is down to this new strain. I know it is the cynical side of me but it sounds like the UK might be looking for something to blame because of their own incompetence. Will be interesting to see the science of this. The new strain might have mutated to make it more effective like most viruses do but more transmissible? That's a big claim to make especially since it is around since September but has only become an issue in the past four weeks.


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## odyssey06 (21 Dec 2020)

Sunny said:


> It is inconceivable that this this strain has not being seen in other countries at this stage. And yet the UK is the only Country that is seemingly claiming that the increase in numbers is down to this new strain. I know it is the cynical side of me but it sounds like the UK might be looking for something to blame because of their own incompetence. Will be interesting to see the science of this. The new strain might have mutated to make it more effective like most viruses do but more transmissible? That's a big claim to make especially since it is around since September but has only become an issue in the past four weeks.



Cynical view - I thought it might be an attempt at justifying \ getting buy in from public on a christmas lockdown.
Paranoid view - There is more to this strain than we've been told and genuinely spooked by it


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## RedOnion (21 Dec 2020)

Sunny said:


> I know it is the cynical side of me but it sounds like the UK might be looking for something to blame because of their own incompetence.


You're not the only one with those thoughts.


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## Paul O Mahoney (21 Dec 2020)

Saying its exclusively a UK strain is probably not true, the UK are the global leaders in genetic sequencing and they have identified it with certainty now.
The effects of this strain are largely unknown and its going to take time to identify these and understand precisely what is different and what needs to be done in combating it.
Many have said that it will not affect the effectiveness of the vaccines and hopefully that's true, however it may also be incorrect as the new strain might have a different protein on its spikes.
Only time will tell once again but I cannot see us out of this or at least have it under control for months into 2021.

The embargoes will be eased but the knock on effects will certainly affect everyone and everything and our lives will not be "normal " for a while yet.


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## Clamball (22 Dec 2020)

Very disappointed that so many people chose to re-route through Belfast and so many families chose to drive to the North to collect them.  They won’t fill out the passenger locator form, and will they self isolate for the next 10 days?  Did I see mention that some airlines were offering a shuttle from Belfast to Dublin?  Or was that just fake news?

But I can see many from the UK doing a Belfast shuffle to get around not being allowed to fly from the UK.  Planning to go skiing, fly to Belfast pop to Dublin and fly from there.  Same if they want to go anywhere with flights from Dublin.


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## odyssey06 (12 Jan 2021)

Can probably still be avoid via N Irelamd entry?

All passengers arriving into Ireland will have to provide a negative Covid-19 test prior to departure from this Saturday, 16 January.
The negative test must be taken within 72 hours prior to arrival in Ireland.
Arrivals from Britain and South Africa had already been required to provide a negative test, under measures that were announced last week.









						All passengers into Ireland to require negative result
					

All passengers arriving into Ireland will have to provide a negative Covid-19 test prior to departure from this Saturday, 16 January.




					www.rte.ie


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## mathepac (12 Jan 2021)

Clamball said:


> But I can see many from the UK doing a Belfast shuffle to get around not being allowed to fly from the UK. Planning to go skiing, fly to Belfast pop to Dublin and fly from there. Same if they want to go anywhere with flights from Dublin.


To be clear then, the thread title should refer to "GB" as NI is still in the UK.  Passengers flooded into NI airports and travelled by road to Ireland pre-Christmas and since.


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## joe sod (22 Feb 2021)

With Boris giving the schedule for the UK reopening and with everything more or less opened by June I think there will be a large outflow from here to Northern Ireland and UK to go on holidays. The big fear of travelling to out of control Covid UK will be gone this Summer as most people will be vaccinated. This really throws down the gauntlet to the government here to speed up the vaccination program and lift the restrictions much faster. The young won't tolerate another Summer of restrictions when they see the UK and NI open for business


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

joe sod said:


> With Boris giving the schedule for the UK reopening and with everything more or less opened by June I think there will be a large outflow from here to Northern Ireland and UK to go on holidays. The big fear of travelling to out of control Covid UK will be gone this Summer as most people will be vaccinated. This really throws down the gauntlet to the government here to speed up the vaccination program and lift the restrictions much faster. The young won't tolerate another Summer of restrictions when they see the UK and NI open for business


This puts the nonsense about adopting a Zero Covid strategy to bed. It's a stupid idea anyway but since we have an open border with the UK and they are adopting a different policy we can't even attempt to do something which is so contrary to their policy, not without locking down our land border with the UK and that's not possible politically or practically.


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## Sunny (23 Feb 2021)

The UK are talking about international travel by the end of May. We are talking about coffee shops opening by July. 

Only good thing is that I can see the UK making vaccines available to the Republic by the start of the summer....It is in their interest that Ireland and indeed the EU are vaccinated as much as possible. Unless they are happy to continue in their splendid isolation....


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## joe sod (23 Feb 2021)

But what were the government thinking by announcing such a restrictive regime well into the summer when on the very same day Boris announces that he hopes to have UK fully opened by June. Did they not know that they would look very bad in comparison to UK. Even the tone of the announcements extreme pessimism on our side and optimism from the British


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

I heard an independent TD on the wireless this morning talking about this. I thought he made sense. He said that it would be good to have targets for reopening; them the infection rate is X then Y will happen etc. 
The combination of Micheál spineless waffling, Leo's inability to keep his mouth shut, the opposition climbing over each other to be populist, the Government terrified to contradict NPHET, the Union's smacking the Government around the odd time they actually attempt to run the country and RTE radio and TV turning into a 24 hour version of Liveline is depressing.


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## Sunny (23 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> I heard an independent TD on the wireless this morning talking about this. I thought he made sense. He said that it would be good to have targets for reopening; them the infection rate is X then Y will happen etc.
> The combination of Micheál spineless waffling, Leo's inability to keep his mouth shut, the opposition climbing over each other to be populist, the Government terrified to contradict NPHET, the Union's smacking the Government around the odd time they actually attempt to run the country and RTE radio and TV turning into a 24 hour version of Liveline is depressing.



Yeah the tv and radio is just painful at the moment with 'Experts' crawling over themselves to give their opinion about how we are all doomed and politicians being unable to deliver a clear message. They seem to think that if they use the phrase 'light at the end of the tunnel' or 'hope', the population will be fine.....


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## Paul O Mahoney (23 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> I heard an independent TD on the wireless this morning talking about this. I thought he made sense. He said that it would be good to have targets for reopening; them the infection rate is X then Y will happen etc.
> The combination of Micheál spineless waffling, Leo's inability to keep his mouth shut, the opposition climbing over each other to be populist, the Government terrified to contradict NPHET, the Union's smacking the Government around the odd time they actually attempt to run the country and RTE radio and TV turning into a 24 hour version of Liveline is depressing.


God if it were only RTE.
 BBC this morning had quite a few " business " people being interviewed for the most part they were happy that they now have clarity, obviously some had a moan but thats human nature. 

Our government needs to start giving clarity otherwise people simply have nothing to aim for, like the UK data is key but the data needs to be shared if it is people will understand why the restrictions are what they are, its near impossible to find anything that you could say is 100% right.


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## EasilyAmused (23 Feb 2021)

joe sod said:


> This really throws down the gauntlet to the government here to speed up the vaccination program and lift the restrictions much faster.



The government can’t do much without vaccines. 
We have the vaccination centres, and they’re fully staffed. We have the patients. We don’t have the vaccines.

There’s a lot of gambling going on. 
Trump gambled that Covid was a dose of the sniffles. The US body count exceeds half a million and counting. 
Arden gambled that Covid could be lethal and that Zero Covid would work. The NZ body count is 26. 
Martin gambled on #SaveChristmas. More died in January of 2021 than all of 2020.
Johnson is gambling on three months versus three weeks between vaccines. If that works out people may ignore the U.K. having the fourth worst death toll on the planet.


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

EasilyAmused said:


> The government can’t do much without vaccines.
> We have the vaccination centres, and they’re fully staffed. We have the patients. We don’t have the vaccines.


I know one GP who said they received a load of vaccines with 24 hours notice and when they had vaccinated as many over 85's as they could they still had loads left. They are now vaccinating friends and family.


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## EasilyAmused (23 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> I know one GP who said they received a load of vaccines with 24 hours notice and when they had vaccinated as many over 85's as they could they still had loads left. They are no vaccinating friends and family.



Like he said:


Ceist Beag said:


> TBH I would rather we deal with facts here rather than taking the word of your friend in the trade.


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

EasilyAmused said:


> Like he said:


Sure, that you are entitled to do.
Some people here who know me know who the GP is.


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## EasilyAmused (23 Feb 2021)

I’ve a friend that’s a GP. He and none of the other GPs in his town had vaccines last week. The expect them this week. 

Anecdotal evidence is just that: anecdotal. 
A sample size of one isn’t large enough to be scientific.


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

EasilyAmused said:


> I’ve a friend that’s a GP. He and none of the other GPs in his town had vaccines last week. The expect them this week.
> 
> Anecdotal evidence is just that: anecdotal.
> A sample size of one isn’t large enough to be scientific.


I'm not saying it's scientific. I'm wondering about how vaccines are distributed. 
Are GP's asked how many patients they have in the first group that are to be vaccinated or are they just sent a shipment? 
What's the protocol for spare vaccines if they can't get all of that group vaccinated?
That sort of thing. 
My parents have been offered the vaccine but they are not over 80.


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## Sunny (23 Feb 2021)

Purple said:


> Sure, that you are entitled to do.
> Some people here who know me know who the GP is.



Did she give you one???


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## joe sod (23 Feb 2021)

For some reason I can no longer quote since the changes,  but you made reference to the fact that there is alot of gambling going on, of course there is thats how you make progress. The pharmaceutical companies gambled that their technology would work for the vaccine,  Pfizer and AZ and the sputnik vaccines were successful,  Sanofi,  merck and GSK vaccines were not. Yet they still had to spend billions ,  that was a gamble. The UK gambled on AZ and going all in to vaccinate as many as possible with one dose. That's a success,  you don't get breakthroughs without taking gamble. Ultra caution is not a strategy, if we followed that theory we would still be dying of small pox, tb and polio


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

Sunny said:


> Did she give you one???


No.


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## Leper (23 Feb 2021)

I wish Micheál Martin would tell us what he means by "summer" - My meaning of summer is May, June and July. But, the way politicians reframe what they say "summer" could mean anything.


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## joer (23 Feb 2021)

I agree. What part of summer is he referring to I am also wondering. 
When are we ever going to hear clear messaging ?.


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

Leper said:


> I wish Micheál Martin would tell us what he means by "summer" - My meaning of summer is May, June and July. But, the way politicians reframe what they say "summer" could mean anything.


Probably what the Met Office say summer is; June, July and August.


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## Purple (23 Feb 2021)

joer said:


> I agree. What part of summer is he referring to I am also wondering.
> When are we ever going to hear clear messaging ?.


Why is it all about dates and not infection levels, hospitalisations, R-Number etc.


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## EasilyAmused (23 Feb 2021)

Leper said:


> I wish Micheál Martin would tell us what he means by "summer" - My meaning of summer is May, June and July. But, the way politicians reframe what they say "summer" could mean anything.


He said “mid-summer”. I take this to be 21st June.


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## EasilyAmused (23 Feb 2021)

joe sod said:


> The UK gambled on AZ and going all in to vaccinate as many as possible with one dose. That's a success,  you don't get breakthroughs without taking gamble.



It’s been a success so far this year... but time will tell. 
There’s a lot of conflicting data on the three month versus three week gap between Pfizer vaccine jabs 1 & 2.
Last week I heard jab 1 is 50% effective, this week I heard it is 85% effective. And then I heard its efficacy drops off markedly after four weeks.  It’s just too early to tell. 

I think I heard something else though, and maybe someone else can confirm, that the UK’s strategy accepts up to 30,000 Covid deaths in the next 18 months.


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