Quarantine Is It Too Late?

[calmck]

I cannot see the reason a quarantine for travellers is being brought in now. Surely this should have been done, as in other countries, when “lockdown” was first implemented. Are we closing the stable door after the horse has bolted?

[jno]

far too late, but in theory the horse may try to get back into the stable after picking up some horsey disease while abroad.

[diddlydo]

Of course it should have been done much, much earlier. Another bungle from this useless government.

[Zacs-Master]

Crikey, I agree with diddly.

[jno]

it's fair to say that New Zealand have declared themselves virus-free - but they're continuing with closed borders, which has made a mess of their economy (mostly tourism rather than sheep these days), so I can see the economic reasoning for not quarantining if you don't have to. But I think it would saved a lot of lives to do it weeks ago.

[Spicerack]

No cases for 2 days in Scotland.

[jno]

NZ no cases for 2 weeks. Scotland might be able to lift lockdown after two weeks - but keep their border closed to the zombie hordes from the south, of course.

[fiction-factory]

We are where we are. Whether it should have been done earlier doesn't matter. The issue is should we do it now. And for those who wanted it before but say it's too late I wonder when they think it should have stopped.
It's often those who always disagree with the goverenmnt who argue this.
I think I've been consistent. I've never seen the point of a blanket but effectively voluntary quarantine system which still allows people to get plane , tube and coach/train home before quarantining. We would be better off forcibly quarantining people who broke lockdown rules/guidance and in known hotspots with high R values

[Peter Pedant]

no in short

if the pool is low ( which erm it isnt)
then the main cases come from fly-ins

so you should be able to control it by isolation and contact trcing ( because other countries have done it)

you asked for the scientific rationale
yes I agree the condition for success ar eNOT fulfilled

[Peter Pedant]

// No cases for 2 days in Scotland.//

no whoever wrote that - LLLIIIIEIEESSSS !
no deaths - not new cases

as comeone said earlier - apologise to those you lied to earlier

[fiction-factory]

I'm not sure whether you are saying no it isn't too late or it's still not the right time, PP

[Gromit]

Yes much too late.

However a lot of the scheduled planes arriving have no passengers. They are profitable because they are carrying 60% more cargo.

It is also uncertain how or if the quarantining will be enforced.

[jno]

I wonder when they think it should have stopped

ff, assuming "it" means open borders, I thought this before lockdown, watched how Australia have done - they closed their borders before anyone had died, iirc - and it's gone well, about 100 deaths in all, many of them because of an odd decision to let people off an infected cruise ship. As I mentioned in a previous post, it would have had economic consequences (and will do so now) but it saved lives. If Australia had imitated Britain they could have had 13,000 or so deaths.

[fiction-factory]

No jno- I'm referring to those who argue we should have introduced quarantining earlier (apart of course from that we did do in Feb.March for Italy, China, Iran) but now say it's too late to introduce quarantine. I wonder at what time they think we should have stopped quarantining people flying in.

[jno]

no, by "too late" in my first post I'm saying that they should have done it earlier, not that it's now too late to make any difference.

[fiction-factory]

I'm not sure how closing borders would have worked in the UK- so many were Brits flying home from holidays. Would they have had to stay abroad for several months?

[fiction-factory]

Thanks jno. But I think calmk is saying it's too late. I've heard others say it too.

[jno]

I think, but am no longer sure, that Australians were allowed to return but stay in quarantine (at home or in hospitals or empty hotels, not sure) and be tested.

[Spicerack]

Hardly a lie, pp. More in the nature of an error. It was no deaths for 2 days.

[Gromit]

Fiction-factory
From early February the government advised incoming passengers from specific hotspot countries, including Italy, Iran and parts of China, to self-isolate (it did not enforce quarantining). Then on 13th March, it inexplicably and abruptly stopped advising self isolation, and everyone from those countries were just let in.

[New Judge]

//It is also uncertain how or if the quarantining will be enforced.//

As with many things Covid-related, it's a box-ticking exercise. ("we've introduced a quarantine - tick").

It cannot be enforced. Incoming travellers have to provide an address where they are going to stay for fourteen days (after they've spent an hour on the Piccadilly Line getting from Heathrow to, say, Kings Cross and then a further two or three hours travelling to the midlands or the north, that is - just as an example). When they get to the address they have provided the only way they will be detected breaking their quarantine is if they happen to be stopped whilst out. The police have no powers to enter the premises where they say they are isolating to check they are there and no powers to compel them to speak on the phone if they are contacted. It's a complete and utter farce.