[DavidGrodentz]

ASK1945. Yes, that’s right. Only residents are allowed to arrive at the airport. Not even transit passengers allowed if non residents

2 users thanked author for this post.

MartynSinclair, ASK1945

[stevescoots]

[postquote quote=996293][/postquote]

yes, I am stuck twice. Cannot get back to my homes or business in Vietnam and China, having to let the local mangers operate things on a daily basis. They are doing a great job but in a manufacturing environment there is no substitute for boots on the ground when it comes to continuous improvement and new projects.
For Vietnam as soon as they lift the ban on non-Vietnamese I will go back, assuming there are any flights! My residence is valid for another 2 years. China is something altogether different where I fear the great wall of Chinese bureaucracy! My resident Visa, which I have had for 12 years expired yesterday. If they open up again before October 1st when my work permit expires, I can renew my visa in china, a simple process. However…I will need to get into china to do it, that will mean having to get a business visa which I must get in the UK…except that chances are no new visas will be issued before October 1st from Chinese embassies (that’s just my personal opinion) that will then mean my work permit will expire so will have to apply it all from UK. As mine is an investor visa it will take months and a huge cost in paperwork, notarisations etc. Even if they start new business or tourist visa from embassy in UK chances are as soon as they see my expired resident visa, they will reject a business visa and make me apply for resident one in UK. I could well be looking at not being able to get back to my home and business in china until the end of this year, I was last there in January. Oh, the joy of it all!
On the plus side, travelling so much has been part of my life for such a long time. Although I don’t enjoy it I do not hate it, it is what it is, a means to an end and a habit now. I often thought when the time comes for me to hang up my brag tags, put the luggage in storage and start learning how to grow the perfect lawn, I would miss the freedom, the travel. Its now been 7 weeks stuck at home in the UK and I have not missed the travel one second. Sure, there has been frustration at not being able to be on the ground in Asia to get things done but I have manged to get over it by being busy with my hands getting on with 7 years backlog of DIY. I saw this lock down coming so got all my supplied just before, built a new deck , replaced the garden lighting system. Organised the shed and attic. Painted 2 bedrooms, now have the main hall to do and finally finish the en-suite I started 5 years ago! I gotta quit smoking though, paying 12 quid a pack instead of my duty frees is scary!

[canucklad]

[quote quote=996396]I gotta quit smoking though, paying 12 quid a pack instead of my duty frees is scary![/quote]

“I’m running out of fags”

Heard quite frequently whilst enjoying a pint (what’s that again) of Dunbar’s finest nectar along with the accompanying craich , usually at my local or my bowling club

Normally a precursor to the next the next spine shuddering conversation ,

Anyone fancy a wee trip to Benidorm ?

Fortunately, over the years I’ve managed to challenge the “Benidorm or Bust “ attitude and by playing the LCC’S at their own game , managed to persuade my mates that cheap fags can be purchased elsewhere in Europe , whilst still having a great time.

And the pre-requisites for a good trip away doesn’t depend on the availability of a cardiac clogging full English accompanied by a refreshing pint of Carling at 9.37 am !!

Jeeezzz ….. What I’d do for a cold pint of anything alongside a plate covered in some sort of lard infused meat , watching my fellow football top (usually Old Firm, Liverpool or Man U supporting travellers start their day , the way they expect to finish their day …..Ahhh the good ol’ days !!

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Montysaurus, stevescoots

[MartynSinclair]

[quote quote=996401]What I’d do for a cold pint of anything alongside a plate covered in some sort of lard infused meat[/quote]

But you still can Canucklad – rock up to Heathrow, Manchester or Birmingam, find a destination with open borders like the UK, I am sure there are plenty of empty seats and off you go. It really does make a mockery of essential travel only and the message

STAY HOME – PROTECT THE NHS – SAVE LIVES

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8238583/Hundreds-arrive-Heathrow-virus-hotspots-theyre-not-stopped-Covid-19-screening.html

From Heathrow Airport website today:

“No flight deemed by any Government to be a risk is operating in or out of Heathrow”

https://www.heathrow.com/latest-news/heathrow-remains-open-for-the-uk

Clearly, the message remains, inbound flights from Tehran, New York, the rest of the USA, Milan and Madrid along and up to 15,000 passengers arriving daily are NO RISK. Remember USA have closed borders for non USA citizens.

Are these all repatriation flights? Appears not….

Transit passengers are still being made very welcome

All with no checking other than standard border controls.

But sit on a patch of green grass even with adequate spacing – that’ll be a £60 fine please.

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FinnKZ229, Montysaurus, canucklad

[canucklad]

Indeed Martyn

Bored waiting for my next Skype meeting to start at 1, decided to check the LHR arrival board vis a vis the EDI board …

So far we’ve had arrivals from HKG, Bahrain, BOS, ORD, DFW,Kuwait, NYC, Doha, NYC, YYZ, FRA, DUB, Miami, Helsinki, AMS, Kuwait again, LAX, Washington, Rome, Dusseldorf, Valletta, Addis and enroute landing this afternoon are even more flights including hot spots like Tokyo, Tel Aviv and even another flight from Rome !

Compare this to EDI where there’s no arrivals scheduled and only a Loganair flight to EMA later this evening on the departures board

Wow !

[GivingupBA]

Martyn, you said “But you still can Canucklad – rock up to Heathrow, Manchester or Birmingam, find a destination with open borders like the UK, I am sure there are plenty of empty seats and off you go. It really does make a mockery of essential travel only and the message….”

And for some time now you have been saying you would like to see our borders closed. With much respect to you and your suggestion, and and thanks to you, can we please talk about that?

I put it to you that the virus is here all over the UK and that closing our borders will do more harm than good. Others agree with me, e.g. here’s an article about it (summary, we should not restrict travel):

Controlling COVID-19: The Folly of International Travel Restrictions

And here is what the WHO said about it (summary, don’t stop international travel):
https://www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/updated-who-recommendations-for-international-traffic-in-relation-to-covid-19-outbreak

Thanks very much for listening, Martyn. (Needless to say I am not a health expert, but I am against travel restrictions such as closing UK airports.)

1 user thanked author for this post.

canucklad

[MartynSinclair]

@GivingupBA – thank you for forwarding the articles. To be quite clear, I recognise the need for airports to remain open for all cargo flights. Pilots and crews are doing a heroic job, continually circumnavigating an infected world, ensuring urgent supplies find their way to the end user.

This COV19 pandemic is a very fast moving. The WHO recommendations dated 27th February, has a lifetime away feel if only based on the number of world wide infections and deaths since 29th February.

1. “Travel bans to affected areas or denial of entry to passengers coming from affected areas are usually not effective in preventing the importation of cases” – from someone with no medical training, I agree – except COV19, does not fall is not exactly your usual virus. My layman concern, is not so much one traveller importing one dose of the virus – but rather the exponential spread of the virus in whoever that passenger may come into contact with on the journey. There have so far been 2 reported deaths of border control staff at Heathrow and members of the security teams at Heathrow are around 10 – 15% down due to infections. It has also been reported that cabin crew are being infected and mention on BT Forum of one pilot passing away after being infected whilst operating a long haul out of NYC. If travelling is not a concern, why are people being stopped travelling to holiday / second homes, in the UK, yet an arriving passengers from virtually any country are free to leave Heathrow and disperse to any part of the UK.

2. “It is more effective to provide prevention recommendation messages to travellers and to collect health declarations at arrival, with travellers contact details to allow for proper risk assessment” – Heathrow remains open for transit passengers. What use are contact details for a passenger, zipping into central London for 24 hours to stay with friends and then continuing their journey elsewhere. If that person infects someone or some people, by the time anyone realises, they will be long gone.

3. “Medical mask is not required” – widely reported several European countries now enforce the wearing of masks and UK is considering compulsory wearing of masks after lockdown ends, on public transport

4. “Travellers returning from affected areas should self monitor for symptoms for 14 days (I believe this has now reduced to 7 days) and follow national protocols of receiving countries. Some countries may require returning travellers to enter quarantine” – there are plenty of countries who are placing all arriving passengers into quarantine. The position in the UK, remains let everyone in, no need to check for the virus & no concern about the risk of a passenger infecting others along the way.

5. “Travel restrictions violate international law. Although global health and human rights law in some circumstances permits restrictions of rights for the purposes of protecting public health” – if travel restrictions due to COV19, violate Intentional law, then most of the world appear to be in breach of international law, although the UK can apparently rest easy at night. I am aware in HKG for example, Africans are being singled out and treated harshly by the authorities, as are some Asians in the USA.

I have been directed to the link below, which lists the stats for most countries. Clearly I can not vouch for its authenticity, but is interesting to consider, those countries that have travel restrictions seemed to have faired better, so far, than the UK. Excepting of course for the USA, where non USA citizens are not allowed to enter, but flights criss cross USA daily, again with no medical checks at airports.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR0eu0nmjROrkTlpOBiTMhtXC8YcNqnFSEfmyiOviiDPuGziQYz0mLoK51E

As previously mentioned, I would welcome the education about the spread of COV19, especially in connection with travel. I am following the Government rules and have the slightly added protection of living in a cul de sac, so there is no through traffic. However, when I venture out for my daily run (with mask), I am horrified by the amount of activity, even for a suburb of north London. I have no option other than to trust the experts and medics, but now only watch the Government briefing every other day. As you are all clearly aware, the Heathrow situation scares the living daylights out of me and in my NON MEDIC mind, see up to 15,000 passengers a day, ignoring the Government rules, STAY HOME, PROTECT THE NHS AND SAVE LIVES.

Once again GivingupBA, thanks for the articles and if you care to respond to the above, please be as brutal as you wish in trying to educate me.

2 users thanked author for this post.

GivingupBA, canucklad

[canucklad]

Like a lot of people I’m also confused by the different advice, the different restrictions and the most alarming of all, the different rates of death due to the virus !

And without being flippant , this continual narrative that each country has to do its own thing based on its unique demographics is beginning to sound more and more like an excuse for mistakes already made!

This clever virus , this very clever virus as “The Donald” calls it, is after all a virus, not a member of Mensa , able to adapt and stick on a Bowler when invading the UK, a Stetson when invading the US or a Sombrero when leaving Spain . I’m quite convinced it doesn’t change , when it realises its entering a new jurisdiction !

Not that I’m ready to blame any government other than the one that needs to have the finger firmly and squarely pointed at it !

Sadly, governments learning from others seems to be a very passive approach at the moment
And that’s a huge risk, as great swathes of our neighbours start losing their jobs and begin to wonder if sitting indoors waiting for all clear is really worth it in the long run.

I don’t agree with them, but I can understand the frustration that’s leading some US citizens to take to the streets. And wonder just how long it os until civil disobedience starts to flare up over here?

And 1000’s entering the UK daily from other epicentres seems particularly duplicitous when trying to convince the rest of us to stay put

[SimonS1]

The time for post mortems will come later, but when I read threads like this I give grateful thanks that across the Government and in the NHS there are medical and scientific professionals that do have some idea what they are talking about.

[GivingupBA]

Martyn wrote, “I am horrified by the amount of activity, even for a suburb of north London… the Heathrow situation scares the living daylights out of me….”

Martyn, thanks very much for your long and detailed and useful reply (which I have only just read – it’s now 9 AM here in South Korea). These are indeed scary days, for me too, and I like your call for more education about the spread of COV-19. Long may all of us stay safe and educated. And I hope effective vaccines and/or medicine for this health scourge are developed as soon as possible. 2020 is a terrible year, isn’t it.

1 user thanked author for this post.

MartynSinclair

[K1ngston]

[postquote quote=996396][/postquote]

Steve, if you get stuck and can get to Phuket you are welcome here in a friendly environment should you require, I have stocked up booze wise for a visit from Martyn so we have enough booze to keep us interested 🙂

Good luck the region is locking itself further down, Singapore now till June 1 and I am sure others will follow

[stevescoots]

[postquote quote=996449][/postquote]

I will certainly take you up on that! I fear you are correct though, i do not see anything moving now until July at least

[openfly]

Over the last three weeks I have written to my Tory MP three times about my concerns of the 10,000 pax who arrive at LHR every week, with no checks on arrival, let loose into the general population to spread CV at will.
Three emails, three acknowledgements, NO reply.
None of the waffling wimps are concerned! If it works for OZ and NZ…..

1 user thanked author for this post.

TerryMcManus24

[SimonS1]

[postquote quote=996490][/postquote]

I suspect you will find they are massively under pressure and giving priority to cases where there is real need. People stuck abroad, people unable to access Government money and living on food banks, businesses desperate to get grants to survive, key workers anxious for PPE.

Seriously what are you expecting your MP to say….Dear Openfly, the Government has been guided by medical and scientific advice on the matter, however if you have skills and knowledge in this area then do make yourself known and help the cause…..

[openfly]

@SimonS1….yes, if he replied, whatever the answer, I would know that he is taking my point seriously. Buy, hey ho, obviously thousands of people arriving unchecked is of no consequence.

[Author]

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