Quote (NetflixAdaptationWidow @ 30 Nov 2021 04:05)

Because travel restrictions don't really work against a virus like Covid.

When Trump banned China we already knew about cases in several cities, indicating there was likely already community spread. Trump would have needed to act in February at the latest, and he waited until mid-March.

New variants occuring are unlikely to be contained after they've spread to Hong Kong and Europe. A travel ban to the U.S. might be justified in this case because we don't have any detected cases yet, but still unlikely we will be able to stop them from getting in for any significant amount of time.

Is there a specific publication you're referencing when you say the WHO is critical of travel restrictions due to omicron? They likely spell out their reasoning.

Quote

The World Health Organization on Sunday urged countries around the world not to impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new Omicron COVID-19 variant.
WHO's regional director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti, called on countries to follow science and international health regulations in order to avoid using travel restrictions.

"Travel restrictions may play a role in slightly reducing the spread of COVID-19 but place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods," Moeti said in a statement. "If restrictions are implemented, they should not be unnecessarily invasive or intrusive, and should be scientifically based

Quote

Prof Rowland Kao, an epidemiologist at the University of Edinburgh who also contributes to Spi-M [a modelling group Spi-M that advises the government], [...] said travel restrictions might still bring benefits, potentially reducing the number of outbreaks and, at least for now, helping stamp them out.

Quote (Black XistenZ @ Nov 30 2021 12:38am)

Again: this is not about keeping omicron out of Europe/Hong Kong/the United States permanently, it's about buying as much time as possible.

The WHO criticized the travel bans this Sunday:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/covid-omicron-variant-travel-bans-world-health-organization-response/

They even acknowledge that travel restrictions might reduce the spread of the new variant, but speak out against it anyway. :rolleyes:


Regarding the good old "listen to the science" argument:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/nov/29/uk-scientific-advisers-brace-confirmed-omicron-covid-cases


And an Oxford virologist:
https://i.imgur.com/r2KGZU2.jpg
https://twitter.com/ArisKatzourakis/status/1465304919355891716

Quote (thundercock @ 30 Nov 2021 10:08)

I'm sort of ambivalent towards travel bans. Ultimately, we should be giving every international traveler a COVID test during customs/immigration.

Quote (Skinned @ Nov 30 2021 07:16am)

Holy shit the past few days have been ramping up in the ER.

We got five covid psych consultations and one was dead by the time the doc got there.

Herman Cain Award Winners left and right.

I'm like "the vaccine is free you poor dumb hillbillies, aren't your families worth staying around for? I thought you would die for your country but you won't take a vaccine for your neighbor?"

They're like "god told me not to". I'm like No, the GOP did, that is different believe it or not.

Quote (Skinned @ 30 Nov 2021 13:16)

Holy shit the past few days have been ramping up in the ER.

We got five covid psych consultations and one was dead by the time the doc got there.

Herman Cain Award Winners left and right.

I'm like "the vaccine is free you poor dumb hillbillies, aren't your families worth staying around for? I thought you would die for your country but you won't take a vaccine for your neighbor?"

They're like "god told me not to". I'm like No, the GOP did, that is different believe it or not.

Quote (Black XistenZ @ Nov 30 2021 08:00am)

Gonna be a treat so see Democrats and liberal media eat crow when blue state governors in the north have to reintroduce restrictions this winter after they spent all summer trashing the GOP governors and the low vax rates in the south...