BA spreads covid-19 around the world
We are in lockdown, albeit a lockdown slowly breaking down thanks to insanity of Stay Alert, but lockdown nevertheless, we are not allowed to visit family and friends, though can chat with in the street, in the park, we can drive off to seaside resorts for the day, but not stay overnight.
Why then is it OK for BA, and not only BA, other airlines too, to pack passengers in like sardines, all breathing the same air for several hours?
Airlines have trashed the planet, spread covid-19 around the world, reneged on payments for cancelled flights, demanded bailouts, then have the gall to whine about 14 day quarantine for arrivals into the country.
One person on a bus in China infected nine fellow passengers.
An experiment in a restaurant showed how easily covid-19 spreads from person to person.
A self-selecting survey carried out by travel writer Simon Calder, two-thirds of those who participated, unwilling to travel abroad for a holiday this summer.
Followers of a travel writer, not a random survey. A random survey of the population would show far higher figure.
When if check train times and find only Sunday service running, a warning not to travel, train companies limiting the numbers who can travel, LNER has introduced must book to travel to limit numbers, why are airlines a law unto themselves?
Many countries acted swiftly, restrictions on movement, borders closed, track and trace, but not UK.
UK was slow to act, slow to enter lockdown, too little too late, ban on mass gathering and sporting events, close bars clubs pubs, close schools, lockdown London, implement mass testing. Airports remained open, inbound flights from covid-19 hotspots, no screening, no quarantine, hop onto public transport.
UK has announced it will implement quarantine, but not yet, maybe end of the month.
Contrast with other countries, borders closed, airports closed.
Australia one hundred deaths from covid-19, UK over 34,000 deaths and rising, highest in Europe, second in the world to US. UK records more deaths. in a day than Australia has recorded in total.
Two weeks ago a friend travelled from Spain to Cyprus via Germany. Bus, train to Barcelona, overnight in a hotel, flight to Frankfurt, flight to Larnaca, then taken into quarantine for 14 days. Had she flown into the UK, she would have been free to go wherever she chose.
Amsterdam the streets are deserted, Lincoln the streets deserted, Brighton many on the beach, and as the weather warms up the day trippers are going to pack these places, at least in England where lockdown is breaking down.
UK is an island, therefore it was easier than countries with a land border to control the spread of covid-19.
Unlike Spain, or Greece or Cyprus, UK is not dependent upon tourism, therefore no excuse for not closing airports.
The proposed so-called quarantine is not quarantine, it is self isolation for 14 days.
UK should bring in quarantine immediately and for an indefinite period, only permit visitors from countries clear of covid-19.
Heathrow having taken flights from anywhere and everywhere including covid-19 hotspots and having put us all at risk, and doing their best to sabotage quarantine for arrivals, is now proposing allow flights from low risk countries.
The irony, low risk countries would not wish for flights from UK, or at least not without arrivals from UK being taken into quarantine.
Spain and Italy, the worst-affected areas within the EU before UK became the worst in Europe, closed their airspace to travellers without required documentation.
British passengers trying to get to Spain cannot leave terra firma without a resident’s card. Italy demands a ‘self-declaration form for travel’, and passengers must report to local health authorities upon arrival.
When countries within EU open their borders to tourists, they will restrict which countries the tourists may come from. This is also consistent with EU advice.
Scottish government health adviser Professor Devi Sridhar:
The UK is one of the very few countries in the world to actually have no checks at borders for anyone coming in. It is an outlier.
Last month, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed that 15,000 air passengers were arriving in the UK every day. This equates to around 800,000 since lockdown began in March.
Thinking of investing in British Airways or its parent company, think again, alongside M&S and Virgin Money, BA now has junk bond status.
