International Effects of Covid-19

[AndyinPA]

Macron declares his Covid strategy is to ‘piss off’ the unvaccinated
French president stokes divisions as parliament debates tighter requirements for mandatory health pass

Jon Henley in Paris
Tue 4 Jan 2022 23.17 GMT

Emmanuel Macron has prompted a furore after saying that his government’s vaccination strategy is to “piss off” people who have not had coronavirus jabs by continuing to make daily life more and more difficult for them.

“I am not about pissing off the French people,” the president said in an interview with readers of Le Parisien daily on Tuesday. “But as for the non-vaccinated, I really want to piss them off. And we will continue to do this, to the end. This is the strategy.”



“In a democracy, the worst enemies are lies and stupidity,” Macron said. “We are putting pressure on the unvaccinated by limiting, as much as possible, their access to activities in social life.”


https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... vaccinated

And the problem is?

[RTH10260]

Macron declares his Covid strategy is to ‘piss off’ the unvaccinated
French president stokes divisions as parliament debates tighter requirements for mandatory health pass



https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... vaccinated

And the problem is?

The possible problem is that it's an election year and his party is not guaranteed to remain in office. The vaccination comes in addition to other protests, eg the Yellow Jackets (tax increase on gasoline).

[AndyinPA]

And the problem is?

The possible problem is that it's an election year and his party is not guaranteed to remain in office. The vaccination comes in addition to other protests, eg the Yellow Jackets (tax increase on gasoline).

Then, not so good to brag; I still approve of the plan.

[Volkonski]

ABC News
@ABC
·
3m
A research station in Antarctica is battling a COVID-19 outbreak—despite being located in one of the most remote corners of the world.

[keith]

Djokovic is being deported from Australia.

Detained at Airport for 9 hours. Visa cancelled.

Failed to provide valid evidence for entry to Australia.

This is the correct outcome.

Prepare to fend off bellyache and bullshit from him for the next 20 years.

[Uninformed]

Well done Aussies. Hope the authorities stick to it - I’m sure the public reaction to the exemption is responsible for them “reconsidering”.

[p0rtia]

He'll be back.

[Dave from down under]

Novak Djokovic's visa issue turns into diplomatic stoush as Serbia's President vows to 'fight for Novak'

Serbia's President has vowed to "fight" for Novak Djokovic to be able to enter Australia, after the tennis star became stranded at Melbourne airport due to an issue with his visa.

Key points:
Novak Djokovic's visa issues have turned into a diplomatic stoush, as Serbia's president has intervened
President Vucic vowed to fight for Novak to be able to enter Australia
The Prime Minister has said no one will get special treatment

The world number one tennis player had been granted a medical exemption to compete in the upcoming Australian Open — but his visa was cancelled upon his arrival in Australia, as authorities discovered the visa his team had applied for did not allow for medical exemptions.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-06/ ... /100740932

[RTH10260]

crosspost

Cuba’s vaccine success story sails past mark set by rich world’s Covid efforts
The island nation struggles to keep the lights on but has inoculated 90% of population with home-developed vaccines

Ed Augustin in Havana
Wed 5 Jan 2022 10.00 GMT

General Máximo Gómez, a key figure in Cuba’s 19th-century wars of independence against Spain once said: “Cubans either don’t meet the mark – or go way past it.”

A century and a half later, the aphorism rings true. This downtrodden island struggles to keep the lights on, but has now vaccinated more of its citizens against Covid-19 than any of the world’s major nations.

More than 90% of the population has been vaccinated with at least one dose of Cuba’s homegrown vaccines, while 83% have been fully inoculated. Of countries with populations of over a million, only the United Arab Emirates has a stronger vaccination record.

“Cuba is a victim of magical realism,” said John Kirk, professor emeritus of Latin American studies at Dalhousie University, Canada. “The idea that Cuba, with only 11 million people, and limited income, could be a biotech power, might be incomprehensible for someone working at Pfizer, but for Cuba it is possible.”

Like most Latin American countries, Cuba knew it would struggle to buy vaccines on the international market. So in March 2020, with foreign exchange reserves plummeting due to the loss of tourism revenue and ferocious new US sanctions, the island’s scientists got to work.

The gamble paid off: this spring Cuba became the smallest country in the world to successfully develop and produce its own Covid vaccines. Since then its well-staffed, if dilapidating universal health service, has rolled out injections at a fast clip, inoculating even young children (all vaccination on the island is voluntary).

Both vaccines are over 90% effective, according to Cuban-run clinical trials conducted last spring. Successful rollout has brought infection rates down from among the highest in the western hemisphere last summer to low levels today.

Last August the island reported hundreds of Covid deaths per week; last week there were three.




https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... cess-story

[RTH10260]

Thailand

The government just pulled the emergency brakes and suspended the Test-and-Go entry scheme (already registered travellers remain ok). Suspension will be in effect until after New Year when it gets reviewed.

The suspension of the Test-and-Go program will be extended at least until the end of January. Government will meet tomorrow Friday and formally make the decision.

There may be a nasty surprise: several government officials have been thinking aloud of introducing a cuttoff date of January 10 on all already granted "ThaiPass" entry permits, eg holders planning to arrive after that date would have their granted entry permit revoked! Such travellers have already had their flight and hotel bookings made and paid (for some non-refundable), reservations made up to two months ago.

Since the suspension of the entry scheme on December 21, 2021 tourism has tanked: about 60% of bookings have been already cancelled cause travellers have not been able to get the entry permit. Many travel agencies have rebooked their customers to other countries in the region. Tourism industry has essentially said goodbye to this years tourist high season (ends about March), next opportunity for businesses is November after rainy season. Several locations apart from Phuket have had their local "sandbox" scheme terminated by the government and hotels that opened for this have lost their investment.

Some small number of travelling will happen with travellers who accept a 7 day quarantine (Phuket soft version with island open or Alternate Quarantine elsewhere locked in hotel room) at travellers cost, two to three covid tests to be paid for, and extra pair of flights or taxi transfers from Bangkok airport.

[Dave from down under]

Australian vaccination by age groups - 6-Jan-22
Age % of age group with 2 or more doses
12-15 74%
16-49 92%
50-69 97%
70+ 99%

We still have a long way to go with <70 year olds...

[bill_g]

Australian vaccination by age groups - 6-Jan-22
Age % of age group with 2 or more doses
12-15 74%
16-49 92%
50-69 97%
70+ 99%

We still have a long way to go with <70 year olds...

Those are still impressive numbers.

[Foggy]

Breaking News!

Serbian Marines Invaded Australia, Ran Away When They Saw The Spiders!

[Dave from down under]

[RTH10260]

Definitely a false flag operation

[Volkonski]

Reuters
@Reuters
·
1m
Britain calls in military to help with hospital COVID staffing crunch http://reut.rs/3G7Q8Nq

[Volkonski]

The Associated Press
@AP
·
31s
Japan has approved new restrictions to curb rising coronavirus cases in the 3 southwestern regions of Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima. The minister in charge of COVID-19 responses, says hospitals may get stretched thin soon due to a surge in infections.

[RTH10260]

Thailand

The government just pulled the emergency brakes and suspended the Test-and-Go entry scheme (already registered travellers remain ok). Suspension will be in effect until after New Year when it gets reviewed.

The suspension of the Test-and-Go program will be extended at least until the end of January. Government will meet tomorrow Friday and formally make the decision.

There may be a nasty surprise: several government officials have been thinking aloud of introducing a cuttoff date of January 10 on all already granted "ThaiPass" entry permits, eg holders planning to arrive after that date would have their granted entry permit revoked! Such travellers have already had their flight and hotel bookings made and paid (for some non-refundable), reservations made up to two months ago.

Nasty surprise seems to come true: news reports say that the relevant government agency proclaimed a cutoff date of Januar 15, in effect cancelling entry permits granted for later dates. Bangkok Post

Crazy and totally damaging for tourism. The same article says they already accepted 440'000 travellers under the scheme and that only another 10'000 arrivals are pending.

In other news it was mentioned that 1 in a thousand of foreign arrivals did develop symptoms after arrival (after departing from home with a negative PCR test).

[RTH10260]

Nasty surprise seems to come true: news reports say that the relevant government agency proclaimed a cutoff date of Januar 15, in effect cancelling entry permits granted for later dates. Bangkok Post

Crazy and totally damaging for tourism. The same article says they already accepted 440'000 travellers under the scheme and that only another 10'000 arrivals are pending.

In other news it was mentioned that 1 in a thousand of foreign arrivals did develop symptoms after arrival (after departing from home with a negative PCR test).

TIT - This Is Thailand

In less than 12 hours after the relevant agancy decided to create a cutoff date and invalidate some 10'000 already granted ThaiPass entry / travel permits the cuttoff date has been rescinded! Did not even have time to officially be published in the Government Gazette.

There must have been a storm on Thai embassies around the world asking for explanations and how to proceed. The recommendation was to try and rebook and arrive by the declared cutoff date, and the embassy would assist in getting the ThaiPass reissued with the rebooked itinery. Thai AIrways and likely several others got caught up in a storm of cancellations and rebookings. Ther will also have been a number of Thai hotels who had to accomodate the change in quarantine offering.

[Volkonski]

ABC News
@ABC
·
15m
SAY IT WITH SHEEP: A team of Germans came up with an unusual way of urging people to get vaccinated against COVID-19, but filming a hundreds-strong flock of sheep forming the shape of a syringe from the air. https://abcn.ws/3eZI6KH

[Notaperson]

In Italy, a priest's sermon about COVID vaccines sparked a walkout

Parishioners walked out of Father Tarcisio Colombo's service in Casorate Primo – a small town in Milan’s hinterland – on New Year's Eve.

Witnesses told Euronews he criticised Rome's use of a COVID pass to push Italians to get vaccinated and the stigmatisation of the unvaccinated as "plague spreaders".

His words sparked outrage and 20 churchgoers walked out midway through the service. One even yelled “learn to be a priest!” from the door.

“As soon as I heard him say these things, I just couldn’t take it any more,” Graziella Checchi, a 66-year-old parishioner, told Euronews. “I was one of the first to stand up, but as soon as I left the church, I turned to see a stream of people had joined me.”

https://www.euronews.com/2022/01/05/in- ... -a-walkout

[Volkonski]

China's Tianjin begins mass testing after local omicron cases found
Outbreak poses risks to Beijing and the upcoming Winter Olympics, because of the large number of commuters working and living in the two cities.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/chin ... d_nn_tw_ma

A major port city near the capital Beijing began testing its population of around 14 million Sunday after at least two local cases of the highly-transmissible omicron variant were detected, state media reported.

Residents in four districts would be tested over the next 24 hours while other districts would be tested the next day, the Tianjin government said.

Residents will only get the green health code necessary to travel once they receive a negative result, it said.

The city advised residents not to leave town for unnecessary reasons, the government said late on Saturday.

[Volkonski]

North Korea says it will miss Beijing Olympics, blaming pandemic and 'hostile forces'
The country had already been barred from the event by the International Olympic Committee after it refused to send a team to the Summer Games in Tokyo.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/nort ... d_nn_tw_ma

North Korea said Friday that it would skip next month’s Beijing Olympics because of the coronavirus pandemic and actions by “hostile forces,” a largely redundant statement since the country has already been barred from the Games by the International Olympic Committee.

In September, the committee suspended North Korea through 2022 for refusing to send a team to the Tokyo Summer Games, citing the pandemic. IOC President Thomas Bach said at the time that individual athletes from North Korea who qualify to compete in Beijing could still be accepted. There is no word of that happening.

On Friday, North Korea’s state media said its Olympic Committee and Sport Ministry sent a letter to their counterparts in China to formally notify its last major ally and economic pipeline that it cannot attend the Olympics. The Games open on Feb. 4.

[RTH10260]

Spain reports more Covid reinfections in one fortnight than rest of pandemic
Researchers attribute 20,890 cases – compared with 17,140 documented up to 22 December – to spread of Omicron variant

Ashifa Kassam in Madrid
Sun 9 Jan 2022 17.28 GMT

The number of Covid reinfections reported in Spain in the past fortnight has exceeded the total number of repeat infections documented during the rest of the pandemic, according to the latest data from Spanish researchers.

In the span of two weeks in late December and early January, 20,890 reinfections were reported in Spain, figures from the state-backed Carlos III Health Institute suggested.

While the bulk of cases appeared to be mild, the number is higher than the 17,140 cases of reinfection documented from the start of the pandemic to 22 December. The Spanish data includes both confirmed and suspected reinfections.

Researchers attributed the growing number of repeat infections to the fast-spreading Omicron variant. “Prior to this variant, reinfections were anecdotal at the global level,” the immunologist Prof Alfredo Corell, from the University of Valladolid, told the Spanish news site Nius. “Omicron has changed this paradigm.”

The Spanish data adds to previous research that has linked Omicron to an increase in reinfections. A report released by researchers at Imperial College London in mid-December estimated the risk of reinfection with Omicron to be 5.4 times greater than with Delta.



https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/ ... f-pandemic

[Volkonski]