quarantine effective now but not before ?

[HundredRoom]

Ms Patel told MPs that scientific advisers had said quarantine would not have been effective earlier in the coronavirus pandemic when infection rates in the UK were higher.

I was going to add - did she keep a straight face when she said that but unfortunately you can never tell with her.

So some anonymous scientist said that did they. ?
Of course it would have been effective. Please don't take us all for mugs.

 

[Centralscrutinizer]

Keeping infected people out would've ruined their initial herd immunity plan.
Anyone with a brain would've gone with the "let's take advantage of being an island" plan.

 

[1finny]

Reports in The Times today that the new quarantine policy was taken without consulting the senior SAGE advisors hence today’s request to produce the science to support it.

Trying to work out the politics of this one. The one thing we do know from them is they take the politics seriously.
Some Options
At the time they needed to be seen to do something (can’t recall what other headlines they would be trying to suppress)
Soon they will no doubt hope to come to the rescue of UK holiday makers and make a big announcement
They were aware some countries would block UK holiday makers which would inevitably lead to more headlines about their record. Take the sting out of the tail, effectively tell people they can’t have a summer hol then release pockets of good news on a regular basis as they reach agreement on a country by country basis.

 

[Sheriff_John_Bunnell_ret]

I don't see how a quaranteen can be effective now. If we got the disease down much further then yes. Or if a targeted quaranteen was introduced on countries in a much poorer state, if indeed there are any. It may well have been introduced to allow t*t for tat restrictions.
Temperature testing, mandatory facemasks on public transport, ensuring we only allow flights in that are socially distanced would seem more sensible.

 

[1finny]

Valance has just said it was a ‘policy decision’ for ministers and the medics didn’t advise on timing
Going on to say
‘Quarantine works well when incidents are low here and high in other countries....’

Go figure that one out

 

[Malaguena]

The irony of the country in Europe with the worst record for infections, deaths, and ignoring guidance now closing its borders to protect its citizens from people arriving from countries that have effectively controlled the virus would be hilarious if it wasn’t so staggeringly imbecilic.

The fact those other countries are now opening their borders takes the UK to Trump levels of incompetence