For help, advice and discussion about stuff not related to aviation. Play nice: no religion, no politics and no axe grinding please.
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#1845869
<dampening enthusiasm for exotic destinations :wink: >

Is the runway on Ascension still being resurfaced ? And, if so, does that mean civil passengers going to Falklands will be refuelling at Dakar ? And does that Senegal stop mean that exemption from quarantine on return disappears ?

And do not any St Helena flights need to go or return via Accra or Johannesburg, with equivalent implication ?

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Perhaps more seriously, with Australia (and NZ) on 'green list', only direct flight is Qantas to Perth (~17h, B787), all others requiring refuelling stop (with passengers held in transit lounge) in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Singapore, .. both ways. Will those transit stops eliminate the exemption on return ? Obviously, it's still academic, as it's unlikely that Australia will be allowing for quite a while visitors without 2 weeks' quarantine on arrival, which may inhibit travel for mere 'holidays'.
#1846213
It's as good as conclusive that there was no exit strategy apart from vaccine so what great news that "The AstraZeneca vaccine lowers the risk of dying from a Covid infection by 80 per cent after just one dose, the first real-world data from Britain has shown.". 80% on one jab! Flipping fabulous!

It's time for the vaccinated among us to get back out there to start spending, earning and most importantly, to rebuild all those relationships that have gone to pot since 2019.


On a personal note - come on Ireland, visiting Dublin in July is totally doable!! :P
#1846219
11 May BBC Europe summary:

"French Prime Minister Jean Castex has detailed the next steps towards reopening society starting on 19 May with 50% capacity of outdoor seating at cafes, bars and restaurants - and cinemas and theatres at 35% capacity and a maximum of 800 people. Libraries and museums can also reopen, allowing each individual 8 sq/m space. Shops will have similar spacing. From 9 June restaurants can open indoors at half capacity, with shops and museums requiring 4 sq m space per person. Swimming pools and sport centres can reopen for non-contact sports for all, up to 50% capacity. Full reopening is set for 30 June.

It was shut for almost seven months but last night La Scala opera house in Milan reopened its doors to loud applause from an audience of 500 watching from balconies with the musicians in the seating area. Soprano Lisa Davidsen and masked conductor Riccardo Chailly were part of the performance which culminated in an encore from Verdi’s Nabucco.

Top Spanish health official Fernando Simón says he’s disappointed by pictures of partying crowds without masks celebrating the end of the country’s state of alarm and overnight curfew at the weekend. There is a lot of virus still in Spain, he says, and he was hopeful of avoiding a fourth wave but nobody knew what would happen now.

A Belgian mayor has temporarily stepped aside after admitting she was vaccinated in March, earlier than she should have been. Veerle Heeren is 56 and at the time vaccines were available to locals in Sint-Truiden aged over 85. She’s admitted passing on the names of 13 others for early vaccination, including relatives.

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has gone into isolation after becoming infected with Covid despite having had a first vaccination. The 71-year-old has no symptoms."

.. and 'day of freedom' in Irish Republic yesterday:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57023440
#1846470
12 May BBC European summary

"Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo has set out a big summer reopening plan, with drinking and dining indoors from 9 June, along with indoor entertainment with audiences of up to 200. Cafes and restaurants began outdoor service last Saturday. The prime minister says the next phase relies on keeping intensive care numbers below 500 and broadening the vaccination campaign. The number of guests in your indoor social bubble will rise from two to four. Three further stages will take place in July and August.

Sweden will stop using the Oxford-AstraZeneca drug as a first dose in the next few weeks, the country’s vaccine coordinator Richard Bergstrom has told national radio. He says another 200,000 doses are needed, mainly for second doses for over-65s but then Sweden will focus on other drugs.

French MPs voted late last night to end the state of emergency and back a controversial health pass. However, the government has agreed to cut short a transition period to normality by a month - from 2 June to the end of September.

Spanish health experts say the number of melanomas diagnosed in 2020 was 21% down on previous years. But they’ve warned that does not mean there are fewer cases and they’ve urged people in Spain to check their skin for signs of anything unusual.

If hospital admissions decline in the Netherlands, then a further relaxation of rules will be allowed next Wednesday, in particular allowing gyms and swimming pools to reopen with a limit of 30 people and zoos and amusement parks to start up under limited conditions. Outdoor catering will be allowed until 20:00 and sex workers will be allowed to open their doors. But a group of experts that advises the government has warned that relaxing too fast could destroy the prospect of a better summer."
#1846478
Very interested to see such similar timetables for opening up amongst so many countries. Yet these countries have such variable vaccine coverage?

Just as an example of recent vaccination rates: United Kingdom - 52% 1st dose/27% 2nd dose, Belgium - 32%/10%, France - 27%/12%, Portugal - 29%/11%.

First point is that maybe some countries are being ‘optimistic’ whilst others appear ‘pessimistic’??

Second point is a question really. It’s pretty clear that ‘social distancing’ in all it’s forms has had a significant impact on the spread of covid., even whilst vaccination levels remain fairly low. (Though hopefully protecting the most vulnerable) Once that social distancing is largely removed, and mass air travel between differing ‘regimes’ resumes. What do we think will be the effect on transmission of this rather unpleasant virus and it’s potential mutations?

It’s also a fair point to respond with, “what’s the alternative?” But that’s not the question I’m asking.
User avatar
By skydriller
FLYER Club Member  FLYER Club Member
#1846482
A4 Pacific wrote:Very interested to see such similar timetables for opening up amongst so many countries. Yet these countries have such variable vaccine coverage?

Just as an example of recent vaccination rates: United Kingdom - 52% 1st dose/27% 2nd dose, Belgium - 32%/10%, France - 27%/12%, Portugal - 29%/11%.

First point is that maybe some countries are being ‘optimistic’ whilst others appear ‘pessimistic’??


As with everything over the last year, its all politics. In the case of France I can assure you that by 1st July everything will be open as it was last year and will remain so until September - this is the sacred holiday period and restricting this for french people within France would precipitate a another revolution... France WILL open up internally regardless of infection rates or hospital cases.
#1846505
A4 Pacific wrote:Once that social distancing is largely removed, and mass air travel between differing ‘regimes’ resumes. What do we think will be the effect on transmission of this rather unpleasant virus and it’s potential mutations?


Good question.

We should imagine that the vaccinated are like ghosts; they can move among us unseen (by the virus), not being noticed by anyone except the exceptionally sensitive.


In other news, we're getting the public enquiry I've been banging on about for months :thumleft: Retrospectoscopes at the ready!
#1846547
eltonioni wrote:.


In other news, we're getting the public enquiry I've been banging on about for months :thumleft: Retrospectoscopes at the ready!


Enquiry will start next year, will take at least a year. Government will take it under consideration, call an election ( as they are abolishing the 5year parliament act) then publish it..

All promised actions completed, resolving nothing.
#1846637
Jim Jones wrote:
eltonioni wrote:.


In other news, we're getting the public enquiry I've been banging on about for months :thumleft: Retrospectoscopes at the ready!


Enquiry will start next year, will take at least a year. Government will take it under consideration, call an election ( as they are abolishing the 5year parliament act) then publish it..

All promised actions completed, resolving nothing.


A full public enquiry doesn't work like that. Remember that the primary purpose is to 'prevent recurrence' of something that's gone wrong.

Perhaps. just perhaps, HMG is confident that they can justify their actions in the great experiment that was Coronovirus UK February 2020 - May 2021. Perhaps they feel that TMOTTOTCO gets it, (s)he understands that it was never going to be perfect and that the final score is more important than the early goal? That improving the system is more important than politics.

It's to be hoped for (for them) because otherwise, they will be torn apart at the PE.

For the naysayers who seem addicted to death rattle league tables, I'd like to hear their alternative to an early public enquiry. For instance, what are other countries doing, or are they preoccupied presently with their pish-poor vaccination programmes and overflowing hospitals to worry about being held to account??
#1846645
13 May BBC Europe summary:

"Hungary starts giving Covid vaccinations to 16-18-year-olds this morning, with a warning that unless they have the jabs they won't be able to go to bars or music festivals this summer. So far 90,000 teenagers have registered for the Pfizer vaccine. They need parental consent to have it.

Meanwhile, demand in Germany for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been so high since the government opened up to everyone that supplies are reportedly running out. Doctors have had to cancel appointments.

The Spanish government has announced that fans will be allowed to return to stadiums in limited numbers for the last days of the season – both in La Liga football games and the top basketball league. A maximum of 5,000 local fans wearing masks can return, with a limit of 30% per stadium in areas with the lowest alert level, such as Valencia, Galicia and the Balearic Islands. In principle that means Valencia's and Villareal's home games in La Liga next Sunday. Fans will also be allowed into Portuguese football stadiums for the last day of the season on 19 May, as long as they pass a negative test.

Public health experts in Portugal fear a spike in cases in Lisbon after celebrations by Sporting Lisbon fans got out of control in the capital after their team were crowned champions. Thousands of supporters abandoned masks and bottles and smoke bombs were thrown at police and journalists. There were disturbances in the Dutch town of Doetinchem last night too, involving fans who had gathered outside De Graafschap’s stadium, after their team missed out on promotion to the top league.

The head of Germany’s BDK police union, Sebastian Fiedler, has warned that forged vaccination passports could become a big problem as Covid restrictions are relaxed. He says the problem already exists – and will attract people who refuse to get vaccinated or those who want to avoid quarantine requirements.

Some 7,500 pilgrims have been taking part in an outdoor prayers at the Fátima sanctuary in Portugal, a year after it was halted by the pandemic. A candlelit procession took place last night at the shrine with limited numbers, and it will continue today."
Last edited by kanga on Thu May 13, 2021 6:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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