comment: >
  
  They need the rich Chinese to prop up their economy.
  Edit for u/righteous_mammons those people who happen to be millionaires, who have Chinese citizenship, and spend their money in others countries.
context: It's the sensible thing to do, so of course we're not going to do it. I swear nothing works here any more. >
  
  Think of the Universities.  How would they survive if their Chinese consumers weren't allowed back? >
  
  I know this is tongue-in-cheek, but lets not muddy the waters. This is testing, not a travel ban. Anyone who tests negative should be free to travel (right now). FWIW, I think my own country (US) should be testing all travelers. Yes, the surge is in China right now, but as Chinese citizens are allowed to travel again, they could come through another country to the US/UK/wherever. And not to mention, I don't think covid cares about your nationality or skin color. >
  
  Few days ago there were post somewhere else on Reddit: 50% of people arriving to Milan from China have COVID. So… outright ban would make almost as much sense as not testing anyone. >
  
  A ban on flights from China makes zero sense unless everyone imposes the same ban. Furthermore, Italy just confirmed that sequencing of the positive test results showed that they all had Omicron variants that have been circulating for a long time in Europe. >
  
  I assure you that just because it would still be possible to leave China and end up in the UK, doesn't mean obstructions like banning direct flights would do nothing. >
  
  You're not an epidemiologist. Science says selective travel bans are completely useless as a measure against a highly contagious pathogen. They only delay the inevitable for 3-4 days, but do not flatten the curve or anything.
  You know which European country was the only one to ban direct flights from China in 2020? Italy. 
  You know which European country was the first to experience a surge in cases two months later? Italy. >
  
  I don’t think you understand science. >
  
  Do you want a do over pandemic? Because this is how you get a do over pandemic. >
  
  Of course they do. You have no idea how profitable it is! >
  
  MP’s mates with Garages full of wonky PPE to sell >
  
  I honestly don’t think so. We are experiencing one of the highest peak of Covid-19 in Sweden and the only thing people talk about is being more careful and making sure to stay home when they are sick.
  I think the world has moved on and will accept any number of Covid-19 cases unless the healthcare system breaks down from overload >
  
  The NHS is basically already broken though. That's the point. >
  
  So what is the difference? >
  
  I hope that Covid19 doesn't mutate. People got so weary of media talking and writing about it, no one takes it serious anymore. If now some deadly virus pandemic would happen, it would just wash over the country... >
  
  I just got it again a few days ago. Hardly anyone is social distancing or masks or avoiding groups of people. It’s like it never happened and I can tell you the current covid strain is nothing to sneeze at. It sucks and my entire family has it. >
  
  It’s long been tradition to gather around all our friends and family during cold and flu season. The risk of just being sick isn’t a big motivator to stay relatively isolated for months or years on end. If we saw death rates akin to the first year of the pandemic people might change their tune. >
  
  It's like chicken pox parties for adults! >
  
  If you did in fact avoid the flu for decades it would be really rough when you eventually catch it. >
  
  If you did, in fact, avoid ebola for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.
  If you did, in fact, avoid mumps for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.
  If you did, in fact, avoid polio for decades it would be really rough for you when you eventually catch it.  
  I mean, yeah, avoiding getting infected with diseases does tend to make it pretty bad when you do get infected but we haven't had syphilis parties since the 70s and we seem to be doing pretty well without them. >
  
  Do you think a flu vaccine with a lifetime 99% to 100% effectiveness is around the corner? Because we can't seem to crack 60% for one season. >
  
  I'm not telling you to avoid licking doorknobs, do what you like, I'm just pointing out the whole "well if you don't get sick now you'll get sicker later" line of thinking. I'll leave it to you to get sick now if you want, personally I'd like to put it off for the next 30 to 40 years.
  Also, standard covid precautions seem to be pretty damned effective against the flu since I haven't gotten the flu in close to 4 years now. But then I was never a fan of sitting in movie theaters, crowds, or airplane rides to start with. >
  
  I personally enjoy sitting down for a meal with family for the holidays which is a huge risk for contracting flu or covid. If you want to avoid the flu for forty years be sure to never be unmasked around someone for at least 4 months out of the year. >
  
  My family is pretty good about now showing up to group events when they're feeling under the weather or likely to have been exposed to something contagious. My circle of friends is similarly pretty responsible in that regard. 
  I am sorry, however, to hear that your family presents such a significant risk and it's my hope that they learn to take more care with the health of those they spend time with. >
  
  How is it possible for countries to learn NOTHING from YEARS of a huge pandemic???? I really can't figure out what is going through the heads of the people that are controlling this world... >
  
  This isnt just the UK either.
  UK and France say no plans currently to follow Italy with Covid tests for China arrivals. German, Portuguese and Austrian officials also reluctant to introduce new measures >
  
  its another population culling. There is only one reason you would grossly incompetently do nothing about this. >
  
  An island nation not giving a shit about this is scary...
  Who's running things? >
  
  They're known as Tories but they haven't been running shit for c. 12 years. They are a stain on the UK. >
  
  And yet people still vote for them. >
  
  It's really difficult to say what is the sensible thing  to do at  the moment, all major covid virus variants have spread all over the world despite all efforts.
  The UK has good vaccine coverage and many have recently been infected, resources might be better used for other things than testing. >
  
  The sensible thing to do is to just carry on as normal, while vaccinating the vulnerable, as we do with flu.
  We're all gonna catch COVID again and again for the rest of our lives... No point trying to avoid it in any way. >
  
  The issue is reinfection is starting to disable people, so that route may not be a sensible option. >
  
  Source? >
  
  My bet is it won't make a difference. If a new variant emerges, it will spread to everywhere, whether they implement any curbs on arrivals from China or not. The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. No one is going to do that at this stage of the pandemic. >
  
  
  The only way to be safe would be to quarantine all arrivals including citizens. 
  
  guess what, that's exactly what china was doing, and they gave up because omicron still penetrated through the defenses. If china, with their absolute control over their citizens, cannot do it, the rest of the world doesn't stand a chance at all. >
  
  The real fuck up is that did work for two years in which they could’ve prepared for the “what next” that wasn’t say, a sterilizing vaccine.  Knowing what we know it’s in no way surprising omicron is going bonkers with so many restrictions dropped in short order, so I’m not sure why they didn’t have massive stockpiles of medicines and prepared medical facilities.  I do worry it wasn’t some rational, planned decision but just a snap decision in response to omicron breaking through and the protests about restrictions. >
  
  What would even be the point of doing so when covid freely spreads in the UK? Haven’t we learnt this by now border control does nothing unless you totally shut it down. And even then it breaks eventually. >
  
  Because isolation at the point of arrival would cut the spread of any new strain by orders of magnitude.
  It offers a valuable data point on any new strain so we don't just repeat what we did last time if there is a more dangerous or newly vaccine resistant strain.
  As an island nation it's entirely possible for us to be ahead on data collection as well as behind in terms of global spread. All with basic track and trace and the massive surplus of cheap testing we now have.
  There is no reason not to do this.
  Not doing this is like refusing to look at the road while driving just because we believe we've passed all the corners and it's a straight line from here onwards. >
  
  There are several reasons not to do this.
  It’s slows down the airports massively for a start.
  This variant concern is pointless too it’s already here if it exists. Don’t take my word for it ask epidemiologists most say it won’t do anything. >
  
  It really doesn't slow anything down. Everyone from China is already going through security and the 15 minute lag is less time than it takes to reunite people with bags.
  This variant is which one exactly?
  Ask any epidemiologist, China is currently functioning as an incubating population for new variants. >
  
  last week: "yay go brave anti-lockdown protesters in china! fuck xi jinping! freedom for all!"
  this week: "n-n-no, don't use your freedom to come here! fuck the chinese plague merchants! keep them away from us, xi jinping!" >
  
  What would be the point? According to the ONS coronavirus survey somewhere in the region of 2% of the UK population, which is ~1.3 million people, would test positive for covid right now. A few more arriving on a plane is going to make shit all difference. >
  
  A new immune-evasive variant can reinfect those who only just had covid. And it looks like this one is more immune-evasive. So that would mean our cases could shoot up massively also as previous immunity is less effective. Meaning more long covid cases, more strain on the NHS as the clinically vulnerable are still dying in the hundreds a week as is,… The whole thing is a shitshow tbh. I’d use the cautionary principle but this government doesn’t care so… head in the sand approach and fingers crossed it is. >
  
  Has any country ever successfully prevented a variant from reaching their shores? >
  
  Well, not entirely, but China has prevented large outbreaks for 2 years. New Zealand for 1.5 years. 
  With Omicron they both didn't stand a chance though. >
  
  Seems we forgot a lot of common sense protocols from original Covid outbreaks but it was so long ago and ancient in leadership people minds - learning from the past seems so difficult >
  
  It's stupid, but they're not going to make them do anything if they test positive anyway.  Even if they tell them to quarantine for 5 days (which is too short and not effective anyway) people are just going to go on with their plans and infect everyone else no matter what. >
  
  Well done, UK. No point putting in security theatre rules to appease people's hysteria. >
  
  I'm starting to think they're trying to kill us.🤔 >
  
  BoJo was caught admitting as much >
  
  Well it worked last time >
  
  Other people also have bills. Are you really going to risk giving people long covid or killing them, thus robing their family of support as well? >
  
  No. I am not. The company is. I'm forced to pay bills  regardless if im sick or not. My employer can allow me to stay home and recover by simply paying me. Problem solved. >
  
  Stupidest thing I read today >
  
  Wow, we picked “the economy” over human lives again.  What does that make it now, 363 days in a row this year? >
  
  This world is fucking backwards. >
  
  Why bother testing them?
  Just treat them all as if they have it.because they do.
  Stop taking in flights from China all together. That place is fucked. >
  
  Wonderful. Fucking wonderful. >
  
  There is a ducking vaccine make your choice and make your peace. >
  
  Can't wait to get Covid again because people don't care. >
  
  I'm sure a billion unvaccinated Chinese won't have any effect on covid and make our immunity useless.
  /s >
  
  There aren’t a billion unvaccinated Chinese, so 🤷🏼‍♂️ >
  
  Time to go shopping before the next mutation that will close the world. Why are we this stupid? >
  
  Turn off the TV bud. Relax. Smoke a joint or something. It's gonna be fine, it's all media fear and manipulation, they want you scared and obedient. Go live life! >
  
  Fuck me I hate our government. >
  
  They should stay the fck home >
  
  What’s that quote, “those that fail to learn from history, are doomed to repeat it”. Seeing that quote was from Churchill, the Tories are showing they are a different party to Churchill’s. >
  
  Travel restrictions never worked, so they are learning. >
  
  Except they did work in other island nations.
  We failed.
  The lesson should be to learn from those who succeeded, you have apparently decided not to learn not to try. >
  
  Selective travel bans don't work. Universal travel bans do work, but come at a heavy price of course. >
  
  Testing and isolating arrivals is a perfect way to minimise costs while maximising affects.
  There's no need to jump on the absolutist argument falacy.
  First we need data. Then if a travel ban is necessary we'll be enacting it earlier than before because the data will be coming from testing instead of death certificates.