[Flyin'Dutch']

I was listening on the Dutch wireless where a transmission of the EP discussion was broadcast about the C19 App/Attest to facilitate a return to being able to move about.

To avoid exclusion they proposed people to be eligible if they had either:

1. Vaccination or
2. Evidence of past infection or
3. Negative test result

[kanga]

30 April BBC European summary

"Portugal lifts lockdown restrictions imposed in January at midnight on all but eight municipalities, after seeing infection rates fall to the lowest level in the European Union. The border with Spain will reopen for essential travel after several months, sport will be allowed without spectators and from tomorrow restaurants can stay open until 22:30.

France begins its four-phase reopening from Monday, President Emmanuel Macron has told local newspapers. From Monday you can travel without restriction beyond the 10km (6 mile) current limit. Then from 19 May museums, cinemas and theatres will reopen and people can eat outdoors. On 9 June you can eat indoors, sport resumes outdoors with a health pass, the curfew is put back to 23:00, and foreign visitors can return with a health pass. The remainder of restrictions are set to be lifted on 30 June.

Ireland is also bringing in a phased reopening over six weeks from 10 May, when hairdressers and click-and-collect shopping can resume. Travel will be allowed outside your own county for the first time since Christmas and up to 50 people will be allowed at weddings and funerals.

Ukraine is barring entry to foreign nationals travelling from India from midnight tomorrow. It has recorded another 10,000 infections in 24 hours.

The Dutch government has decided to allow 3,500 people in to watch all the rehearsals of the Eurovision Song Contest next month as well as all three TV shows. That’s 20% capacity of the Ahoy arena in Rotterdam, but tickets will only be available with a negative test and a face mask for people who bought them for last year’s cancelled contest. The big days are the semi-finals on 18 and 20 May and the final on 22 May.

A hospital in the Romanian capital Bucharest is organising a vaccination marathon for four days from next Thursday for anyone without an appointment. The western city of Timisoara held one last week and vaccinated 6,700 people."

[kanga]

Lockdowns being eased in some parts of Europe

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-53640249

[malcolmfrost]

Worth noting as well that Germany has hit 1.1 million/day vaccinations

[Flyin'Dutch']

Worth noting as well that Germany has hit 1.1 million/day vaccinations

[kanga]

"EU unveils plans for overseas tourists to return"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-56970398

"..plans for an digital certificate, which would cover anyone who is either vaccinated against Covid-19, has a negative test or has recently recovered... Key to the certificate is a QR code .."

[eltonioni]

Now, about this lockdown...

[JAFO]

Now, about this lockdown...

What? The one that helped to get us here while vaccination was rolled out? The one that is being eased progressively now that vaccination numbers are reaching the point where it's safe to do so? That lockdown?

What about it?

[johnm]

Had first pub lunch and restaurant and theatre booked.

I have noted that the country has a big advantage over the city, outside tables in our neck of the woods 2 metres apart while in London they are packing ‘em in.......

[Charles Hunt]

Now, about this lockdown...

What about it?

Following the data, not the dates.

End it now.

Ok the single death is probably a slight statistical anomaly, but are we really going to keep the country un-necessarily restricted for a further 4 or 7 weeks or whatever.

Road deaths come in at around 5 a day, are we to stop transport and travel until this menace has gone away.

Damn, shouldn't have given them the idea.

[Jim Jones]

The effect of the last easing of restrictions has just started to reveal itself, its good news. The effect of the next will take till mid June to show. That’s the rationale, it needs up to date data, not wishful thinking.

[johnm]

Finally we actually ARE following the science.....

[PeteSpencer]

Don’t listen to ‘em, Boris:

Don’t take your eye off the ball at this late stage……..

[johnm]

Actually my slight unease is the ongoing inability of the PM to simply shut up. His optimistic noises are liable to induce a degree of complacency which is highly undesirable at this point

[eltonioni]

Now, about this lockdown...

What? The one that helped to get us here while vaccination was rolled out? The one that is being eased progressively now that vaccination numbers are reaching the point where it's safe to do so? That lockdown?

What about it?

A fair question JAFO. I did kind of leave it hanging to see what others came back with so I need to put up.

Lockdown didn't help. There, I said it.

What worked was keeping vulnerable people out of the way. ie protecting them.

Lockdown and protecting are not even subtly different concepts, they are totally different.

The proof of this is that single reported death now that everyone(ish) over 50, or vulnerable, has been vaccinated. Vaccinating vulnerable people has protected them. It's made bugger all difference to everyone else which is why we've not seen regular 'spikes' from supermarkets, building sites, protests, student parties, crowds on beaches, etc.

That's been my contention since last year and why I keep saying that lockdowns don't work. What DOES work is protecting vulnerable people. So if we are old / sick / fat / etc. we should properly protect ourselves first, not expect everyone else to protect us at huge cost to society. HMG swerved its responsibility and gave it to us. That was the absolute height of irresponsibility on the part of the medics and scientists who gave career-safe advice to politicians were ill-equipped to challenge and even less inclined to disagree with, because after all they want a career-safe decision even more than tenured professors do. In their defence, everyone has been living in a massive experiment but their lack of bravery or three dimensional thinking has had tragic consequences.

Sadly, tragically, because we've done lockdown we've created a perfect situation for the virus to spread among the vulnerable while being able to pretend that there isn't an alternative. Yet, the very act of lockdown is the cause of disease spread with rampant hospital infections, the care home disaster, and most bafflingly by sending invulnerable students and children home to socialise with their vulnerable relatives who haven't been protected by lockdown.

So, to complete the question;

Now, about this lockdown...

.... let's have that public enquiry now please. Now the experiment results are in we need to make sure that we don't repeat this mess.


Now, about China...

(Go on have a swipe but make it a good one )