I’ve no doubt discussions are taking place, and I think you’re right that perhaps the US may be one of the first to show its hand, but I don’t get the sense there will be any global coordination in the short-term given the varying trajectories countries are on, and within the EU I’d be even less certain than 1 or 2 months ago.

And I’m afraid I don’t agree with your final sentence, and more importantly, I don’t think there is general agreement across many jurisdictions that this is a top priority right here and now.

Best not stick around in the UK then ..... ;)

Based on what? Is there a poll that has asked this question of the UK public with a significant number of respondents in the last few days?

Robert Boyle (I’m starting to feel like his head cheerleader) was quoting in his blog a Yougov poll that, as late as March, saw >50% of people in favour of blocking all flights and even higher %s wanting hotel confinement to all.

The foreign threat is a card that always plays well at all latitudes and the examples are too many to count.

People with a specific agenda can easily get a poll together which satisfies their own requirements, and trumpet it loud and clear on social media.

But ultimately, the educated, affluent parts of the UK are used to certain levels of social and economic freedoms which have been tolerated for "the greater good" for long enough now - the economic, social and health reasons for opening up freedoms (not least the impact of these restrictions on people's mental health) are FAST overtaking the need for excess caution.

Relying on public opinion for anything is never wise. We would not be where we are with LGBTQ+ rights and a great many other enlightened policies if public opinion was listened to all of the time.

Exactly right.

CWS, if I had a friend in your area keen in giving the pop over tonth vaccination centre thing a try, where should she go in Newcastle? She tried somewhere just now and it was closed.

It might be my misanthropy speaking but I’ve got little faith in the public opinion, affluent or penniless as they might be. Right now I see the odd article by a random Daily Telegraph columnist, terrified (and rightfully so in my humble opinion) at the prospective of another summer in Devon, and of course the newly relabelled Covid Research Group... but that’s it.

We’re talking about Boris, the man who’d sell his own dog to a lady wanting to turn it into a coat if he gave him a few extra points... come on.

I suspect she tried Eagles today since they were scheduled to wrap up at 3pm. Eagles will be open 09:00 hrs to 15:00 hrs tomorrow, or the Racecourse on Saturday, same hours.

Today's data:

Cases 3,030 (4,479 last Thursday)
Deaths 53 (51)
Patients admitted 220 (269 on the 27th)
Patients in hospital 3124 (3,967 on the 30th)
patients on ventilation 440 (547 on the 31st)

7 day daily average cases are down 37.3% on the previous week.

So you mean privileged people are thinking egoistically "me,me,me" without consideration for others ? How shocking.
The same in most of Europe, in Germany the latest ARD poll was that 70% of Germans wants tighter travel and entry restrictions.

The key difference is nearly everyone wants domestic restrictions relaxed, or would be upset if the unlocking is delayed.

Travel/May 17 is a lot more mixed. Sage/Labour coming out screaming about same mistakes as last year/borders/variants will do this.

I love travelling and even I wouldn’t be too bothered if travel wasn’t allowed until June or July, and I don’t know anyone else personally that has voiced anything dissimilar. But any delay to the unlocking would be meltdown all round. That is the difference. Domestic freedom is considerably more important to the majority.

Some updated for vaccines done upto Easter Sunday evening 28 April

Let's start with the figures 2 weeks ago, so ending Sunday 21 March

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/zOcSFB.png

And now the stats ending 1 week back ending Sunday 28 March 2021.

https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...923/6qvPwT.png

And finally the figures for the wek ending Easter Sunday 4 April, so 2 public holidays in here.
.
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/1...922/7dT2W4.png

I'm really pleased by these figures since those in their early 50s will typically have had a very low amount of vaccines in their lives to date. Those both younger and older would have had more childhood vaccines and those older would be getting the influenza vaccine. So a cohort that may have had their last vaccine when they were 8 - 10 years old whereas those in their 30s should have got some jabs in their mid teens. And I know we are still doing some 50 year olds, it's not the end point. Though HMG is playing coy on this, the reality is that we are well into the 40 year olds now.

Under 50s have gone from 22.2% to 25.9% to more recently 27.5% with at least one jab..

I don't disagree. But the minority should not be viewed solely in the lens of people wanting to go to Ibiza or the Maldives. There are families that are separated (immediate family units, parents/children, etc.).