@1466250182060916740

 

ZA is riddled with the new variant where it is rapidly displacing Delta. In this context where the evidence suggests Europe only has isolated incidents and no mass community spread, a travel ban is proportionate and justified. I know it sucks but We in the middle of a nasty Delta wave, we cant just throw the doors open wide to this new variant. It would destroy our health care sector mid winter and thousands would die.

 

Travel ban slows entry of the variant so we can get pushing on with the Vaccines. This worked with Delta with most of Europe having successfully held off a delta wave until the weather turned a month ago. (And Southern Europe still facing up v strong against the delta wave). A travel ban should push any new variant wave back into spring next year where we will be in a better place to deal with it

Gosh me and Silas agreeing again, hell must be freezing over. Everyone is shitting it here with Omicron now, there must be some independent advice going out as my work and a few others have cancelled all Christmas gatherings. I've said it before, but from the data I've looked at it does look like this is going to rip through us this winter and we're likely to all catch it if there isn't a lockdown. So making sure our immunity is as topped up as well as possible means we can survive the storm.

 

The good news is I think this is the end game of the pandemic (fingers crossed) but the bad news is I do think this winter could be pretty rough.

Lots of confusion about social events - a lot are being cancelled which is devastating to the hospitality sector. The Government is saying that they should go ahead though - although medical advisers are being much more cautious. What does everyone else think? I'm going on ahead with my social life as normal which includes a play tonight and a concert on Saturday.

Yep BAU for me. No whole company party planned but a divisional one still in the works has not been cancelled as of yet.

Mines tomorrow and it hasn’t been cancelled. Same for my partners on Tuesday (which is a little strange as he works for Accenture and they have been very cautious throughout the entire pandemic).

I've got a departmental Christmas meal tomorrow night. As I share a staff room with everyone else who will be there, it doesn't really seem particularly high risk.

I can’t really see what a COVID pass achieves if I’m honest. As we know you can catch COVID even after having both vaccinations and the booster and still spread it. So I could unknowingly have COVID show my pass and enter the venue and spread it the same as someone who hasn’t had any vaccinations.

Agreed. The COVID pass just gives the vaccinated permission to pass on the virus and feel "superior" over the unvaccinated while doing so. Shame. :no:

Edited December 2, 20213 yr by Voodoo

It’s ironic we have a prime minister who is trying to encourage us all to wear face masks but yet doesn’t wear one himself when filmed in public places such as on trains or in a hospital. You lead by example and not just what you say.

He's not the first leader to be caught not wearing a mask. Maybe they all know something we don't... :whistle:

Looks pretty bad in Germany as per the Ch4 news report due to the delta variant still, stating hospitals and icus becoming overrun and they may pass a law so only vaccinated people can use parts of social society but that will be next year.

Looks pretty bad in Germany as per the Ch4 news report due to the delta variant still, stating hospitals and icus becoming overrun and they may pass a law so only vaccinated people can use parts of social society but that will be next year.

The hospitals in Germany coped very well when no one was vaccinated just a year ago, so how come they struggle when most of the population is vaccinated? :thinking:

That has already happened Steve. 2G is nationwide. What we might get next year is mandatory vaccination. (Which I am for)

 

 

German hospitals are coping fine in some regions where they have again taken in patients from abroad. In Thuringia, Saxony and Bavaria trouble is afoot. Thuringia and Saxony especially are underwater hospital wise because they have never had such high case numbers or hospitalisations. That spills out with the German military being drafted to transfer patients within Germany.

 

 

On paper Germany has one of the highest per capita capacities for ICU. But Germany lacks the staff to actually reach its paper capacity and has for years. It’s a known structural issue that is biting hard. No point in having a bed if you’ve not the staff to go with it.

 

Germany is also seeing case rates of more than double the previous peak driven by the unvaccinated and kids who are currently ineligible for the vaccine. You’re right, we coped well when no one was vaccinated, but case rates were half that they are now. The unvaccinated make up the overwhelming majority of those in hospital. According to rbb24 the rate of mRNA breakthrough is 0,05% for BioNTech and 0,03% for Moderna (these are being tracked carefully by Germany) which shows that they are ridiculously effective and it’s not breakthrough cases driving the fourth wave.

Doing some Christmas shopping in Birmingham city centre yesterday and I would say mask compliance was anywhere between 5-10% - if anything it seems to have decreased in the past few weeks. Odd.

Same in Newcastle, actually made a comment to Camden whilst we were shopping. Was shocked to see how many people weren’t wearing masks.

Same in Newcastle, actually made a comment to Camden whilst we were shopping. Was shocked to see how many people weren’t wearing masks.

 

Wife says same in London! She goes out more than me and travels by tube to work every day to save petrol as she has a free travel pass like me. She says some wear masks but by no means all and same in shops. I think maybe people are just fed up of them now.

Wife says same in London! She goes out more than me and travels by tube to work every day to save petrol as she has a free travel pass like me. She says some wear masks but by no means all and same in shops. I think maybe people are just fed up of them now.

I'm sure the vast majority of us are fed up with wearing masks. I know I am. However, many of us accept that they serve a useful purpose, so we put up with the discomfort and inconvenience.

Think it depends where you are, I'm based in South London and was shopping and most if not all were wearing a mask, I think compliance has generally been quite good in London from what I've seen.

 

Although there's the caveat that anti-vax protestors were just standing in the middle of the Christmas market, the second I've seen in recent months around here, joyful x

Same in Newcastle, actually made a comment to Camden whilst we were shopping. Was shocked to see how many people weren’t wearing masks.

 

First couple of days after the mandate was reintroduced it seemed likely people were wearing them. As soon as everybody realised everyone's given up on enforcing it, nobody's wearing the things.

 

Most people were only wearing them out of fear to start with.

Lucky that mask compliance is still insanely high and well enforced here. The Germans have no qualms denying you entry if you’re unmasked and there’s f*** all exemptions to undermine it either. The majority of the exemptions are pure BS and are just tiny cocked morons who „can’t breathe“ in a mask. Just like when yer mrs can’t cum I think you’re the issue at hand no the mask

Haha!

 

The shops should be allowed to enforce it, I mean if someone went in and started shop lifting in the said store they would stop it so why not stop non mask wearers who enter!

When I worked in a supermarket we were told explicitly not to engage shop lifters! Let the store security deal with it.

 

My sister tho has no shame, she used to catch folk then stalk them all the way to the till to make sure they paid for it 🤣