cruisr Posted February 13, 2021 #926 Share Posted February 13, 2021 On 2/12/2021 at 2:10 AM, djh1959 said: Here in Melbourne, Australia, we have gone back into a Stage 4 lockdown. At this stage it is only for five days, but last time it was for six weeks and went for 115 days, so I am not feeling confident. To me it is somewhat of an overreaction as we only have a total of 19 cases, but the state government has gone into a panic as apparently it is the "dreaded UK" version. For the next five days, only essential shops can be open. We can't travel more than 5km from home, no visitors whatsoever, we can only leave the house for food, exercise for a maximum of 2 hours or medical care. It is a bitter blow to our businesses that were just starting to get back on track. Of course this is Valentine's Day weekend and restaurants were booked out and had no doubt ordered truckloads of fresh food. They are now not allowed to open. We have the Australia Open going on currently. The lockdown starts at midnight tonight, so massive crowds are watching the tennis this evening, but no crowds tomorrow. The tennis will continue as apparently tennis players are "essential". I can't work out why this so terrifying UK strain apparently will not affect the 30,000 at the tennis tonight, but will tomorrow. At least it isn't freezing cold, that is about the only good thing here right now. Wow. Complete hypocrisy. I guess the people who decided this also looked at the $ that they gain from those 30k. Tennis is NOT essential. What happens if there are a few asymptotic people in those 30k? I guess the term super spreader event means something different in OZ. If I lived there I would be quite miffed, to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruisr Posted February 13, 2021 #927 Share Posted February 13, 2021 21 hours ago, notamermaid said: Bad news coming from Austria, there is an outbreak of the South Africa variant: https://www.dw.com/en/can-austria-contain-virus-variant-from-south-africa/av-56545431 Germany by the way has put the Czech Republic and Austria on the list of virus variant areas, reintroducing border checks and restrictions on travel: https://www.dw.com/en/germany-to-reinstate-border-controls-with-czech-republic-and-austria/a-56548704 Variants are of major concern and when you are put on the list you are banned from entering Germany. You are not even allowed in for funerals. Try and keep that variant out of your country at all costs, people, or it could potentially keep you from entering your river cruise country for even longer... notamermaid What about all the Czechs who cross the border daily for their work? Are they to be banned from their jobs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare notamermaid Posted February 13, 2021 #928 Share Posted February 13, 2021 3 minutes ago, cruisr said: What about all the Czechs who cross the border daily for their work? Are they to be banned from their jobs? Highly tricky that one. Last thing I heard they had to have a negative test before going to work - regularly. The new rule now was a request from German states to the Federal government so that border crossings could be more monitored legally and reduced to a minimum. I will try and find out what the situation at the border is like, as reported by German media. notamermaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capriccio Posted February 13, 2021 #929 Share Posted February 13, 2021 3 hours ago, Coral said: I seem to be in a negative mood - COVID sucks, winter sucks, etc.... I think I am just sick of not going anywhere, doing anything, seeing friends, etc.... Hang in there Coral! Spring will be here eventually. Sooner rather than later would be nice. Our local Shenandoah Valley (Virginia) newspaper had a picture of yellow crocuses peaking out of icy ground yesterday (but it is snowing again there this afternoon). 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted February 13, 2021 #930 Share Posted February 13, 2021 40 minutes ago, capriccio said: Hang in there Coral! Spring will be here eventually. Sooner rather than later would be nice. Our local Shenandoah Valley (Virginia) newspaper had a picture of yellow crocuses peaking out of icy ground yesterday (but it is snowing again there this afternoon). That is a beautiful picture! Thank you 🙂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare notamermaid Posted February 13, 2021 #931 Share Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) @cruisr About the Czech Republic. News say that strict border control comes into effect from midnight. Police prepared. Complete ban on entry by public transport. Cars checked, few commuters allowed, that means many banned, almost only medical personnel allowed, i.e. essential workers. Trucks only allowed in with a negative test. Daily test for allowed commuters. Edit: German article says 30,000 to 50,000 commuters from Czech Republic to Germany, in current situation down to around 20,000 as hospitality trade is virtually non-existent. 50 Percent of positives in the Czech Republic now the Kent variant. Parliament has not extended state of emergency. Compliance reduced by the general public, one survey shows down to a third. German district Tirschenreuth has the highest incidence rate in all of Germany today. It borders on a Czech region with an astronomically high incidence rate. Explains the border checks and bans... EU telling Germany off for the border restrictions, Germany telling EU to shut up and help instead. notamermaid Edited February 13, 2021 by notamermaid added info 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sharkster77 Posted February 13, 2021 #932 Share Posted February 13, 2021 7 hours ago, Coral said: We are doing mass vaccination sites also. The one at my county is an arena where basketball games are played and where concerts such as Elton John has performed... It is really cold, we have probably 4' of snow on the ground which when scooped is in 7' piles everywhere and they are picking a location that seniors are not familiar with to get their vaccines. Going to your doctor makes perfect sense to me. They know their patients ages, their high risks, etc... Fortunately my 90 yr old mother was able to receive her first dose at the municipal senior housing complex where she lives. If she was told to go to a football stadium or convention center, myself or one my siblings would have to take her there---she drives to church and the supermarket, that's about it! In her state, parking at the convention center for a vaccine would also incur a $15 parking fee---ridiculous. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted February 13, 2021 #933 Share Posted February 13, 2021 (edited) 5 minutes ago, sharkster77 said: Fortunately my 90 yr old mother was able to receive her first dose at the municipal senior housing complex where she lives. If she was told to go to a football stadium or convention center, myself or one my siblings would have to take her there---she drives to church and the supermarket, that's about it! In her state, parking at the convention center for a vaccine would also incur a $15 parking fee---ridiculous. Glad she was able to get her vaccination. Here they are going to assisted living facilities starting this week. Kudos to your Mom for still being able to drive. That is impressive. Edited February 13, 2021 by Coral Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canal archive Posted February 13, 2021 #934 Share Posted February 13, 2021 So pleased your mum got her first jab and congrats on still driving. Weve inoculated nearly all over 70s all except those who have refused to join in. We’re now on to the 60s and the top four priority groups. The boffins are close to producing a vaccine for those with compromised immune systems. CA 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyK13 Posted February 13, 2021 #935 Share Posted February 13, 2021 On 2/12/2021 at 11:05 AM, acwmom said: We were afraid ours might be canceled due to the snow we have gotten this week, but roads were clear by yesterday morning. A little achy and foggy this morning, but none of the side effects that some have reported after the 2nd dose, thankfully. Good luck with yours! Robin We are supposed to get 6-10 inches of snow Monday through Tuesday morning. I'm not worried about getting to the appointment; here in western NY we are used to driving in snow! I'm more concerned about the supply chain being disrupted given the huge storm crossing the country. Oh well, if it's disrupted I'm sure they will reschedule. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyK13 Posted February 13, 2021 #936 Share Posted February 13, 2021 On 2/11/2021 at 8:45 AM, notamermaid said: A few notes on yesterday's debate. The lock down has been extended till 7 March, not 14 March as was the idea. Kindergartens and primary schools can open earlier if the individual states which to do so. Hairdressers can open again on 1 March, but must limit the number of customers by having only appointments. The 50 incidence rule for further opening has gone, now it is 35. This may be difficult to achieve soon. Today my state Rhineland-Palatinate is at 55, the lowest of all the states. Thuringia on the other hand stands at 106, that is the highest. All rules as regards mask wearing and social distancing remain the same. Night before last was the coldest we have had this winter so far. It was down to minus 26.7 Celsius somewhere in Thuringia. Bright and sunny in the Rhine valley today. notamermaid Read some good news for the EU today; Pfizer is beginning vaccine production in Marburg, Germany. It's being produced at an old Novartis facility they have retooled to make the vaccine. Goal is to send out 250 million vaccines from this facility by the end of June, starting beginning of April. Hope this comes true! https://www.dw.com/en/biontech-starts-vaccine-production-at-new-site-in-germany/a-56524305 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare notamermaid Posted February 14, 2021 #937 Share Posted February 14, 2021 Oh, yes, forgot to post that, thanks. Saw it yesterday. Will be great, even better if they can tweak the vaccine so that it can be stored at more favourable temperatures. Hope that comes about, we have too few vaccination sites right now. But roll-out is already better than last week and will get even better. notamermaid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Host Jazzbeau Posted February 14, 2021 Author #938 Share Posted February 14, 2021 1 hour ago, notamermaid said: Oh, yes, forgot to post that, thanks. Saw it yesterday. Will be great, even better if they can tweak the vaccine so that it can be stored at more favourable temperatures. Hope that comes about, we have too few vaccination sites right now. But roll-out is already better than last week and will get even better. notamermaid I'm sure Pfizer would like nothing better but there must be a reason that their vaccine, alone, requires this. If they can't fix the storage issue, this will be a one-year product for them. After J&J and other one-shot easy-to-store vaccines become available, nobody will want the hassle of this finicky [although very effective] version. But since it is the most effective, I'm hoping that's the one I'm signed up for... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare texasstar Posted February 14, 2021 #939 Share Posted February 14, 2021 9 inches of snow on the ground and it is still snowing in SW WA. We were scheduled to get our second shot today, but our local hospital was proactive and rescheduled to next week. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare gnome12 Posted February 14, 2021 #940 Share Posted February 14, 2021 3 hours ago, Host Jazzbeau said: I'm sure Pfizer would like nothing better but there must be a reason that their vaccine, alone, requires this. If they can't fix the storage issue, this will be a one-year product for them. After J&J and other one-shot easy-to-store vaccines become available, nobody will want the hassle of this finicky [although very effective] version. But since it is the most effective, I'm hoping that's the one I'm signed up for... I believe the the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are easier to tweak to deal with variants in the future, so I don't think this will be a one year product for Pfizer, even with the storage issues. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canal archive Posted February 14, 2021 #941 Share Posted February 14, 2021 Thought you’d like this, the NHS vaccination bus in London. CA The NHS vaccination bus providing easier access to Covid jabs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56056556 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted February 14, 2021 #942 Share Posted February 14, 2021 8 hours ago, gnome12 said: I believe the the mRNA vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) are easier to tweak to deal with variants in the future, so I don't think this will be a one year product for Pfizer, even with the storage issues. I think more places can store the Pfizer vaccine than we think. I have heard our small University has the freezers that will store them. Regular doctors offices won't be able to but I don't think storage is an issue right now, I think lack of vaccines is a bigger deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canal archive Posted February 14, 2021 #943 Share Posted February 14, 2021 Our small local doctors surgery had no problem copping with Pfizer vaccine they definitely took it all in their stride. Maybe it’s because they are professionals in what they do unlike some of the individuals reporting about it. I think wherever we are in the world we’ve all been the victims of scaremongering to certain extent, it’s sometimes difficult to sort the truth from the lies or suppositions. So keep your brains in gear and hope against hope our various leaders do what is best for our little corner of this universe. CA 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djh1959 Posted February 15, 2021 #944 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Australia has just received its first shipment of the Pfizer vaccine and vaccinations will apparently start next week. At first will only be front line workers and quarantine staff, as well as aged and nursing home residents, as it should be. At least we are starting now. We are still in lockdown in Melbourne, with lots of rumours that it will not end on Thursday, but will continue for another three weeks. Let's hope that those rumours are wrong. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daisi Posted February 15, 2021 #945 Share Posted February 15, 2021 @djh1959, I really hope your lockdown is over soon. Our area is coming "out" tomorrow. Basically all we have had is a "stay at home" request, and non-essential businesses closed, however we have had the schools open for a couple of weeks with numbers decreasing so hopefully we can handle this. They are saying it's a mistake as the new variants (some media call them by UK, Brazil or S.A.,, but most I see are just providing a number) are in the province and they are expecting a large outbreak in March / April. Hopefully the important people (seniors in homes, health care workers, indigenous in remote areas) are all vaccinated by then and won't be putting an extra stress on the hospitals. Next step after that is seniors in their own homes, so if we don't miss out on any more deliveries, my 2 sets of parents should be getting vaccinated by April. Still talking Aug/Sept for me, but that's ok, as I've gone a year without contacting it, and I don't see any changes in how we are living our lives to come for a while, so I should be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canal archive Posted February 15, 2021 #946 Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) Daisi & djh1959 I just listened to a mathematician (there all getting in on the act) on the radio and he maintains that as we have now vaccinated 15 million we should do another 15 million by the end of April. Boris (PM) wants to around about April finish with lock down once and for all. Hopefully we will be able to cope by then we need to get back to some semblance of normality for our national mental health sakes if nothing else. CA P.S. Watch out for a video which looks professional about anti vaccination, no COVID pandemic etc., evidently it’s nasty gets into your head! Edited February 15, 2021 by Canal archive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acwmom Posted February 15, 2021 #947 Share Posted February 15, 2021 On 2/13/2021 at 8:22 PM, Host Jazzbeau said: I'm sure Pfizer would like nothing better but there must be a reason that their vaccine, alone, requires this. If they can't fix the storage issue, this will be a one-year product for them. After J&J and other one-shot easy-to-store vaccines become available, nobody will want the hassle of this finicky [although very effective] version. But since it is the most effective, I'm hoping that's the one I'm signed up for... Vaccines are often studied in the lab at crazy conditions, and over a more "normal" investigative period, do additional trials under more standard storage conditions. There simply hasn't been time to do this. But, I agree about the hassle. When I completed my application to be a vaccinating site, I told them I didn't have the capacity (nor did I plan to purchase an ultra cold unit) for the Pfizer product. Robin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AF-1 Posted February 15, 2021 #948 Share Posted February 15, 2021 (edited) seems like Pfizer will go back to the drawing board after things settle down. Most likely they will revamp how to produce and store their product. Edited February 15, 2021 by AF-1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted February 15, 2021 #949 Share Posted February 15, 2021 It is super cold here. It is currently -14 F and feels like -27. Tonight it will be -25 F. I honestly don't remember a colder week than we are currently having EVER. I remember about 3 years ago we were in the negatives all week but it didn't get this cold. If only I could escape. I am trying to update some legal documents and my attorney is in Jamaica. I think he is a very wise man at the moment. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rare Coral Posted February 15, 2021 #950 Share Posted February 15, 2021 1 hour ago, acwmom said: Vaccines are often studied in the lab at crazy conditions, and over a more "normal" investigative period, do additional trials under more standard storage conditions. There simply hasn't been time to do this. But, I agree about the hassle. When I completed my application to be a vaccinating site, I told them I didn't have the capacity (nor did I plan to purchase an ultra cold unit) for the Pfizer product. Robin I think I read somewhere that some states have deemed universities vaccine sites so they have bought the ultra-cold freezers for them. University of North Carolina was one of them - they have several sites in minority-serving areas and sees this as a distribution solution. This makes sense to do it this way and use universities as a hub as opposed to every doctor's office having to do so. That is until other solutions are possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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