8 ms·

Pence says European travel ban will extend to U.K. and Ireland

58 points by hhs 7y ago

djhworld 7y ago
I was just in the US (San Francisco) for new employee orientation and they sent us all home 1 day early because they feared something like this would happen, especially after the Europe ban came into force. What's amusing is after returning home, I've just found out the company has basically put in WFH policy in most offices, so I'll be starting my new job....from home haha
- iso1210 7y ago
  Flights won't stop, there will still be UK citizens flying from the US to the UK, and US citizens flying from the UK to the US. In the latter case they'll have to self isolate.
  - ageitgey 7y ago
    Friend is a pilot for British Airways that flies long international routes. He says they will be most likely be flying a few flights to a limited number of pre-approved US airports based on demand with lots of route consolidation. So while it will not be impossible for a US citizen to get back to the US, it will not necessarily be easy or fully predictable. Far from business as usual. Caveat: I don't think anyone fully knows what will actually happen yet.
  - namdnay 7y ago
    Both the US and EU are discussing allowing airlines to keep their airport slots even if they don’t use them. In which case, airlines will just stop flying, an aircraft is only profitable at >80% full
    - detaro 7y ago
      A few flights especially to hubs will probably remain, at prices to compensate for the lower usage. But yes, not business as usual.
  - rsynnott 7y ago
    Well, they won’t stop today. Give it a week or so.
- cameronbrown 7y ago
  I think it's definitely a privilege to be able to work a job where you can WFH. Really feel bad for those who don't have a choice.
  - djhworld 7y ago
    Oh yes absolutely, I come from a family who work in jobs where WFH would be impossible so it's definitely something I'm not taking for granted.
bb123 7y ago
This doesn't really seem to make sense. The US already has confirmed community transmission and the suspected case rate is higher in the US the UK. Also why now? Why not 2 days ago?
- Leary 7y ago
  If the UK really goes through with the "infect 60% of its own population to get herd immunity" strategy, every other country is going to ban travel from there. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/herd-immunity-will-the-uks-coronavirus-strategy-work https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/herd-immunity-...
  - johneth 7y ago
    Just to counter that point: https://twitter.com/AdamJKucharski/status/1238821515526897664 https://twitter.com/AdamJKucharski/status/123882151552689766... (this is a thread, click the tweet to expand)
    - TheOtherHobbes 7y ago
      I honestly have no idea what that Tweet is trying to say. The UK government explicitly used the phrase "herd immunity" in a press conference, so that seems to be an explicit objective - even though the mutability of the virus is not yet known. The rest seems like babble. No, closing schools for two weeks will not make the problem go away - but it will buy time, to try and set up revised working and living arrangements for everyone. So what is the point of doing almost nothing? I'm not seeing any other country looking at the UK and saying "Oh, I wish we'd thought of that."
      - johneth 7y ago
        > I honestly have no idea what that Tweet is trying to say. It's a thread (click the tweet). > The UK government explicitly used the phrase "herd immunity" in a press conference, so that seems to be an explicit objective - even though the mutability of the virus is not yet known. Did you watch the full press conference, where the phrase 'herd immunity' was described in context with the main objective, namely to ensure the NHS can cope with demand over the next several months. If you haven't, I'd recommend you do; they're uncut on YouTube. They explain their strategy better than I could here.
oneplane 7y ago
Ah yes, because a virus will totally respond to some arbitrary line an old dude draws on a map. Maybe it doesn't do animal transmission (yet), but it's already everywhere... Even it a 'ban' would help, selecting a subset of 'everyone' who already has it doesn't seem like a strategy that would work in any way, shape or form.

58 points by hhs 7y ago

I was just in the US (San Francisco) for new employee orientation and they sent us all home 1 day early because they feared something like this would happen, especially after the Europe ban came into force. What's amusing is after returning home, I've just found out the company has basically put in WFH policy in most offices, so I'll be starting my new job....from home haha

iso1210 7y ago
Flights won't stop, there will still be UK citizens flying from the US to the UK, and US citizens flying from the UK to the US. In the latter case they'll have to self isolate.
- ageitgey 7y ago
  Friend is a pilot for British Airways that flies long international routes. He says they will be most likely be flying a few flights to a limited number of pre-approved US airports based on demand with lots of route consolidation. So while it will not be impossible for a US citizen to get back to the US, it will not necessarily be easy or fully predictable. Far from business as usual. Caveat: I don't think anyone fully knows what will actually happen yet.
- namdnay 7y ago
  Both the US and EU are discussing allowing airlines to keep their airport slots even if they don’t use them. In which case, airlines will just stop flying, an aircraft is only profitable at >80% full
  - detaro 7y ago
    A few flights especially to hubs will probably remain, at prices to compensate for the lower usage. But yes, not business as usual.
- rsynnott 7y ago
  Well, they won’t stop today. Give it a week or so.
cameronbrown 7y ago
I think it's definitely a privilege to be able to work a job where you can WFH. Really feel bad for those who don't have a choice.
- djhworld 7y ago
  Oh yes absolutely, I come from a family who work in jobs where WFH would be impossible so it's definitely something I'm not taking for granted.

bb123 7y ago

This doesn't really seem to make sense. The US already has confirmed community transmission and the suspected case rate is higher in the US the UK. Also why now? Why not 2 days ago?

Leary 7y ago
If the UK really goes through with the "infect 60% of its own population to get herd immunity" strategy, every other country is going to ban travel from there. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/herd-immunity-will-the-uks-coronavirus-strategy-work https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/13/herd-immunity-...
- johneth 7y ago
  Just to counter that point: https://twitter.com/AdamJKucharski/status/1238821515526897664 https://twitter.com/AdamJKucharski/status/123882151552689766... (this is a thread, click the tweet to expand)
  - TheOtherHobbes 7y ago
    I honestly have no idea what that Tweet is trying to say. The UK government explicitly used the phrase "herd immunity" in a press conference, so that seems to be an explicit objective - even though the mutability of the virus is not yet known. The rest seems like babble. No, closing schools for two weeks will not make the problem go away - but it will buy time, to try and set up revised working and living arrangements for everyone. So what is the point of doing almost nothing? I'm not seeing any other country looking at the UK and saying "Oh, I wish we'd thought of that."
    - johneth 7y ago
      > I honestly have no idea what that Tweet is trying to say. It's a thread (click the tweet). > The UK government explicitly used the phrase "herd immunity" in a press conference, so that seems to be an explicit objective - even though the mutability of the virus is not yet known. Did you watch the full press conference, where the phrase 'herd immunity' was described in context with the main objective, namely to ensure the NHS can cope with demand over the next several months. If you haven't, I'd recommend you do; they're uncut on YouTube. They explain their strategy better than I could here.

oneplane 7y ago

Ah yes, because a virus will totally respond to some arbitrary line an old dude draws on a map. Maybe it doesn't do animal transmission (yet), but it's already everywhere... Even it a 'ban' would help, selecting a subset of 'everyone' who already has it doesn't seem like a strategy that would work in any way, shape or form.