Covid And The Rest of Us

[Karin1984]

Our R-figure is at 0.89
The infection igures are dropping. Partially due to less people getting tested. We have self tests now, but also people who are vaccinated probably won't get tested anymore or at least not as often. % positive tests is about the same. The hospitalizations and ICUs are really going down quickly now. Because of this we can reschedule regular healthcare procedures again. And deaths are plummeting.

Yesterday the government decided to go ahead with the reopenings tomorrow. Museums/zoos/themeparks can reopen outdoor areas. Outdoor dining can happen between 6:00 - 20:00 (this was 12:00 - 18:00). Gyms can reopen, indoor swimming pools can reopen. All with limitations of course.

Last week versus the week before.
Infections: 35.142 vs. 47.108 = 25% less
Hospitalizations: 1.152 vs. 1.458 = 21% less
ICUs: 239 vs 313 = 24% less
Deaths: 90 vs. 164 = 45,2% less

 

[Weedy]

Orange County Florida (home to Disney World) is doing so much better

 

[Weedy]

The infection rate in all of the US is dropping
Today

 

[fab1976]

Ontario is finally opening booking to 18+ starting tomorrow. I am anxiously waiting for their plans for 12+ as I homeschool and if they only do it through the schools I will be very disappointed. I am glad to see progress though, I know the appointments are in June but even just getting people signed up gives me hope. I do wish the province would give some indication of our reopening plans.

Peel has opened to the 16-18 group! No mention of being done at schools, so I don’t think that will be a factor.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Update from Ireland

The ransomware attack is still ongoing in the Irish Health Service. They are managing but everything is back to paper so you can imagine how things are going.

The vaccination registration website is back online and the next age group, people age 45 to 49 can start registering from tomorrow.

 

[Aladora]

Just announced re: Canada - US border opening:

https://www.cheknews.ca/canada-will...e-u-s-border-reopens-trudeau-suggests-796032/

 

[bcwife76]

Just announced re: Canada - US border opening:

https://www.cheknews.ca/canada-will...e-u-s-border-reopens-trudeau-suggests-796032/

So I'm assuming it's the 75% first dose, 20% second dose that Tam had suggested? This article didn't really delve very deeply into it but I'm assuming that's what they mean. Right now we are just over 46% with a first dose.

 

[mrs. magoo]

Just announced re: Canada - US border opening:

https://www.cheknews.ca/canada-will...e-u-s-border-reopens-trudeau-suggests-796032/

I feel that setting number like that is just setting themselves up to fail. What happens when you get to 69% and stop there then the borders never reopen? I mean we have friends who have cottages in Canada who are now on year 2 of not visiting. Maybe in Canada you will have better luck in vaccinating people but I live in a pretty pro vax area and we are vaccinating kids age 12 and up and are only at 60% with the first shots. I don't think we will ever get to above 75% for whatever reason.

 

[bcwife76]

I feel that setting number like that is just setting themselves up to fail. What happens when you get to 69% and stop there then the borders never reopen? I mean we have friends who have cottages in Canada who are now on year 2 of not visiting. Maybe in Canada you will have better luck in vaccinating people but I live in a pretty pro vax area and we are vaccinating kids age 12 and up and are only at 60% with the first shots. I don't think we will ever get to above 75% for whatever reason.

Where I live (BC) 86% of those 70-79 have already received a first dose, 78% of those 60-69 have received a first dose, 40-49 (my age group) are already at 70% first dose so I actually think 75% is achievable. And we *think* he means 75% of those eligible will have had a first dose and 20% will have had a second dose in order to reopen the border.

 

[lisaviolet]

I feel that setting number like that is just setting themselves up to fail. What happens when you get to 69% and stop there then the borders never reopen? I mean we have friends who have cottages in Canada who are now on year 2 of not visiting. Maybe in Canada you will have better luck in vaccinating people but I live in a pretty pro vax area and we are vaccinating kids age 12 and up and are only at 60% with the first shots. I don't think we will ever get to above 75% for whatever reason.

Don't fret. People want vaccines. The line ups at pop-up clinics have been fantastic, in all kinds of weather. I had a few people around me who said early they were not getting vaccinated, most have changed their minds already.

I am confident, once the supply is there, the numbers will be promising.

-------------

Not to mention *going down south* *going to the States* is part of the lingo here. If vaccines mean vacations, there will be vaccines in arms.

 

[Karin1984]

I feel that setting number like that is just setting themselves up to fail. What happens when you get to 69% and stop there then the borders never reopen? I mean we have friends who have cottages in Canada who are now on year 2 of not visiting. Maybe in Canada you will have better luck in vaccinating people but I live in a pretty pro vax area and we are vaccinating kids age 12 and up and are only at 60% with the first shots. I don't think we will ever get to above 75% for whatever reason.

I think in most countries the thresholds are guidelines. Every government has got a new meaning of the words strict and flexible.

In NL we had a threshold that ICU had to decrease with 20% before reopening. We were at 18% when possible reopenings were announced two weeks in advance. The government said they would evaluate again two days before the reopening date, to step on the brakes if needed. At that press conference they already said the percentage was not set in stone. It was about the trend of ICU going down.

I think our expectation is to get 85% vaccinated. Every country is different in what it can reach.

 

[mommasita]

Quebec has just been given our re-opening plan :

By June 15, Quebec expects 75 per cent of adults in the province to have received their first vaccine dose, Premier François Legault told a press conference this afternoon. That’s almost two weeks earlier than originally expected.

By Monday, May 24, all schools in the province will be open, including those in regions under the most severe restrictions.

By May 31, most regions will move to the orange alert level, meaning restaurants can reopen and other restrictions can be lifted.

By June 14, most regions will move to yellow alert level, meaning people from two households can gather in homes.

By June 28, most regions will move to green alert level, meaning 10 people from three households can meet in homes.

Also
On May 28, the curfew will be lifted across Quebec and restaurant terrasses can reopen. Up to eight people from different households can gather in backyards. Travel between regions will be permitted.

On June 11, bar terrasses can reopen across Quebec.

As of June 25, across Quebec, people who are fully vaccinated can gather indoors without masks or social distancing.

On June 25, summer camps can open.

Summer festivals will be allowed to take place.

By the end of August, Quebec hopes 75 per cent of people 12 and older will be fully vaccinated. At that point, masks will not be required in most situations, Legault said.

A long plan, and that dreaded curfew we have had since January will finally be gone.

 

[ronandannette]

Don't fret. People want vaccines. The line ups at pop-up clinics have been fantastic, in all kinds of weather. I had a few people around me who said early they were not getting vaccinated, most have changed their minds already.

I am confident, once the supply is there, the numbers will be promising.

Not to mention *going down south* *going to the States* is part of the lingo here. If vaccines mean vacations, there will be vaccines in arms.

Yeah Baby - point that needle at me and let me outta here!! Rhetorically speaking of course; our household is first-dosed already. But the bolded will get everybody going like nothing else. I don't know many people who are actually vaccine-reluctant but the few I have asked are all resigned to doing it because they want the borders reopened and the freedom to travel regained.

 

[ronandannette]

Where I live (BC) 86% of those 70-79 have already received a first dose, 78% of those 60-69 have received a first dose, 40-49 (my age group) are already at 70% first dose so I actually think 75% is achievable. And we *think* he means 75% of those eligible will have had a first dose and 20% will have had a second dose in order to reopen the border.

Out of the blue on Monday the Province held a press conference announcing that vaccination rates are now being factored in as a benchmark for reopening. The more I think about it the less I like it.

Our goals have always been based on hospitalizations and ICU occupancy and I think they should stay that way. I think the same thing about the border closures. As a PP upthread mentioned, Canada can’t just stay closed forever if for some reason vaccination rates stall.

 

[bcwife76]

Out of the blue on Monday the Province held a press conference announcing that vaccination rates are now being factored in as a benchmark for reopening. The more I think about it the less I like it.

Our goals have always been based on hospitalizations and ICU occupancy and I think they should stay that way. I think the same thing about the border closures. As a PP upthread mentioned, Canada can’t just stay closed forever if for some reason vaccination rates stall.

I completely agree. I just posted those above figures to show that vaccine hesitancy is low here in BC. But I don't think that BC is using the vaccine rates as a way to reopen the economy (not that they have ever mentioned anyway).

 

[prairie_girl]

Hello from the hotspot in all of North America

Good news is I’m 30 hours away from my first done of Pfizer.

 

[lisaviolet]

Summer festivals will be allowed to take place.

So jealous.

They have cancelled everything under the sun here. And I don't get it, as the science has been clear - as of this point without new variants - about the lack of outside transmission.

 

[ronandannette]

So jealous.

They have cancelled everything under the sun here. And I don't get it, as the science has been clear - as of this point without new variants - about the lack of outside transmission.

Yes, just so. A week before the massive spike in our cases and the implementation of even harsher restrictions, it was announced that planning was underway to stage the Calgary Stampede in July after the unthinkable cancellation last year. People were jubilant -briefly. As nice as it was to dream of - it's not gonna happen.

 

[Karin1984]

Today our hospitalizations really plummeted yesterday we were at 2.003 and today at 1.899 This is a decrease of 15% in comparison to last week and almost 30% in comparison to end of April.
This includes ICU, also slowly decreasing to 621.

Got tested again this morning, after my trip to Belgium. And best tester yet, it's still uncomfortable, but he was definitely gentler than the others.

What else...
- Libraries reopened today
- There is a plan for people who are not vaccinated yet to give them free PCR tests if they want to travel this summer. To prevent young people / young families get penalized for being at the bottom of the vaccination list. A test is about 100 euro, if you have a family of 5 people and you need to get tested going out, and getting in, this adds 1000 euro. Most people in the government are in favour but it's not a done deal yet.
- People born in 1966 can make their appointments. We are almost at 1 million shots a week. The army is now also trained to help.
- Eurovision is in the Netherlands this year, the winner of 2019 Duncan Laurence got tested positive and therefore cannot perform live at the finale
- In Belgium an ultra right military man who threatened the Belgian Dr. Fauci, weapons were found at his place and he's now on the run near the Dutch border. They call him the Belgian Rambo.
- Because of this, we also got some articles about ultra right people threatening our CDC/Dr. Fauci. Also about the group being organized to post fake news on social media to get their point across that covid is a hoax...
- We get a campaign from our government to promote healthier lifestyles.

And Prince William has been using Covid downtime to work on his biceps.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1395273170144448512

 

[moorhunhe]

- In Belgium an ultra right military man who threatened the Belgian Dr. Fauci, weapons were found at his place and he's now on the run near the Dutch border. They call him the Belgian Rambo.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1395273170144448512

Yep, my parents were right in the middle of it all today.
As they live in the parks area. Our house is surrounded by forests/parks which are part of it. They couldn't leave the house by car today as major traffic jam on our street due to the highway being closed.
My brother saw the German military go towards the military airport in my town this morning, and later today when he went home, he had to stop for the GH Luxemburg military who was coming out of the woods next to the FN. Surely they must have thought he could have been there.

I've gotten my text to get the first dose, but my boyfriend who has asthma, sleep apnea & is diabetic hasn't gotten anything yet.