There was a guy somewhere giving the sob story about not being able to visit his son in France now and how it's so hard as he hasn't been able to visit since January this year.

Are these people so self centred that they are unaware that some of us haven't been able to visit relatives since Autumn 2019?

I didn't ACTUALLY visit at the end of 2019 because there was an outbreak of chikenpox around Poole and Wimbourne and I haven't had it, so was going to go in Spring 2020, but of course the pandemic was in full swing by then and the whole of the UK was about to go into Lockdown with no travelling allowed anywhere!

So now - just 24 hours before our "Freedom Day" ( ) - we have the Health Secretary, the Chancellor and the PM all having to self-isolate...

PM and chancellor to self-isolate after criticism - BBC News

You really can't make this stuff up, can you?

[Edit]

From today's Observer:

In slightly cheerier (and BB-related) news: Katie Hopkins is being deported from Australia! 

She was in Australia to take part in "Big Brother VIP", and there had already been a lot of complaints that she shouldn't have been let into the country in the first place, given that the government has the power to deny entry to anyone considered a “controversial” visitor. However that controversy has been overtaken by other events, and instead of being kicked out for being a massive racist, Hopkins is being kicked out for boasting about breaking Oz quarantine regulations!

Katie Hopkins to be dumped by Channel Seven

It's bad enough that they do these things in the first place, but to be stupid enough to openly boast about it takes more than just the biscuit!  

As for Boris and co, U-turn in less than 2 hours!

@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:

As for Boris and co, U-turn in less than 2 hours!

The BBC's political correspondent is calling it "one of the fastest government U-turns ever", and someone on twitter posted that it's "A U-turn so quick it should qualify as dangerous driving."

@Eugene's Lair posted:

In slightly cheerier (and BB-related) news: Katie Hopkins is being deported from Australia! 

She was in Australia to take part in "Big Brother VIP", and there had already been a lot of complaints that she shouldn't have been let into the country in the first place, given that the government has the power to deny entry to anyone considered a “controversial” visitor. However that controversy has been overtaken by other events, and instead of being kicked out for being a massive racist, Hopkins is being kicked out for boasting about breaking Oz quarantine regulations!

Katie Hopkins to be dumped by Channel Seven

What a divvy! I’m surprised , given the Covid restrictions , that she even managed to get to Australia !

@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:

There was a guy somewhere giving the sob story about not being able to visit his son in France now and how it's so hard as he hasn't been able to visit since January this year.

Are these people so self centred that they are unaware that some of us haven't been able to visit relatives since Autumn 2019?

I didn't ACTUALLY visit at the end of 2019 because there was an outbreak of chikenpox around Poole and Wimbourne and I haven't had it, so was going to go in Spring 2020, but of course the pandemic was in full swing by then and the whole of the UK was about to go into Lockdown with no travelling allowed anywhere!

Exactly EFFT ! I’ve not seen my son since Xmas 2019 ….but it is what it is .

@Baz posted:

What a divvy! I’m surprised , given the Covid restrictions , that she even managed to get to Australia !

Well, that's the thing, Baz: there was already a "BB VIP" scandal developing before Hopkins initiated her own particular brand of chaos.

Hopkins was just one of a number of foreign "stars" being shipped into Oz by Channel 7/Endemol for the show. Now; under current Covid restrictions,  Australia has weekly "caps" on the number of people who can enter each state and territory from abroad (and, I think, on internal flights too in some cases), but the New South Wales government allowed Channel 7 exemptions above the cap to bring in BB contestants. As you can imagine, that didn't go down well with Australians who are still struggling to get relatives back home...

@Eugene's Lair posted:

Well, that's the thing, Baz: there was already a "BB VIP" scandal developing before Hopkins initiated her own particular brand of chaos.

Hopkins was just one of a number of foreign "stars" being shipped into Oz by Channel 7/Endemol for the show. Now; under current Covid restrictions,  Australia has weekly "caps" on the number of people who can enter each state and territory from abroad (and, I think, on internal flights too in some cases), but the New South Wales government allowed Channel 7 exemptions above the cap to bring in BB contestants. As you can imagine, that didn't go down well with Australians who are still struggling to get relatives back home...

Exactly Eugene ….I’m not surprised there was an outcry …..what’s good for the goose etc ….

So: "Freedom Day" here has been marked by our main Team Leader at work going on sick leave after showing symptoms and testing positive. He is (AFAIK) the first person in our group to catch Covid since the start of the epidemic.

TBH, it hasn't come as a surprise: he was working from home all last week after his young son tested positive, so it was really only a matter of time before both parents got infected too.

I'm still working from home: I travelled into work 4 days over the last month (the first this year), but I made it clear when I went into the office on Friday that I was going in then so that I didn't have to do so over the next couple of weeks...

@Eugene's Lair posted:

So: Freedom Day" here has been marked by our main Team Leader at work going on sick leave after showing symptoms and testing positive. He is (AFAIK) the first person in our group to catch Covid since the start of the epidemic.

TBH, it hasn't come as a surprise: he was working from home all last week after his young son tested positive, so it was really only a matter of time before both parents got infected too.

I'm still working from home: I travelled into work 4 days over the last month (the first this year), but I made it clear when I went into the office on Friday that I was going in then so that I didn't have to do so over the next couple of weeks...

I don’t blame you Eugene .A guy came really close to me on my walk this morning …and it terrified me .

Listening to tonights briefing and it becomes clear that this opening in England really IS just an experiment!

@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:

Listening to tonights briefing and it becomes clear that this opening in England really IS just an experiment!

Ain’t that the truth

My aunt has been isolating since this all began - she has asthma and severe breathing problems.

She allowed her grandkids to visit recently - she now has the virus  very worrying

@Saint posted:

My aunt has been isolating since this all began - she has asthma and severe breathing problems.

She allowed her grandkids to visit recently - she now has the virus  very worrying

Oh no Renton I hope she will be ok Has she had both her jabs ?

@Baz posted:

Oh no Renton I hope she will be ok Has she had both her jabs ?

Yes she has but was a little off colour afterwards

Fingers crossed

@Saint posted:

Yes she has but was a little off colour afterwards

Fingers crossed

Fingers crossed that your aunt will be okay Sainty

@Moonie posted:

Fingers crossed that your aunt will be okay Sainty

Thanx Moonie - tis a worry

@Saint posted:

Thanx Moonie - tis a worry

You’re welcome my friend. Healing thoughts going to her

@Saint posted:

Thanx Moonie - tis a worry

Hang in there Renton

One of today's stories: SHOPPERS TOLD THERE IS NO NEED TO PANIC BUY.............................Cue massive panic buying all over the place!

@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:

One of today's stories: SHOPPERS TOLD THERE IS NO NEED TO PANIC BUY.............................Cue massive panic buying all over the place!

I’ve still got the pack of 16 loo rolls stashed away from the first lockdown panic …just in case .

@Baz posted:

I’ve still got the pack of 16 loo rolls stashed away from the first lockdown panic …just in case .

I've still got some from then too!

Just made my Tesco order for tomorrow, let's see how much I get!

@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:

I've still got some from then too!

Just made my Tesco order for tomorrow, let's see how much I get!

I’ve booked my Sainsburys , and my M&S deliveries for a couple of weeks in advance ….like you say it will be interesting to see what comes and what doesn’t .My Sainsbury comes midweek…my M&S at the weekends …so what doesn’t come on one delivery  I order on the other .

I have a delivery saver, so can effectively get one delivery every day at no extra cost, so can put in an 'inbetween' order if required.

@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:

I have a delivery saver, so can effectively get one delivery every day at no extra cost, so can put in an 'inbetween' order if required.

Yes, I could do the same EFFT …but as I have a weekly M&S delivery (via Ocado ) it’s covered anyway .

@Former Member posted:

Hello!

You can’t make this up. Florida is getting a fifth of the cases in the USA. Hospitals filling back up, deaths rising, 14,000 + cases a day and rising fast, positivity rate 15% +.

What is our Governor doing? Selling merchandise such as t-shirts saying “Don’t Fauci MY Florida”, “Keep Florida Fauci Free” with a picture of a mask with a red line through it. Also beer cozies saying “How the F can I drink a beer with a mask on?”. He is making a run for presidency in 2024. No words.

Hi Roxan What a plonker ! Things aren’t much better here either ….cases have been as high as they were at the start of the year ….but thankfully , at the moment , death rates seem to be fairly low….

Death rates not as high, ICU's not as full, people not as ill - that justifies throwing caution to the winds!

@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:

Death rates not as high, ICU's not as full, people not as ill - that justifies throwing caution to the winds!

Ridiculous , isn’t it EFFT …..wait another couple of weeks , when *freedom day* really bites ….cue lockdown 4 !

@Former Member posted:

Pardoned anyone with a mask violation charge, banned businesses from requiring masks or vaccines. Republicans, vaccine resistant, are getting Delta now en masse and getting a taste of the effects of their decisions. Hospitality industry, the majority of Florida income, in the toilet, unemployment really high but he has stopped all benefits past 12 weeks including the federal paid ones because a few low paid jobs remain unfilled. Not reporting daily numbers (they are leaking) because the crisis is over and it’s just seasonality.

This guy has ridden Trumps coat tails and clearly the insanity has rubbed off.

Horrendous Roxan

We do worry for you Roxan. We moan a lot about the idiocy and incompetence of our lot, but it's quite tame in comparison to some of what we hear from your part of the world. Try to keep safe and do your best to ignore and avoid 'your lot' of idiots and incompetents! 

@Former Member posted:

Thanks so much Fluffy! That means a lot! It’s really been getting me down hence the radio silence. Thanks for welcoming me back!

Really good to hear from you again Roxan. I'd been thinking about you recently and hoping you're OK.

@Former Member posted:

Thanks so much Eugene! I have missed everyone too and am sorry for my tardiness. Missed your fun facts!

Have so many anecdotes about the situation here I would bore you all to death!

I can't speak for anyone-else, but as far as I'm concerned: you go ahead and bore away!

With Trump apparently trying to turn Florida into some sort of fiefdom (probably to avoid charges ), I can imagine you're in need of releasing a lot of steam!

I concur with Eugene, bore away Roxan.

@Extremely Fluffy Fluffy Thing posted:

I concur with Eugene, bore away Roxan.

I concur too

@Former Member posted:

Haha - well one of the late night talk show hosts here did just call Florida the North Korea of America!

I think I am doing something wrong on the forum, I can’t work out how to see the latest posts only on a thread?

Nice one Mr Talk Show host .I’m not sure what you mean about not being able to see the latest posts though Roxan ….are you on a computer , or an iPad ?

If there is a greyed bell symbol next to the thread title, you click that and you are taken to the first unread post by you.

If there is no bell then if you click on (more) after one of the two or three part posts then you will be taken to that post.

Top mini post is the most recent post on that thread.

Not to worry Roxan, even if a person is NOT blind, it can get a bit confusing at times!!!!