Scrutable

Conditions in quarantine in the UK sound appalling. And it gets worse - after that they have to be in the UK.

This bit though:

This is diabolical treatment - quarantiners are not here on holiday, and are being detained in disgusting circumstances, and at great expense. Why is this acceptable? Why are they being treated like detainees?

If detainees were treated that well it would still be unacceptable.

I've been trying to get some fieldwork funded for three years, and finally I managed. Going to Iceland in about a month.

I have to quarantine for 5 days and pass two tests. The government has free hotels to quarantine and I expect better conditions than this.

I might pack some extra food though.

Bird on a Fire wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 11:18 pm I might pack some extra food though.

A good plan. Food in Iceland is notoriously expensive.

bolo wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:32 am

Bird on a Fire wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 11:18 pm I might pack some extra food though.

A good plan. Food in Iceland is notoriously expensive.

Have you tried Farmfoods or Heron Foods instead?

bolo wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:32 am

Bird on a Fire wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 11:18 pm I might pack some extra food though.

A good plan. Food in Iceland is notoriously expensive.

And it’s national delicacy is rotten shark.

OffTheRock wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:00 pm

Herainestold wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 4:51 pm Do you have the Delta variant in Portugal?

I’d imagine they do now. No idea if the had it before 17th May.

Yes, there's been a surge in the Lisbon area.

In other news, congrats to Boris in getting the free trade agreement with India in May, and congrats to Chelsea on beating Man. City in the Champions League in Porto on 29 May. (OK, I know Porto and Lisbon are some distance apart, 300 km it seems, but still I can't help feeling there's a connection.)

Getting a bit less confident that my parents first trip to the uk since Oct 2019 will go ahead. Guernsey already rolled back their opening the borders without quarantine on 1st of July policy slightly. It’s now only if you are double vaccinated + 14 days and only to the common travel area.

3 weeks seems like plenty of time for things to get worse in the U.K.

shpalman wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 4:31 pm My vaccination-based "Green Pass" should automatically appear in my "IO" App over the next couple of days...

And it just did.

Brightonian wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:46 pm

OffTheRock wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 9:00 pm

Herainestold wrote: Mon Jun 07, 2021 4:51 pm Do you have the Delta variant in Portugal?

I’d imagine they do now. No idea if the had it before 17th May.

Yes, there's been a surge in the Lisbon area.

In other news, congrats to Boris in getting the free trade agreement with India in May, and congrats to Chelsea on beating Man. City in the Champions League in Porto on 29 May. (OK, I know Porto and Lisbon are some distance apart, 300 km it seems, but still I can't help feeling there's a connection.)

Portugal has been very keen to encourage UK tourism (they need the cash) - I'm not sure I'd lay the blame fully at football's door, but I think it's pretty likely Delta arrived here from the UK.

Lisbon's also the biggest, densest city with the biggest airport. They're starting to relockdown again.

Bird on a Fire wrote: Sat Jun 19, 2021 11:18 pm I've been trying to get some fieldwork funded for three years, and finally I managed. Going to Iceland in about a month.
I have to quarantine for 5 days and pass two tests. The government has free hotels to quarantine and I expect better conditions than this.
I might pack some extra food though.

As noted it is expensive, for food, transport and accommodation. But they do have strict restrictions on bringing food in, both in terms of total quantity and bio-security. But the main issue is for people arriving by ferry in campervans, who are often searched. Chocolate snacks, etc, are worth bringing.

If your fieldwork is in a remote location, such that it will no be convenient for you to regularly visit foodshops for fresh food (which may not be very remote at all given the scantiness of settlements of sufficient size for a reasonable food shop), than you might want to take a supply of dried milk with you. It is very difficult to get locally. Having done several long interior crossings by bicycle, such that we had no food-shopping for extended periods, I was often grateful to have dried milk wih me for tea, cereal etc.

I would suggest doing some careful research on what are the names of the various idiosyncratic milk products in Iceland. Various things which look like milk in terms of both their name and packaging, turn out to be some kind of buttermilk or yogurt. Also bear in mind that imported long-shelf-life products, like porage oats, are often labelled in Danish. It took me a long time to find porage oats before I worked that out.

If you are wanting to take the opportunity to see the charismatic sea-birds, like puffins, razorbills and guillemots, then be aware that they have substantially gone out to sea from their breeding sites by about 7-10 days into August. The weather is also often turning notably worse towards the end of August - there's a good reason "summer" tourist activities are winding up by around 20 August.

Bird on a Fire wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 2:11 pm
Lisbon's also the biggest, densest city with the biggest airport. They're starting to relockdown again.

I wish we were that smart.

Meanwhile Hancock has said ministers were looking at “working on” considering setting up a system for plans for quarantine-free travel for double-vaccinated Britons.

While the EU will have this in place at the beginning of July, the Hancock wouldn't even say that it might be ready "as soon as August" but then again the problem might be less technical and more that the UK is a breeding ground for new variants and can you keep them to yourselves please.

Might all be less of an issue in a months' time when we're all having our summer ruined by the Delta variant over here anyway.

I've received pre-booking information for the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023. Think it'll be OK to travel from Oz by then?

shpalman wrote: Mon Jun 21, 2021 1:00 pm

shpalman wrote: Fri Jun 18, 2021 4:31 pm My vaccination-based "Green Pass" should automatically appear in my "IO" App over the next couple of days...

And it just did.

Even I, who does not have a smartphone on which to App, have got mine in only two simple steps, both of which worked! Amazing!

shpalman wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:33 am Meanwhile Hancock has said ministers were looking at “working on” considering setting up a system for plans for quarantine-free travel for double-vaccinated Britons.

While the EU will have this in place at the beginning of July, the Hancock wouldn't even say that it might be ready "as soon as August" but then again the problem might be less technical and more that the UK is a breeding ground for new variants and can you keep them to yourselves please.

Might all be less of an issue in a months' time when we're all having our summer ruined by the Delta variant over here anyway.

The variants are a problem. But the technical problems remain. For it to work the UK and EEA will need to share medical data (vaccinations, tests, prior infections) on each traveler. Before the database specialists can start working the governments need to sort out the regulatory issues which are complicated (especially so after Brexit).

Woodchopper wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:34 am

shpalman wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:33 am Meanwhile Hancock has said ministers were looking at “working on” considering setting up a system for plans for quarantine-free travel for double-vaccinated Britons.

While the EU will have this in place at the beginning of July, the Hancock wouldn't even say that it might be ready "as soon as August" but then again the problem might be less technical and more that the UK is a breeding ground for new variants and can you keep them to yourselves please.

Might all be less of an issue in a months' time when we're all having our summer ruined by the Delta variant over here anyway.

The variants are a problem. But the technical problems remain. For it to work the UK and EEA will need to share medical data (vaccinations, tests, prior infections) on each traveler. Before the database specialists can start working the governments need to sort out the regulatory issues which are complicated (especially so after Brexit).

Well I look forward to the British losing their sh.t over the invasion of privacy and simultaneously over being told they aren't allowed to do something.

"quarantine-free travel... in England"

Because nobody will accept your vaccine certificates (which you don't have yet) on the way in but maybe you can set something up so that people don't have to quarantine when they get home again from the Amber list countries which they're allowed to go to but shouldn't.

shpalman wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:57 am

Woodchopper wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 9:34 am

shpalman wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 8:33 am Meanwhile Hancock has said ministers were looking at “working on” considering setting up a system for plans for quarantine-free travel for double-vaccinated Britons.

While the EU will have this in place at the beginning of July, the Hancock wouldn't even say that it might be ready "as soon as August" but then again the problem might be less technical and more that the UK is a breeding ground for new variants and can you keep them to yourselves please.

Might all be less of an issue in a months' time when we're all having our summer ruined by the Delta variant over here anyway.

The variants are a problem. But the technical problems remain. For it to work the UK and EEA will need to share medical data (vaccinations, tests, prior infections) on each traveler. Before the database specialists can start working the governments need to sort out the regulatory issues which are complicated (especially so after Brexit).

Well I look forward to the British losing their sh.t over the invasion of privacy and simultaneously over being told they aren't allowed to do something.

There's an impressive doublethink about objecting to vaccine passports for travel while simultaneously using a normal passport for travel.

Bird on a Fire wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 12:40 pm There's an impressive doublethink about objecting to vaccine passports for travel while simultaneously using a normal passport for travel.

I object to using a normal passport for certain arbitrarily chosen forms of travel, but that doesn't mean I don't reluctantly use one.

Awww, can't we just start shooting them?

Bird on a Fire wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:03 pm Awww, can't we just start shooting them?

Well, anything to discourage travel.
Europe should really go into lockdown now, but I doubt that will happen.

Portugal has started locking down locally again.

Hopefully all the (tax on) money spent by UK tourists in a few weeks will pay for the Delta variant.

Herainestold wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:14 pm

Bird on a Fire wrote: Wed Jun 23, 2021 6:03 pm Awww, can't we just start shooting them?

Well, anything to discourage travel.
Europe should really go into lockdown now, but I doubt that will happen.

The UK should go into lockdown, but the level of the discussion is still oooh don't know if we'll be able to fully unlock when we said.

Here in Italy all the numbers are still going down and in a few days we'll be able to stop wearing masks (outside when there's nobody else there).

Maybe discos/clubs will reopen "within the first 10 days of July" but it remains to be seen what the rules for dancing in them will be.

https://www.quicomo.it/attualita/corona ... -como.html

Everyone has to wear those old fashioned ballgowns to enforce social distancing.

It gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "masked ball".