Once the vulnerable have been offered protection through vaccination there's no excuse for continued restrictions, either domestic or on travellers. We can't eliminate this virus any more than we can the flu, or new variants for either, but once the more at risk are vaccinated the death rate should be comparable to what we accept for the flu. We need to restore our liberty and economy.
What is the goal? Trying to eliminate the virus is delusional. It is and always will be endemic. Protect the vulnerable through vaccination and then remove restrictions.
There's another way sanctions can be counter-productive. Sanctions against government officials are perhaps understandable, but sanctions against "friends", "cronies", and "supporters" of a government leader force elites into the arms of that leader. If you fear your Swiss bank accounts and foreign businesses will be frozen, you have to keep your assets within your country and dare not oppose your country's leadership. Far from encouraging dissent, it encourages support for the government. Sanctions have rarely accomplished anything good. The main exceptions are South Africa and Rhodesia, where there was an exceptionally strong international consensus on the issues and against their governments' policies.
More like nastyness signalling, but yes that pointless!
Non-UK citizens and non-UK residents from the 33 Red list countries are already banned. The incarceration applies to Brits and British residents, and certainly they should be trusted with a few more checks than at present to make sure they can be trusted. But the tyrannical move makes it difficult for Brits with family or business in those countries. What is even worse is that the government has said more countries could be added to the list on a few hours notice, making any foreign travel risky. Britain can not be a global trading nation with such oppressive rules.
What relaxation? Rules have just been dramatically tightened by the traveller's incarceration programme, a tyrannical policy that is damaging to families and business, and wrong.
Idiot. The quarantine policy is devastating to business and families, and the hotel incarceration programme is even worse. Could conceivably have been justified a year ago, but not now that Britain has a higher infection rate than most countries and is testing arriving travellers three times, while the most vulnerable have already been offered protection by vaccination. Time to let go and restore our liberty.
The scientists disagree. Politicians have to decide.
Of course we should start removing restrictions by 8 March, if not sooner, and the removal must include ending the tyrannical incarceration of travellers. That destructive attack on families and business conceivably was justifiable a year ago, but it's certainly too late now that we have a vaccine, tests, and a higher infection rate than most other countries.
Sweden is indeed a good model, except for care homes, but the vaccine is clearly safer than the disease and effective.