[nick olass]

Can someone enlighten me, as to why the people brought from China with suspected Coronavirus, after landing at Brize Norton, were then transported 300 miles on buses to Arrow Park Hospital on the Wirral? Surely there must be suitable facilities close to where the aircraft landed and if so, why were they not used? To me it seems ludicrous to travel so far from the airport, and perhaps the buses had to stop at service areas on the motorways for the 'passengers' to have a pee or a cup of tea, thus passing on the infection.

 

[sparkie2182]

Because its miles away from London.

 

[ChathamChavs]

Because its miles away from London.

Hear ! Hear!(Applause)(Applause)

 

[howardang]

Can someone enlighten me, as to why the people brought from China with suspected Coronavirus, after landing at Brize Norton, were then transported 300 miles on buses to Arrow Park Hospital on the Wirral? Surely there must be suitable facilities close to where the aircraft landed and if so, why were they not used? To me it seems ludicrous to travel so far from the airport, and perhaps the buses had to stop at service areas on the motorways for the 'passengers' to have a pee or a cup of tea, thus passing on the infection.

Or alternatively, if the Wirral is the best place, why not land the aircraft at an airport/airbase closer to the Wirral?

Howard

 

[stevekelly10]

It would be relativity easy to isolate the Wirral if the virus got out ! close the Mersey tunnels. Shut the A41, the M53 and the Dee crossing at Queensferry. The Mersey ferries would have to be stopped too. Glad I don't live on the Wirral anymore !

 

[Strickylad44]

Wonder why the bus driver delivering the people is not wearing a face mask.

 

[jmcg]

I would suggest the reason is that he would not be permitted (legally) to drive with full isolation attire.

It all seems to me to be "on the hoof" with no coherent plan at all.

Firstly , we were told that the RAF would repatriate the punters- flying to UK fist and then to Madrid(for whatever reason) .

Now its been repatriation by a much maligned airline outfit called Wamoss. I'm sure they will "milk" the system now with compo for fumigation costs/disinfection and so on.

BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)

 

[nick olass]

Hmmmm.....I wonder if a certain Squirrel named Cyril has been alerted.(Smoke)

 

[Basil]

Yes, I wondered why they didn't land at Liverpool, waive customs and immigration, and tarmac transfer to the busses.

Could always have gone camping on Gruinard Island for a couple of weeks

 

[Mad Landsman]

Here is my take on the matter:

Why Brize Norton? - The flight was chartered by HM Government, RAF Brize Norton is under the full control of the MoD, including all employees who would be fully traceable. It can therefore be fully isolated from any members of public who would be likely found in an open civil airport.
During the landing there were road closures around the base, which is apparently not unusual there, but would be difficult to carry out as a one off at a civil airport.
There are facilities at Brize Norton for dealing with the aircraft type and for numbers of passengers. If any one of them needed medical attention on arrival the RAF Medical centre is based on site.

The buses/coaches - The drivers of the four vehicles were told that they did not require personal protective equipment. They have nevertheless all been booked off for the next two weeks.

Why Arrowe Park Hospital? - There was a currently unoccupied staff accommodation block available for use. It is apparently self contained and has suitable facilities for those under quarantine and those attending them. So maybe it makes sense to use it.
Not all hospitals in the UK have a High Level Isolation Unit to current WHO standards. Royal Liverpool Hospital does have such a facility.

 

[nick olass]

ML makes some valid points, but I cannot believe that there was no suitable facility close to Brize Norton.

 

[Farmer John]

It would be relativity easy to isolate the Wirral if the virus got out !

"and bomb it back to the Stone-age"...(Jester)

 

[nickwilson89]

Here is my take on the matter:

Why Brize Norton? - The flight was chartered by HM Government, RAF Brize Norton is under the full control of the MoD, including all employees who would be fully traceable. It can therefore be fully isolated from any members of public who would be likely found in an open civil airport.
During the landing there were road closures around the base, which is apparently not unusual there, but would be difficult to carry out as a one off at a civil airport.
There are facilities at Brize Norton for dealing with the aircraft type and for numbers of passengers. If any one of them needed medical attention on arrival the RAF Medical centre is based on site

The buses/coaches - The drivers of the four vehicles were told that they did not require personal protective equipment. They have nevertheless all been booked off for the next two weeks.

Why Arrowe Park Hospital? - There was a currently unoccupied staff accommodation block available for use. It is apparently self contained and has suitable facilities for those under quarantine and those attending them. So maybe it makes sense to use it.
Not all hospitals in the UK have a High Level Isolation Unit to current WHO standards. Royal Liverpool Hospital does have such a facility.

Sanity returns to SN to reassure the many doubters. Hooray!

Nick

 

[spongebob]

Yer a thick lot, don't you know Cyril the squirrel controls the Wirral territory and is charging the British government a big fee per head count for isolation facilities in return for all the undercover work that he had done to get Brexit through.

Bob

 

[jmcg]

Can Liverpool (John Lennon) airport accommodate 747's so far as runway length is concerned?

Bas should know the answer.

BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)

 

[Mad Landsman]

#15
Liverpool airport runway is about the same as Bournemouth airport.
BOH can certainly take 747s and even hosted Concorde more than once.
But, I would guess that would be only one of many criteria considered in the choice.

 

[Basil]

ML - Good points.

jmcg - Regret can't remember.

ML - If so, then it would be OK. In the twilight of my working life, used to fly 747 classics out of Bournemouth. (For an ad hoc charter outfit owned by an Australian scrappy. Interesting.)

 

[makko]

Can Liverpool (John Lennon) airport accommodate 747's so far as runway length is concerned?

Bas should know the answer.

BW

J(Gleam)(Gleam)

Liverpool airport was one of the longest in Europe, something to do with US bombers during WW2. I remember as a kid, around 75/76 or thereabouts, watching from my parent's garden as the Nasa 747, piggybacking the space shuttle flew overhead. The space shuttle had been at the Paris airshow but the 747 could not reach the USA from Paris. The plane landed at Liverpool, took on full fuel and then skipped over the pond. Incidentally, one of the turning points for transatlantic aircraft was the Wallasey beacon that transmitted a narrow, vertical signal in Morse: W A L, W A L......The beacon was on the site of the old Battery camp by the Leasowe Common, nearly adjacent to the Castle and close to the Leasowe Lighthouse - One day, I will take up my right to graze one cow and two sheep on Leasowe Common! I just remembered too, the beacon was close to the Leasowe Coastguard Station. The CG station was only seasonal, summer months only. In the "off" months, it was broken into, vandalized and set on fire several times, until eventually abandoned and razed.

Rgds.
"Potted History of Leasowe Foreshore" Dave

 

[stevekelly10]

They could have reduced the costs ! Got a smaller plane, landed at RAF Valley , got some empty shipping containers and then mined the Menai bridges just in case ! totally surrounded by water (Jester)

 

[Mad Landsman]

They could have reduced the costs ! Got a smaller plane, landed at RAF Valley , got some empty shipping containers and then mined the Menai bridges just in case ! totally surrounded by water (Jester)

Have you by any chance, seen the Belgian/Dutch TV drama 'Fanget i Antwerpen' or 'Cordon' as it was called on the BBC? :sweat: