A lot of cases of the South African variant have been found in Austrian Tirol. Given that the initial UK outbreak a year ago is generally believed to have been largely down to people returning form skiing holidays, the government would be grossly negligent not to add Austria to the "naughty list".

 

Agree strongly - although I thought that cases had already been found here. As Dobbo has said the uncertainty kills off the travel industry anyway, so there is little point in this death by 1000 cuts approach which ultimately may fail to achieve what these restrictions are being put in place to achieve.

 

A bit like protecting your economy over the health of the population, only to find that the knock-on effect of that is to damage the economy more than if you had have protected health in the first place. More backwards logic from this government.

Agree strongly - although I thought that cases had already been found here. As Dobbo has said the uncertainty kills off the travel industry anyway, so there is little point in this death by 1000 cuts approach which ultimately may fail to achieve what these restrictions are being put in place to achieve.

 

A bit like protecting your economy over the health of the population, only to find that the knock-on effect of that is to damage the economy more than if you had have protected health in the first place. More backwards logic from this government.

Yes, some cases of the SA variant have been found here but more have been found in Tirol than in the whole of the UK. As only a sample of positive tests are fully genome sequenced to identify the strain, the figures are not complete but I think the UK is doing more genome sequencing than most. So, even allowing for that, there are probably more cases in Tirol.

 

The real worry is that, partly thanks to the vaccine filtering out other strains, this variant becomes the dominant one. It is likely that the vaccines can be altered to cover the SA strain but that will still leave millions of people with less protection than expected :(

Will have to see if travel between GB and Northern Ireland will be counted towards the naughty step on both sides. Heading to London is probably as exotic as I'd be likely to get this year.

Am in utter shock and tears here. My friend Gary, 63, died last night from Covid. Hadn't been ill many days and wasn't even in hospital. He had a tropical fish shop that I used for many years but retired a few years ago. Great guy, funny and caring and a good laugh too. RIP Gary. I don't think it really hits you until it's someone you know,

Sorry to hear that.

We've only ever succeeded in eradicating one disease - smallpox. It took about 200 years. That's not to say it will take anywhere near as long to eradicate Covid-19 but we shouldn't pretend it is going away any time soon. Sorry, Mr Trump, it won't just magically disappear.

 

Of course, we have top hope that mutations will be both less contagious and less fatal. However, for as long as it is circulating widely around the planet, the chances of more deadly mutations will be all too great. That is why it is important to consider sharing vaccines with other countries long before every adult in countries like the UK have been vaccinated.

 

The £1,750 price seems ridiculously high at £175 per day. I would expect a very nice (and spacious) room with a good standard (and choice) of food at that price. After all, it's not as if the hotels would otherwise be heaving so the government should have been able to negotiate a very good deal.

According to a leaked document reported in the Independent, hotels are only being paid £50 per day. Where is the other £1,250 going?

Im guessing a Tory donor is providing „security“ and another one is providing „meals“ that will be something like a raw union, pack of uncooked pasta and a tea candle

Im guessing a Tory donor is providing „security“ and another one is providing „meals“ that will be something like a raw union, pack of uncooked pasta and a tea candle

What about the second week?

Am in utter shock and tears here. My friend Gary, 63, died last night from Covid. Hadn't been ill many days and wasn't even in hospital. He had a tropical fish shop that I used for many years but retired a few years ago. Great guy, funny and caring and a good laugh too. RIP Gary. I don't think it really hits you until it's someone you know,

 

Sorry to hear that. Maybe if he went to hospital sooner they may have been able to save him but anyway its a sad thing to hear.

What about the second week?

That is two weeks worth of food isn’t it? It is a large onion they will get

nice to see Hancock's already booked his summer holibobs just hours after being told WE shouldn't <3

I broadly agree with this. I’m expecting to wear masks for a while yet when in crowded places and tbh will probably continue to wear them for a couple of years regardless of if there’s a requirement or not.

 

I think there’s gonna be a while yet before things are back to how they were 12 months ago, but I think a repeat of the kind of restrictions we had this summer is possible. Quarantine/Testing on return from hot spots, social distancing, mask rules but able to go to the shops, cinema, travel, gym etc.

I can't imagine me not wearing a face mask for a while now too

 

even if or when things die down, I think it's just ingrained into to me now to mask up and sanitise before going anyway that it'd then feel weird not to

 

I remember the first few weeks feeling a bit embarrassed wearing a mask when some people weren't. but now it's like ppl who aren't I just get irate about

 

even antibacing my food shopping when I get home.. I don't see me ever not doing that again.

Yeah same. I have a like burning desire to yank it up over peoples noses when they’re covering more of their Chin then their respiratory tract. Like damn I didn’t know your chin could get the corona too. It’s got better since the gov mandated medical or FFP2 masks a couple of weeks ago as most folk now wear FFP2 masks and you can’t not cover your nose with them.

 

 

 

Lockdown here extended until 7th March but hairdressers can open from the 1st of March! Our 7 day rate federally is now under 65. hopefully by the time the heads of states and the federal gov meet again at the start of March we will be below 35 and can start thinking about how to open things. Personally I would rather we get the rates as low as possible again before we do any reopening. But this time we need clear frameworks on what happens when the rates start to rise again. Can’t be in a September/October situation where the rates were rising unchecked and exponentially in Berlin while the city sat and went „oh no. This is bad. Stop having illegal parties. Oh no. Stop buying things between 11pm and 7am that will fix it for sure“

Yeah same. I have a like burning desire to yank it up over peoples noses when they’re covering more of their Chin then their respiratory tract. Like damn I didn’t know your chin could get the corona too. It’s got better since the gov mandated medical or FFP2 masks a couple of weeks ago as most folk now wear FFP2 masks and you can’t not cover your nose with them.

Lockdown here extended until 7th March but hairdressers can open from the 1st of March! Our 7 day rate federally is now under 65. hopefully by the time the heads of states and the federal gov meet again at the start of March we will be below 35 and can start thinking about how to open things. Personally I would rather we get the rates as low as possible again before we do any reopening. But this time we need clear frameworks on what happens when the rates start to rise again. Can’t be in a September/October situation where the rates were rising unchecked and exponentially in Berlin while the city sat and went „oh no. This is bad. Stop having illegal parties. Oh no. Stop buying things between 11pm and 7am that will fix it for sure“

Lots of countries have introduced similar rules (including the UK when restaurants and pubs were last open) but I still haven't seen a convincing argument in favour of it.

Likewise, limiting the time things are open just means they'll be more busy during such time surely? Also when the pubs in London threw everyone out at 10 they all crammed onto buses & the tube.

Likewise, limiting the time things are open just means they'll be more busy during such time surely? Also when the pubs in London threw everyone out at 10 they all crammed onto buses & the tube.

 

Looks like the 10pm rule will be scrapped anyway.

 

I find the curfews a bit draconian, but I suppose it just gives the police greater scope for coming down hard on people if they are out and about. It will be interesting to see what happens later this year when covid comes back with a vengenance.

I think the logic was „well you can’t be parting all night if we shut the Spätis“ (24h corner shops that are littered throughout Berlin that have like 75% of their floor space dedicated to beer) but folk just buy beer before the 11pm curfew. It’s like....duh this isn’t a hard ban to get around.

 

It did absolutely f*** all and case numbers still climbed through the roof to a peak of around 240 a couple of weeks after we went back into lockdown.

 

So I really hope we don’t see That return. I really don’t understand why curfews on opening hours is a better solution than saying mandatory table service with guest only allowed to stand to either enter/exit or go to the loo and combine that with a limit of only X number of guests and tables per 100sqm

No new cases in Iceland yesterday, and only 21 active infections nationwide!

 

People still have to wear masks in public places and border controls will remain VERY tight(which makes sense with how much of the world is currently faring, but local restrictions are very slowly being lifted.

Gyms are allowed to operate but you have to prebook. Bars and pubs are allowed to open again(previously they were forced to shut for 2 months) but they have to close at 10 and it's table service only with a limit on people.

 

Wish they'd get a move on with the vaccine though. The roll out has been sluggish.

I can't imagine me not wearing a face mask for a while now too

 

even if or when things die down, I think it's just ingrained into to me now to mask up and sanitise before going anyway that it'd then feel weird not to

 

I remember the first few weeks feeling a bit embarrassed wearing a mask when some people weren't. but now it's like ppl who aren't I just get irate about

 

even antibacing my food shopping when I get home.. I don't see me ever not doing that again.

 

Yeah with the antibacing food shopping packaging you don't know how many cases are caused by people being very unlucky and picking up eg. a bread loaf that someone with the virus has touched before them. Although I think you should use mild hot soapy water because chemicals from the antibacterial liquid could end up on the food itself, which isn't good for you either.

 

Yes I agree with you with the masks, you don't know if there is some new vaccine resistant varient around, it's unlikely now there is but onto summer and autumn it is more likely.

 

Think about this way too you'll be less likely to get the cold or flu again too. People in the Far East were right all along of course with masks being normal for a long time. We already did a bit of social distancing before the pandemic though if we had a cold we would try and stay away from others.

Yeah with the antibacing food shopping packaging you don't know how many cases are caused by people being very unlucky and picking up eg. a bread loaf that someone with the virus has touched before them. Although I think you should use mild hot soapy water because chemicals from the antibacterial liquid could end up on the food itself, which isn't good for you either.

 

Yes I agree with you with the masks, you don't know if there is some new vaccine resistant varient around, it's unlikely now there is but onto summer and autumn it is more likely.

 

Think about this way too you'll be less likely to get the cold or flu again too. People in the Far East were right all along of course with masks being normal for a long time. We already did a bit of social distancing before the pandemic though if we had a cold we would try and stay away from others.

 

I'm not sure that picking covid off of surfaces is that big of a deal though.. of course it does happen but in the majority it seems to be viral load. It's also why I find China's "it must have come in to Wuhan to the seafood market" excuse pretty lame/ complete bullshit.

 

Flu/cold on the whole is down but that is also because we are speaking to less people. Also I'd hope if anything this increases personal hygiene for loads, e.g. when you go for a piss and don't wash your hands it's absolutely rank, absolute germ spreaders! Masks will be around for at least the whole of 2021 and probably in to 2022.