Yes we do, or at any rate we should.
There is a basic principle that people should be able to refuse medical interventions without judgement being made and where consent is given it is done so freely without coercion - and stigmatisation or restricting people who have not been vaccinated is just that, coercion.
The thick end of that particular wedge is stuff like forced sterilisation or medical experimentation on groups that the tyrant du jour doesn’t like.
I understand where you are coming from, but we have never faced a situation like this before where the majority of the population are at risk from a minority who are refusing or reluctant to be vaccinated to help the social good and well being of the nation.
ISTR the original estimates of R0 for Covid were about 3.5, even if we assume that the new variants have pushed that to 5 we only need (1- 1/R0)*100 = 80% protected to get R down below 1 (which means cases will fall).
If we assume 90% effectiveness then we achieve 80% protection with 80/.9 = 89% vaccination.
So there’s room for a few dissenters, as long as most people have the jab.
It’s much worse. Around 50% of the UK population is actually around 20% better off. Those are primarily white collar, knowledge workers, civil servants etc. Due to being at home still employed on full pay with no work expenses, no commuting expenses, nowhere to spend impulsively, go on holidays etc. This half of the population is saving and investing and paying off debt like never before.
People in worse jobs, such as those which depended on direct service to the public, or those without rights or tenure such as ‘the gig economy’ have taken the brunt. The UK polarisation has got a lot worse.
And I worry it will get a lot worse when the government reverses the money printing, or worse, particularly for those without income or on fixed incomes or pensioners not on civil service pensions.
I think that you are right. Those that have been able to work from home have had restrictions placed on them regarding their freedom of movement, and we all know about that, but not not lost their financial status.
People whose businesses are in direct contact with the public have suffered apppallingly, hospitality, theatre and the creative arts, taxi drivers etc…
This is bound to bring about resentment if with, the possibility of everything opening up again, it is all taken away yet again.
Of course, BoJo is to blame for a large part of this with his wanting to conclude a trade deal with India influencing his reluctance to ban flights from India.
This does not mean that the public does not have a social responsibility to play their part.
We all accept our social duty in other areas of our life, paying taxes, not drinking and driving, wearing a seat belt, not committing crimes and if we do not accept this then there is a price to pay. The point is that if we choose not to be vaccinated, it is, probably,not just ourselves that pay the price.
Very true @KarenLot . Myself and the OH, as retired people living in France are better off because of Covid restrictions. Haven’t had a lot to spend our money on in the last year or so. Saving the money to have a holiday in the future for ourselves, and to treat my 88 year old mother who has been shielding since the beginning. Will probably pay for her and my elder sister (my mothers carer) to have a good holiday as well. They both deserve it.
Not in the UK, and no vaccine at the time, but just lookup Typhoid Mary (Mary Mallon). Although her behaviour was reckless in the extreme, did she deserve what happened to her ?. Basically a life sentence in solitary confinement without having committed any crime.
I think that we are just a bit more advanced in our communications since the days of Typhoid Mary and people should know that they can transmit Covid even if they have no symptoms.
They should also know that vaccination is a social responsibility.
Oh well plans to explore the midi-Pyrenees for a place to settle have been scuppered once again with the new requirement for Brits to be in quarantine for 10 days.
Need to do some thinking - how do we grocery shop, can we rearrange accommodation and drive directly to the area. I imagine we wouldn’t be allowed to use restaurants en route.
Having parallel plans to go in September as a contingency may not help us.
What a time to try to make such a life change. Oh well there are millions far far worse off.
So my friend who’s due to be arriving on the 2nd next week & leaving on the 6th…
Will this mean mandatory quarantine here ?
Will they even be allowed to travel ?
Tests are booked in UK & here…
From France24
British tourists had been due to be allowed to visit France without restrictions from June 9 if they carried a certificate of vaccination against COVID-19 or a negative PCR test.
First I have heard of a certificate of vaccination.
I’m always cream crackered when I get back home here so especially arriving by car I always do a shop on the way home.
Couldn’t you change that to a click and collect on the way to your accommodation here?
Also curfew is still in force in France. Returning from a train or a plane is specifically listed as acceptable but notably returning by car from a ferry is not listed. Eurotunnel might qualify to return in curfew hours from as it’s technically a train but I would not bet on it. So your journey planning / supermarket pickup planning would need to take being off the road during curfew hours into account until the end of June. After that the France plan is to remove curfew restrictions.
Click and Collect is called Drive here which I always find weird.
From other thread…shopping allowed but restricted to two hours from 10:00 to 12:00,
Unfortunately looks like Brits will now need a “motif impérieux” to enter France as of Monday, so the quarantine requirements become a bit academic.
Is the S. Johnson loophole still valid ?
Doubt it because that was a British loophole not a French one.
Any links you can post to the information plezse Paul.?
Thank you