Covid restrictions - are you adhering or not?

[Horse]

an awful 'bus stop' style smoking shelter just far enough away from the front doors to be annoying to get to if it was raining.

Probably would be equally annoying for non-smokers if they had to pass through the acrid fog of smoke if the smokers were huddled around the doorway.

[DefTrap]

Probably would be equally annoying for non-smokers if they had to pass through the acrid fog of smoke if the smokers were huddled around the doorway.

I don't think it would be that difficult to site it so that they didn't get wet on the way or if it was decorated so they could imagine they were smoking in a sexy cocktail bar like the old days.

[irie]

A portent of what is to come (Ripped off from the Telegraph).

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Dunkirk Covid-19 outbreak offers bleak window into future as France vaccine programme lags

Dunkirk's proximity to Britain, where a more contagious variant of Covid-19 has spread like wildfire, has quickly triggered a health crisis

By Anna Pujol-Mazzini
27 February 2021 • 12:43pm

The French city of Dunkirk had long prided itself on being the main port of entry for Britons into Europe, and welcoming scores of British tourists to its beaches and wine shops.

But in February, its proximity to Britain, where a more contagious variant of Covid-19 has spread like wildfire, quickly triggered a health crisis.

"We're an important point of entry into Europe for Britain. This time it did not work out well for us," Thomas Roussez, from the city hall, told the Telegraph.

"We did not manage to detect [the variant] early enough. When we realised it we were already on very high rates," he added.

All eyes in France are now fixed on Dunkirk and other similar hotspots like Nice. Panicked health officials are warning that the overwhelmed hospitals and rising epidemic is a window into what is to come for the rest of the country as the vaccination programme is in disarray.

The jarring glimpse is a stark warning for Emmanuel Macron, the French president, who has faced increasing pressure to bring in new restrictions just as the UK is planning for its grand reopening.

It is a conundrum present across much of the continent, acutely felt in Central Europe where case rises are on the march once again.

Dinkirk's first cases of the so-called Kent variant are believed to have reached the city through truck drivers coming from Britain. Quickly, the city of 90,000 had the highest incidence rate of Covid-19 in the country.

Dunkirk's Covid-19 rate has risen from 658 to 901 cases per 100,000 of the population in a week, more than four times the national average.

These days, one person dies every day of the virus. Funeral homes take twice as long to ready bodies for burial because of the unprecedented numbers. The city's main hospital reached its maximum capacity weeks ago, and doctors dread having to cancel surgeries as case numbers keep rising.

"We still have not at all reached the peak. We estimate that will be in two weeks," said Dr Paupard, who heads the doctors' commission at Dunkirk's hospital.

The southern city of Nice joined Dunkirk in being put under a strict weekend lockdown, the first time such a measure is applied locally in France.

In a Thursday address, prime minister Jean Castex asked local officials in ten other areas where cases are rising to propose plans for tighter restrictions, in a desperate bid to avoid a third national lockdown.

These included Meurthe-et-Moselle, in northeast France, where up to 25 per cent of new cases are estimated to be from the South African or Brazilian variant. One in 20 new Covid-19 cases in France are estimated to be of these variants.

Both Dunkirk and Nice were caught off guard by the speed of the spread of the more contagious British variant, and experts say they offer a glimpse into the catastrophic scenario France could find itself in by springtime, raising questions over president Macron's decision to avoid a lockdown last month.

Initially, it seemed as though Mr Macron's Covid-19 gamble had paid off. Daily infections were falling and the president was enjoying approval ratings significantly higher than those of his predecessors at similar stages in their presidency.

But modelling by France's research body Institut Pasteur published on Wednesday showed that without new restrictions, hospital admissions would skyrocket from 1,300 to 10,000 per day by May.

In January, 52 per cent of French people thought the government's decision to avoid a lockdown was a mistake, according to a Harris Interactive poll.

The scientific council advising the French government on public health strategy during the epidemic had recommended a strict lockdown in late January, but its report was not made public until last week.

Dinkirk's first cases of the so-called Kent variant are believed to have reached the city through truck drivers coming from Britain 

While Britain has provided a roadmap for the lifting of restrictions and a return to normality by the summer, France is likely to face a rise in Covid-19 infections and a lockdown, which has been demanded by several politicians and scientific experts.

Several mayors, including in the northern cities of Lille and Calais, have come out in favour of at least localised lockdowns to prevent already overwhelmed hospitals from reaching a breaking point.

On Friday, the deputy mayor of Paris lashed out at "half-measures" such as the weekend lockdowns which were "highly restrictive" but would have "little impact on the health situation." But Paris will aim to avoid a strict lockdown at all costs, Emmanuel Gregoire said.

At its current speed, one of the slowest in Europe, France's vaccination campaign will not provide much-needed respite quickly enough. Only 4 per cent of French people have received a first dose of the vaccine so far, and 2 per cent a second.

Opinion polls show about 58 percent of French citizens say they won't take the jab, making it the most vaccine-averse country in the world.

In the meantime, doctors in Dunkirk are trying to contain the epidemic in their city, which they have likened to "a tidal current" rather than a wave.

"We are clearly no longer on a wave, we are on what we can call a tidal current," said Dr Christophe Couturier, the emergency director at the hospital.

Despite frontline health workers working overtime, if cases keep rising, he is concerned "the dam will break."
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[OBO]

This has been a long arse winter of lockdown, people have been locked up for a large chunk of a year. With the figures as they are, vaccinations as they are and a lovely sunny day, you'd be crazy to expect anything else.

Then they had better get used to more lockdowns...the stupid selfish bastids.

[weeksy]

This has been a long arse winter of lockdown, people have been locked up for a large chunk of a year. With the figures as they are, vaccinations as they are and a lovely sunny day, you'd be crazy to expect anything else.

Then they had better get used to more lockdowns...the stupid selfish bastids.

one mans selfish is another mans essential.

I'm still of the opinion being outside and sensible holds very little in the way of risk

[Supermofo]

This has been a long arse winter of lockdown, people have been locked up for a large chunk of a year. With the figures as they are, vaccinations as they are and a lovely sunny day, you'd be crazy to expect anything else.

Then they had better get used to more lockdowns...the stupid selfish bastids.

one mans selfish is another mans essential.

I'm still of the opinion being outside and sensible holds very little in the way of risk

I agree. I went to Audley End yesterday, not busy but fair few people about. But everyone was staying in their own family groups with no mixing and all socially distanced. We sat at a bench and had a sandwich and a coffee for about 5 mins, I'm sure some people would call it a picnic but it was far from that. We stopped ate and continued walking. From the scientific evidence outdoor transmission sounds pretty low risk indeed.

I'd get it if there was 30 of us all sat down with chairs and playing footie and rounders but I've seen none of that. Although again the evidence suggests even that probably isn't the evil most of us think it is.

On a psychological front I'm really feeling lockdown. Audley was the first time I've driven in the car with the family more than 2 miles since Oct and the first family walk not within 2 miles of my house. I've seen hardly anyone bar neighbours for a quick chat. I had a really nice day yesterday, but by the evening my mood really darkened with the thought of more groundhog day for months. I don't feel like I've been free to do what I wanted since Feb last year and it isn't good for the mind at all.

[OBO]

This has been a long arse winter of lockdown, people have been locked up for a large chunk of a year. With the figures as they are, vaccinations as they are and a lovely sunny day, you'd be crazy to expect anything else.

Then they had better get used to more lockdowns...the stupid selfish bastids.

I'm still of the opinion being outside and sensible holds very little in the way of risk

I fully agree with you bud...I'm just seeing quite alot of "nonsensible" going on down here. ☺

[weeksy]

Then they had better get used to more lockdowns...the stupid selfish bastids.

I'm still of the opinion being outside and sensible holds very little in the way of risk

I fully agree with you bud...I'm just seeing quite alot of "nonsensible" going on down here. ☺

Luckily for me, i don't often go 'anywhere' in honesty. Apart from MTBing and some hospital visits which require CV19 testing in advance, i barely leave the house. Living in a village it's easy not to see the bigger picture.

[Dodgy69]

I'm being good and staying local, essential journeys only, not using motorbike for jollies and keeping to the 2 m rule. Neighbourhood watching. However, its all bollox.

Everybodys going to work, 2 m in the workplace not being adhered to. I read, 50% of London hospital staff aren't having the vaccine. Someone travelling back from Brazil might be spreading it all over the place, Airport quarantine non existence. and I still can't have a little jolly on my own.

[Yorick]

We can go out at night again.

Following the extra Governing Council meeting this afternoon with the Ministry of Health, the president of the Canary Islands government, Ángel Víctor Torres, has announced changes in levels for the islands, and alterations to several regulations within those levels.

The only change of level is for Lanzarote, who after several weeks of tough restrictions in Level 4, have been reduced to Level 3 due to the good evolution of their data, meaning that commercial businesses and bars and restaurants will be able to have terraces open til 10pm not 6pn, and groups of 4 will be allowed to meet, while the rest of the islands remain in the same levels as before

[weeksy]

Congraulations. I'm very much looking forward to a bit of that. Even just outside at the local brewery for a pint and a pizza, that'd just be fabulous at the moment.

[Yorick]

Congraulations. I'm very much looking forward to a bit of that. Even just outside at the local brewery for a pint and a pizza, that'd just be fabulous at the moment.

The climate helps a lot. Sitting inside bars and restaurants is unhealthy and the virus spreads quickly.
Thankfully sitting outside all year round is normal here.

[Yambo]

A slight relaxation of the restrictions for us old giffers from today.

Now allowed out 4 hours a day, 10 am until 2 pm and also same hours on Saturdays. Sundays are still a full lockdown.

I won't be breaking the law quite as much now.

[Asian Boss]

He's innocently duplicitous?? Maybe he is. I suspect you're more generous that I am.

Changing his mind a lot makes him look duplicitous.
E.g. I think he honestly believed that he didn't want to be a politician (when he explicitly said he never would), then he found the door open and stuck his head in.

He's definitely not clever enough to be playing a game as part of a grand Machiavellian scheme.

And if you can be arsed to respond then I don't see how he can be "playing the game extremely well" if everyone hates him and the end result is that no one will vote Tory ever again? He could have stayed away from politics and made lots of money somewhere else, but he chose politics (after saying he wouldn't), so I propose that he'd be gutted if he exited like Brown (i.e. hated).

Your contradiction wipes your own theory out that he's a genius that's been playing the game for years and he's set to exit as a legend in the slight of hand fraternity.

I suspect he's been (and will be) able to access more sex / money / power as a result of being a politician than he would have in his previous career as a journalist.

It's possible I've grossly misread the situation and he just prefers that line of work or perhaps wanted to try and do the best he could by the British people. Maybe he'll do something positive for the northern poor who voted him in shortly. That said, tens of billions have already been siphoned off for cronies and I suspect a lot more will go that way once he really lets the US plunder the NHS supply chain etc etc.

[Asian Boss]

A slight relaxation of the restrictions for us old giffers from today.

Now allowed out 4 hours a day, 10 am until 2 pm and also same hours on Saturdays. Sundays are still a full lockdown.

I won't be breaking the law quite as much now.

Those laws are in place to protect the old giffers. Because, broadly speaking, it's them who the virus takes. The old and the weak, that's nature's way.

[Yambo]

A slight relaxation of the restrictions for us old giffers from today.

Now allowed out 4 hours a day, 10 am until 2 pm and also same hours on Saturdays. Sundays are still a full lockdown.

I won't be breaking the law quite as much now.

Those laws are in place to protect the old giffers. Because, broadly speaking, it's them who the virus takes. The old and the weak, that's nature's way.

Laws that only allow old giffers to go out for (the same) 3 hours a day don't really protect anyone if the general, younger population are allowed out all day. I'd say there's the same chance of the old giffers copping covid when they're all out doing their shopping during the same 3 hour period than if they were not restricted at all.

Personally, I spend a fair bit of time up at my boat, usually going there during the legal allowed out period but returning home around 5 or 6 pm. I have more contact with people if I stay at home. I've been known to visit a friend in the evenings as our mental health is just as important as our physical well being, something the law makers seem to ignore. However, the village is clear of covid apparently and has been for weeks. I've had my first jab like most of the old giffers and will get the second in about 3 weeks time - I'll get a text message telling me where and when. The simple fact is that Covid is here and will pretty much stay here just like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, influenza and hepatitis. We are going to have to learn to live with it and lockdowns may well cause more long term harm than good.

I don't want to get covid or any other life threatening illness (I've already suffered from coronary artery disease) but I'm not going to live my life in fear.

[Asian Boss]

I suspect he's been (and will be) able to access more sex / money / power as a result of being a politician than he would have in his previous career as a journalist.

It's possible I've grossly misread the situation and he just prefers that line of work or perhaps wanted to try and do the best he could by the British people. Maybe he'll do something positive for the northern poor who voted him in shortly. That said, tens of billions have already been siphoned off for cronies and I suspect a lot more will go that way once he really lets the US plunder the NHS supply chain etc etc.

Sex, Money, Power, Cronies skimming money, tens of billions, rock and roll, etc - That's a colourful picture you're painting and it's all as real as you want to make it, if you believe he's a Machiavellian genius that has run away with the country by slight of hand then that's your reality.

While you were sleeping Boris and the statue defenders stole your future.

Or an unreal as some people would prefer to believe. I'm fine and I suspect I always will be. The statue defenders, perhaps less so. They're in so deep they've no option but to keep doubling down now.

I don't think he's bothering with sleight of hand (assuming that's what you meant); he's realised he doesn't need to.

[DefTrap]

The vaccinations had better work - as soon as I've had mine I'm going straight back into face-licking and I'm certainly never washing my hands ever again. Even after a big poo.

[Supermofo]

The vaccinations had better work - as soon as I've had mine I'm going straight back into face-licking and I'm certainly never washing my hands ever again. Even after a big poo.

Yup licked 3 bicycle saddles on the way home and an unsuspecting granny, she's probably vaccinated so even safer

[irie]

The vaccinations had better work - as soon as I've had mine I'm going straight back into face-licking and I'm certainly never washing my hands ever again. Even after a big poo.

Yup licked 3 bicycle saddles on the way home and an unsuspecting granny, she's probably vaccinated so even safer

I didn't know that you and Mrs Supermofo are grandparents.