[kanga]

4 May BBC Europe summary: mostly easings of lockdowns

"Danish MPs have backed the next step in reopening society, as a result of low infection rates and hospital admissions. From Thursday all primary school students will return to school and concerts, cinemas and theatres will be able to readmit up to 2,000 people in seated sections of 500. But that means big summer outdoor events such as the Roskilde festival will not be able to go ahead as normal. Gyms and sport facilities will open up to over-18s who show a corona passport, which shows if you’ve been vaccinated, tested or have had Covid recently.

Poland is reopening shopping centres, museums and DIY shops and allowing the youngest children back to school. Another 2,525 infections were reported yesterday, well down on the peak at the start of April. The government in Warsaw hopes all children can go back to school by the end of May.

Six men from Spain have been arrested at Schiphol airport near Amsterdam after allegations of rowdy behaviour on a flight, according to Dutch reports. They’re said to have refused several requests to wear a mask.

Germany’s RKI public health institute has reported a sharp fall in infections to 7,534 and seven-day incidence is down to 141.4 per 100,000 people.

Football’s European governing body Uefa says 9,500 spectators will be allowed in to watch the Europa League final on 26 May in the Polish city of Gdansk. That’s 25% capacity. Meanwhile, Italy’s national football team is being vaccinated ahead of the Uefa European Championships which start next month. The Italian football federation said doses were being given in hospitals in Milan and Rome."

[kanga]

5 May BBC Europe summary; mixed picture:

"Italy is making a big push to attract tourists, dropping its quarantine requirement for visitors from 15 May. PM Mario Draghi has delivered a message to G20 tourism ministers that the time has come to book your holidays. The EU wants its green digital certificate to operate from June, but Mr Draghi wants the Italian pass ready from mid-May, and for foreign visitors too. Italy is opening gradually, and eating inside restaurants will be allowed from 1 June.

It’s liberation day in the Netherlands but most festivities have either been cancelled or are being held online. The national remembrance ceremony last night in Amsterdam was watched by 5.5 million people and today German Chancellor Angela Merkel will talk to Dutch students about freedom with Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

French authorities in the south coast region of Alpes-Maritimes have scrapped a rule requiring people to wear a mask in parks and around beaches and lakes. Wearing a mask is still required on the streets and nationally it’s compulsory outdoors.

Health workers in Kosovo will start having the Pfizer-Biontech vaccine today, after they largely refused to take the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Most recent figures suggest only 1% of Kosovo's population has been vaccinated and supplies are very low.

Spain’s football league and Catalan authorities are to investigate a barbecue held by Barcelona’s Lionel Messi for his teammates and their partners, to see if Covid rules were broken. Barcelona are currently second in La Liga and in the running to win it. You’re only allowed to have six people in your home but Barcelona insists they were all in the same bubble, so it will be health officials to decide whether rules were broken."

Meanwhile, new case detected in Sydney (NSW); source unknown, but all recent ones have been traced to quarantine hotels (guests or staff). Good news is that patient diligently checked in at all (several scattered) venues recently visited, using the local QR code App; bad news is that Trace authorities found far fewer people had at pertinent overlapping times at least one venue than are believed to have visited then, suggesting that Sydneysiders have got out of the habit of routinely checking in.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-05/ ... /100118130

[skydriller]

French authorities in the south coast region of Alpes-Maritimes have scrapped a rule requiring people to wear a mask in parks and around beaches and lakes. Wearing a mask is still required on the streets and nationally it’s compulsory outdoors.

The above is, how can I put it... Complete Carp?

It is a requirement in france to wear a mask in public spaces indoors. To my knowledge, it is not a requirement to wear a mask outdoors in parks, on beaches or lakes... There are certain shopping zones in big cities, and marketplaces, where social distancing is not possible, where you are required to wear a mask outside, but its absolutely not everywhere...

This is the BBC? The trouble is, you read that, know its incorrect, so how can you believe any of the other stories?

Regards, SD..

[Flyin'Dutch']

In Germany, from 3rd of May those who can demonstrate an infection in the last 6 months, an infection plus 1 vaccination or two vaccinations do not have to have a quicktest before partaking in a number of activities, including going shopping, going to the hairdresser etc.

[skydriller]

In Germany, from 3rd of May those who can demonstrate an infection in the last 6 months, an infection plus 1 vaccination or two vaccinations do not have to have a quicktest before partaking in a number of activities, including going shopping, going to the hairdresser etc.

Oh dear...

Is it just me thinking that if "having had C19 or a jab means you can do stuff" that there is now an incentive to actually get infected to be able to do stuff freely...??

[Flyin'Dutch']

Most people would rather just get a jab, rather than ill..

[skydriller]

Most people would rather just get a jab, rather than ill..

Except that the government decides who gets the jab right now...if you are 16-35 you dont get to have a jab, do you? Hell you dont even get to have one if you are under 50...

[eltonioni]

Most people would rather just get a jab, rather than ill..

Which should be the only reason to have a jab. Not shopping.

[simon32]

I read in the Figaro today that Emmanuel Macron has decided that available vaccines (leftovers) can be given to anybody after 12th May.
I am not sure about mask wearing outside, most people in our town do so, but I don’t think it is national policy. Some towns proclaim it and people are sufficiently scared to comply. I certainly don’t and have only once been politely reminded that it was required in the main town square.
I went into the dry cleaners the other day to collect a carpet and had forgotten to put a mask on. The lady pointed to her face and I left the ticket on the counter and was about to go back to the car when she handed me the roll of carpet and I thanked her and left, no fuss no muss.
Simon

[kanga]

6 May BBC European summary. As for yesterday's, at least as I read it , it mentioned very simplistically that within France the rules (and, evidently, enforcement) may vary from place to place, which other posts have confirmed.

"Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vucic, has offered anyone who gets vaccinated by the end of May 3,000 dinars in cash (£22; €25) in an attempt to boost take-up fast. Serbia has bought in doses of Western vaccines as well as Chinese and Russian drugs and even though 1.5 million of Serbia's population of 7 million have had two doses, recently the numbers have been falling.

Denmark is moving closer to normality this morning, with primary school children back full-time and gyms and sport centres open to anyone carrying a corona passport showing they’re virus free. Theatres and cinemas can admit up to 2,000 people.

Two leading members of Slovakia’s ruling For The People party have resigned their posts in parliament after they were caught visiting a cafe in defiance of a 21:00 Covid curfew. Deputy parliament speaker Juraj Seliga and colleague Jana Zitnanska were meeting Bratislava’s regional governor, who hasn’t resigned.

German Health Minister Jens Spahn wants to release the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to anyone who wants it, whatever their age. He says he’ll talk to health ministers across Germany today. Although the seven-day incidence has fallen in Germany, case numbers in the past 24 hours are back up over 20,000.

Greece’s health minister say authorities hope to vaccinate all adults with at least one dose by early July. Yesterday alone over 100,000 vaccinations were carried out in Greece.

The pandemic has cost Air France-KLM €1.5bn in losses in the first three months of 2021, with turnover halved and passengers down by three quarters to 4.8 million. It hopes ng loss. It expects to run half of its capacity in the current quarter."

[MarkOlding]

One for Skydriller and Simon32

A bit of an off topic question - can you as people living in France (I am making a big assumption that you are both from the UK and living in France) provide the general feel towards the UK outside of the Paris clique ? The impression from the press (I know I know...) is one of mistrust and unpleasantness on both sides of the water but i'm more interested in what the general public make of it all and how holidaymakers may be received in the future ?

[simon32]

I think holidaymakers will be welcomed. Normal pleasantries like bonjour, au revoir go down well. I have never experienced animosity, although teasing is fairly common especially about Brexit. Boris Johnson is seen as a bogeyman by the French press, but I don’t think ordinary people have any interest in British politics.
Simon

[Pete L]

Will we be allowed to take a fishing rod?

Ne volez pas nos poissons

Pas de chalutiers

[skydriller]

What @simon32 says really. The only animosity I get is from my Ex-Wife...

For sure holidaymakers are certainly missed by many business owners - the holiday/wine industry for sure around here. Teasing and banter are common at my aeroclub and amongst friends as you would expect, and Brexit has certainly provided somewhat more of a subject for this, but then I have always sought to make a hopefully humorous riposte which usually appears to go down well.

One thing recently came up chatting with other foreign friends though - because French is not my 1st language and being self taught it is certainly not grammatically perfect - some people do seem to treat me as if Im somehow, I hesitate to say stupid (no sniggering at the back!), but lets say less adult? Ironically its something Ive only myself noticed as my French vocabulary has improved...

Regards, SD..

[kanga]

According to my francophone Canadian colleagues, and my memories of living in francophone Switzerland, 'metropolitan' French folk are sometimes equally dismissive, overtly or otherwise, of those speaking another variety or accent of the language