O/T. The Government's handling of Covid

It is an inevitable function of life, we will never end prejudice and dislike because I am afraid it is permanently resident in the human psyche. If one were to remove prejudice on skin colour, then it would be about hair colour (everyone loves a good ginger joke :?); if one removed prejudice regarding ***ual preference it would be replaced by dislike against circumcised people or those with big, erm, noses.

The current ism's are basically the tip of the iceberg: thats not to say we should accept them, but we must accept that for everyone we get rid of, another will come along because (IMHO) people cannot exist without hate. Its the yin that balances love's yang, the cold versus the hot, the odd versus the even. The devil on one shoulder and the angel on the other.

Show me a person who believes they love eveything, and I'll show you are liar.

I admit to not loving NFFC and LUFC and MUFC. I also had a temporary down on Moroccans in 1985 after being mugged by a bunch of them. After a few months od wanting to assault just about every Moroccan I saw, common sense prevailed when I remembered it was only a few tw@ts not the entire nationality.......

Not entirely ‘the Government’ but some observations on the UK’s response to Covid having recently journeyed to and from Spain.

On arrival in Spain every passenger was temperature checked and had to provide proof of vaccination.
Before leaving Spain, three weeks later, every passenger had to display their ‘Passenger Locator Form’ QR code.

On arrival back in the UK, despite being told ‘you will be asked to show your ‘Passenger Location Form QR code’, nobody appeared to be and we certainly weren’t.
There was no temperature checking of passengers whatsoever and no demand to see vaccine certificates.

Throughout our stay in Spain the Spanish were punctilious about mask wearing. In comparison the Brits, including those in authority on planes and in the airport were distinctly ‘laissez faire’.

In the UK there have been 7.7 million cases, 136,000 confirmed deaths due to Covid and 204,000 cases in the last seven days.

In Spain there have been 4.9 million cases, 86,000 confirmed deaths due to Covid and just 13,000 cases in the last seven days.

Just sayin’.

To present a different perspective for balance:

Not entirely ‘the Government’ but some observations on the UK’s response to Covid having recently journeyed to and from Greece

Before departure from UK I had to present the PLF for Greece and show proof of double vaccination (these being Greek entry requirements)

On arrival in Greece there were no temperature checks and no checks on vaccination or PLF - this having been carried out prior to departure from UK.

Before leaving Greece, three days later, every passenger had to display their UK ‘Passenger Locator Form’ QR code, proof of double vaccination and a certificate from a doctor of negative PCR test.

On arrival back in the UK, I was asked to show vaccination certificates and negative covid test, but not PLF as I was clearly a returning UK resident.

There was no temperature checking of passengers whatsoever.

Throughout our stay in Greece the Greeks were OK about mask wearing, but not much different to here. Those in authority on planes and in the airport in both UK and Greece were absolutely strict on masks, particularly on the plane.

Strange how two experiences differ

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Originally Posted by Geoff Parkstone

To present a different perspective for balance:

Not entirely ‘the Government’ but some observations on the UK’s response to Covid having recently journeyed to and from Greece

Before departure from UK I had to present the PLF for Greece and show proof of double vaccination (these being Greek entry requirements)

On arrival in Greece there were no temperature checks and no checks on vaccination or PLF - this having been carried out prior to departure from UK.

Before leaving Greece, three days later, every passenger had to display their UK ‘Passenger Locator Form’ QR code, proof of double vaccination and a certificate from a doctor of negative PCR test.

On arrival back in the UK, I was asked to show vaccination certificates and negative covid test, but not PLF as I was clearly a returning UK resident.

There was no temperature checking of passengers whatsoever.

Throughout our stay in Greece the Greeks were OK about mask wearing, but not much different to here. Those in authority on planes and in the airport in both UK and Greece were absolutely strict on masks, particularly on the plane.

Strange how two experiences differ

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Thank god you two weren't on the same plane

My experience in Spain was per rA and in Greece was per GP, the only extra I can add is that the only Covid denyer we met was also the only person to steal my expensive sunglasses

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Originally Posted by Andy_Faber

Thank god you two weren't on the same plane

My experience in Spain was per rA and in Greece was per GP, the only extra I can add is that the only Covid denyer we met was also the only person to steal my expensive sunglasses

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Nice bit of fence sitting, AF. ;D I didn’t think there was any animosity was there? I love him really.

My point about the mask wearing on the (BA) plane may be well illustrated by the fact that the bloke in front of me didn’t wear a mask at all...possibly because he barely paused to stop drinking...and when challenged told the steward, ‘I’m exempt’ to which the response was... ‘okay, that’s fine, sir... thanks for telling me.’ He certainly wouldn’t have got away with that in a Spanish supermarket.

Not sure about the wisdom of that...imo opinion I’d prefer a ‘no mask...no flight’ policy.

Interesting perhaps that the difference in my and GP’s experiences illustrates the point, albeit in a not particularly favourable way, that the Brexiteers’ portrayal of an all seeing, one rule for all, homogeneous Europe seems to be far from the truth.

P.S. Interesting too that on our last two visits to Spain children over there all wear masks in school and largely when out and about in the streets and playgrounds...a concept that we still seem to be struggling to reach a conclusion about in the UK.

My recent trip to England for the Red Dogs game.

Schiphol:

Showed proof of vaccination, PLF and negative test result to get into the check in area
Repeated at security check
Repeated on boarding
Mask compulsory from entering the airport
Strict on mask wearing on board. The snack and a beer (ended up having a second beer) saw me able to ditch the mask for a good deal of the flight

Entering England:
Showed PLF and negative test result
Passport check

Leaving England:
Showed proof of vaccination, PLF and negative test result.
Passport check

Entering the Netherlands:
Passport check

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Originally Posted by ramAnag

Nice bit of fence sitting, AF. ;D I didn’t think there was any animosity was there? I love him really.

My point about the mask wearing on the (BA) plane may be well illustrated by the fact that the bloke in front of me didn’t wear a mask at all...possibly because he barely paused to stop drinking...and when challenged told the steward, ‘I’m exempt’ to which the response was... ‘okay, that’s fine, sir... thanks for telling me.’ He certainly wouldn’t have got away with that in a Spanish supermarket.

Not sure about the wisdom of that...imo opinion I’d prefer a ‘no mask...no flight’ policy.

Interesting perhaps that the difference in my and GP’s experiences illustrates the point, albeit in a not particularly favourable way, that the Brexiteers’ portrayal of an all seeing, one rule for all, homogeneous Europe seems to be far from the truth.

P.S. Interesting too that on our last two visits to Spain children over there all wear masks in school and largely when out and about in the streets and playgrounds...a concept that we still seem to be struggling to reach a conclusion about in the UK.

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Just entering into a bit of lightheartedness rA

My take on the portrayal is that The Powers That Be seek a homogeneous Europe, and the populace continue, and will forever continue, to frustrate that in any way that can’t be legislated (for instance the Euro COULD be legislated). That’s always been my view right through my journey from Europhile to Eurorealist

Hence my ;D.

Suspect your journey was from Europhile to Eurosceptic rather than ‘realist’, but the whole fear based propaganda about losing our ‘cultural identity’ was always bogus as visiting any European country clearly shows.

P.S. Have you had a look at the new BBC series, ‘Ridley Road’? The parallels between what was happening back then with what we have seen in this country over the last five years are clear if, perhaps, a little dramatically contrived. I think it’s excellent...though your anti BBC prejudice may not allow you to share that view. ;D (!!)

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Originally Posted by ramAnag

Hence my ;D.

Suspect your journey was from Europhile to Eurosceptic rather than ‘realist’, but the whole fear based propaganda about losing our ‘cultural identity’ was always bogus as visiting any European country clearly shows.

P.S. Have you had a look at the new BBC series, ‘Ridley Road’? The parallels between what was happening back then with what we have seen in this country over the last five years are clear if, perhaps, a little dramatically contrived. I think it’s excellent...though your anti BBC prejudice may not allow you to share that view. ;D (!!)

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No, Eurorealist. My opinion of EU for good and bad hasn’t significantly changed. The protagonists in any culture war come from without not within.

I’ll check out Ridley Road, and expect it to be class even if the subject matter doesn’t engage me. My issue with the Beeb has only ever been with its rampant political correctness, it’s breadth and depth are second to none. Edit: I note from enforced exposure to Dutch TV over the past three days that one particular form of PCness that I object to doesn't appear to be practised there, although in the past MA has stated it does - maybe the PC editors were having a day off