TexanScot

There are a significant number of variant strains in circulation now, with studies so far showing that the current vaccines are not as effective against all of them.

You might consider it paranoia that the UK wants to reduce the chances that the variants could be imported and undermine the vaccination drive, but that seems like sound public policy to me.

But how would you prove that?

Anyone could print out and mock up a vaccination card - they are just pieces of paper with stamps or stickers on them, and the general public doesn't seem to want to accept vaccination passports despite one being around for Yellow Fever for decades (and it's a paper one with the same security limitations as vaccine cards).

More importantly, there's not much in the way of strong evidence yet that being vaccinated will prevent you from contracting the virus or from spreading it to others, only that the vaccine will dramatically reduce your chances of becoming sick, developing sever COVID or from dying.

That's not to say that the vaccines don't reduce transmission - they very likely do - but there's not much in the way of peer-reviewed data yet, so public health authorities are naturally going to err on the side of caution for the time being.

Southernboy123

All I know is I boarded a BA flight in London and landed in Denver many many times. If that’s not ‘Direct’ then what is?

durham_lad

The test only proves you don't have the virus when you took the test. I watched a documentary set at an NHS hospital following non-covid patients having procedures done and there was a Covid outbreak in a non-Covid ward tracked to a member of staff, and the staff get tested twice a week. One of the patients that contracted Covid from that outbreak was a 93 year old woman who subsequently died.

TexanScot

That would be a "Non-Stop" flight in airline parlance, although it's also a "Direct" flight.

A "Direct" flight is one which may (or may not) stop at intermediate locations between the origin and destination for fuel and/or passengers, but where the flight number on each leg remains the same even if the aircraft itself changes.

All Non-Stop flights are therefore Direct flights since there are no intermediate stops, but not all Direct flights are Non-Stop flights.

tht

Sounds like you took a direct / non stop flight.

My reply was to another post. The point was that a UK airline could fly Rome-London-Denver but could not fly London-Rome-Denver with the same aircraft that’s part of the UK airline. And as noted even a direct / non stop flight can have planned and unplanned stops, the old BA LCY-JFK on Airbus 319 would stop in Shannon for immigration and fuel, and 757’s going West may have to stop in Canada for fuel. I have been on other flights that divert for medical emergencies, or even things like a toilets that don’t work.

Wh431

1) i am not questioning the testing immediately before (Day 0) and after (Day 2) taking the flight.
I am questioning excessive testing. Why would you again test on Day 5 and then once again on Day 8?

2) Ofcourse the vaccination records can be easily regulated and verified. Its not the biggest of challenge to check if someone really had an approved vaccine from a regulated provider.

3) obviously there are scientific studies to prove the effectiveness of the vaccines. These are widely reported in the media. Surely, there can always be new mutations in the future but one has to draw a line in the sand somewhere.

spouse of scouse

1) See post #14

3) Not one scientific body, including the WHO, is claiming that any of the available vaccines will prevent a vaccinated person from contracting covid 19. What is being claimed and supported by data is that vaccinated people who do contract covid will have a much less severe disease course and therefore much less likely to need hospital care.

I know it sucks having to hand over large amounts of money for testing, everything about this pandemic sucks, from lockdowns to not being able to see your family and friends at home or abroad, to the most important sucky thing - becoming severely ill and dying.

It's absolutely fine to have a whinge when we're inconvenienced, god knows I've done it often enough. But after we've had it, we just have to pull our socks up and realise that the restrictions aren't personally aimed at us, they're public health measures designed to save lives and economies. Sometime in a happier future we'll have the luxury of knowing whether or not individual governments got it right.

destone

Day 5 is not mandatory. It's optional, called "Test to Release", which serves no real purpose under the current general nationwide UK lockdown.

Wh431

maybe not for you but others may ve reasons to be able to go out and about. For e.g. i m moving house to the US and have a lot of things to sort out in my local area before i finally pack up.

destone

That's great but no one mandates that you take said test (in contrast to the other three tests when flying US -> UK bound).

Wh431

not sure what your point is?

i never said i was mandated. I am only saying that your assumption is false and some people have valid reasons to be able to be quarantine free and for that ve to take all these tests.

Nutmegger

Don't you think that the fact that you wish to go back and forth between the two countries makes it essential that you are monitored with great regularity? Especially as I believe you have mentioned having young children at home.

Wh431

No not really and what has children gotta do with that?

The 2 tests immediately before and after the flights are sufficient to prove the existence of the virus.

Regardless of the virus’s incubation period, the Antigen & PCR swab tests should be able to detect the existence of virus (even if you aren’t showing any symptoms physically). Therefore, to me, the tests on day 5 and then on day 8 are unnecessary and excessive. I don’t really think that any other country in the world is following this kind of testing regime.

Nutmegger

Ensuring that when you are cooped up on a plane, everyone will be as healthy as you believe that you are, so that you can avoid taking anything nasty home.

destone

Canada is not far off, the last time I checked.