# Coronavirus - latest global news - discuss Irish news the other thread



## Ceist Beag

St Patricks Day parades in Dublin and Cork cancelled, it had to happen. Meanwhile in America the orange one continues to downplay the virus and his sidekick continues to make it a race thing. They really are a despicable pair.


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## Daddy Ireland

Italy 1,797 new cases today.  97 new deaths.  5% death rate.  Source Worldometer Coronavirus.   China hopefully were not fibbing with their numbers.


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## odyssey06

Guardian reporting that all of Italy will be placed under lockdown conditions from tomorrow... The restrictions will include banning all public gatherings and preventing all movement other than for work and emergencies. 
But still flights continue!


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## Fidgety

The Irish Independent reports that Funeral Directors have been advised that Coronavirus victims are to be buried or cremated immediately without funerals. That will be very hard on the families involved. I guess it brings home the harsh reality of this monster.


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## Brendan Burgess

This thread is for the general posts such as "St Patrick's Day parade cancelled" or " 5 new cases today". 

Any such news reports in the other "practical" threads will be deleted to keep those threads on track. 

Brendan


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## odyssey06

Summary of the quarantine measures in Italy e.g._ Religious institutions will stay open, as long as people can stay a metre from one another, but ceremonies such as marriages, baptisms and funerals are banned. To encourage people to stay in, bars and restaurants are only allowed to open between 6am and 6pm, and only if it is possible to keep a distance of at least a metre between customers.  _








						Stay at home: Italy's coronavirus quarantine rules
					

Italians have been told to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel as quarantine measures were extended to the whole country to stop the spread of the coronavirus.




					www.rte.ie
				




Italy also suspends mortgages... _The government would suspend mortgage payments and other household bills across the entire country during the coronavirus outbreak. She said the government had already discussed the measures with the banking industry._ 





						Subscribe to read | Financial Times
					

News, analysis and comment from the Financial Times, the worldʼs leading global business publication




					www.ft.com


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## odyssey06

All air traffic to *Denmark* from areas severely hit by coronavirus, will cease later on today, the prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, has said.
“Effective from later today, all air traffic to Denmark from red areas will be suspended,” she said, referring to areas hard hit by the coronavirus such as northern Italy, Iran and South Korea.


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## odyssey06

Romulan said:


> And Denmark can do this and we cannot because?



Yep, agreed, but let's keep this one for news - so the news is that flights still going between Ireland and Italy via Ryanair.

This is the discussion thread:





						Coronavirus
					

HSE are obviously prepared for this.....  https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus.html  Last updated: 07 February 2020  You do not need to follow any specific advice in relation to coronavirus if you have:  not been to mainland China   meanwhile....  Irish staff at Indeed told to work from...



					www.askaboutmoney.com


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## odyssey06

One of the positive cases is an employee of Apple in Cork:








						10 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Republic
					

The Department of Health have said that 10 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed bringing the total in the Republic of Ireland to 34.




					www.rte.ie


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## odyssey06

Ryanair has cancelled all international flights to and from Italy from Saturday until April 9, the airline has announced.


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## odyssey06

*Austria* is taking drastic measures in response to the nationwide lockdown in its southern neighbour *Italy*. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz today announced an entry ban for people entering Austria from Italy by car, train or plane, unless they can provide a doctor’s certificate. Controls will be imposed along the border between the two countries... Further measures put in place in Austria include a ban on outdoor events with more than 500 and indoor events with more than 100 people, including private parties and weddings. For now, the ban is scheduled to last until April and will affect numerous sports events and trade fairs. University teaching will be temporarily suspended, though schools and nurseries are for now to stay open.


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## odyssey06

Four new cases of Covid-19 have been detected in *Northern Ireland*, bringing the total number to 16, PA reports. All four are adults. One case involved recent travel from northern Italy. Three can be traced to a previously reported case that involved recent travel to northern Italy.


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## Ceist Beag

odyssey06 said:


> Ryanair has cancelled all international flights to and from Italy from Saturday until April 9, the airline has announced.


Aer Lingus are following suit but only until April 3 according to RTE


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## odyssey06

TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN has this afternoon announced that all lectures will be delivered online for the rest of the semester in a bid to halt the spread of the coronavirus. The university said that tutorials, seminars and laboratory practicals will all continue to be held in person but that “social distancing protocols” will be put in place








						Coronavirus: Book of Kells exhibition closed and Trinity lectures to be held online to halt spread of illness
					

The university said more measures may be needed in the coming days.




					www.thejournal.ie


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## odyssey06

10 new cases have been confirmed this evening in the Republic of Ireland. They are: 

One male, a healthcare worker, in the south of the country, *associated with hospital transmission*
One female, a healthcare worker, in the east of the country, *possible hospital transmission*
Three males, in the south of the country, associated with travel from an affected area
One male, in the west of the country, associated with close contact with a confirmed case
One female, in the west of the country, associated with close contact with a confirmed case
One female, in the south of the country, associated with close contact with a confirmed case
One male, in the east of the country, associated with travel from an affected area
One female, in the east of the country, associated with travel from an affected area


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## NewEdition

I would like to know how you become a "confirmed case" as I know one person that called the doctor to make an appointment but was told not to come in because they will not see anybody with a cough.
There could be hundreds of cases like this if not more, let alone those that are just sick and self isolating and hoping to recover but not actually going to the doc.
The figures should be taken with a pinch of salt in my opinion.


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## David_Dublin

Totally agree @NewEdition  - it's just not possible to know the fatality rate when by definition you dont know the infection rate.


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## odyssey06

Experimental antiviral medicine *remdesivir *developed to treat Ebola is being trialled as a coronavirus treatment in China and Washington State:








						Gilead coronavirus treatment already being used in Washington state
					

According to CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield in congressional testimony.




					fortune.com


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## odyssey06

UK junior health minister Nadine Dorries tests positive for coronavirus.

Spain has confirmed 2,002 cases and 47 deaths. Half the infected are in the Madrid region, where 31 people have died. 

The number of Iranians contracting Coronavirus and dying from the disease hit a new daily record, the Ministry of Health revealed on Wednesday. It announced that 956 had caught the disease in the past 24 hours and over the same period a total of 68 deaths had been recorded. The numbers take the total number of deaths to 354 and the number of those infected to around 9,000. Some nurses on social media said the peak may not be around April or May, but government officials say they hope the worst to have passed by the end of next week.


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## Ceist Beag

Dublin Tech Summit is postponed until 9th & 10th of September.


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## Purple

odyssey06 said:


> The number of Iranians contracting Coronavirus and dying from the disease hit a new daily record, the Ministry of Health revealed on Wednesday. It announced that 956 had caught the disease in the past 24 hours and over the same period a total of 68 deaths had been recorded. The numbers take the total number of deaths to 354 and the number of those infected to around 9,000. Some nurses on social media said the peak may not be around April or May, but government officials say they hope the worst to have passed by the end of next week.



That's interesting; in a country with a good (but not great) public health system the mortality rate is running at 0.4 of 1% or 4 people per thousand.


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## odyssey06

Ceist Beag said:


> Dublin Tech Summit is postponed until 9th & 10th of September.



The Comic Con scifi convention & Dublin Drinks Fair due to be held in the Convention Centre have also been postponed to September.
Both would have had thousands of attendees.


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## odyssey06

First fatality in Ireland associated with coronavirus. RIP.
_The patient died earlier on Wednesday in a hospital in the east of the country, where they were being trated in recent days. It is understood the patient initally presented with respiratory symptoms and was later diagnosed with the disease when staff decided to perform a test. The criteria for testing patients has been broadened this week to include those patients who have clinical respiratory symptoms but no history of travel to affected areas internationally. This is in recognition that the disease may be ciculating in the community. The patient is understood to be elderly._








						Coronavirus: First death confirmed in Ireland as WHO declares a pandemic
					

Nine new cases in Republic; Denmark to close all schools while Italy introduces further measures




					www.irishtimes.com


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## odyssey06

Hungary has declared a state of emergency in response to the coronavirus outbreak, closing universities and banning large gatherings, Index.hu reports. It says outdoor events of more than 500 people and indoor events of more than 100 people have been banned. This includes cinemas and theatres but not workplaces and shopping malls, it reports. There is also a ban on school trips abroad. The country has announced 13 confirmed cases so far.


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## Brendan Burgess

Purple said:


> the mortality rate is running at 0.4 of 1% or 4 people per thousand.





> total number of deaths to 354 and the number of those infected to around 9,000.



Should it not be 354/90 = 3.9% or 39 per thousand?


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## Daddy Ireland

W.H.O classify Covid 19 as Pandemic.


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## Purple

Brendan Burgess said:


> Should it not be 354/90 = 3.9% or 39 per thousand?


Yes, you're right.
354/9000 = 0.039333
0.039333 x 100 = 3.9333


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## seamus m

We are officially stupid if we don't go into lock down mode .we need to follow Singapore's lead .   If we locked down for next 2 weeks it would at least slow us down and give us a view of what's happening in countries further down the road than us. If 200 deaths in Italy alone today and 2000 more cases in full lockdown mode dosnt tell us  .Our decision makers are starting to scare me


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## Purple

What do you mean by lockdown?


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## seamus m

Schools and universities shut .All sports activities, trainings and match's stopped . People asked to stay at home if at all possible excluding work .This should be implemented at once with a 3 day trial to see if it's enough or if people are not heeding.


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## Purple

seamus m said:


> Schools and universities shut .All sports activities, trainings and match's stopped . People asked to stay at home if at all possible excluding work .This should be implemented at once with a 3 day trial to see if it's enough or if people are not heeding.


Hardly lockdown but yes, maybe bring forward the school summer holidays. That way the children's education won't suffer and they will be away from school for 8-12 weeks.  We'll end up with bands of feral children roaming the streets but we can deal with that.


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## Peanuts

seamus m said:


> We are officially stupid if we don't go into lock down mode .we need to follow Singapore's lead .   If we locked down for next 2 weeks it would at least slow us down and give us a view of what's happening in countries further down the road than us. If 200 deaths in Italy alone today and 2000 more cases in full lockdown mode dosnt tell us  .Our decision makers are starting to scare me



Seems to me that we are not making the decisions here but rather they are being made in Brussels. No EU country (other than Italy) has implemented any serious lockdowns as far as I can see.


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## Peanuts

Purple said:


> Yes, you're right.
> 354/9000 = 0.039333
> 0.039333 x 100 = 3.9333




6.6% in Italy. 827 deaths with 12462 cases


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## Purple

Peanuts said:


> 6.6% in Italy. 827 deaths with 12462 cases


Wow, nearly 60% higher.
I presume that's to do with the demographics of the population. Iran has an excellent healthcare system but I presume Italy's is better.


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## Daddy Ireland

Iran is out of control.  Figures don't truly reflect the actual position.   Italy we can believe.


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## Fidgety

Purple said:


> Wow, nearly 60% higher.
> I presume that's to do with the demographics of the population. Iran has an excellent healthcare system but I presume Italy's is better.



Age is a factor but I suspect the number of tests undertaken might have an impact. The New Scientist mentioned that the fatality rate in South Korea is 0.6% because they tested 140,000 people. They suggest the true rate in Italy is closer to 3.4%.


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## Fidgety

Italy has the oldest population in Europe, 23% over age 65.


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## odyssey06

There are now 43 confirmed cases in the Republic. 9 new cases today and 1 fatality:

– Four males from the south of the country associated with travel;
– One female from the south of the country who came into contact with a confirmed case;
– One male from the south who came in contact with a confirmed case;
– Two males from the east of the country associated with travel;
– One male from the east of the country who came into contact with a confirmed case.


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## odyssey06

The Department of Foreign Affairs is advising against non-essential travel to four areas in Spain - Madrid, Vitoria and Labastida in the Basque Country and La Rioja - due to an increase in the number of Spanish coronavirus cases


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## odyssey06

Summary of latest news from BNO Newsroom:

At least 1,028 coronavirus patients in Italy are now in intensive care, which is up from 877 yesterday.

Denmark has reported 252 new cases of coronavirus so far today, nearly doubling the country's total to 516. In response Denmark closes all schools and universities due to coronavirus, orders all public sector employees with non-critical jobs to be sent home from Friday.

New York City cancels St. Patrick's Day Parade due to coronavirus, making it the first time in 258 years that the event has been canceled - NY1/NYDN



			https://twitter.com/BNODesk


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## odyssey06

Italian Prime Minister Conte tightens coronavirus lockdown, orders the closure of all non-essential businesses


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## Hooverfish

UCC going to online teaching tomorrow.


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## seamus m

Surely we need to be proactive it can't take a whole lot to arm people with  thermometers in key locations .is this an effective method of early detection ?


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## Sanparom

odyssey06 said:


> There are now 43 confirmed cases in the Republic. 9 new cases today and 1 fatality:
> 
> – Four males from the south of the country associated with travel;
> – One female from the south of the country who came into contact with a confirmed case;
> – One male from the south who came in contact with a confirmed case;
> – Two males from the east of the country associated with travel;
> – One male from the east of the country who came into contact with a confirmed case.


 
These numbers belie the truth. They are not testing a lot of people for Covid-19 unless they fit the criteria - have been to an affected area or have had contact with someone who has. They are now saying that they will change the criteria, but perhaps it's too little too late.  As the head of the WHO says, we need to be doing a lot more.


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## mathepac

seamus m said:


> Surely we need to be proactive it can't take a whole lot to arm people with  thermometers in key locations .is this an effective method of early detection ?


Unless my English teacher taught a dodo, we are several months too late to be identified as in any way proactive  with COVID-19 or the SARS-COV-2 virus and several weeks too late to be seen to have reacted in a timely, effective manner. Thermometers alone are not sufficient diagnostic equipment for COVID-19, labs need to test for the virus; see below in my post.

On the Joe show yesterday (Weds 11th March) a woman recounted how in Kilkenny her GP referred her to the HSE for testing 3 times. After questioning by HSE staff (non-medical no doubt) about travel to or from  affected areas, she was sent home on each occasion untested. However the woman's GP and herself identified  recognisable COVID-19 signs and symptoms. Another member of her household has now developed similar symptoms. With this kind of behaviour from "professional healthcare staff" what hope have the vulnerable in our society got of surviving the worst ravages of this pandemic? Why not take swabs for testing from individuals who present voluntarily at testing facilities?. Why can GPs not take swabs and submit them en bloc to hospital labs? It takes 36 hours to get test results back, but the sooner the swabs are taken the sooner the test results will be available. Unless of course the HSE in Kilkenny is your only hope. Then you are probably doomed. 

Simon and his useless Dept of Health and HSE mandarins need to get gone and put the professionals in charge, but not from Kilkenny please.


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## MrEarl

mathepac said:


> Simon and his useless Dept of Health and HSE mandarins need to get gone and put the professionals in charge, but not from Kilkenny please.



The people in the Dept of Health cannot be useless, surely? 

Because if they were, then there is absolutely no way we'd ever be paying some of the highest rent in the County for office space, to accommodate so many of them on Lr Baggot Street, is there?


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## hydrocarbon

US restricts travel from Schengen area:
[broken link removed]

These are exactly the same restrictions imposed by the US on China on Jan 31 (when China had 10,000 cases). Schengen area now has 17,000 cases. Ireland and UK excluded for political/"special relationship" reasons I guess - no reason to be excluded from a health perspective. In his primetime speech Trump got some major details wrong which partly explains why some of the newspaper reporting is incorrect. (The fact that this could happen in a speech delivered live to millions is disturbing but hardly surprising).

In short:
- Foreign nationals barred if physically present in Schengen area during the previous 14 days
- US citizens and legal residents are exempt and can return (but must self-quarantine for 14 days)
- Lots of exceptions for different classes of visa - government officials etc.

No flights are cancelled or grounded, though airlines may themselves stop flights for commercial reasons. Goods/cargo not affected.


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## hydrocarbon

One clarification to my previous post, in case anyone knows somebody who may be returning to the US.

The proclamation does not address quarantine issues - that will be dealt with by a separate Dept of Homeland Security notice, expected in a day or two. For travel from China self-quarantine was required for 14-days. My guess is this will also apply for travel from Schengen, but this remains to be seen. Having one set of rules for someone returning from Paris and another for someone returning from London makes little sense, but there you go.


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## odyssey06

Latest news in Ireland:

A second Covid-19 case at Trinity College has been confirmed; the first case associated with the college was said to have made “a good recovery”
Basketball Ireland has instructing all basketball competitions and events to be suspended with immediate effect
Global news:

Actors Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson have announced that they have both tested positive for Covid-19 while filming in Australia.
Mainland China reported 15 new infections, eight of which are in Hubei. There have been 11 new deaths, ten of which were in Hubei.
The NBA has suspended play indefinitely after after a player on the Utah Jazz preliminarily tested positive for Covid-19.


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## odyssey06

Folks can we keep this thread for news - or use news events to make your points indirectly 

For opinion on government measures there is this thread: 




__





						The government's response to Coronavirus
					

Trinners and the airlines dealt with it when it was too late. The virus got in there. Even if the guberment insisted on either of these they would probably have been told where to go unless they were willing to hand over the dosh they were going to lose.  Under EU regulation if an airline...



					www.askaboutmoney.com


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## Ceist Beag

The UK Government are planning for an announcement on the soccer season according to The Times. Matches behind closed gates and no tv coverage in pubs.


> ""All football matches in England will be played behind closed doors under government plans to combat coronavirus that could be triggered as early as today.
> A meeting of the government’s Cobra committee this morning is expected to move its response to the pandemic from the “contain” phase to the “delay” phase. That will result in a crisis plan being unveiled for football. The Times can reveal:
> ● The current season will not be postponed and instead matches in the Premier League and lower divisions will be moved behind closed doors;
> ● All Premier League season-ticket holders and ticket holders for individual games will be able to stream coverage of matches into their homes;
> ● No games will be shown in pubs so as to avoid congregation of people;
> ● Premier League games will not be shown live in the 3pm slot on Saturday afternoons;
> ● Broadcasters will be permitted to screen more than one Premier League game during both the lunchtime and tea-time television slots on Saturday, and the scheduled slots on Sundays and Mondays; and
> ● Season-ticket holders and ticket holders for individual games at Football League clubs will be allowed to watch matches on iFollow streams.
> The plan may be implemented once the number of UK coronavirus cases passes 500. Last night it stood at 460.
> The dramatic moves are seen as the only potential way to end the present season in light of the growing coronavirus crisis in England and the growing possibility of the country being moved to the delay phase.


Surely the GAA need to come out with something similar today?


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## odyssey06

Brazil reports 18 new cases of coronavirus, raising country's total to 52.


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## odyssey06

Irish army has been put on yellow alert from 16th March:


			https://twitter.com/deshocks/status/1238004773913333761


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## odyssey06

Leo Varadkar will address the State from the US this morning, amid expectations what will amount to a general shutdown will be ordered.


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## odyssey06

Updates from Taoiseach's address in Washington DC

NPHE met last night and issued new advice to government
There will be many more cases, we must face reality some people will die
The virus can be slowed making it easier for health service to cope
Disease effects will be mild for most people, but older people and those with chronic illness at real risk
We have not witnessed a pandemic of this nature in living memory


*From 6pm today to 29 March*
Schools, colleges, childcare facilities to close
Cultural institutions closed
Indoor gatherings of 100 and outdoor gatherings of 500 people should be cancelled
You should continue to go to work but work from home if possible
Shops will remain open
Restaurants and others can stay open but should practice social distancing


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## odyssey06

India has barred the entry of all foreign tourists for one month starting tomorrow in a bid to contain the coronavirus.

All football matches in Spain’s top division, La Liga, have been suspended for two weeks over fears of the spread of the coronavirus, the league’s organising body said in a statement on Thursday.
The death toll from coronavirus in Spain has jumped from 47 to 84 in the last day, according to Reuters citing the country’s health ministry.


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## odyssey06

The Irish Times now have a live page for Coronavirus updates... summarising below:

MCD Productions has postponed all shows until 29 March.
Schoolboy football games cancelled – DDSL have cancelled all games. Clubs have cancelled training.
Dublin GAA Board, having considered the statement issued by An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this morning in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic, have decided to cancel all club games and training.









						Coronavirus crisis: Ireland enters 'delay phase' in tackling Covid-19 pandemic
					

Schools, colleges and childcare facilities will close this evening until March 29th




					www.irishtimes.com


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## blueband

27 new cases announced tonight.


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## Ravima

_On the Joe show yesterday (Weds 11th March) a woman recounted how in Kilkenny her GP referred her to the HSE for testing 3 times. After questioning by HSE staff (non-medical no doubt) about travel to or from affected areas, she was sent home on each occasion untested. However the woman's GP and herself identified recognisable COVID-19 signs and symptoms. Another member of her household has now developed similar symptoms. _

She may have SIMILAR symptoms, but it might not be Covid19. There is an element of panic and panic feeding panic.  If the woman was NOT from an infected area and had NO contact with a confirmed contact, then it would be unusual for her to be a person with the virus.


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## odyssey06

The death toll from coronavirus in Italy passed 1,000, making it the European country worst affected by coronavirus, with 15,113 confirmed cases - an day on day increase of 21.7%.


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## hydrocarbon

It makes no sense not to test people with relevant symptoms. That has been the approach taken by S.Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. The WHO expanded their guidelines back in February to say that testing should be expanded to include general surveillance and for flu-like symptoms. This seems to have been ignored by the Dept Of Health until now in Ireland. I don't know why since testing capability seems reasonably good (far better than the USA for example). Community spread is happening so identifying clusters quickly and requiring early isolation slows down the progression, which is the goal now. The fixation with maintaining the narrow definition of who can get tested seems more to do with politics than science.


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## odyssey06

The 10 towns Italy initially put on lockdown 2 weeks ago are now reporting no new infections. 

France to close schools from Monday. Now with 2900 cases and 60 deaths.


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## seamus m

Clusters of 2 to 6 people mentioned on news why are we not giving  out these areas.


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## hydrocarbon

hydrocarbon said:


> It makes no sense not to test people with relevant symptoms. That has been the approach taken by S.Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. The WHO expanded their guidelines back in February to say that testing should be expanded to include general surveillance and for flu-like symptoms. This seems to have been ignored by the Dept Of Health until now in Ireland. I don't know why since testing capability seems reasonably good (far better than the USA for example). Community spread is happening so identifying clusters quickly and requiring early isolation slows down the progression, which is the goal now. The fixation with maintaining the narrow definition of who can get tested seems more to do with politics than science.



I've added a link with further details on the above to the "Government Response" thread, since that seems a better place for this topic than the "News" one.


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## odyssey06

From The Guardian: High street retailers and pharmacies confirmed that the cost of sourcing paracetamol, ibuprofen and aspirin had all risen sharply in recent weeks, in some cases by as much as 30%, as drugs wholesalers sought to pass on higher costs.


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## odyssey06

There are now 70 total confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the Republic and 90 in total on the island of Ireland. 
Three of the new cases are in intensive care units bringing the *total number of patients in ICU to six*.


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## seamus m

Second death goin by minister on tonight  show


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## Brendan Burgess

Guys

This is about news and nothing else. 

It's a waste of your time, and, more importantly mind, giving your views on topics in this thread.

Brendan


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## hydrocarbon

Ireland now possibly exporting the virus. Woman from Taiwan spent almost two weeks in Ireland and a few days in Belgium and tested positive after returning home.

https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/Detail/nstacUgxMxU8m07WNf9CUA?typeid=158

Taiwan has 49 cases in total; Ireland 70.


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## odyssey06

Remember folks there's an entire forum to discuss the impacts of the virus and analyse responses to it.

This is the thread for latest news.
Wife of Canadian PM tests positive - PM now in isolation
Manager of Arsenal FC tests positive
Nepal closes Mount Everest
India registers first death from covid-19
Australia bans gatherings of more than 500 people


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## odyssey06

This won't help with 'lockdown fatigue'...
The Premier League, the Football League and the Women’s Super League and Championship have suspended all matches until 3 April in response to the coronavirus pandemic, *Paul MacInnes* reports in The Guardian. An unprecedented development, it follows the revelation overnight that several Premier League clubs have members of staff, including players and coaches, who are displaying symptoms of the virus.


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## odyssey06

Anyone from anywhere in the world arriving in *Malta* will have to undergo two weeks of mandatory self-quarantine, the country’s prime minister, Robert Abela, announced

*Austria* has just announced it is following Italy in closing almost all shops except for supermarkets and chemists. Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said that the communities of Paznautal and St Anton would be placed under quarantine.
*(note these are both skiing hotspots)*


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## odyssey06

Guardian reporting that Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro 'tests positive for coronavirus'... also notes that Bolsonaro dined with Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago on Saturday night, 
_*(please keep discussion of this news event to another thread!)*_

*Or maybe  not:*


			https://twitter.com/AFP/status/1238491166003298305


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## odyssey06

Latest figures from UK: a total of 32,771 people have been tested:

31,973 negative
798 positive
10 patients who tested positive for coronavirus have sadly died


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## odyssey06

The total number of cases in Italy has soared by more than 2,500, officials have confirmed. The number of deaths experienced its largest single day increase - jumping by 250 to 1,266.

*Denmark will temporarily close its border* until April 13. It means that anyone who is not Danish will not be able to enter or exit Denmark – unless it is an exceptional emergency. Goods, particularly food products, will still be able to enter Denmark and restrictions do not impact truckers delivering them. Danish Defence will be charged with guarding Denmark’s border and any foreigners without an officially-approved purpose attempting to enter Denmark will be denied at the border.

Slovakia announced that it would be closing off its borders to all foreigners, except citizens of Poland.  

Authorities in the Madrid region have ordered the closure of all establishments except those selling food and other essential items, such as pharmacies. The measure came as the number of Covid-19 cases in the Spanish capital region surpassed 2,000 and deaths reached 64.

Donald Trump will declare a national state of emergency as the US braces for the coronavirus pandemic, according to reports. His action will reportedly invoke the Stafford Act to provide billions of dollars in disaster relief funds to state and local governments responding to the crisis.

Britain cancels its May local elections due to coronavirus outbreak.

The Eiffel Tower in Paris will close for the forseeable future at 21:00 CET tonight, closing off one of the world's most visited tourist attractions.


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## odyssey06

THERE ARE 20 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ireland, the Department of Health has said this evening.
Six of the cases are associated travel. Twelve are associated with contacts of confirmed cases, four of which are healthcare workers.


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## odyssey06

Poland just reinstated borders, closed majority of them, grounded all international flights and international trains. Only 'on wheels' crossing the border allowed. Only nationals allowed to enter the country with few exceptions for non-nationals normally residing in Poland. Obligatory 14 days quarantine for everyone passing the border.


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## Fidgety

Trump suggests that the UK may be added to the list of European countries subject to flight restrictions to the US.


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## Daddy Ireland

Ten more deaths in UK.  Number goes from 11 to 21. Now the Government might start to wake up.  Lockdown is only hope as first ten regions that were locked down in Northern Italy are now reporting few daily cases and that was such a success they have proceeded to country lockdown.    Open your eyes Irish and UK Govts and lockdown as some countries have done.


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## Fidgety

Russia and New Zealand the latest to announce a closure of their borders. Spain will follow on Monday.


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## odyssey06

SPAIN HAS CONFIRMED more than 1,500 new cases of coronavirus between Friday and Saturday raising its total to 5,753 cases, the second-highest number in Europe after Italy. The country is introducing a state of emergency. All citizens to stay at home unless they need food, medical supplies or emergencies.

Italy: The government in Rome has ordered an unprecedented lockdown, ordering businesses to close and restricting people’s movement. Mayors of many cities, including Rome and Milan, have even closed public playgrounds and parks... The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Lombardy, the Italian region that has been worst affected by the crisis, rose by 76 to 966 on Saturday.

Newborn baby tests positive for coronavirus in London.

US adds Ireland and UK to Europe-wide travel ban, flights to stop from midnight Monday.
US suspends J1 visa programme for some applicants in response to Covid-19 outbreak.
President Trump has been tested for coronavirus but result has not been revealed yet.
There are 20,226 cases in the US but the country has not yet “reached peak” of outbreak, according to top infectious disease expert Fauci. 

Jordan is stopping all flights in and out of the country.
Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, will shut schools and organise remote teaching for a minimum of two weeks.

Brittany Ferries cancels some sailings and scales back services until April.
Jet2 planes turn back mid-air as airline cancels all flights to Spain amid Covid-19 outbreak.
Apple closes all retail stores outside China.


----------



## llgon

Press conference due shortly at Dept of Health. Unexpected - today's update was expected by email. Significant increase in cases expected according to VM news.


----------



## odyssey06

_Latvia_ will stop nearly all foreigners entering the country from Tuesday in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus, the country’s prime minister said on Saturday. All international travel, by air, railway, sea and road, will be canceled from midnight on Monday.

Norway urged its own residents to return home on Saturday on the same day Russia announced separately that it was closing its land border to Norway and Poland in a bid to slow the spread of coronavirus. Reuters news agency reported on Saturday that Norway was asking its own citizens to return home as soon as possible.


----------



## odyssey06

39 more cases in Ireland... details to follow.
2nd death recorded - male in the east of the country with underlying condition.
5 new cases in N Ireland.
163 cases total on island of Ireland.


----------



## odyssey06

France will shut down cafes, shops, restaurants and cinemas to stem the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, prime minister *Éduoard Philippe* has announced. Philippe said public transport will be kept open but asked citizens to limit their use, reported *Reuters *news agency. The closures will come into effect at midnight on Saturday. He told a news conference that exceptions on the shop ban would include food stores, pharmacies and gas stations.

France has reported a total of 4,499 confirmed coronavirus cases – up from 3,661 on Friday, according to official figures.


----------



## odyssey06

Figures from Italy: Twelve per cent of those who have been treated in intensive care are aged between 19 and 50, according to official figures released last week. Around 52 per cent are between 51 and 70 years old, with the rest all over 70. 








						More young coronavirus patients being admitted to hospital, doctor warns
					

Over 17,600 people are infected by Covid-19 in Europe’s worst-hit country




					www.independent.co.uk


----------



## odyssey06

Donald Trump tests negative for coronavirus.

France will start reducing plane, train and coach services between cities from Sunday to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, two ministers said on Sunday.

Ministers are planning to give police in the UK the power to arrest people with coronavirus who are not self-isolating, the health secretary has confirmed. Over 70s and those with high risk conditions may be asked to self-isolate for 4 months.


----------



## HollowKnight

Northern Ireland announce 11 new cases (total 45). 
Their dept of health said people with mild symptoms are to self isolate and not bother getting tested.


----------



## Brendan Burgess

All Temple Bar pubs to close 









						Coronavirus: Government calls on all pubs and bars to close from tonight
					

Officials announce new measures to ensure payment of workers if businesses cease trading




					www.irishtimes.com


----------



## odyssey06

The number of deaths in *Spain* from the coronavirus have more than doubled in a day, to 288.

UK death toll up to 35 after 14 more people die. Details below, ages range from 60 - 90+, all with underlying conditions:








						US slashes interest rates as states go into lockdown – as it happened
					

Number of UK deaths rises to 35 while other countries introduce stricter new measures. This blog is closed.




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## odyssey06

The total number of confirmed cases in *Italy* has risen to 24,747 from 21,157 on Saturday, as the death toll increased by 25% to 1,809 from 1,441 on Sunday – a rise of 368. 
The death toll from coronavirus in Lombardy, Italy's worst affected region, rose by 252 to 1,218.


----------



## odyssey06

THE NATIONAL PUBLIC Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has confirmed there are 40 new cases of coronavirus in Ireland, bringing the total number in the Republic to 169, up from 129 yesterday... 25 cases are associated with the east of the country, nine are associated with the west and six are associated with the south.


----------



## odyssey06

Portugal closing its border with Spain from tomorrow until Easter.


----------



## Daddy Ireland

__





						Zerohedge
					

ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero




					www.zerohedge.com


----------



## odyssey06

Germany: 1,632 new cases, 4 new deaths
Spain: 1,452 new cases, 96 new deaths
Iran: 1,209 new cases, 113 new deaths


----------



## Daddy Ireland

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news as per my last post.. Heard some Doctor on Brendan O'Connor this a.m saying the death rate is nearly 5%.  She was questioned on it saying surely it's lower about 2.5%.  Well it's definitely currently pushing 4% from an earlier 3.4% as per WHO being deaths to reported total cases.  See Worldometer Coronavirus for running totals.  I think it will be 4% by this time tomorrow night.. And as no one really believes China and Iran stats I would go along with the Doctor's 5% on this one.


----------



## odyssey06

Daddy Ireland said:


> Sorry to be the bearer of bad news as per my last post.. Heard some Doctor on Brendan O'Connor this a.m saying the death rate is nearly 5%.  She was questioned on it saying surely it's lower about 2.5%.  Well it's definitely currently pushing 4% from an earlier 3.4% as per WHO being deaths to reported total cases.  See Worldometer Coronavirus for running totals.  I think it will be 4% by this time tomorrow night.. And as no one really believes China and Iran stats I would go along with the Doctor's 5% on this one.



[broken link removed]
Lancet study finds that mortality rate amongst hospitalised patients could be as high as 20% if healthcare services are overwhelmed


----------



## odyssey06

California, Ohio, Illinois to close bars, restaurants, nightclubs and wineries.

New York City shutting down all schools.

All visitors to US nursing homes restricted.

Major cruise lines including Carnival agree to suepend all outbound US departures for 30 days.


----------



## odyssey06

Member of staff at The Irish Times tests positive for coronavirus. Office to close but newspaper and website will continue to operate, company says.








						Member of staff at The Irish Times tests positive for coronavirus
					

Office to close but newspaper and website will continue to operate, company says




					www.irishtimes.com


----------



## The_Banker

Some serious rioting in Cherry Orchard area of Dublin tonight apparently.
Could we see more of this if resources are stretched??


----------



## odyssey06

In Spain, where the coronavirus death toll rose by 152 to 288 on Sunday with 7,753 cases, the government announced sweeping measures allowing it to take over private healthcare providers and requisition materials such as face masks and Covid-19 tests.

The regional government in Quebec has ordered the closure of bars, theatres, gyms, ski hills, arcades, and pools, while restaurants have been told to operate only at 50% capacity and the over-70s have been urged to stay at home, the Montreal Gazette reports. 

Officials in Thailand have confirmed 33 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections to 147, Rebecca Ratcliffe, southeast Asia correspondent reports. The government plans to postpone the traditional New Year celebration, Songkran, due to be held 13-15 April, to reduce transmission. Cabinet will also be asked tomorrow to consider closing universities, schools, boxing arenas, bars and other entertainment venues across the country.

Ryanair has cancelled 80% of its flights until May and said it had not ruled out a “full grounding of the fleet”as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

The numbers of passengers travelling on London’s Tube network has fallen by nearly a fifth, while the numbers on buses are down 10%, compared to the same time last year, according to a statement by Transport for London.


----------



## Fidgety

ECB President proposing a 30 day ban on non essential travel.


----------



## odyssey06

Federal government and state leaders agree to close German retail outlets. Exceptions: food & drink, pharmacies and medical supplies, banks, petrol stations, drug stores, post offices, hairdressers, newsagents, launderettes, gardening and pet supplies, wholesalers.


----------



## odyssey06

An estimated *140,000 people have been laid off in Ireland since emergency measures to combat coronavirus were introduced* four days ago, according to national broadcaster RTE. This is a combination of 70,000 restaurant workers, 50,000 pub and bar staff, and around 20,000 crèche and childcare workers. it reported.


----------



## odyssey06

CROKE PARK IS to be turned into a Covid-19 testing facility, residents around the stadium have been told. Residents received a message today that the layout of the stadium is “suitable” for facilitating the tests. It will not be a walk-up service. Instead those with appointments will travel to Croke Park where they will be tested and will then leave immediately. 








						HSE will use Croke Park as drive-thru Covid-19 testing facility
					

Residents around the stadium were informed this afternoon.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Italy reports 3,233 new cases of coronavirus and 349 new deaths, raising total to 27,980 cases and 2,158 dead.
Iran reports 1,053 new cases of coronavirus and 129 new deaths, raising total to 14,991 cases and 853 dead.

CDC now recommends that, for the next 8 weeks, events with more than 50 people are canceled throughout the U.S.
Massachusetts Governor Baker orders all schools to close, bans gatherings with more than 25 people, and limits restaurants to offering take-out only.

Swiss canton of Geneva goes into lockdown from 6 p.m. Shops (bar food and pharmacy), gyms, bars, restaurants, hairdressers, religious services to close. Ban on gatherings of greater than 5 people also.

Brazil reports 55 new cases of coronavirus, raising country's total to 176.
Argentina's president says border will be closed to foreigners from all countries in effort to stop coronavirus.



			https://twitter.com/BNODesk


----------



## odyssey06

*Canada*’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, says he will close his country’s border to foreigners. Only four Canadian airports will be allowed to accept international flights, he said. The closure will not apply to commerce or trade, Trudeau said.
The actor *Idris Elba *has announced he has tested positive for Covid-19. Last week it emerged that Elba met Sophie Grégoire Trudeau at an event in London just over week before she tested positive.

*Egyptian* officials have announced that the country will close its airports and halt all domestic and international air travel from Thursday until the end of March. The country has banned large gatherings, limited prayer times and curbed many public activities in order to respond to the spread of the disease.


----------



## odyssey06

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, is telling the nation people’s movements will be severely limited, saying those who have ignored the government’s advice to isolate have put the health of other people at risk. He has ordered citizens to stay in their homes and only come out where it’s absolutely necessary... *infractions will be punished.*
Macron says all companies must now take steps to ensure employees can work from home. And he calls off a second round of municipal elections.

Beginning on Tuesday, people will only be allowed to leave home for strictly necessary reasons including to go shopping – while keeping a distance of one metre from anyone else – to get medical help and for work if it could not be done from home. Individual sporting activity will be allowed, but no collective sports.

Further:
Macron has told the nation he wants no company to be exposed to the risk of collapse as a result of the pandemic. He has also said *gas, electricity and water bills are to be suspended – as are rents – and the state will guarantee companies’ loans with a €300bn package. *
France will also be closing its borders, in coordination with other EU nations, Macron says.

France’s Public Health Authority has reported 21 new deaths from coronavirus taking the total to 148, an increase of around 16%. It says on its website that the number of cases had risen to 6,633, up from 5,423 on Sunday, which is *a rise of more than 20% in 24 hours*.


----------



## odyssey06

Dow Jones: Today's percentage drop (12.9%) is the 2nd biggest on record, surpassing the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The only time it dropped more was on Black Monday in 1987


----------



## Peanuts

Was ethereal any update on the number of new cases in Ireland today?  Can’t see it anywhere


----------



## odyssey06

Peanuts said:


> Was ethereal any update on the number of new cases in Ireland today?  Can’t see it anywhere



It's coming at 9pm I believe, I will copy to this thread once announced.

As a prelude: Taoiseach states he believes 15,000 people will have tested positive by the end of the month.


----------



## losttheplot

odyssey06 said:


> It's coming at 9pm I believe, I will copy to this thread once announced.
> 
> As a prelude: Taoiseach states he believes 15,000 people will have tested positive by the end of the month.


54 it seems


----------



## odyssey06

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said the National Public Health Emergency Team has recommended that all Irish citizens be advised against all non-essential travel overseas from now until 29 March. The guidance includes the UK but not Northern Ireland.


----------



## john luc

As the second largest exporter of MedTech products in Europe, Ireland supplies 95 of the world’s top 100 countries (ranked by GDP). This from the IDA, good news to know that we make these special ventilators in Galway


----------



## odyssey06

Ireland: PATIENTS WHO CALL their GPs for advice on coronavirus or for a consultation in relation to Covid-19 testing* will no longer be charged*. Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) president Padraig McGarry said measures have been agreed between the Department of Health and GPs which will ensure there will be no charge.








						Patients seeking advice on Covid-19 from GPs will not have to pay
					

Private hospitals will need to give capacity to help the public service, said the minister.




					www.thejournal.ie
				




An Post has announced an update on its Covid-19 arrangements. The majority of post offices will open from 8am this Friday, 20 March to facilitate OAPs who wish to conduct their business ahead of other customers, Customers impacted by Covid-19 may nominate a 'Temporary Agent' to act on their behalf by completing, in advance, a form available at post offices and online at anpost.com
Post Offices have introduced Social Distancing and other practical measures to safeguard customers and staff.


----------



## odyssey06

The total number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in Italy has risen to 31,506, from 27,980 on Monday, Reuters reports. The death toll also increased by 16% in the last 24 hours, by 345 to 2,503.

The Spanish government has vowed to suspend mortgage payments for workers and self-employed affected by the coronavirus epidemic. The government will also prohibit the cutting off of basic utilities such as electricity, water, gas and telecommunications for vulnerable groups during the crisis. 

Euro 2020 postponed for a year.


----------



## Daddy Ireland

Overall death rate to cases now over 4%.


----------



## odyssey06

69 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the overall number to 292.


----------



## odyssey06

EU imposes 30 day entry ban on travellers from outside the bloc ...does not apply to EFTA countries or UK.








						European Union imposes entry ban on outside travellers for 30 days
					

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said coordinated action is taking place to bring back stranded citizens.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Sophrosyne

Number of cases for the EU 27.

New cases between 10 and 17 March.

Number of deaths, critical and recovered since first reported cases.


*EU 27**10-Mar*​*17-Mar*​*1st Case(s)**Country**Cases**New Cases**Total**Deaths**Critical**Recovered**Active*1​*31-Jan*​Italy10149​21357​*31506*​2503​2060​2941​26062​2​*31-Jan*​Spain1695​10131​*11826*​533​563​1028​10265​3​*27-Jan*​Germany1565​7802​*9367*​26​2​67​9274​4​*24-Jan*​France1784​5946​*7730*​175​699​602​6953​5​*27-Feb*​Netherlands382​1323​*1705*​43​45​2​1660​6​*25-Feb*​Austria182​1150​*1332*​2​12​8​1320​7​*04-Feb*​Belgium267​976​*1243*​10​33​14​1219​8​*31-Jan*​Sweden355​841​*1196*​8​12​1​1187​9​*27-Feb*​Denmark262​715​*977*​4​18​1​972​10​*02-Mar*​Portugal41​407​*448*​1​18​3​444​12​*01-Mar*​Czechia63​371​*434*​0​2​3​431​11​*26-Feb*​Greece89​298​*387*​5​11​14​368​13​*28-Jan*​Finland40​282​*322*​0​2​10​312​14​*29-Feb*​Ireland34​258​*292*​2​6​5​285​15​*04-Mar*​Slovenia34​241​*275*​1​4​0​274​16​*04-Mar*​Poland22​216​*238*​5​3​1​232​17​*27-Feb*​Estonia13​212​*225*​0​0​1​224​18​*26-Feb*​Romania29​188​*217*​0​5​19​198​19​*29-Feb*​Luxembourg7​133​*140*​1​1​0​139​20​*06-Mar*​Slovakia7​90​*97*​0​2​0​97​21​*08-Mar*​Bulgaria6​75​*81*​2​0​0​79​22​*25-Feb*​Croatia15​54​*69*​0​0​5​64​23​*02-Mar*​Latvia8​52​*60*​0​0​1​59​24​*04-Mar*​Hungary12​38​*50*​1​0​2​47​25​*10-Mar*​Cyprus2​47​*49*​0​1​0​49​26​*07-Mar*​Malta5​33​*38*​0​0​2​36​27​*28-Feb*​Lithuania3​23​*26*​0​1​1​25​* 17,071 ** 53,259 ** 70,330 ** 3,324 ** 3,500 ** 4,731 ** 62,275 *​


----------



## odyssey06

The number of coronavirus cases has risen in France to 7,730, which is 1,097 more than the previous 24 hours, writes my colleague Kim Willsher.
“There have been 175 deaths, an increase of 27 in a day. Jérôme Salomon, director of the French health authority, said 7% of those infected were under 70 years old. Of the sick, 699 are in intensive care, but 5,000 patients have recovered or are being treated at home. There are 2,575 patients still in hospital, but more than 600 people have been successfully treated and allowed to go home in the last 24 hours alone.
The French PM, Édouard Philippe, spoke on television last night: he warned the government was drawing up the necessary regulations to increase fines for those found breaking the national “confinement” from €38 to €135. This has now been published in the Official Journal so is in now in force. “Stay at home”, he told French citizens.
In the south of France, the influx of Parisians trying to escape to second homes has led to anger in certain places. There is a picture in the Sud Ouest newspaper of a large tag at Cap Ferrat reading: “Paris go home virus”, with the paper reporting that locals are annoyed that many Parisians have arrived from the capital, possibly with the virus.


----------



## odyssey06

Belgium is the latest country to go into lockdown, with citizens asked to stay at home and limit contact to their closest family.
From noon local time (CET), all non-essential shops and open-air markets will close and people will be expected to work at home.
Employers who require staff to be on site but cannot ensure social distancing face fines and even closure.
The measures are similar to those adopted by France24 hours earlier, but looser. People will be able to visit supermarkets, pharmacies, medical professionals, banks, post offices and bookshops.
Supermarkets must limit the number of customers to one per 10 square metres, meaning people are likely to have to queue outside, where they must also observe social distancing by standing well apart.
Going out for a walk or a run, or riding a bike is allowed, “even encouraged”, the authorities say, as long as people observe a distance of one and a half metres from anyone who is not a member of their household.


----------



## odyssey06

Schools in Scotland and Wales to close from Friday.

Spain to close all hotels as tourists advised to leave.

US president Donald Trump has just tweeted that the US-Canada border will be closed to “non-essential traffic”. Trump insists: “trade will not be affected”.


----------



## mathepac

My sister was due into St Vincent’s Hospital tomorrow for a routine (for her) treatment but  was informed by her consultant that there was COVID-19 in the hospital.  She decided to postpone treatment.


----------



## EmmDee

mathepac said:


> My sister was due into St Vincent’s Hospital tomorrow for a routine (for her) treatment but  was informed by her consultant that there was COVID-19 in the hospital.  She decided to postpone treatment.



In the main hospital or the Private clinic? (If you know)


----------



## odyssey06

Schools in England and N Ireland to close this week.


----------



## odyssey06

The coronavirus *death toll in Italy has increased by 475, *the highest number so far recorded any country in a single day, according to the latest figures from the Civil Protection Agency. 

There are 9,134 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus in France, and there have been 264 deaths – an increase of 89 in the last 24 hours. Of those infected, 2,626 are in hospital; 931 of them in intensive care, half of whom are under 60 years old.


----------



## odyssey06

The European Union has urged online media platforms to stream movies and entertainment in standard rather than high definition to relieve pressure on the internet during the coronavirus pandemic... Thierry Breton, the EU Internal Market and Digital Economy Commissioner, warns the huge file sizes of such broadcasts are slowing the web just as many users are forced to work online from home.


----------



## odyssey06

74 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed this evening. There are now 366 cases in the Republic. 
Six new cases were announced in Northern Ireland today, bringing the total number there to 68.

Department of Foreign Affairs advises Irish citizens to avoid travel to or transit through Germany.


----------



## odyssey06

HSE releases breakdown of cases by county and age bracket.








						Coronavirus in Ireland: A county by county breakdown of where the virus has infected people
					

The stats were released by the HSE today.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## mathepac

EmmDee said:


> In the main hospital or the Private clinic? (If you know)


I always assumed she attended the private clinic but I don't actually know. It was an OP procedure.


----------



## EmmDee

mathepac said:


> I always assumed she attended the private clinic but I don't actually know. It was an OP procedure.



I believe, sadly, a patient died in Vincent's today. Had been in isolation and treatment for a number of days.

I wonder if that is what was meant by the comment.


----------



## odyssey06

London: 40 tube stations will be shut to slow the spread of coronavirus. TfL says it will run a reduced service to enable London’s critical workers to make essential journeys but there will be no Waterloo & City line from Friday, no night tube service and fewer buses.


----------



## odyssey06

Northern Ireland has recorded the first death of a patient who tested positive for Covid-19, the Department of Health has announced. The patient was described as elderly and as having an underlying medical condition. It takes the UK death toll to 105.

Russia has recorded its first death from coronavirus. The victim was a 79-year-old woman from Moscow who was taken to hospital late last week and died on Thursday in a Moscow infectious diseases hospital. Russian officials said that she had underlying conditions, including diabetes and hypertension.

EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier tests positive for covid-19.


----------



## Purple

Leaving cert oral exams cancelled and students given full marks.
I'm seeing if it's too late to re-sit my Irish and French!


----------



## odyssey06

Purple said:


> Leaving cert oral exams cancelled and students given full marks.
> I'm seeing if it's too late to re-sit my Irish and French!



I went through it, they should have been made to do it via video call...


----------



## odyssey06

THE PORT OF Cork has agreed a temporary suspension of operations with cruise lines as a result of the escalating global Covid-19 outbreak.
Cruise liners that were due to berth between now and 20 April have been cancelled. Cruise operations in the following months are now in question.


----------



## Eireog007

191 new cases, always going to happen with more extensive testing but made my stomach drop nonetheless.


----------



## odyssey06

191 new cases in the Republic and sadly third death.


----------



## odyssey06

Death toll in Italy rises to 3405, an increase of 427.


----------



## Sophrosyne

Daddy Ireland said:


> Prime Time tonight was stark reality. Although not discussed on the program USA, Spain and UK are next in line to follow the extremely grim picture in Italy.. We will be in full lockdown by Friday of next week. I am not scaremongering it is simply clear as day to me. Self isolation by all is the only answer for us.



The USA may be up there with Italy already.

It appears tests were carried out but not enough laboratories were available to process the tests.

Laboratory capacity was ramped up two days ago to process the backlog and it is evident from the number of confirmed cases in the last two days, which rose from 6,411 to 13,859.

That is behind Spain and Germany with 18,077 and 15,320 confirmed cases respectively and ahead of France with 10,995.

Apparently it may take two weeks for the USA to work through the backlog.

The UK figures are low at 3,269 so far because of its very restricted testing, which does not reflect actual numbers.


----------



## Brendan Burgess

Folks - the clue is in the thread title "latest news" 

It's been a very useful source of news. 

But you are wasting your own time and mine by posting speculation and other non news in this thread. There is a whole forum for that. 

Brendan


----------



## Leo

For anyone looking for some good news, while a vaccine might be some time off, the list and early results of potential treatments undergoing fast-tracked trials is promising. Ignore the Obviously just ignore the Trump quotes in this...


----------



## EmmDee

London hospital declares critical incident last night as they max out on critical care beds - probably not a major hospital but they are now sending patients to other hospitals.









						Exclusive: Critical care unit overwhelmed by coronavirus patients
					

A major London hospital has declared a "critical incident" due to a surge in patients with coronavirus, with one senior director in the capital calling the development "petrifying".




					www.hsj.co.uk


----------



## Fidgety

Death toll in Italy increases to 4,032, a rise of 627.


----------



## Duke of Marmalade

NI seems proportionately less affected than RoI.  Are they benefiting from the fact that the communities do not mix?


----------



## john luc

are the north numbers accurate though. I think at this stage the number drop feed is not really the point as the real point is we are heading for a much larger number eventually


----------



## odyssey06

*Ireland:*
There have been a further 126 cases of Covid-19 confirmed in Ireland, the Department of Health has said. The latest increase brings the total number of cases here to 683 since the first case was reported here earlier this month... There have been 12 people diagnosed with Covid-19 who have been admitted to intensive care units and 140 people overall were hospitalised.

*UK:*
The total number of confirmed coronavirus-related deaths in the UK now stands at 177. There have been 167 in England, six in Scotland, three in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.
Boris Johnson is telling cafes, bars, and restaurants to close as soon as possible and not to open tomorrow. He said they can provide takeaway services. He also ordered nightclubs, theatres, cinemas, gyms and leisure centres to close. Government will cover 80% of the wages of those out of work due to the closures.

*France:*
There are now 12,612 confirmed cases in France, and 450 deaths. Of the deaths, 87% were aged over 70 years old. There are 5,226 people in hospital, 35% of them over 65 years old: 1,297 of these are in intensive care, 50% under 60 years old. 1,587 have been released from hospital.

*US:*
US president Donald Trump has invoked the Defense Production Act to get needed medical supplies on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak, mobilizing the federal government to marshal the private sector to combat the pandemic. Trump had said earlier in the week he would tap the act as needed. He said Friday he has put that in gear. Trump also announced an effective closure of the US border with Mexico, prohibiting most travel except for trade.


----------



## odyssey06

*New York:*
Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has ordered the shutdown of all non-essential businesses in the state, as the number of confirmed cases surged above 7,000. Except for essential services, all New Yorkers are now ordered to stay indoors from 8pm Sunday evening. 
Although New Yorkers are strongly encouraged to stay indoors and public gatherings are limited, they can still go to the grocery store, hospital or doctor’s office, walk their dogs or even head to the laundromat. That’s simply because state officials have determined these activities are essential.

*Spain:*
The death toll now stands at 1,326, while there are 1,612 people in intensive care. A total of 2,125 people have recovered from the virus. According to the latest figure from Spain’s health ministry, the country now has 24,926 confirmed cases of the Coronavirus, up from 19,980 on Friday. The statistics show that more than a third of all of the country’s cases are in the Madrid region, where there are 8,921 cases and where there have been 804 deaths.

*Japan:*
Japan recorded 1,016 cases of coronavirus as of Saturday. The tally rises to 1,728 if the 712 infections from the Diamond Princess cruise ship that was stranded at port near Tokyo last month are included. The death toll in the country, including fatalities from the ship, is 43.

In *Australia*, 1,049 cases of Covid-19, and seven deaths, have been reported. 
*Canada *has 1,044 cases, and 13 deaths.

*Pakistan *and *Vietnam *have suspended international flights in a bid to contain the coronavirus pandemic.


----------



## Eireog007

102 new cases in Ireland, still hard to say where we are with the backlog in testing but I still feel slightly better with a drop in numbers.


----------



## Brendan Burgess

Hi Eire

I doubt that it is significant. 

There might be less actual lab testing on a Saturday?  

I think we will have wait until the end of the month or longer to see a trend.

Brendan


----------



## odyssey06

IRELAND:
Another 102 CASES of Covid-19 have been announced in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the total number to 785. 
* 30% of cases have been hospitalised
* 13 cases admitted to ICU – representing 2% of all cases hospitalised
* 147 cases – 25% of cases are associated with healthcare worker
* Of those for whom transmission status is known, community transmission accounts for 42%, close contact accounts for 23%, travel abroad accounts for 35%.

UK:
The number of people to test positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 9am on Saturday is 5,018 –up from 3,983 at 9am on Friday, the Department of Health said. A total of 72,818 people have been tested, with 67,800 negative results.
A further 53 people, who tested positive for the Coronavirus (Covid-19), have died – bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in England to 220. Patients were aged between 41 and 94 years old and all had underlying health conditions.

Italy:
793 new deaths from Covid-19, a one-day record that saw the country’s toll rise to 4,825. The number of Covid-19 infections rose by 6,557 to 53,578. The total number of fatalities in the northern Lombardy regions around Milan surpassed 3,000.

France:
The coronavirus death toll in France has jumped by 112 in 24 hours to 562, the health ministry has confirmed. The country now has 14,459 confirmed cases, while 525 people are in intensive care – half of whom are under 60 years old. The true number of people who are thought to have contracted Covid-19 is estimated at 30,000–90,000.

US:
US vice-president Mike Pence has said he will be tested for coronavirus after his aide tested positive for Covid-19.


----------



## Eireog007

Brendan Burgess said:


> Hi Eire
> 
> I doubt that it is significant.
> 
> There might be less actual lab testing on a Saturday?
> 
> I think we will have wait until the end of the month or longer to see a trend.
> 
> Brendan



Oh absolutely it’s going to be hard to have any great analysis for a while.


----------



## Thirsty

14 cases in nursing home in Leinster. Independent article is behind paywall.
Rte has nothing on it.

Cf Washington Post - all covid19 related information is freely available. Irish papers - time to follow suit.


----------



## odyssey06

The death toll in Spain has climbed to 1,720 – with 394 lives claimed in the past day – as the country’s prime minister warned that the “worst is yet to come” and announced plans to extend the country’s near-total lockdown until the 12 of April. Across Spain, the number of confirmed cases sits at 28,572, according to the latest data from the health ministry. 

In Iran, the death toll rose has risen by 129 (8%) to 1,685 over the past day, and the number of cases has risen by 1,028 (5%) to 21,638.

In Germany, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen by 1,948 (12%) to 18,610, and the number of deaths has increased by nine (20%) to 55, the country’s public health institute said.


----------



## odyssey06

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is in quarantine after a doctor who gave her a pneumococcal vaccine tests positive for coronavirus.

Ireland:
Another 121 people have been confirmed to have coronavirus as health chiefs announced the fourth Irish death from the illness. 
17 cases have been admitted to ICU.
There is now at least one confirmed case of Covid-19 in every county in Ireland
Of those for whom transmission status is known, community transmission accounts for 44%, close contact accounts for 23% and travel abroad accounts for 33%. 
Cases confirmed today were most likely exposed to Covid-19 prior to the introduction of the public health measures implemented on Friday, 13 March.


----------



## johnwilliams

fda have authorized a fast corona virus test   results in 45 minutes, understand available starting early next week


----------



## odyssey06

In Spain, one of Europe’s worst-hit countries, the coronavirus death toll has reached 2,182, the total growing by 462 overnight. 
The death toll in Iran from the new coronavirus has increased to 1,812, with 127 new deaths in 24 hours. 

Japan considers postponement of Olympics.


----------



## Fidgety

Italy reports 601 deaths, total 6,077.


----------



## Eireog007

219 new cases in Ireland and a further 2 deaths announced.


----------



## odyssey06

*Ireland*
A further 219 new cases of Covid-19 in the Republic of Ireland, bringing the total number of cases here to 1,125. Two more deaths were also confirmed, meaning six people have died from Covid-19 here. Both patients were male and in the east of the country. At a press conference at the Department of Health in Dublin this evening, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said, to his knowledge, the males *did not have underlying health conditions*.
RTÉ presenter Claire Byrne has tested positive for Covid-19.

*Italy*
Italy, which has seen the most deaths of any nation, registered a smaller day-to-day increase in new coronavirus cases. The death toll from the outbreak grew by 602 to 6,078, the head of the Civil Protection Agency said. While that is an 11% increase, it is the smallest nominal rise since last Thursday.

*UK*
According to the Department of Health and Social Care, 6,650 people have tested positive, 77,295 negative and 335 patients have died. That included 46 more deaths in England, as well as four more in both Scotland and Wales. Two people have died from the disease in Northern Ireland, though it did not record any further deaths on Monday.

*France*
France now has 19,856 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 3,176 more than the previous day, and the death toll from the virus has reached 860, a jump of 186 in 24 hours. There are 8,675 people in hospital with the virus, of whom 2,080 are in intensive care.

*New York*
The governor, Andrew Cuomo, said the state had 5,707 new cases, meaning it has confirmed 20,875 in total. Of those, 13% have needed to be cared for in hospital, around a quarter of whom are in intensive care, and 157 people have died.


----------



## odyssey06

Grim reading from Spain:
Spanish soldiers deployed to help fight the coronavirus outbreak have been finding elderly patients abandoned, and sometimes dead, at care homes.
The army has been charged with helping to disinfect retirement homes in Spain, one of the countries worst hit by the pandemic. Dozens of deaths from Covid-19 have been recorded at facilities across the country.








						Spain seeks NATO help as virus death toll nears 2,700
					

Spain's armed forces have asked NATO for humanitarian assistance to fight the novel coronavirus as the national death toll touched 2,700 and infections soared towards 40,000.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## odyssey06

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games have been postponed until 2021 due to the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic.


----------



## odyssey06

India’s prime minister Narendra Modi has decreed lockdown of the country of 1.3 billion people for 21 days.


----------



## odyssey06

UK death toll rises by 87 to 422.


----------



## odyssey06

Ireland:
204 more new cases
1 more death confirmed
Total cases 1329


----------



## Sophrosyne

EU 27 Update


*17-Mar*​*24-Mar*​*1st Case(s)**Country**Cases**New Cases**Total**Deaths**Critical**Recovered**Active*1​*31-Jan*​Italy31506​37670​*69176*​6820​3393​8326​54030​2​*31-Jan*​Spain11826​30232​*42058*​2991​2636​3794​35273​3​*27-Jan*​Germany9367​23624​*32991*​159​23​3290​29542​4​*24-Jan*​France7730​14574​*22304*​1100​2516​3281​17923​5​*27-Feb*​Netherlands1705​3855​*5560*​276​435​2​5282​6​*25-Feb*​Austria1332​3951​*5283*​28​22​9​5246​7​*04-Feb*​Belgium1243​3026​*4269*​122​381​461​3686​8​*02-Mar*​Portugal448​1914​*2362*​33​48​22​2307​9​*31-Jan*​Sweden1196​1090​*2286*​36​110​16​2234​10​*27-Feb*​Denmark977​614​*1591*​32​69​1​1558​12​*01-Mar*​Czechia434​960​*1394*​2​19​8​1384​11​*26-Feb*​Ireland292​1037​*1329*​7​29​5​1317​13​*29-Feb*​Luxembourg140​959​*1099*​8​3​6​1085​14​*04-Mar*​Poland238​646​*884*​10​3​1​873​15​*29-Feb*​Finland322​470​*792*​1​11​10​781​16​*26-Feb*​Romania217​545​*762*​13​15​79​670​17​*28-Jan*​Greece387​356​*743*​20​35​29​694​18​*04-Mar*​Slovenia275​205​*480*​4​12​3​473​19​*25-Feb*​Croatia69​313​*382*​1​6​5​376​20​*27-Feb*​Estonia225​144​*369*​0​4​7​362​21​*08-Mar*​Bulgaria81​137​*218*​3​8​3​212​22​*28-Feb*​Lithuania26​183​*209*​1​1​1​207​23​*06-Mar*​Slovakia97​107​*204*​0​2​7​197​24​*02-Mar*​Latvia60​137​*197*​0​0​1​196​25​*04-Mar*​Hungary50​137​*187*​9​6​21​157​26​*10-Mar*​Cyprus49​75​*124*​3​3​3​118​27​*07-Mar*​Malta38​72​*110*​0​1​2​108​*70330*​*127033*​*197363*​*11679*​*9791*​*19393*​*166291*​



*1st Case(s)**Country**Cases**New Cases**Total**Deaths**Critical**Recovered**Active**21-Jan*​USA6411​48470​*54881*​780​1175​378​53723​*31-Jan*​UK1950​6127​*8077*​422​20​135​7520​


In the US, New York has the highest number of cases and deaths, 26,348 and 271.

The virus so far has affected 196 countries and territories.

Global cases and deaths now stands at 425,902 and 18995.

Global recovered cases so far 109,225


----------



## geri

None in Russia?


----------



## Purple

Country,
OtherTotal
CasesNew
CasesTotal
DeathsNew
DeathsTotal
RecoveredActive
CasesSerious,
CriticalTot Cases/
1M popTot Deaths/
1M pop


Russia495122472830.01

Figures out of Russia are questionable, after all officially there are no gay people there.


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain:*
With 3,434 coronavirus patients dead, Spain surpassed China’s death toll of 3,285. Italy still has the most deaths of any nation in the world with 6,820.
Infections in Spain also rose 20% from a day earlier to 47,610.

*UK:*
71 year old Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus and is displaying mild symptoms.


----------



## noproblem

Purple said:


> Country,
> OtherTotal
> CasesNew
> CasesTotal
> DeathsNew
> DeathsTotal
> RecoveredActive
> CasesSerious,
> CriticalTot Cases/
> 1M popTot Deaths/
> 1M pop
> 
> 
> Russia495122472830.01
> 
> Figures out of Russia are questionable, after all officially there are no gay people there.


In my humble opinion they're no more questionable than what we're being given from China.


----------



## Purple

noproblem said:


> In my humble opinion they're no more questionable than what we're being given from China.


A low bar indeed.


----------



## odyssey06

Ireland:
235 more cases.
1564 cases in total.
2 more deaths in the east of the country - female with underlying condition,  male with no other condition. 9 deaths in total.


----------



## geri

COVID Live Update: 142,072,345 Cases and 3,034,587 Deaths from the Coronavirus - Worldometer
					

Live statistics and coronavirus news tracking the number of confirmed cases, recovered patients, tests, and death toll due to the COVID-19 coronavirus from Wuhan, China. Coronavirus counter with new cases, deaths, and number of tests per 1 Million population. Historical data and info. Daily...




					www.worldometers.info
				




This may already be on this forum somewhere. It gives alot of pertinent information and seem to be getting updated at least daily


----------



## odyssey06

UK:
41 more deaths, total now 468.
Of the recent deaths, ages ranged from 47 to 93. All had known underlying conditions, except the 47 year old.


----------



## geri

odyssey06 said:


> UK:
> 41 more deaths, total now 468.
> Of the recent deaths, ages ranged from 47 to 93. All had known underlying conditions, except the 47 year old.


According to the link I posted above one of the uk deaths was a 21 year old woman with no underlying condition.  Tragic.


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain*
Death toll has surged to 4,089 after 655 people died of Covid-19 within 24 hours, the health ministry said.
It was a 19% increase on figures released yesterday. The number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 rose to 56,188 in Spain.


----------



## odyssey06

*UK*:
More than 100 coronavirus deaths in a 24-hour period for the first time on, with 115 people who tested positive for the virus dying.
A total of 11,658 cases have now been confirmed in Britain, a daily increase of more than 2,000.

*France:*
The number of deaths from coronavirus in France has risen by 365 in 24 hours, from 1,331 to 1,696, according to health officials. Jérome Salomon, director general of the French health service, said on Thursday there are now 29,155 confirmed cases in the country. 
A 16-year-old in the Ile de France region is one of those to have died. 
There are currently 13,904 people in hospital with Covid-19 of whom 3,375 are in intensive care. Of those, 34% are under 60 and 58% are aged between 60 and 80.
*
China:*
China has announced it will close its border to foreign nationals from this weekend.


----------



## seamus m

Irish people asked to clap at  8 pm in unity with Europe for frontline workers .Clap like you never clapped before.


----------



## Eireog007

USA has just overtaken China as the country with the most infections, the speed of the progression there is frightening.


----------



## odyssey06

*US:*
81943 cases (+13732)
1177 deaths (+150)


----------



## Thirsty

Here's a figure I can't find anywhere.

How many people who were on ventilators, recovered and went home?

The numbers of recovered cases, looks to me on the basis of the figures, to be those who didn't need ICU level treatment.


----------



## Sunny

Thirsty said:


> Here's a figure I can't find anywhere.
> 
> How many people who were on ventilators, recovered and went home?
> 
> The numbers of recovered cases, looks to me on the basis of the figures, to be those who didn't need ICU level treatment.



Probably too early for these figures. These are critically ill. Not likely to recover fully in 1-2 weeks. We won't get a clear picture until they have enough cases to give a breakdown of those people who pass away in intensive care and those in other medical settings like nursing homes. 10 fatalities in one day is very sad though. Sometimes I wonder are we all getting fixated on numbers (I know I follow the updates closely from all different countries). Guilty myself of sometimes losing sight of the real human cost.


----------



## Brendan Burgess

Guys 

Stick to news in this thread. 

And if you report news and then put in an aside , someone else will respond to the aside, and the whole thread will go off the rails.

Thanks

Brendan


----------



## Brendan Burgess

Boris Johnson has tested positive









						Boris Johnson says he has tested positive for coronavirus
					

PM, health secretary and chief medical officer in self-isolation as UK records 181 more deaths




					www.irishtimes.com


----------



## Sophrosyne

And the UK Health Minister, Matt Hancock.


----------



## odyssey06

*Ireland:*
2121 cases* (+302)*
22 deaths *(+3) * 

*Italy:*
86,498 cases (+6153)
9134 deaths (+969)

*France:*
In France, a 16-year-old student became the youngest person in the country to die from the virus. Her sister said she was admitted to hospital on Monday after developing a “slight cough” last week, and she died on Tuesday in hospital in Paris. France has reported more than 1,600 deaths and 29,000 infections, and on Friday extended its nationwide confinement measures for another two weeks until April 15. 

*Spain:*
64059 cases (+7800)
4858 deaths (+769)


----------



## odyssey06

The death toll from coronavirus in *Spain *surged to over 5,600 after a record 832 people died in the past 24 hours, and the number of infections is now over 72,000.


----------



## odyssey06

*Italy:*
The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy's contagion, has risen by around 542 in a day to some 5,944 ... The fatalities are broadly in line with yesterday's tally of 541, which was the second highest since the outbreak emerged on 21 February. 

*UK:*
Another 260 people have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the death total there to 1,019. Two more Covid-19 related deaths have been recorded in Northern Ireland, bringing the new total there to 15 with a further 49 new cases of the virus. A total of 120,776 coronavirus tests have taken place across the UK, with 17,089 positive results. The jump in coronavirus-related deaths in the UK is the biggest day-on-day rise in the number of deaths since the outbreak began.


----------



## noproblem

odyssey06 said:


> *Italy:*
> The death toll from an outbreak of coronavirus in the northern region of Lombardy, which has borne the brunt of Italy's contagion, has risen by around 542 in a day to some 5,944 ... The fatalities are broadly in line with yesterday's tally of 541, which was the second highest since the outbreak emerged on 21 February.



I though yesterdays figure for Italy was close to 1000 deaths.


----------



## odyssey06

noproblem said:


> I though yesterdays figure for Italy was close to 1000 deaths.



The above figures are for the region of Lombardy only - Italian figures out later.


----------



## Thirsty

Latest news: Italy rate of date per million of population has risen from 151 per million yesterday to 166 per million today.


----------



## Thirsty

More news:
UK reports a c.50% recovery rate of patients in ICU with Covid19.


----------



## odyssey06

A total of 127,737 people in* the UK* have been tested for coronavirus as of 9am according to the Department of Health, with 19,522 positive results.
The number of people who have died after testing positive rose to 1,228,an increase of 209.

*Iran*'s coronavirus death toll has risen to 2,640, a health ministry official said on Sunday, as the Middle East's worst-hit country grapples with the fast-spreading outbreak. "In the past 24 hours we had 123 deaths and 2,901 people have been infected, bringing the total number of infected people to 38,309," Alireza Vahabzadeh, an adviser to the health minister, said in a tweet. "12,391 people infected from the virus have recovered."

*Spain*
The coronavirus death toll rose by a record 838 cases overnight to 6,528. Second only to Italy in fatalities, Spain also saw infections rise to 78,797 from 72,248 the day before.


----------



## odyssey06

*Italy:*
* The death toll in Italy climbed by 756 to 10,779 -  the second successive fall in the daily rate. 
* Total number of confirmed cases in Italy rose on Sunday to 97,689 from a previous 92,472, the lowest daily rise in new cases since Wednesday.
* Of those infected nationwide, 13,030 had fully recovered on Sunday, compared to 12,384 the day before. There were 3,906 people in intensive care, up from the previous 3,856.
* Lombardy, the hardest hit Italian region, reported a rise in deaths of around 416 on Sunday.


----------



## Brendan Burgess

Folks

Just to reiterate yet again - this thread is for news and news only. 

Odyssey has done a good job compiling it - don't take it off topic.

If you post some news and then someone else's comment or forecast, the whole post is going to be deleted.

And when your post is deleted, don't throw your toys out of the pram.  Repost in a new thread or in response to an existing thread.

Brendan


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain:*
Another 812 deaths in 24 hours from the coronavirus, a slight decline on the previous day’s toll, bringing the total number of deaths to 7,340.
The country recorded 838 deaths from the pandemic yesterday... The growth in the number of new confirmed cases also slowed, posting a one-day rise of 8% to 85,195, according to the health ministry, compared to a 20% rise on Wednesday.
...
Spain’s healthcare system is struggling to cope with the surge of seriously ill patients all at once, with hotels and conference centres being used as temporary clinics and Madrid’s largest ice ink turned into a provisional morgue. 

*France:*
36 coronavirus patients evavuated from hospitals in the hard-hit Alsace region in the east to hospitals in less affected areas using medically adapted TGVs. Two specially modified trains carried patients from Mulhouse and Nancy to hospitals in western France. The patients are reportedly on ventilators but their conditions show “no complications”. Each train carriage has been turned into an intensive care unit for four patients, and a team of at least six medics and nurses, according to the French health ministry. Around 80 French patients from Alsace have also now been transferred to hospitals in neighbouring Luxembourg, Germany and Switzerland...
The Grand-Est region of France has around 3,777 people in hospital with the coronavirus, 786 of whom are in intensive care. There have been 757 deaths due to Covid-19 in the region. 

*New York:*
A US Navy hospital ship with 1,000 beds is making its way into New York Harbour to help relieve the coronavirus crisis gripping the city’s hospitals, according to the Associated Press news agency. The USNS Comfort, which was sent to New York City after 9/11, will be used to treat non-coronavirus patients while hospitals treat people with COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. New York State governor Andrew Cuomo was expected to greet the vessel when it reaches the harbour and docks at a Manhattan cruise ship terminal. In addition to the 1,000 beds, the Comfort has 12 operating rooms that could be up and running within 24 hours.


----------



## odyssey06

The death toll in France is now 3024 - this only tracks deaths in hospitals. Note that this figure does not include deaths at home or in retirement homes.

5056 in intensive care.


----------



## odyssey06

*UK:*
An additional 40 previously unreported coronavirus deaths occurred in England and Wales earlier this month, according to new official backdated figures that suggest almost one in four coronavirus deaths are occurring outside hospitals. The Office of National Statistics figures, which are based on death certificates, show there were 210 deaths where Covid-19 was listed as a cause by 20 March, 40 more than the 170 announced by the NHS at that stage. The figure is higher because it includes deaths outside hospitals, including those in homes and care homes, and includes patients who had not tested positive for the virus but were suspected of having the disease. It suggests that almost 24% of coronavirus deaths were previously going unreported in government figures.

*Russia:*
The number of coronavirus cases in Russia jumped to 2,337 on Tuesday, an increase of 500, as the country recorded its biggest daily rise for the seventh day in a row, Reuters reports. In Russia, 18 people who contracted the coronavirus have died, while 121 people have recovered.


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain:*
8189 deaths (+849)
94417 cases (+9222)


----------



## Firefly

*Death toll in UK hospitals rises by 381 to 1,789*
A total of 1,789 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Monday, the Department of Health said, up by 381 from 1,408 the day before.









						UK coronavirus live: NHS to get thousands of new ventilators 'next week', as death toll rises to 1,789 - as it happened
					

Department of Health says 143,186 people have been tested, with 25,150 testing positive; Home Office confirms NHS worker visas will be extended




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## odyssey06

Italy:
The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in Italy has climbed by 837 to 12,428, the Civil Protection Agency said today, with the daily tally rising, albeit slightly, for a second day running.
The number of new cases was broadly steady, growing by 4,053 against 4,050 yesterday, and bringing total infections since the outbreak came to light on 21 February to 105,792.


----------



## odyssey06

US:
The death toll in the United States from the new coronavirus outbreak has surpassed the official tally in China, with more than more 3,400 fatalities recorded, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University.


----------



## odyssey06

France:
France reported its highest daily number of deaths from coronavirus since the epidemic began, saying 499 more people had died in hospital to bring the toll to 3,523.
There are now 22,757 people hospitalised in France with COVID-19, with 5,565 of them in intensive care, health official Jerome Salomon told reporters in his daily update.
The French death toll includes only those who died in hospital and not those who died at home or in old people's homes.


----------



## johnwilliams

fda have now approved a 5 min point of care virus test company called abbot?
trump also says white house briefing new machine being deployed states capable of disinfecting 12000 facemasks etc in one day ,that info need to come from another source to be certain its true and not exaggerated


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain:*
9053 deaths *(+864)*
102136 cases *(+7719) 

UK:
+563* coronavirus-related deaths, bringing the total to 2,352. 
The number of people tested in the UK for coronavirus has passed 150,000. The total by 9am today was 152,979.
On average around 8,000 new people were tested a day in the seven days up to today.
The total number of confirmed cases in the UK stands at* 29,474*, as of 9am today.
A week ago, on 25 March, the total was *9,529.*


----------



## odyssey06

France:
French health authorities reported 509 new deaths from coronavirus today, taking the total to 4,032.
There are now 24,639 people hospitalised in France with Covid-19, with 6,017 of them in intensive care, health official Jérôme Salomon told reporters in his daily update. The death toll yesterday had risen by 499...
The number of confirmed cases also rose by 4,861 to 56,989. Many cases however go unregistered because of a lack of testing equipment.
Mr Salomon noted that the number of people in intensive care was already above France's pre-crisis intensive care capacity of around 5,000.


----------



## Sophrosyne

Global total of cases just reached over 1m.


----------



## odyssey06

Sophrosyne said:


> Global total of cases just reached over 1m.



Altogether, about a million people around the world have contracted coronavirus and over 50,000 have died, according to Johns Hopkins University. Over 200,000 have recovered.

Spain reported a record one-day number of deaths, 950, bringing its overall toll to about 10,000, despite signs that the infection rate is slowing.

Italy recorded 760 more deaths, for a total of 13,900, the worst of any country, but new infections continued to level off. More than 10,000 medical personnel in Italy have been infected and 69 doctors have died.


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain *reported a record one-day number of deaths, 950, bringing its overall toll to about 10,000, despite signs that the infection rate is slowing. Italy recorded 760 more deaths, for a total of 13,900 ... but new infections continued to level off.
*France *recorded a running total of about 4,500 deaths in hospitals, with 471 in the past day. But officials expect the overall toll to jump significantly because they are only now starting to count deaths in nursing homes and other facilities for older people.

*US:*
Donald Trump said he was looking “very strongly” at banning domestic air travel, in a dramatic step to curb the spread of coronavirus that would have a severe impact on the reeling aviation industry... Mr Trump spoke as the number of US coronavirus cases topped 206,000 and the death toll rose to 4,633, an almost 50 per cent rise from Tuesday. New York remains the worst hotspot with almost 2,000 deaths, while 355 people have died in New Jersey. Louisiana, a state with a much smaller population, has recorded 273 deaths. 
https://www.ft.com/content/a5847177-f993-3c8e-af60-747e6109cb7d


----------



## Peanuts

odyssey06 said:


> *Spain *reported a record one-day number of deaths, 950, bringing its overall toll to about 10,000, despite signs that the infection rate is slowing. Italy recorded 760 more deaths, for a total of 13,900 ... but new infections continued to level off.
> *France *recorded a running total of about 4,500 deaths in hospitals, with 471 in the past day. But officials expect the overall toll to jump significantly because they are only now starting to count deaths in nursing homes and other facilities for older people.
> 
> *US:*
> Donald Trump said he was looking “very strongly” at banning domestic air travel, in a dramatic step to curb the spread of coronavirus that would have a severe impact on the reeling aviation industry... Mr Trump spoke as the number of US coronavirus cases topped 206,000 and the death toll rose to 4,633, an almost 50 per cent rise from Tuesday. New York remains the worst hotspot with almost 2,000 deaths, while 355 people have died in New Jersey. Louisiana, a state with a much smaller population, has recorded 273 deaths.
> https://www.ft.com/content/a5847177-f993-3c8e-af60-747e6109cb7d




I thought France had 1300 or so deaths yesterday, saw it on https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ I think it was the highest one day total of any country so far


----------



## odyssey06

Peanuts said:


> I thought France had 1300 or so deaths yesterday, saw it on https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/ I think it was the highest one day total of any country so far



Yes, you are right, my figure listed only hospital deaths. Updated figures below:
_France_ recorded 471 new _deaths_ in hospitals and *884 deaths in retirement homes* due to the _coronavirus_


----------



## Purple

UK's total deaths up by 684 to 3605, a rise of 23% in one day.


----------



## odyssey06

*UK:*
A total of 4,934 people have died after contracting Covid-19 in the UK after the latest increase of 621.
The Department of Health in Britain also said that, as of 9am today, a total of 195,524 people have been tested of which 47,806 tested positive.
Northern Ireland subset: 63 deaths (+7).


----------



## odyssey06

*UK:*
439 deaths in last 24 hours.
In total 5,373 people who had tested positive for coronavirus have died in UK hospitals.
208,837 people had been tested for the virus, of which 51,608 had tested positive.
Prime minister Johnson in hospital for tests and observation for covid-19.

*Italy:*
There were 636 more deaths from coronavirus in Italy on Monday, 111 more than the number registered on Sunday, bringing the death toll in Italy to 16,523.
The number of current new infections increased by 1,941, a rise of 2% since Sunday and the lowest day-to-day rise registered since 30 March. For the third day in a row, there was *a decrease in the number of intensive care beds in use*.

*Germany (totals):*
1,623 deaths
101,000 cases

*New York (totals):*
130,869 cases of coronavirus and 4,758 deaths.


----------



## geri

Unfortunately Boris Johnson has just been admitted to intensive care. Just reported on virgin media news.


----------



## odyssey06

*France:*
10,328 fatalities have been recorded - 7,091 in hospital and 3,237 in old age homes.
The rate of increase of fatalities is up for the second day running.
A total of 7,131 people are being treated in intensive care

*United States:*
Total 380,000 cases and 11,800 deaths. 
New York state reported its deadliest day, with 731 new coronavirus deaths for a total of 5,489 fatalities, even as Governor Andrew Cuomo said that hospitalisations appeared to be reaching a plateau.


----------



## odyssey06

*England:*
A further 828 people have died in English hospitals from Covid-19, bringing the total so far there to 6,483.
The patients who sadly passed away were aged between 22 and 103 years old. Of the 828 people who died, 46 of them had no underlying health conditions.
_(this appears to represent the highest daily rise in UK fatalities although collated figures for all health regions not yet published)_

*Spain:*
Deaths in Spain rise for a second consecutive day, to 14,555.
The death toll rose for the second day in a row, up by 757 compared with 743 on Tuesday.

*Iran:*
Iran’s health ministry reported the number of people who had tested positive in the country had increased by 1,997 to 67,286, and the death toll had risen by 121 and now stood at 4,003.


----------



## Purple

Are figures reported for the rest of the UK?


----------



## odyssey06

Purple said:


> Are figures reported for the rest of the UK?



A further 108 patients died in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The Guardian explains the lag between regional and UK numbers:
_The total number deaths announced in all four countries now stands at 7,095, with a rise of 936 deaths. But the official UK figure, announced later today, is likely to be lower at it marks the number recorded by 5pm the previous day. Unlike England, the figures for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland include some deaths that occurred today._


----------



## Sophrosyne

UK
Total cases  60,733 - includes 5,491 new cases today
Total deaths 7097 - includes 938 new deaths today


----------



## odyssey06

UK prime minister Boris Johnson has improved sufficient to leave intensive care. He has returned to regular ward.


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain:*
Spain recorded 605 deaths between Thursday and Friday, another fall on the previous 24 hours.
The number of people who have died from the disease rose to 15,843 on Friday, up from 15,238 on Thursday.
The total number of coronavirus cases rose to 157,022 on Friday from 152,446 on Thursday.

*Japan:*
Japan has reported 473 new confirmed cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases in the country to 6,003 on Friday, according to a report on public broadcaster NHK.
Earlier this week, Japan declared a state of emergency to fight the spread of the coronavirus in major population centres. It has so far recorded 112 deaths from the virus. On Friday, Kyoto became the latest prefecture to ask to be placed under the state of emergency, with the governor saying that infections were rising, and Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike said that the metropolitan government would request many businesses, including night clubs, karaoke parlours and pachinko pinball parlours to close from Saturday. The measure currently covers seven regions, including Tokyo, and gives authorities the power to ask people to stay indoors and request that businesses close. However there are no enforcement mechanisms and no penalties for those who fail to comply.


----------



## odyssey06

*UK:*
The death toll from coronavirus in Britain has risen by 980 to 8,958 people, British health secretary Matt Hancock has revealed.
Mr Hancock said 19,116 coronavirus tests were carried out across the UK yesterday, of which 5,706 came back positive.
These figures refer to all those who died in a hospital setting only.
...
Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van-Tam said the UK was still in a "dangerous phase" in regard to the number of new coronavirus cases.
"It's impossible to say we have peaked. London has gone down in the last day, but Yorkshire and the North East has gone up."








						980 more virus deaths in Britain
					

The death toll from coronavirus in Britain has risen by 980 to 8,958 people, British health secretary Matt Hancock has revealed.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## johnwilliams

us stating antibody tests next week ,some one in the uk is working on a breath test instead of current nasal test missed part of that story so don't know if ready yet?


----------



## Sophrosyne

A further 917 people have died from coronavirus in the UK in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed deaths in hospitals to 9,875, the Department for Health and Social Care has announced.

The latest deaths include an 11-year-old and a 102-year-old, both in England.

As of 9am today, 269,598 people have been tested for the virus, and 78,991 have tested positive.


----------



## john luc

2100 died yesterday in the USA


----------



## odyssey06

The US has recorded 1,920 deaths in the past 24 hours, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University. The university also said the death toll has passed 20,000 in the US.
The death toll in France has risen by 635 to 13,832.
The daily death toll in Spain rose again – after three days of the numbers falling – with a further 619 deaths raising the total to 16,972.
(from The Journal daily summary)


----------



## joer

The Danes and the Austrians must be confidant as they are considering lifting the lockdowns a little.


----------



## odyssey06

*USA:*
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has said he believes "the worst is over" as hospitalisations appeared to be reaching a plateau and the daily increase in deaths came to 671, the lowest total in about a week. Mr Cuomo, who has been working closely with the governors of New Jersey and Connecticut in response to the novel coronavirus, also said that he would announce a coordinated plan on reopening businesses and schools. Mr Cuomo was speaking at a daily press briefing after the government's top infectious diseases expert said the United States may be ready to start gradually reopening next month as signs grew that the coronavirus pandemic was peaking.

*UK:*
A total of 11,329 patients have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, as of 5pm yesterday,  the Department of Health said, up by 717 from 10,612 the day before. 
.


----------



## johnwilliams

report from south korea a number of people there have been reinfected


----------



## Sophrosyne

Global total of cases now over 2m.
Global deaths over 126,700
Global recovered almost 485,000.

Compare to posts on April 2.


----------



## joer

This would not be a good time for Donald to cut funding to the WHO, according to RTE news, when the USA death count is only getting worse and there are over 549,000 active cases and UK is also very high with over 81,000 Europe is easing slightly it seems. WHO needs as much if not more funding to get Covid 19 finally sorted out.


----------



## Sophrosyne

*World leaders denounce Trump’s cuts to W.H.O. funding.*

As the world continues to grapple with how to move forward from the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump dealt an additional blow, announcing Tuesday that his administration was halting payments to the World Health Organization, the public health body at the forefront of the global response to the virus.


----------



## Purple

Does anyone have figures for total UK deaths (not just those in hospitals)?


----------



## odyssey06

Purple said:


> Does anyone have figures for total UK deaths (not just those in hospitals)?



No, the Guardian has an article on the uncertainties with the data:








						Care homes and coronavirus: why we don't know the true UK death toll
					

Government figures only tell part of the story as they only cover hospital deaths




					www.theguardian.com


----------



## odyssey06

Spain's daily number of deaths from the coronavirus fell to 523 on Wednesday from 567 the day before, the health ministry said - well below a peak of 950 reached on 2 April.









						Spain promises more testing as coronavirus deaths fall
					

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised more coronavirus testing to try to build on a decline in daily Covid-19 deaths that has allowed Spain to start tentatively reopening its locked-down economy.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## joer

What about China. Latest death toll is 1,290. 351 new cases, what is this telling us I wonder.


----------



## Eireog007

joer said:


> What about China. Latest death toll is 1,290. 351 new cases, what is this telling us I wonder.



They are revised numbers of deaths that were previously not classified as Covid 19 deaths. So not a new surge.


----------



## odyssey06

The death toll from the coronavirus in Spain, the country hit hardest by the pandemic after the United States and Italy, has exceeded 20,000 on Saturday, the health ministry said. A total of 20,043 people have now succumbed to the disease, which killed 565 people in Spain in the past 24 hours, slightly down on the 585 reported yesterday.
...
Health officials say Spain has passed the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak, which killed up to 950 people on 2 April , and pressure has eased on hospitals. But the toll, which covers only people who tested positive for the virus, is increasingly contested in some regions. Officials there say thousands more people have died after showing symptoms of the disease without having been tested because there are not enough tests. For example, Catalonia has reported that more than 7,800 people have died while the national toll for the region referred Saturday to more than 3,800.








						Covid-19: European death toll passes 100,000 as Spain faces three more weeks of lockdown
					

Since 14 March, Spanish people have been living under severe restrictions on their movement.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

FRANCE WILL BEGIN a gradual but “risky” return to normality on 11 May, with shops, markets and some schools reopening after an eight-week coronavirus lockdown credited with saving more than 60,000 lives, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said today. But life will not be as before, with face masks compulsory on public transport, working from home strongly encouraged for several more weeks, and restaurants and cafes – quintessential to the French way of life – remaining shuttered.








						'As long-awaited as it is risky': French government outlines lifting of restrictions from 11 May
					

All the lockdown will be lifted gradually, the French Prime Minister warned today restrictions could still be extended.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Sophrosyne

A note appeared on the Worldometer website today regarding France:

*France*: the French Government continues to report unreliable and incorrect data on almost a daily basis. Today, April 29, they reported a decrease of 1,417 confirmed cases compared to yesterday. The Ministry of Health yesterday had reported a different figure compared to that of the Government, and even this figure was 1,504 lower than the previous day (April 27), accompanied by a note informing that they had made a mistake the previous day. Similarly, the number of probable EMS cases decreases every other day. For this reason, you may notice fluctuations in French data on Worldometer.


----------



## odyssey06

*Basis for UK figures updated:*
A total of 26,097 people have died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community in the UK after contracting Covid-19, Public Health England (PHE) said. It includes 765 deaths reported in the 24 hours to 5pm yesterday. It is the first time data on the number of deaths in care homes and the wider community has been included in the UK government’s daily updates. The total reached by the new method of reporting is around *17% higher than previous data* showed and includes an *additional 3,811 deaths* recorded since the start of the outbreak.
Of these, around *70% were outside hospital settings and around 30% were in hospital*.









						UK now has third-most deaths from Covid-19 as latest figures show death toll above 26,000
					

A further 3,811 deaths have been recorded in UK care homes and the wider community, and these will now be counted in the daily figures.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Purple

Over 30,000,000 Americans now unemployed due to the Covid19 lockdown.


----------



## odyssey06

*Italy reports lowest daily death toll since lockdown began two months ago:*

Italy reported 174 new coronavirus deaths on Sunday, its lowest toll since 168 fatalities were registered when the country’s stay-at-home orders were imposed on 10 March.
The latest death toll was announced on the eve of its first easing of lockdown measures on Monday officially stands at 28,884, second only to the United States.
Today is its last day in full lockdown, but the partial easing of strict coronavirus measures after a two-month shutdown has been causing some anxiety and confusion.









						Italy reports lowest daily death toll since lockdown began two months ago
					

The country is due to exit its full lockdown tomorrow.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Sophrosyne

The EU figures for new cases and new deaths are down from 108,741 and 15,234 respectively in the week 22-29 April to 72,649 and 9,998 respectively in the week 1-7 May.

A decrease of 36,092 and 5,236 respectively.

Ireland’s decrease is 2,081 and 247.


As restrictions are being eased in certain countries, it will be interesting to see how the next week or two will impact these figures.


In the same periods US figures are down by 17,021 and 1,064 respectively.

The UK new case figure is up by 5,117 but new deaths are down by 4,242.


----------



## Brendan Burgess

Guys

There are two news threads and they are for news only.  Not for discussion and analysis which you can do in other threads.

You are wasting my time as I now have to go back through this off topic stuff to delete it.

We don't want to ban regular users, but if you persist in taking threads off topic, we will ban people until the crisis is over.  It's just to save the moderators the time of reminding people and then deleting posts.

Brendan


----------



## odyssey06

Antibody sample test in Spain suggests at most 5% of the population have contracted the virus... in Madrid region this spikes to 11%.









						Antibody study shows just 5% of Spaniards have contracted the coronavirus
					

Preliminary findings of the survey reveal that over 90% of infections have gone undetected by the healthcare system




					www.google.ie


----------



## odyssey06

New virus deaths in Spain fall to two-month low under 100:

87 coronavirus deaths over a 24-hour period, the first time in two months that the daily toll has dropped below 100. 
The number came a day before Spain is to further relax lockdown measures across the country, except in Madrid and Barcelona. 
At the height of the current outbreak in early April, Spain counted 950 deaths in one day.









						New virus deaths in Spain fall to two-month low under 100
					

Spain last Monday began a three-phase plan to end lockdowns for half the country by the end of June.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Brazil:
The coronavirus death toll in Brazil has surpassed 20,000 after another record number of fatalities in a 24-hour period, the health ministry said. The country is the epicentre of the outbreak in Latin America, and its highest one-day toll of 1,188 has pushed the overall death tally to 20,047. Brazil has now recorded more than 310,000 cases, with experts saying a lack of testing means the real figures are probably much higher. 

Russia:
Russia has reported its highest ever daily coronavirus death toll of 150, even though the number of new infections fell below 9,000 for the third day in a row. Health officials reported a total of 3,249 deaths and 326,448 cases, the second-highest number of infections in the world after the United States.
There were 8,894 new cases in the last 24 hours, according to a government tally, while 7,144 people recovered.


----------



## odyssey06

China has reported zero new coronavirus infections for the first time since it started reporting data in January.








						China reports no new virus cases for the first time
					

The official death toll in the country of 1.4 billion people stands at 4,634.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain* will lift its quarantine requirement for those entering the country from *1 July,* the government has just confirmed, writes *Sam Jones*, the Guardian’s Madrid correspondent. At the moment, travellers from overseas are required to undergo a 14-day self-isolation on arrival.
On Saturday the prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the country would reopen to tourists from July.


----------



## mathepac

This morning the UK added a further 445 previously unreported COVID-19 deaths to their overall total. These seem to relate to testing done in private labs. This brings the total of reported UK COVID-19 fatalities to 39,045

BBC1 6 a.m news


----------



## odyssey06

Beijing bans travel from city and closes schools over 'extremely severe' outbreak... The coronavirus resurgence — believed to have started in the capital’s sprawling Xinfadi wholesale food market — has prompted alarm as China had largely brought its outbreak under control through mass testing and draconian lockdowns. 








						Covid-19: Beijing bans travel from city and closes schools over 'extremely severe' outbreak
					

The city government said residents should avoid “non-essential travel” out of the capital.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Brazil has reported a record 34,918 new coronavirus cases, on the same day that one of the senior officials leading the country's response to the crisis claimed the outbreak was under control. Brazil also registered 1,282 COVID-19 deaths bringing confirmed fatalities to 45,241.


----------



## Purple

Projected deaths in the US to reach 200,000 by October.


----------



## odyssey06

*19th June: 
Germany *reported its highest daily increase in coronavirus cases in a month after managing to contain its outbreak better than comparable large European nations. The Robert Koch Institute, Germany’s disease control centre, listed 770 new confirmed cases, taking the country’s total to 188,534. A flurry of positive tests this week from an outbreak at a slaughterhouse in the western region of Guetersloh contributed the biggest daily increase since May 20.

*Brazil* surpassed 1 million cases Friday as the country continues to battle the world’s second-highest number of confirmed infections, after the United States.

*20th June:
South Korea* reported 67 new cases of the coronavirus on Saturday, the largest daily jump in about three weeks amid an upward trend in new infections. Health authorities said 31 of the new cases came from overseas while the rest were locally infected. It was the largest daily increase since 79 cases were reported on May 28. The country has confirmed 12,373 cases, including 280 deaths.

New daily coronavirus cases in the *United States* on Friday exceeded 30,000 for the first time in seven weeks as states in the South and West continued to report alarming spikes in new infections. The country tallied 31,630 new confirmed cases Friday, according to tracking by The Washington Post. The last time new daily cases in the United States topped 30,000 was on May 1, when 33,263 new infections were reported. California's residents will be required to wear face coverings in public spaces, following a recent increase in new coronavirus cases.


----------



## odyssey06

The World Health Organization has said that the *largest single-day increase* in coronavirus cases globally occurred at the weekend, with 183,000 new recorded cases in 24 hours.

*Brazil* has registered its 50,000th death from the Covid-19 outbreak.


----------



## odyssey06

Germany locks down two regions in response to surge in cases.








						Germany orders new lockdowns in two areas in response to Covid-19 outbreaks
					

The restrictions were announced in Guetersloh and neighbouring Warendorf in western Germany.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*USA:*
New coronavirus cases hit all-time high in US with over 40,000 recorded in 24 hours - eclipsing the mark set during one of the deadliest stretches in late April. 

The figure represents a resurgence that has led some governors to backtrack or at least pause the reopening of their states.While the increase is believed to reflect, in part, greatly expanded testing, experts say there is ample evidence the virus is making a comeback, including rising deaths and hospitalisations in parts of the country, especially in the South and West. Arizona, Texas and Florida are among the states that have been hit hard.









						New coronavirus cases hit all-time high in US with over 40,000 recorded in 24 hours
					

The figure represents a resurgence that has led some governors to back track or at least pause the reopening of their states.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

THE UNITED STATES and South Africa have reported record daily coronavirus cases, with US figures surpassing 50,000 a day for the first time.
The US has recorded 50,700 new cases, according to a tally kept by Johns Hopkins University, as many states struggle to contain the spread of the pandemic, blamed in part on Americans not wearing masks or following social distancing rules.
Surging numbers in California have prompted governor Gavin Newsom to announce just ahead of the 4 July weekend that he is closing bars, cinemas and indoor restaurant dining over most of the state.

The US has now reported nearly 2.7 million cases and more than 128,000 deaths.









						United States records over 50,000 Covid-19 cases in 24-hour period for first time
					

The US has now reported nearly 2.7 million cases and more than 128,000 deaths.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Sophrosyne

Yesterday the UK revised its total cases down by 30,000.

“To ensure consistent reporting across all pillars we have paused reporting the number of people tested due to an issue with the data for pillar 2.

We have updated the methodology of reporting positive cases, to remove duplicates within and across pillars 1 and 2, to ensure that a person who tests positive is only counted once. Methodologies between nations differ and we will be making future revisions to align approaches as much as possible across the 4 nations.

Due to this change, and a revision of historical data in pillar 1, the cumulative total for positive cases is 30,302 lower than if you added the daily figure to yesterday’s total. We will revise the methodology note explaining this in more detail in due course.”

Meanwhile, yesterday, the US hit another daily new case high of more than 57,000 cases.


----------



## odyssey06

Catalonia imposes regional lockdown on 200,000 people following surge in Covid-19 cases... 
_Catalonia’s regional president Quim Torra told reporters there had been a “sharp rise” in infections in Segria, a zone that includes the town of Lerida some 150 kilometres west of Barcelona. Nobody would be allowed to enter or leave the area, gatherings of more than 10 people would be banned and visits to retirement homes halted, officials said._









						Catalonia imposes regional lockdown on 200,000 people following surge in Covid-19 cases
					

There was a significant rise in cases in the Segria area.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Melbourne goes back under lockdown after worrying spike in virus cases... Australia will also effectively seal off the wider state of Victoria from the rest of the country... Home to more than 6.6 million people, Victoria announced a record 127 new cases Monday as the virus spread through Melbourne — including a cluster in several densely populated apartment blocks... State Premier Daniel Andrews said the lockdown would begin at midnight and last at least six weeks as he warned residents “we can’t pretend” the coronavirus crisis is over. 








						Melbourne goes back under lockdown after worrying spike in virus cases
					

Australia will also effectively seal off the wider state of Victoria from the rest of the country.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*USA:*
Florida in the United States has reported 15,300 new cases of Covid-19 today, following on from the country hitting a new all-time record of 66,528 daily cases yesterday. The Florida Department of Health today reported over 140,000 Covid-19 test results, 11.25% of which were positive.
Yesterday, the United States hit a new record high number of  66,528 cases reported in a 24-hour period, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
The country has recorded a total of 3,242,073 infections, the university said in its latest data as of 8.30pm yesterday (1.30am Irish time).
The death toll stood at 134,729. The US has seen daily new cases top 60,000 in four of the past five days up to Saturday.
President Donald Trump also yesterday donned a face mask in public for the first time, yielding to criticism to set a public health example.








						Florida reports record high 15,300 positive Covid-19 cases in one day
					

The US yesterday recorded a new daily high of 66,528 cases.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*Hungary* imposes tough new quarantine measures:
Hungarian authorities said today that they would put countries in three categories – red, yellow and green – based on their rate of new coronavirus infections. Restrictions including entry bans and mandatory quarantines will be imposed, depending from which country people were coming from.
“We see worrisome signs about an increase in the number of cases in the neighbouring countries, Europe and the whole world,” Gergely Gulyas, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s chief of staff, said.
Foreigners from countries in the red category – those with a high rate of infections, including Albania, Ukraine, Belarus and practically all of Asia, Africa and South and Central America – are banned from entering.
Hungarian citizens arriving from those locations will have to stay quarantined for two weeks or until they test negative twice, 48 hours apart.
Both Hungarians and foreigners arriving from countries in the yellow category – which includes, among others, Bulgaria, Portugal, Romania and Sweden, as well as the UK, Russia, Serbia, Japan, China and the United States — will have to quarantine for two weeks.
They will be allowed out if they test negative for the virus: once for Hungarians, or two negative tests 48 hours apart in the case of foreigners.








						Eastern European countries impose new coronavirus restrictions
					

The mandatory use of face masks and travel bans or quarantines are among the measures being introduced.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

The British government has made wearing a *face covering compulsory in shops and supermarkets* in England from next week. 








						Johnson makes face coverings compulsory in shops
					

The British government has made wearing a face covering compulsory in shops and supermarkets in England from next week.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain:*
RESIDENTS OF SPAIN’S second city *Barcelona *have been urged to stay at home unless absolutely necessary after a rise in coronavirus cases, the Catalan government has said. The regional government also ordered the closure of cinemas, theatres and nightclubs and banned gatherings of more than 10 people in the coastal city, spokeswoman Meritxell Budo told a press conference. Almost four million people are affected by the move in one of Europe’s most visited cities, where restaurants will have to limit capacity to one-half the usual amount...
Catalonia and the neighbouring Aragon region, where coronavirus cases have also spiked, are now of most concern to the Spanish authorities, as they watch *more than 150 clusters of the virus across the country*. West of Barcelona, 160,000 people in Lerida and surrounding towns were placed under lockdown on Wednesday following a standoff between the regional government and judicial authorities. Many Spanish regions have made it mandatory to wear face masks in public, even if people are able to maintain social distancing...
Spain has also ordered the *culling of nearly 100,000 mink *on a farm in the northeast after confirming many were carrying coronavirus. Speaking to reporters, Joaquin Olona, agriculture minister for the Aragon region, said the cull would involve the slaughter of some 92,700 mink who are prized for their pelt.









						Barcelona tells people to stay at home and 100,000 mink to be culled in Aragon
					

Covid-19 cases have spiked  in Catalonia and the neighbouring Aragon region.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*Brazil:*
Brazil's coronavirus *death toll has surpassed 80,000,* according to health ministry figures, as the country hit second-hardest in the world continued struggling to control the pandemic. The figure, second only to the death toll in the US, has quadrupled in two months. Brazil passed the mark of 20,000 Covid-19 deaths on 21 May. Recently, the Latin American country of 212 million people has regularly registered more than 1,000 new deaths a day - though the figure for Monday was lower, at 632, bringing its overall death toll to 80,120. The country has confirmed 2.1 million total infections.
Experts say under-testing means the real numbers are probably much higher. President Jair Bolsonaro, who is infected himself, faces criticism for downplaying the virus and urging state governors to reopen their economies despite health officials' recommendations.









						Brazil deaths reach over 80,000, as Trump backs masks
					

Brazil's coronavirus death toll has surpassed 80,000, according to health ministry figures, as the country hit second-hardest in the world continued struggling to control the pandemic.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*France:*
France’s coronavirus infection has rate crept higher as health authorities warn the country is going backwards in its battle against the pandemic. 
French health authorities said the closely-watched “R” infection gauge is now up to 1.3, suggesting that infected people are contaminating 1.3 other people on average.
France’s daily new infections are also rising – up to 1,130 on Friday.
Covid-19 has already killed at least 30,195 people in the country and infection indicators now resemble those seen in May, when France was coming out of its strict two-month lockdown.
“We have thus erased much of the progress that we’d achieved in the first weeks of lockdown-easing,” health authorities said, adding that the French appear to be letting down their guard during their summer holidays, with those testing positive making less of an effort to self-isolate. 

*Spain:*
In Spain, Catalonia became the latest region to crack down on nightlife, trying to halt new infection clusters.
The wealthy north-east region – home to Barcelona – ordered all nightclubs to close for 15 days and put a midnight curfew on bars in the greater Barcelona area and other towns around Lleida that have become contagion hot zones.
Spain has reported more than 900 new daily infections for the last two days as authorities warn that the country that lost 28,000 lives before getting its outbreak under control could be facing the start of a second major outbreak.

*India:*
India, which has the world’s third-highest infections behind the United States and Brazil, reported its death toll rose by 740 to 30,601. It saw a surge of more than 49,000 new cases, raising its total to over 1.2 million. The home ministry issued an advisory calling for Independence Day celebrations on August 15 to avoid large gatherings.

*South Africa:*
South Africa, Africa’s hardest-hit country, reported more than 13,000 new cases, raising its total to more than 408,000. The death toll stands at 6,343.


----------



## odyssey06

*Northern Ireland:*

The province has now gone over *two weeks without a Covid-19 death*.
NI’s Department of Health has said that no new deaths from the Coronavirus have been recorded today, with the total number of fatalities remaining at 556
That figure has remained static since 12 July, with the department saying there are currently two Covid-19 patients in ICU.
Four people have tested positive for Covid-19 over the past 24 hours, with *56 positive tests over the past seven days.* There have been a total number of 4,918 cases in Northern Ireland.


----------



## odyssey06

*Belgium:*
Antwerp has announced a *nighttime curfew* as the country toughened social-distancing and mask wearing rules to stem a flare-up in coronavirus cases. In the city, a major business hub and sea port, bars and restaurants will close at 11pm and citizens will be obliged to get home by 11.30pm and to stay there until 6am. Everyone over 12 years old will have to wear a face mask in public places and crowded areas, contact and adult team sports will be banned and teleworking will be compulsory for anyone whose employment allows it... Belgian health officials said there had been a rapid rise in coronavirus cases, with 1,952 new infections over the past week, up more than 70% on the previous week.








						Belgian city of Antwerp implements nighttime curfew as Covid-19 cases surge
					

There have been 1,952 new infections over the past week in Belgium.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*Australia:*

Australia reported a record number of new coronavirus infections and its deadliest day of the epidemic so far following a spike in cases at elderly-care homes today. 
The news comes days after authorities expressed hope that a Melbourne lockdown – now in its third week – was bringing persistent outbreaks under control.
Thirteen deaths and 723 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were recorded in Victoria State alone, well beyond the previous nationwide high of 549 cases set on Monday. Victoria State Premier Daniel Andrews indicated the leap was partly linked to a surge in cases at elderly-care homes. Most of those who died were aged in their 70s-90s.


----------



## odyssey06

*UK:*

Stricter lockdown measures, announced on Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s Twitter at around 9pm and later posted online, mean households in north England are not able to mix with other households after a spike in virus cases.
Households in Greater Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire have been *banned from meeting each other inside their homes or in gardens.*
The household mixing restrictions will also apply in Leicester, which has seen the first so-called local lockdown since June, but other measures in the city will be eased. From Monday restaurants, cafes, bars and hairdressers can reopen – but leisure centres, gyms and pools will remain closed.
On Saturday, Luton will be brought in line with the rest of the country after “significant progress”, the British government said.
The new rules also ban members of two different households from mixing in pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues, but these businesses will remain open for those visiting individually or from the same household.









						UK government criticised for bringing in new Covid-19 restrictions for north England 'late last night'
					

Households in Manchester, east Lancashire and West Yorkshire have been banned from meeting each other after a spike in cases.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## joe sod

re UK, I know the local lockdowns in Manchester have been dominating the news however when I check the "rolling 14 day average per 100.000" statistic for UK it is surprisingly low only 12.9 and this is at the low end of the scale for Europe. For example Ireland has 6.7 (and we are top of the class nearly), Austria 19.7,     Poland 15.7,    Belgium 35.8,  Denmark  10.8.   France  19
Is there a danger we are sensationalising everything especially with regard to UK, maybe they have decided to do local lockdowns quickly now and try to crush it quickly. Maybe Johnson is now copying Leo Varadker


----------



## odyssey06

Ireland's incidence of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days is now higher than in the UK, according to figures released by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC). *Ireland's rate stands at 16.9 cases while the UK's rate stands at 16.5*. The increase reflects the spike in cases over the past week.  Ireland used the ECDC figures as a basis for its selection of which countries went on its travel Green List.








						Virus cases in Ireland per 100,000 now higher than UK
					

Ireland's incidence of Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days is now higher than in the UK, according to figures released by the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC).




					www.rte.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*New Zealand:*
New Zealand announced its first locally transmitted coronavirus infections in 102 days today, prompting the country’s prime minister to issue a stay-at-home lockdown order for the country’s largest city.
Jacinda Ardern said four cases had been detected in a single family in Auckland from an unknown source.
“After 102 days, we have our first cases of Covid-19 outside of managed isolation or quarantine facilities… While we have all worked incredibly hard to prevent this scenario, we have also planned and prepared for it,” she said


----------



## joe sod

Just shows how difficult the new zealand strategy of tackling corona virus actually is, 1 case and they need to lockdown entire city again. The question is how does new zealand actually open up properly?, it's not a sustainable strategy for Europe and even for Ireland . There are a lot of proponents of new zealand strategy in the medical profession here however doctors inhabit the medical bubble, they are experts at medicine but not of human nature and complex modern economies


----------



## odyssey06

*New Zealand* officials are investigating the possibility that its first Covid-19 cases in more than three months were imported by freight, as the country's biggest city plunged back into lockdown... 
Investigations were focusing on the possibility the virus was imported by freight.
Mr Bloomfield said surface testing was underway at an Auckland cool store where a man from the infected family* handled frozen food*.
"We know the virus can survive within refrigerated environments for quite some time," he told a televised media conference...
China has reported several instances of the coronavirus being detected on the packaging of imported frozen seafood in recent weeks.
The World Health Organization website states there is currently no confirmed case of Covid-19 transmitted through food or food packaging.
However, it also notes that studies have shown that the virus can survive for up to 72 hours on plastic.








						New Zealand probing if virus linked to cool food store
					

New Zealand officials are investigating the possibility that its first Covid-19 cases in more than three months were imported by freight, as the country's biggest city plunged back into lockdown.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*UK*:
Some 3.4 million people in England have been infected with Covid-19, a figure far higher than previous estimates, a study suggests.
The results come from the world’s largest home testing programme to find antibodies for the coronavirus, a study involving more than 100,000 volunteers and carried out by Imperial College London. Conducted with the use of a simple finger-prick home test said to be easy and accurate enough for mass surveillance studies, the programme suggested *6% of England’s population* had already been infected with Covid-19 by 13 July...
The programme suggested a total of *13% of people living in London* had Covid-19 antibodies, compared with less than *3% in the South West *of England.








						3.4 million people have had Covid-19 in England - far more than official figures - according to study
					

The study tested for Covid-19 antibodies in 100,000 volunteers.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Sophrosyne

*England:-*

England has removed 5,377 deaths from its time series.

On 17 July, the Secretary of State asked Public Health England (PHE) to urgently review the way daily death statistics are currently reported.

A review into the method used to calculate these figures considered a range of scientific evidence to identify the best time limit to apply between date of test and date of death.

The new daily measure provides a UK-wide count of deaths under a consistent methodology for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales that has been endorsed by an external review.

 The measure will be based on a 28-day limit between the date of a positive lab-confirmed test and date of death. Deaths that occur more than 28 days after a positive test will not be included in the headline count.


----------



## odyssey06

*South Korea:*
South Korea will ban large public gatherings and shut down churches and nightspots in the Seoul metropolitan area amid an alarming surge in infections that health officials describe as the country’s biggest crisis since the emergence of Covid-19...
South Korea reported 246 new cases on today, mostly from the capital area, pushing its total for the last five days to 959.
The measures, which will take effect on Wednesday in Seoul, the nearby Gyeonggi province and the city of Incheon, prohibit gatherings of more than 50 people indoors and 100 people outdoors. Nightclubs, karaoke rooms, buffet restaurants, computer gaming cafes and other “high-risk” venues will be shut and churches will only be allowed to provide online services...
Churches have emerged as major clusters of infections, with many of them failing to require the wearing of masks and allowing worshippers to sing in choirs or eat together...
Kwon Jun-wook, director of South Korea’s National Health Institute, said health workers have so far found 457 cases linked to a huge Seoul church led by a critic of South Korean president Moon Jae-in, which has become the main focus of disease control efforts. There is concern that the outbreak could worsen after thousands of protesters, including members of the Sarang Jeil Church and its pastor Jun Kwang-hun, marched in Seoul on Saturday despite official pleas to stay home. Mr Jun, who was unmasked and shared a microphone with several other protest leaders on a stage during Saturday’s protest, tested positive yesterday and is now receiving treatment at a Seoul hospital... 
Police are pursuing some 800 church members who have been out of contact.









						South Korea tightens coronavirus restrictions amid spike in cases
					

The new restrictions will affect half of the population.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## johnwilliams

Austria has developed a new gargling virus test
youngest child to die from virus in Florida was  aged 6


----------



## odyssey06

*South Korea:*
South Korea is closing schools and switching back to remote learning in the greater capital area as the country reported triple-digit daily increase in coronavirus cases for the 12th straight day, the _Associated Press_ reported. Education Minister Yoo Eun-hae said Tuesday that at least 193 students and teachers were found infected with the virus over the past two weeks in the Seoul metropolitan region, where a viral surge has threatened to erase the country's hard-won epidemiological gains. Yoo said most children at kindergartens, elementary, middle and high schools will receive online classes at least until September 11. High school seniors will continue to go to school so their studies are not disrupted ahead of the crucial national college exams... South Korea has since Sunday banned large gatherings, shut down nightspots and churches and removed fans from professional sports nationwide. Officials say the country could be forced to elevate social distancing restrictions if the virus doesn't slow later this week.


----------



## Sophrosyne

Two further cases of Covid 19 reinfection were reported in the Netherlands and Belgium.

This follows a report by Hong Kong researchers about a man there who had been reinfected with a different strain of the virus.


----------



## odyssey06

France:
Official figures released today showed more than 5,400 confirmed new cases in just 24 hours, with admissions to hospital and intensive care units on the rise.
More than 800 coronavirus patients are being admitted to hospital every week on average, up from 500 six weeks ago, the prime minister said.


----------



## odyssey06

*Hungary:*
Hungary will close its borders to foreigners from 1 September to curb a rise in coronavirus infections and Hungarians returning from abroad will have to go into quarantine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's cabinet chief said today. Gergely Gulyas said Hungarian citizens could leave the 14-day quarantine only if they provided two negative Covid tests. Exceptions for the ban on entry for foreigners would apply to military convoys and for humanitarian transit, as well as business or diplomatic travel... Hungary recorded 132 new infections today, the highest daily number since the peak of the pandemic. Hungary has had a total of 5,511 coronavirus cases and 614 deaths. 








						Hungary to close borders over rise in Covid infections
					

Hungary will close its borders to foreigners from 1 September to curb a rise in coronavirus infections and Hungarians returning from abroad will have to go into quarantine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's cabinet chief said today.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*New Zealand:*
Schools in Auckland have reopened today as New Zealand’s largest city emerged from lockdown, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern expressing confidence a second-wave outbreak of coronavirus was under control.
While Aucklanders were allowed out of their homes, the government limited non-school social gatherings in the city to 10 people and made masks compulsory on public transport nationwide.
The Auckland lockdown began on 12 August after four cases were detected in the city of 1.5 million, ending 102 days free of community transmission when it appeared New Zealand had beaten the virus.
The cluster of infections has since grown to 141, with four new cases of community transmission reported today, making it the largest recorded in New Zealand.
The origin of the outbreak has not been found and Ardern said it was “inevitable” there would be more cases linked to the cluster. But even though it continues to grow, Ardern said it was safe to lift the lockdown.









						'We have a plan': New Zealand lifts Auckland lockdown despite growing number of cases
					

The Auckland lockdown began on 12 August after four cases were detected in the city of 1.5 million.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*Spain:*
Spain registered over 23,000 new Covid-19 cases since Friday, health emergency chief Fernando Simon told a news conference yesterday, bringing the total to 462,858. Of the 1,656 hospitalisations from the disease during the last seven days, 420, or 25%, were in Madrid, according to health ministry figures. The region accounted for nearly half of the 141 deaths in the last seven days.









						Over 23,000 new Covid-19 cases in Spain since Friday amid spike in Madrid
					

The region accounted for nearly half of the 141 deaths in the last week.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Scotland:
Restrictions on visiting other households imposed in Glasgow area after increase in cases.








						Covid restrictions reimposed in Glasgow, west Scotland
					

Lockdown measures have been reimposed around Glasgow and western parts of Scotland as coronavirus cases rise.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## joe sod

Russian coronavirus vaccine safe but 'more rigorous' trials needed
					

Russia's fast-tracked Covid-19 vaccine is safe and produces two forms of immune response against the virus, according to a study in The Lancet medical journal.




					www.independent.ie
				




even though the russian vacine was fast tracked and didn't complete the usual vaccine proofing stages it has still been deemed safe and produced 2 forms of immune response according to the lancet medical journal. This is good news it also means that a successful vaccine by western pharma cooperatives is probably not far away either. I think the russians have upped the ante and there is big pressure now to get a vaccine out as soon as possible because someone else is going to do it anyway.


----------



## odyssey06

*UK:
Social gatherings of more than six people **are to be made illegal* according to the Telegrapgh. Boris Johnson will make the announcement today after a sudden surge in coronavirus cases prompted fears of a second wave. It is the first time the Prime Minister has reimposed a national lockdown measure since restrictions were eased, reflecting growing alarm at the rise in infections and daily deaths. At a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson will say: "We need to act now to stop the virus spreading." From Monday, anyone breaking the six-person rule potentially faces a £100 spot fine. The limit of six people from up to six households will apply to adults and children indoors and out - in homes, gardens, parks and venues such as pubs and restaurants. The "two-household" rule, which allowed up to 30 people from two different homes to meet, is scrapped. It makes family and social gatherings of more than six illegal - but there are some exceptions.


----------



## odyssey06

France going into similar level of restrictions to Ireland.

Bars, restaurants and non-essential businesses will be forced to close, but unlike during the two-month lockdown imposed last spring, students will continue to go to school.









						Macron announces new virus lockdown for France
					

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a new lockdown aimed at halting an alarming acceleration of Covid-19 cases, to take effect from tomorrow night until "at least 1 December."




					www.rte.ie


----------



## odyssey06

England going into lockdown also.

_A SECOND LOCKDOWN has been announced in England with all non-essential activity to cease from Thursday.
Pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops will be required to shut until 2 December under tough new measures revealed by the government today. 
There will also be a nationwide ban on household visits. Exercise is allowed on a one-to-one basis with one person from one other household. 
As in Ireland, schools and third-level institutes will remain open. Construction work, manufacturing and the courts service will also continue. 
People will be asked to stay at home except for essential work, education and food shopping.
Hairdressers, leisure centres and entertainment venues will also close next week._









						England on lockdown until 2 December, Boris Johnson announces in another U-turn
					

Schools will remain open but pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops are to shut.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, is to cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at mink farms and had spread to people. The mutation "could pose a risk that future (coronavirus) vaccines won't work the way they should," Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told a press conference. "It is necessary to cull all the minks." 
Denmark's police chief Thorkild Fogde said they would start the culling as "soon as possible," but conceded that with 15 million to 17 million minks spread over 1,080 farms it was "a very large undertaking". 
The novel coronavirus has been detected at 207 mink farms, including some cases with a mutated version that has been confirmed to spread back to humans. Health authorities have also concluded that the mutated virus has "is not inhibited by antibodies to the same degree as the normal virus". 









						Denmark orders mink cull over mutated coronavirus
					

Denmark, the world's biggest producer of mink fur, is to cull all of the country's minks after a mutated version of the new coronavirus was detected at mink farms and had spread to people.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## almostthere

I got my knuckles rapped for daring to post a question on this thread and told to post on "the other thread".  What is the title of "the other thread" as I cannot find it anywhere?


----------



## EmmDee

almostthere said:


> I got my knuckles rapped for daring to post a question on this thread and told to post on "the other thread".  What is the title of "the other thread" as I cannot find it anywhere?



If it's related to Ireland - it's the first thread on the page 





						Latest news and measures on Coronavirus - Ireland
					

Ireland: Measures will remain in place until Sunday 19 April - this is "not a lockdown". All non-essential retail outlets are being told to close, with restaurants and cafes told to close unless they can offer a take-away option. Supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open. There will be no...



					www.askaboutmoney.com


----------



## Leo

almostthere said:


> I got my knuckles rapped for daring to post a question on this thread and told to post on "the other thread".  What is the title of "the other thread" as I cannot find it anywhere?



Really? I don't see any warning issued?  You had a post deleted from the Irish news thread, and you were politely reminded that the news threads are for news updates only. Discussions on any of the topics brought up in those threads should be started elsewhere, keeping the news threads dedicated to news updates makes them far easier to consume. Allowing lots of side conversations would quickly render them close to useless.

You are welcome to start a thread on the question you asked, a thread dedicated to such a question allows for a better and focused discussion.


----------



## odyssey06

SIX-WEEK lockdown starting on St Stephen’s Day has been agreed by the Northern Ireland Executive, it is understood.
Measures will include the closing of all non-essential retail as well as close contact services, while the hospitality sector will be confined to takeaway services only.

Health chiefs have cited low compliance with the regulations and guidance as a reason infections, hospital admissions and death rates remain relatively high.
Hospitals across the region are running over capacity.
On Tuesday, queues of ambulances were witnessed at accident and emergency departments (EDs) across Northern Ireland as patients were treated in car parks due to a lack of capacity inside the hospitals.









						'The situation is quite dire': Northern Ireland to go into six-week lockdown from Stephen's Day
					

Stormont sources said the proposals are more akin to March’s full-scale lockdown than the recent periods of circuit-break restrictions.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that London and the south-east of England are to be placed into a new higher tier of Covid-19 restrictions *because of the spread of a more infectious variant of the virus*. The move comes after scientists on the British government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NervTag) concluded that the mutant strain identified by Public Health England - known as VUI2020/01 - was spreading more quickly.
"It may be up to 70% more transmissible than the old variant, the original version of the disease," Mr Johnson told a news conference this afternoon.
"This is early data and is subject to review but it is the best that we have at the moment and we have to act on information as we have it because this is now spreading very fast," said Mr Johnson. 
However, Mr Johnson said there is no reason to believe the new strain is more dangerous or is resistant to vaccines.









						Restrictions for parts of England over new virus strain
					

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that London and the south-east of England are to be placed into a new higher tier of Covid-19 restrictions because of the spread of a more infectious variant of the virus.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

The Dutch have " banned" all flights from the UK due to the mutation that seems to be causing the lockdown in the UK. This must be the only travel ban I can remember since the start of this. 
It appears that this new strain is 70% more contagious than the one that we have , while its not thought to make people sicker, or affect the effectiveness of the vaccines,  there is a lot of concern around the the ability of the NHS to cope.


----------



## Tintagel

Paul O Mahoney said:


> The Dutch have " banned" all flights from the UK due to the mutation that seems to be causing the lockdown in the UK


I can see a big increase in the planes coming in over Dublin Bay this week. Neighbour's children already home from London to stay.  We will ban flights after Christmas, wait and see.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Tintagel said:


> I can see a big increase in the planes coming in over Dublin Bay this week. Neighbour's children already home from London to stay.  We will ban flights after Christmas, wait and see.


Unfortunately I agree, I know the importance of coming home but people aren't pragmatic.
Of course when cases keep rising the usual blame game will begin and it'll simply cause even more infighting amongst society generally. 
Europe seem to be in the grip of this and they seem willing to take tougher measures.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

A WHO, scientist have just said (Andrew Marr)  on the mutation has been named the "501 mutation " ..........Ill leave that unfortunate name to one side.

She went on to say that the mutation seems likely to be due to the " social distancing not been adhered to".

Andrew is trying to get anyone to say that the mutation was known about in September,  I feel he's looking for a stick to beat the inevitable Government Minister that will be on next.


----------



## Purple

Jordan, a poor country where one in 5 people is a refugee, has secured enough vaccination for one fifth of its population. They said that they will not discriminate between locals and refugees when it comes to vaccine allocation. They are an example to all of us.


----------



## odyssey06

All of France will be under a strict 6pm curfew for at least 15 days to fight the spread of Covid-19, the country’s Prime Minister announced yesterday. 








						France introduces nationwide 6pm curfew to tackle Covid-19
					

Prime Minister Jean Castex also revealed new controls for those arriving from outside the EU




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Purple

More than 90 million people worldwide have been vaccinated, but a meagre 25 in all of sub-Saharan Africa’s one billion people have been given doses outside of drug trials.

As the virus continues to run rampant in the developing world we are likely to see new variants emerging and re-infecting us.

A new study commissioned by the ICC Research Foundation has found that the global economy stands to lose as much as $9.2 trillion if governments fail to ensure developing economy access to COVID-19 vaccines, as much as half of which would fall on advanced economies.

Therefore besides the absolute black and white moral duty to ensure that we change from our existing appallingly behaviour in relation to vaccine access it is also clearly in our interest to do so. 

I know we are willing to let million of people die for the very understandable aim of being able to go to a restaurant sooner but it may actually be the case that saving their lives will also get our legs under the table faster.


----------



## odyssey06

France re-enters lockdown
Nationwide school closure and a month-long domestic travel ban, as the rapid spread of Covid-19 increases pressure on hospitals.
A nationwide 7pm-6am curfew will be kept in place.
People are allowed to go outside for leisure, but within a 10-kilometre radius from their homes — and without gathering. Also most non-essential shops are closed down.









						France announces three-week school closure and domestic travel ban
					

The move is a departure from the French government’s recent policy which has focused on regionalised restrictions.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

UK eases restrictions as shops, gyms, hairdressers and outdoors hospitality reopen









						Back to the gym, pub, and shops as restrictions ease across the UK
					

There are variations in the way each part of the UK is easing restrictions today.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Merowig

The Zero-Risk Western Society | National Review
					

In our zeal for security, we forget that, while we can reduce risk, we can never eliminate it.




					www.nationalreview.com
				



In my opinion a very good article reflecting about the situation we are in - with too many Governments justifying sometimes draconian measures instead to have a more balanced approach


----------



## Purple

Merowig said:


> The Zero-Risk Western Society | National Review
> 
> 
> In our zeal for security, we forget that, while we can reduce risk, we can never eliminate it.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.nationalreview.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In my opinion a very good article reflecting about the situation we are in - with too many Governments justifying sometimes draconian measures instead to have a more balanced approach


While I agree that there's a level of hysteria around Covid the National Review is a bit too "right wing crazy" to be taken as a balanced contributor.


----------



## Merowig

Purple said:


> While I agree that there's a level of hysteria around Covid the National Review is a bit too "right wing crazy" to be taken as a balanced contributor.


The author is the dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. Doesn't sound like a crazy person for me.


----------



## Purple

Merowig said:


> The author is the dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. Doesn't sound like a crazy person for me.


Well it's a US Military funded and run institution which was set up by Dick Cheney. Hardly a liberal bastion. From their own website;  "_The current mission of the Marshall Center is to enable solutions to regional and transnational security challenges through capacity building, access, and a globally connected network"._


----------



## Leo

Merowig said:


> Doesn't sound like a crazy person for me.



All the best crazies give themselves important sounding titles!


----------



## EasilyAmused

From Monday Australia will be closing its borders to *its own citizens* that have been in India in the previous two weeks.

I assume this is because of B1617.


----------



## Purple

New variant, which combines and UK and Indian strain, identified in Vietnam.


----------



## Prosper

Purple said:


> New variant, which combines and UK and Indian strain, identified in Vietnam.



Only one million people vaccinated out of a population of almost 100 million!


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Prosper said:


> Only one million people vaccinated out of a population of almost 100 million!


And using mostly the Chinese vaccine which depending on what/who you read is either useless or the best globally. 

Closer to home , the UK situation is once again beginning to spiral, cases, of Indian variant,  have now doubled in a week,  I read somewhere that if that trend continued for 4 weeks cases could be over 200,000 a day.

I simply can't see the 21st of June being " freedom day" as described by a few . Of course the impact for us especially might not be positive. 

On a broader issue I'm beginning to think that the global production of the vaccines needs to be looked at, apparently competition for materials is now at a point that some basic stuff cannot be sourced .


----------



## Purple

Prosper said:


> Only one million people vaccinated out of a population of almost 100 million!


Weren't they going for a Zero COVID approach?


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid-19: UK in early stages of third wave - scientist
					

A scientist advising the government says there has been exponential growth in the number of new cases.



					www.bbc.com
				




The headline might be a bit tabloid in style but the story is sobering.


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Covid-19: UK in early stages of third wave - scientist
> 
> 
> A scientist advising the government says there has been exponential growth in the number of new cases.
> 
> 
> 
> www.bbc.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The headline might be a bit tabloid in style but the story is sobering.


Well we'll be alright by the 7th wave


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Purple said:


> Well we'll be alright by the 7th wave


I haven't heard that song in years


----------



## joer

Perhaps Purple will sing it for everyone


----------



## Purple

joer said:


> Perhaps Purple will sing it for everyone


Trust me, you don't want to hear me sing.


----------



## odyssey06

*The UK has announced zero daily Covid deaths within 28 days of a positive test for the first time since March 2020.*
The latest figures also reported another 3,165 new cases, compared with 3,383 on Monday and 2,493 one week ago.
It comes amid concern over a recent small rise in cases linked to the variant first identified in India.









						Covid: Zero daily deaths announced in UK for first time
					

The latest figures come amid concern over a recent small rise in cases linked to the Indian variant.



					www.bbc.com


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

odyssey06 said:


> *The UK has announced zero daily Covid deaths within 28 days of a positive test for the first time since March 2020.*
> The latest figures also reported another 3,165 new cases, compared with 3,383 on Monday and 2,493 one week ago.
> It comes amid concern over a recent small rise in cases linked to the variant first identified in India.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Covid: Zero daily deaths announced in UK for first time
> 
> 
> The latest figures come amid concern over a recent small rise in cases linked to the Indian variant.
> 
> 
> 
> www.bbc.com


Good news.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid infections rise by two-thirds in UK - ONS
					

Increasing numbers of infections are likely to be caused by the so-called Indian, or Delta, variant.



					www.bbc.com
				




Oh dear.


----------



## odyssey06

Uk poised to delay end of restrictions... want another month to vaccinate younger groups due to concern re Delta variant









						Johnson poised to delay UK Covid lockdown lifting to July as experts urge caution
					

Ministers are considering putting back the final easing of controls in England for four weeks as cases of the Delta variant surge.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

odyssey06 said:


> Uk poised to delay end of restrictions... want another month to vaccinate younger groups due to concern re Delta variant
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Johnson poised to delay UK Covid lockdown lifting to July as experts urge caution
> 
> 
> Ministers are considering putting back the final easing of controls in England for four weeks as cases of the Delta variant surge.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thejournal.ie











						Covid: Lockdown easing in England to be delayed by four weeks
					

Most current Covid rules will remain for four more weeks after 21 June, government sources say.



					www.bbc.com
				




Looks like that's what's going to happen now. When they decided to increase the gap between vaccines many thought it was a good thing and it would have been if the virus hadn't mutated in the manner it has, but despite the manufactures stating explicitly that there was no data to support the longer gaps they went along and did it anyway.
I understand the arguments of getting economies back to some level of " normality" but that shouldn't be the only consideration.
They now are going get to the more people fully vaccinated in the next four weeks but standing at 50% now  and getting to 70% , a figure supposedly indicating " herd immunity " is a big ask.

I really hope they achieve this or at least get actual data that shows that the link between cases and hospitalization is either cut or at least lowered to a level that is not overwhelming health services.

Of course the implications for us are huge and I feel our governments decisions will consider the UKs experience. Add in the fact that our data is now"  back of an envelope " which isn't ideal.


----------



## EmmDee

Paul O Mahoney said:


> They now are going get to the more people fully vaccinated in the next four weeks but standing at 50% now  and getting to 70% , a figure supposedly indicating " herd immunity " is a big ask.



Remember that 70% for herd immunity includes the full population rather than just adults. To get full immunity it needs a higher % of adults than 70%. There was a good 3 min clip from RTE outlining this specifically


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

EmmDee said:


> Remember that 70% for herd immunity includes the full population rather than just adults. To get full immunity it needs a higher % of adults than 70%. There was a good 3 min clip from RTE outlining this specifically


Oh I appreciate that, but like so many "targets " during this pandemic they don't seem to have a standard definition of what " herd immunity " is in relation to this virus and its variants.


----------



## Leo

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Oh I appreciate that, but like so many "targets " during this pandemic they don't seem to have a standard definition of what " herd immunity " is in relation to this virus and its variants.


The more infectious, the higher the rate of immunisation you need to reach the herd immunity point where infection numbers drop. The 70% rate seems to have been widely used around the world, but that was before the Indian variant was identified.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Leo said:


> The more infectious, the higher the rate of immunisation you need to reach the herd immunity point where infection numbers drop. The 70% rate seems to have been widely used around the world, but that was before the Indian variant was identified.


Yes it was and it still wasn't explained why 70% was the number chosen. SARS2 has a very wide percentage from 40 to 80% , Fauci has said it might be 85% for Covid 19.
Time again will tell us what the figure is but don't be surprised if it's much higher than 70% .


----------



## Purple

From the perspective of vaccine development a single dominant strain is better than multiple variants in the population so if the Delta variant replaces the other less infectious strains that makes it easier to vaccinate against.


----------



## kinnjohn

Sally O Brine and the way she might look at you, and you could fry an egg on the stones hear if you had an egg,


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid vaccine to be compulsory for England care home staff
					

The health secretary says it is a "sensible and reasonable step” and could be extended to the NHS.



					www.bbc.com
				




While this seems a sensible move , but threatening losing your job if you don't comply is a bit harsh. 
Wonder if out Government are considering something similar?


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> While this seems a sensible move , but threatening losing your job if you don't comply is a bit harsh.


Why?


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

It's the language, of course all carers must be vaccinated to work in that sector.


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> It's the language, of course all carers must be vaccinated to work in that sector.


How else should it be phrased? If you want to work in that setting you have to be vaccinated. If you refuse to be vaccinated then you can (and should) lose your job.


----------



## odyssey06

Third wave hitting Brazil but government neither focused on restrictions or vaccines...


This week the average number of daily deaths surpassed 2,000 for the first time since 10 May.
“The third wave is arriving, there’s already in a change in the case and death curves,” Ethel Maciel, an epidemiologist from Espirito Santo University, told AFP.
“Our vaccination (program), which could make a difference, is slow and there are no signs of restrictive measures, quite the contrary.”
In large cities, life seems almost back to normal with restaurants, bars and shops open and many people in the streets not wearing face masks.
And yet the situation is critical in 19 of Brazil’s 27 states with more than 80% occupancy of intensive care beds – in nine of those states, it’s over 90%.









						Third pandemic wave hits as Brazil passes half million covid deaths
					

Many critics blame President Jair Bolsonaro’s attempt to minimise the disease as the reason behind the toll.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

*France:*
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced mandatory full vaccination for the country’s health workers — including doctors, nurses, office staff and volunteers — by 15 September. He also announced that from 21 July ‘health passes’, a certification proving a person has been vaccinated or had a recent negative test, will be required to enter shops, bars, cinemas and long-distance train journeys. Less than 40% of the population is fully vaccinated. After the president's announcement Doctolib, the site used to book jabs, crashed as huge numbers tried to secure appointments.


----------



## Purple

odyssey06 said:


> *France:*
> French President Emmanuel Macron has announced mandatory full vaccination for the country’s health workers — including doctors, nurses, office staff and volunteers — by 15 September. He also announced that from 21 July ‘health passes’, a certification proving a person has been vaccinated or had a recent negative test, will be required to enter shops, bars, cinemas and long-distance train journeys. Less than 40% of the population is fully vaccinated. After the president's announcement Doctolib, the site used to book jabs, crashed as huge numbers tried to secure appointments.


Great to see a government taking the lead on this. We should be doing the same.


----------



## Purple

I'm not sure if you need to be a subscriber or not but the New York Times has a great Global Covid Vaccine Map,


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Purple said:


> I'm not sure if you need to be a subscriber or not but the New York Times has a great Global Covid Vaccine Map,


Still a bit to go.....


----------



## odyssey06

This is a bit unexpected coming out of summer and with so many people vaccinated.

_Concern at increasing numbers of unvaccinated young people and pregnant women being admitted to hospital with Covid-19...
Of all Covid-19 patients in ICU yesterday, 60% were not vaccinated and 13% only had received one jab. Hundreds of procedures have been cancelled in recent weeks, including some urgent cancer surgeries, due to the pressure on the system._









						Warning of further surgery cancellations in Northern Ireland as Covid ICU pressures mount
					

There are concerns over the numbers of unvaccinated young people and pregnant women being admitted.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Bluefin

What's so unexpected? 

80% or more hospitalisations are non vaccinated....this was totally expected. 

If you refused to be vaccinated expect the consequences.. 

Child (12 - 15) registered on Wednesday night and is receiving vaccine tomorrow..


----------



## odyssey06

*Coronavirus levels have been rising across the UK since restrictions were eased:*
_The latest snapshot survey of infections by the Office for National Statistics shows around one in 70 people in England had Covid-19 in that week up to 20 August, up from one in 80 the previous week.
In Wales, the figure was around one in 120 people – the highest level there since the week to February 12 – while in Scotland it was around one in 140, which was a rise from one in 200 in the previous week.
One in 40 people in Northern Ireland had Covid-19 in the week to 20 August.
Yesterday health officials in Northern Ireland reported 1,313 positive cases and six deaths of patients with Covid in the previous 24 hours. In the Republic, the Department of Health reported 1,382 new Covid cases... There is concern in Northern Ireland about the number of younger people being admitted to hospital with Covid-19... there had also been several admissions to intensive care of women who are pregnant or who have had their babies. _









						UK's surging Covid rates provided 'sobering' lesson as Cabinet agreed 'new phase'
					

The government was quick to caution people that 22 October should not be seen as Ireland’s ‘Freedom Day’.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Purple

odyssey06 said:


> *Coronavirus levels have been rising across the UK since restrictions were eased:*
> _The latest snapshot survey of infections by the Office for National Statistics shows around one in 70 people in England had Covid-19 in that week up to 20 August, up from one in 80 the previous week.
> In Wales, the figure was around one in 120 people – the highest level there since the week to February 12 – while in Scotland it was around one in 140, which was a rise from one in 200 in the previous week.
> One in 40 people in Northern Ireland had Covid-19 in the week to 20 August.
> Yesterday health officials in Northern Ireland reported 1,313 positive cases and six deaths of patients with Covid in the previous 24 hours. In the Republic, the Department of Health reported 1,382 new Covid cases... There is concern in Northern Ireland about the number of younger people being admitted to hospital with Covid-19... there had also been several admissions to intensive care of women who are pregnant or who have had their babies. _
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> UK's surging Covid rates provided 'sobering' lesson as Cabinet agreed 'new phase'
> 
> 
> The government was quick to caution people that 22 October should not be seen as Ireland’s ‘Freedom Day’.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thejournal.ie


The Nordies aren't taking the vaccine though. That's the main problem there.


----------



## Purple

The WHO is monitoring a new strain of Covid-19, the 'Mu' variant.


----------



## odyssey06

COVID-19 VACCINES are expected to be made compulsory today for Los Angeles schoolchildren aged 12 and over, the first such requirement by a major education board in the United States.









						LA expected to make Covid vaccines compulsory for schoolchildren aged 12 and over
					

Under the proposal, all children attending in-person classes would need to have their first dose by 21 November.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Biden announces tough new workplace rules in US for vaccinations or weekly testing.
_The rules mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require them to be vaccinated or test for the virus weekly, affecting about 80 million Americans.
And the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid will have to be fully vaccinated.
Biden is also signing an executive order to require vaccination for employees of the executive branch and contractors who do business with the federal government. That covers several million more workers._









						Biden blames continued Covid-19 spread on 'distinct minority of Americans'
					

Measures include all US-based employers with more than 100 workers will have to ensure employees are vaccinated.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Denmark lifts the last of its covid restrictions.








						Denmark lifts the last of its Covid restrictions
					

50,000 people will attend a concert in Copenhagen tomorrow.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

I seem to remember some similar pronoucements here...

_FORMER FRENCH HEALTH minister Agnes Buzyn has been charged over her handling of the Covid-19 pandemic after investigators at a special court in Paris concluded there were grounds to prosecute her...
Buzyn, who resigned from her post in February last year, weeks after the first Covid cases were confirmed in France, has faced criticism and ridicule over her initial statements about the pandemic.
She said initially in January 2020 that there was *“practically no risk” of importing Covid-19* from the Chinese city at the origin of the outbreak, Wuhan, and then said the “risk of a spread of the coronavirus among the population is very small”. A month later, as she left the ministry to launch a failed bid to become Paris mayor, she claimed that “the tsunami has yet to come”, in an apparent contradiction of her earlier statements._









						Former French Health Minister charged over handling of Covid-19 pandemic
					

She’s been charged with “endangering the lives of others”, the prosecutor of the Republic’s Court of Justice said.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Purple

Purple said:


> The WHO is monitoring a new strain of Covid-19, the 'Mu' variant.


The Mu variant isn't as transmissible as the Delta Variant. 
I don't know what the Curley or Harpo variants will be like.


----------



## odyssey06

ITALIAN WORKERS IN both the public and private sector will have to display a health pass to access their workplaces from 15 October under a decree issued by Premier Mario Draghi’s coalition government.
The measures are the first by a major European economy to require proof of vaccination, a recent negative virus test or recovery from Covid-19 in the previous six months for all categories of workers.









						Italian government to require all workers to display Covid pass
					

Public and private sector employees will have to produce a health pass to access their workplaces from October 15.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Russia
Government tally recorded 929 Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, Russia’s highest daily virus death toll since the outbreak of the pandemic.
Several Russia-made jabs have been available for months, but authorities have struggled to encourage its vaccine-sceptic population to get inoculated.









						Russia reports 929 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours
					

Russia’s total deaths from Covid-19 now stand at 212,625 – the highest toll in Europe.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

odyssey06 said:


> Russia
> Government tally recorded 929 Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, Russia’s highest daily virus death toll since the outbreak of the pandemic.
> Several Russia-made jabs have been available for months, but authorities have struggled to encourage its vaccine-sceptic population to get inoculated.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Russia reports 929 Covid-19 deaths in 24 hours
> 
> 
> Russia’s total deaths from Covid-19 now stand at 212,625 – the highest toll in Europe.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thejournal.ie


The Russian public simply do not trust its government,  and to be honest they have good reason.
Of course that distrust isn't going to save them from the virus and I fear many will continue to die.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Coronavirus in DR Congo: How funds went missing - report
					

Dodgy accounting and unofficial bonuses plague the nation's virus response, says the Congo Research Group.



					www.bbc.com
				




I know that vaccinating poorer is very important but the above link tells of one countries use of funds to buy vaccines.


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Coronavirus in DR Congo: How funds went missing - report
> 
> 
> Dodgy accounting and unofficial bonuses plague the nation's virus response, says the Congo Research Group.
> 
> 
> 
> www.bbc.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I know that vaccinating poorer is very important but the above link tells of one countries use of funds to buy vaccines.


They didn't mention that the missing money is quite likely to be in a Bank account in, or controlled from, the City of London.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: UK's early response worst public health failure ever, MPs say
					

But the new report by MPs fails to reflect the views of bereaved relatives, campaigners say.



					www.bbc.com
				




Wonder what will happen about this, one Tory has already said the were in " a fog of uncertainty ", another lady who lost her mother last March has vowed "to fight for the truth ".

They got praise for the vaccine rollout and its investment in vaccines,  yeah sure they kept as much as they could and almost drove Pfizer away . Again can't go into details.

Edit, Jeremy hunt has described the  UKs covid response as a game of football,  terrible first half great second?????

Jeremy almost 80,000 people died in the first half,  have you no shame.


----------



## odyssey06

Paul O Mahoney said:


> The Russian public simply do not trust its government,  and to be honest they have good reason.
> Of course that distrust isn't going to save them from the virus and I fear many will continue to die.


More on grim situation in Russia...

Russia’s total excess death toll since the beginning of the pandemic until the end of August, the most recent available data , stands at 660,000 — one of the highest rates in the world both in absolute terms and on a per capita basis.









						Russia’s Coronavirus Excess Death Toll Hits 660K - The Moscow Times
					

The country, one of the worst hit in the world, is in the midst of another brutal wave of the coronavirus pandemic.




					www.themoscowtimes.com


----------



## odyssey06

ONLY ONE IN seven Covid-19 infections in Africa is being detected, meaning the continent’s estimated infection level may be 59 million people, according to a new study by the World Health Organisation (WHO).









						Africa detecting just one in seven Covid-19 cases, WHO study finds
					

The UN plans to increase rapid diagnostic testing in eight African countries.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

odyssey06 said:


> ONLY ONE IN seven Covid-19 infections in Africa is being detected, meaning the continent’s estimated infection level may be 59 million people, according to a new study by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Africa detecting just one in seven Covid-19 cases, WHO study finds
> 
> 
> The UN plans to increase rapid diagnostic testing in eight African countries.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thejournal.ie


And yet 120m vaccines are probably in warehouses everywhere in the west....really hasn't changed.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: Russia's daily deaths pass 1,000 for first time
					

Infections continue to soar as the Kremlin struggles to persuade people to get vaccinated.



					www.bbc.com
				




Looks like the suffering in Russia isn't getting any easier. Russia are probably now in their long winter and with vaccine take up very low ,the figures seem only capable of going one way.

The so called superpowers aren't handling things well at all, and once winter begins to grip more of Europe we might see the figures following ,and the vaccines tested .


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

There is another interesting story on the BBC this morning, but its not on its website. 
Italy has introduced proof of vaccine or other proof of immunity from the virus. This appears to have been introduced by employers too, and its endorsed by the unions in Italy. 

Last week neo fascist groups first protested against the green card and then rioted outside one union address injuring quite a few. I think there is a political party in Italy that were involved too.

Yesterday thousands took the streets in Rome to call for all fascist organisations be banned,  unlikely to happen. But what got me thinking is that the right seems to be growing due to their total objection to all things to do with the vaccines. 

Even in the US it's the far right that are more vocal on the mandatory vaccination of federal employees and other " vital " workers eventhough they are anti government in everything they do.

Its interesting to think about this,  ie are we going to see a further rise in far right parties due to the virus. It would be a side effect that nobody would have predicted.


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Yesterday thousands took the streets in Rome to call for all fascist organisations be banned


I hope the irony wasn't lost on them.


----------



## Purple

Colin Powell, a man who couldn't pronounce his own name, has died of Covid at the age of 84.


----------



## Purple

Purple said:


> Colin Powell, a man who couldn't pronounce his own name, has died of Covid at the age of 84.


The great job he did in Gulf War 1 was overshadowed by the shambolic big-budget sequel, especially in the media work he did in the lead-up, in which he spoke about plot lines which had been dropped by the time the production was released to the general public.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-58978351
		


Things appear to be worsening in the UK with almost 50,000 cases but I doubt Boris et al will act quickly. 

This is going to affect us too I feel.


----------



## joer

Paul O Mahoney said:


> https://www.bbc.com/news/live/uk-58978351
> 
> 
> 
> Things appear to be worsening in the UK with almost 50,000 cases but I doubt Boris et al will act quickly.
> 
> This is going to affect us too I feel.


And we do not need things to get any worse here , they are quite bad at the moment.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Get Covid jab or restrictions more likely, Sajid Javid says
					

Additional measures are not needed in England at this point, the health secretary says.



					www.bbc.com
				




So, there we have it looks like the UK has yet again lost control of covid. While Government ministers say that 100k cases could happen, it most probably will.
Many health officials are also asking for specific restrictions to be reintroduced to help hospitals cope with the surge presently been seen in the UK.

We may have gone down the more cautious road in reversing restrictions but that maybe all for nothing, either new improved vaccines are found or people return to good hygiene practices we might find ourselves once again restricted.

Edit, BBC NI just used "Delta plus" to describe the expected increase in cases that the UK are seeing now. Never heard that before.


----------



## Sophrosyne

Rational people would not want to their bodies to become a breeding host for a progressing virulent ultra-contagious disease.

Many do not think of it in this way because they don’t or intentionally refuse to understand pandemics.

Should a population suffer because of this?


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Sophrosyne said:


> Rational people would not want to their bodies to become a breeding host for a progressing virulent ultra-contagious disease.
> 
> Many do not think of it in this way because they don’t or intentionally refuse to understand pandemics.
> 
> Should a population suffer because of this?


It's just another example of people not having or knowing what "civil duty" is , The Second WW killed about 80,000 civilians in Britain but they generally held together,  Covid could kill double that and nobody seems to care.

BBC breakfast has just said that not only does England have a plan B but also have plan C,D,E,F but the Government isn't talking about it, eventhough some UK newspapers are mentioning this and have sources apparently.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Things must be serious the BBC have the 2 experts they had on daily for the first 6 months giving advice, both are PhDs .

One has said that 5 million people in England aren't vaccinated and the other cited a study of 350,000 in Bangladesh that showed that mask wearing does prevent spread of the virus. 

Of course they also spoke about the unknowns that litter the present increase in infectious and hospitalisations, its very much like all other breakouts over the past 2 years and the weather outside matches too.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: UK cases top 50,000 for first time in three months
					

Boris Johnson is urging those eligible for a third dose to organise appointments straight away.



					www.bbc.com
				




Here we go, BBC news this morning for the first time in months are showing cases and deaths on its banner headlines. 

The UK government also seem to be going " all in " in trying to get people to get vaccinated with all over 50s and under 16s being able to book online an appointment to have either the booster or getting jabbed for the first time.  We're getting a mention too.

I like a flutter, at good odds and the horse having 4 legs , but the horse is now known as "restrictions and high infection " is 10/1 on and doesn't have any competition. 

I think I'll get the Christmas shopping done over the weekend.


----------



## Purple

Meanwhile in Romania the conspiracy theorists have won the popular argument and as a result Romania has amongst the highest per capita infection rate in the world.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: Home working likely to be best way to curb virus - scientists
					

Tougher measures to stop the spread of coronavirus could be avoided with early action, advisers say.



					www.bbc.com
				




This is an interesting point of view, I wonder if there is science behind this, and how they gathered it?


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Vaccines alone will not end pandemic, warns WHO
					

The World Health Organization has warned that the vaccine alone will not be able to lift the world out of the pandemic.




					www.rte.ie
				




Looks like we might be dealing with Covid-19 for sometime as I can't see a global population complying with the measures that are needed. Nor can I see the poorer countries getting sufficient supplies of vaccines in order to suppress further spread of any new variants that will come. 

And Russia is now recording a thousand deaths a day, with only 36% of its population vaccinated.

100 years after the last major pandemic and nothing has changed on how to manage this one despite the greatest technological advances in the history of humanity.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Spiking cases and fresh restrictions hit Europe as continent enters second Covid winter
					

Europe now accounts for 55% of all new cases globally and deaths are on the rise.




					www.thejournal.ie
				




This a good summary/wrap up of where our European neighbours are with Covid. 

It would appear vaccine hesitancy is very much allowing cases and by extension hospitalisation to increase. It appears that its countries that were the old Soviet Bloc where hesitancy is highest which is puzzling as it's a generation since those countries became independent. 

I know a few people from Croatia and other countries and the deep untrusting of anything to do with Government is very real even people who are under 30.

We are on the other hand the " most resilient " country in the world according to Bloomberg and yet we are seeing more in hospital and ICU , there seems to be factors that either aren't known or the unvaccinated are more infectious than before and vaccine efficacy is dropping more than thought. 

But there is a slew of studies saying that the vaccines are still working well.?


----------



## Purple

Bloomberg's Covid Resilience Ranking makes for interesting reading.
We are ranked first in the world. The Government has done an excellent job.


----------



## Leo

Purple said:


> Bloomberg's Covid Resilience Ranking makes for interesting reading.
> We are ranked first in the world. The Government has done an excellent job.


The lockdown severity score is quite interesting, dispelling the myth that we have the toughest measures in the world.


----------



## Purple

Leo said:


> The lockdown severity score is quite interesting, dispelling the myth that we have the toughest measures in the world.


The Zero Covid countries ranking very badly. As are those with a large proportion of anti-vaxer's


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Let's hope people don't think that we are fully protected because they reality is different. 
I can still see some restrictions being reintroduced over the coming few months, and the decision/ resources on boosters for younger vulnerable people will need speeding up.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: Hard months to come in pandemic for UK, says Van-Tam
					

Too many people believe the pandemic is over, England's deputy chief medical officer warns.



					www.bbc.com
				




I actually watched this earlier today waited until it was posted up. If the predictions made are half correct expect us to also have a very long winter.


----------



## odyssey06

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Covid: Hard months to come in pandemic for UK, says Van-Tam
> 
> 
> Too many people believe the pandemic is over, England's deputy chief medical officer warns.
> 
> 
> 
> www.bbc.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I actually watched this earlier today waited until it was posted up. If the predictions made are half correct expect us to also have a very long winter.


I am vaccinated for the flu, I would really like to know if the flu cases identified so far here and in UK and for one of the strains in the vaccine, but this info seems hard to come by.
If the flu hits hard with a strain not in the vaccine, together with covid, it will be a tough winter.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

odyssey06 said:


> I am vaccinated for the flu, I would really like to know if the flu cases identified so far here and in UK and for one of the strains in the vaccine, but this info seems hard to come by.
> If the flu hits hard with a strain not in the vaccine, together with covid, it will be a tough winter.


I thought the health reporter for the BBC said after the interview this morning that they don't know what strain the flu is. He went on to say that if it's an aggressive type it's really going to be tough.


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> I thought the health reporter for the BBC said after the interview this morning that they don't know what strain the flu is. He went on to say that if it's an aggressive type it's really going to be tough.


Ah Jasus, are we going to start locking down for the Flu now as well?!


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Purple said:


> Ah Jasus, are we going to start locking down for the Flu now as well?!


I think it's a capacity issue for hospitals. The UK is " running hot" with Covid-19 admissions and the worry is flu will add to it, I believe they said that there were flu admissions already with 2 in ICU.


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> I think it's a capacity issue for hospitals. The UK is " running hot" with Covid-19 admissions and the worry is flu will add to it, I believe they said that there were flu admissions already with 2 in ICU.


I sometimes wonder what it would take, just how many people would have to die, for the 'heroes' in the health service to embrace reform and modern work practices and stop the staggering waste. What I do know is that we haven't reached that level yet.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Purple said:


> I sometimes wonder what it would take, just how many people would have to die, for the 'heroes' in the health service to embrace reform and modern work practices and stop the staggering waste. What I do know is that we haven't reached that level yet.


Problem Purple is that most are lifers, and I'm not talking about front line,  but managers etc. My wifes sister is in Cork wanted to change a few things in her area, but was told no no no no by her immediate manager and then the harassment began,  she was out of work for 6 months and I can tell you was really sick.

Her boss in the system 45yrs only job was in Southern Health Board, son of a politician, a well known one and despised by everyone but still in the job.

And Shes not alone shes taking a case and has spoken to at least 10 others who simply gave up and are now in the private sector. 

And apparently this sort of behaviour is rampant and the unions do nothing because they are as guilty as the HSE.


----------



## odyssey06

'ICU beds are running out again': *Germany *hit by 'massive' pandemic of unvaccinated

_The country added 20,398 cases over the past 24 hours, according to the Robert Koch health institute, while another 194 people died... The number of Covid patients in intensive care today climbed to 2,226, up almost 26% on the previous week to reach the highest level since early June... More than 66% of the population is fully vaccinated, but a recent survey showed that the vast majority of Germany’s still unvaccinated adults have no intention of getting inoculated against Covid._









						'ICU beds are running out again': Germany hit by 'massive' pandemic of unvaccinated
					

A system that excludes the unvaccinated from some activities could be introduced in Germany’s 16 states.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Leo

Reminder - this thread is for global news...


----------



## Purple

Up to 500,000 Covid deaths forecasted between now and February in Europe and Central Asia.
If 95% of people wear masks that figure could be reduced by 188,000.


----------



## odyssey06

UK approve antiviral pill for home treatment for people at high risk of severe covid.








						First anti-viral pill to treat Covid-19 that can be taken at home approved in the UK
					

The drug is most effective if taken within the first five days of suffering Covid-19.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Purple

There were lots of headlines like this one last year about how much better female led countries were doing in relation to Covid. I haven't seen the updated stories about how it turns out that they really didn't do that much better.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Purple said:


> Up to 500,000 Covid deaths forecasted between now and February in Europe and Central Asia.
> If 95% of people wear masks that figure could be reduced by 188,000.


That's stark , and needs to be understood by everyone


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

odyssey06 said:


> UK approve antiviral pill for home treatment for people at high risk of severe covid.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> First anti-viral pill to treat Covid-19 that can be taken at home approved in the UK
> 
> 
> The drug is most effective if taken within the first five days of suffering Covid-19.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thejournal.ie


This is just going to allow more non vaccination,  the problem here is that will the same rigour be applied to the vaccine rollout?

This will need in " population " reviews too but I wonder if that will happen?

Don't get me wrong,  everything that helps is welcome but I can see this being hailed as an alternative,  a full year after the first vaccine was released.....

Moderna missed every key deliverable today too, and we are in the first 20 minutes of the game.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Purple said:


> There were lots of headlines like this one last year about how much better female led countries were doing in relation to Covid. I haven't seen the updated stories about how it turns out that they really didn't do that much better.


Now Now.......I wouldn't agree though NZ locked itself away,  Germany no different to the rest of Europe, ourselves " hell in a basket ". A few other countries run by women isn't jumping into my brain....


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Now Now.......I wouldn't agree though NZ locked itself away,  Germany no different to the rest of Europe, ourselves " hell in a basket ". A few other countries run by women isn't jumping into my brain....


The initial sexist framing of the article hasn't been corrected. I'm not surprised.


----------



## joe sod

Purple said:


> The initial sexist framing of the article hasn't been corrected. I'm not surprised.


The financial media were widely talking about the bank of England governor being an "unreliable boyfriend" for not raising interest rates as expected by the markets yesterday, they also used the slur with regard to Jerome Powell in the U.S..
No danger of them referring to Christine Lagarde as an "unreliable girlfriend" though, maybe all central bank governors should be women so


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: Pfizer says antiviral pill 89% effective in high-risk cases
					

The company stopped clinical trials early because initial results for the drug were so positive.



					www.bbc.com
				




I hope this is the correct thread for this as it's the US, but I'd imagine that this along with Mercks pill will be welcomed.


----------



## odyssey06

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Covid: Pfizer says antiviral pill 89% effective in high-risk cases
> 
> 
> The company stopped clinical trials early because initial results for the drug were so positive.
> 
> 
> 
> www.bbc.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I hope this is the correct thread for this as it's the US, but I'd imagine that this along with Mercks pill will be welcomed.


Very promising results...
_Interim data from trials of the treatment in 1,219 high-risk patients who had recently been infected with Covid found that 0.8% of those given Paxlovid were hospitalised compared with 7% of patients who were given a placebo or dummy pill.
They were treated within three days of Covid symptoms starting. 
Seven patients given the placebo died compared to none in the group given the pill._


----------



## Purple

Reports in US show that 98.9% of hospitalisations and 99.2% of deaths are in the unvaccinated. 
If you don't get the vaccine by choice you're an idiot.


----------



## Purple

Pfizer to ask FDA to expand authorisation of its booster shots to all adults.
We'll follow in due course


----------



## odyssey06

Purple said:


> Reports in US show that 98.9% of hospitalisations and 99.2% of deaths are in the unvaccinated.
> If you don't get the vaccine by choice you're an idiot.


Singapore agrees...

_The Singapore government had always covered the medical bills of all Singaporeans and other residents in certain categories infected with the virus, except for those who tested positive soon after returning from overseas. But from 8 December, authorities will begin charging Covid-19 patients who are unvaccinated by choice, the ministry of health said yesterday._









						Singapore to stop paying medical bills for the 'unvaccinated by choice'
					

Bills for those who are ineligible for vaccination will still be fully paid




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## Purple

odyssey06 said:


> Singapore agrees...
> 
> _The Singapore government had always covered the medical bills of all Singaporeans and other residents in certain categories infected with the virus, except for those who tested positive soon after returning from overseas. But from 8 December, authorities will begin charging Covid-19 patients who are unvaccinated by choice, the ministry of health said yesterday._
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Singapore to stop paying medical bills for the 'unvaccinated by choice'
> 
> 
> Bills for those who are ineligible for vaccination will still be fully paid
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thejournal.ie


Great idea!


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Whistleblower claims Pfizer safety data ‘falsified’
					

EXCLUSIVE




					www.news.com.au
				




This story has been around for a few days, and I thought it should be highlighted just for balance.

Reading it was entertaining as while the headline says one thing the story itself seems to eat away that headline.

There seems to be a growing number of " news " around vaccines and Pfizer in particular with one saying that Albert Bourla was arrested by the FBI last Friday,  he was on CNBC on Friday and was in Washington to attend a summit, of course its false news.

Its amazing what some people will do and say to have 15mins of fame.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Dutch experts recommend partial lockdown as cases surge
					

The main Dutch pandemic expert advisory panel has recommended imposing western Europe's first partial lockdown since the summer.




					www.rte.ie
				




Looks like the virus is on the march again and its going to cause more issues for Europe. 
I have said that I can't see level 5 lockdown returning but I can see some restrictions being reintroduced.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-59245018
		


This is something that will cause a rumble. Whether it's just or not no doubt will be debated, but the story highlights something else the rise in influence of extreme right wing views who as we know are anti vaccines. 

If Austria implements this I wonder if other EU countries will consider it,  or will the EU tell Austria that such a move would be a violation of basic human rights. 

The virus appears not just be a medical problem but also a societal problem with ramifications that I doubt were ever considered.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: Austria introduces lockdown for unvaccinated
					

Some two million people are told to stay at home amid growing pressure on hospitals as cases surge.



					www.bbc.com
				




Austria has gone ahead with restrictions for unvaccinated. Time will tell if this works


----------



## odyssey06

In Latvia, employers will be able to fire unvaccinated employees...









						Latvian employers can dismiss unvaccinated employees
					

Employers in Latvia are allowed to dismiss employees who refuse to get vaccinated against Covid-19, under new rules aimed at taming the pandemic in the EU member state.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## joer

It seems that Italy and Holland are thinking along the same lines as Austria..


----------



## joer

The virus will be with us forever if people don't take it seriously. A friend of mine is just back from a break in Spain. Dublin Airport was like a cattle mart. When you went through to board the plane he was on the stairs with everyone else for about ten mins. The plane was full. People were wearing masks alright except for the ones who wanted to have a coffee cup in front of them so as not to have to wear a mask. When he got to the Spanish Airport he had to travel to the terminal in a bus with everyone else, it was packed . His travel locater form was checked.  The hotel was good as regards Covid . He filled out a travel locater form for coming back and wasn't asked for it at all. Again the queues at passport control was chaotic. 
We in Ireland are not doing anything much to keep the numbers down.


----------



## joer

Another guy I was talking to was at a match in England during the week with his friend. They were the only two wearing masks. When he was going to get something to eat at half time he heard people saying 'here come the mask brigade' . No wonder it is so bad over there .


----------



## EmmDee

joer said:


> He filled out a travel locater form for coming back and wasn't asked for it at all. Again the queues at passport control was chaotic.
> We in Ireland are not doing anything much to keep the numbers down.



I've been n two flights over the last few months - I had to load the locator form online when I checked in and it was checked when checking in / boarding. In that case there is no need to have it checked in Dublin because it has been provided to the authorities by the airline. If the airline didn't have a copy and it wasn't checked - then it's a problem.

You can use the automatic passport gates to keep out of the worst of the queues - both times I arrived back it took me less than a minute to go through


----------



## odyssey06

Auckland lockdown to end...

_BARS, RESTAURANTS AND gyms can reopen in Auckland from early December as the New Zealand city emerges from a long Covid-19 lockdown. 
Customers will be required to show proof they have been fully vaccinated, prime minister Jacinda Ardern said today... It also signals a new phase in New Zealand’s response to the pandemic in which people around the country will need to be fully vaccinated in order to take part in activities from getting a haircut to watching a concert...
The current outbreak appears to have stabilised, with about 200 new infections reported each day, most of them in Auckland.
About 85 New Zealanders are currently in hospital with Covid-19 and the country has reported only 40 virus deaths from a population of five million since the pandemic began.









						Auckland lockdown to end as New Zealand tries new approach to fighting virus
					

The lockdown in New Zealand’s largest city has been ongoing since August.




					www.thejournal.ie
				



_


----------



## odyssey06

Swiss voters back Covid passes with 62% in favour in referendum.









						Switzerland backs law behind Covid pass in referendum
					

The law provides the legal basis for the so-called Covid certificate to indicate that a person has been vaccinated or has recovered from the disease.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## odyssey06

Belgium:
With cases among children rising the most, Mr De Croo said mask mandates will apply from age six. The current requirement to wear a mask is for those aged 10 years and older.
Primary schools will shut for Christmas and New Year holidays a week earlier and secondary schools will shift to a hybrid system, with half of classes from home.
By contrast, bars and restaurants in Belgium, home to EU institutions and NATO, will still be able to open until 11pm.









						Belgium to shut primary schools a week early over Covid
					

Belgium tightened its coronavirus restrictions for the third consecutive week today to fight one of Europe's worst spikes of Covid-19 cases.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

odyssey06 said:


> Belgium:
> With cases among children rising the most, Mr De Croo said mask mandates will apply from age six. The current requirement to wear a mask is for those aged 10 years and older.
> Primary schools will shut for Christmas and New Year holidays a week earlier and secondary schools will shift to a hybrid system, with half of classes from home.
> By contrast, bars and restaurants in Belgium, home to EU institutions and NATO, will still be able to open until 11pm.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Belgium to shut primary schools a week early over Covid
> 
> 
> Belgium tightened its coronavirus restrictions for the third consecutive week today to fight one of Europe's worst spikes of Covid-19 cases.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.rte.ie


The question is then should children be vaccinated?
The facts now are that with the majority of population's vaccinated the virus isn't going away,  however the cohort that  were never a cause of concern are now the concern.

I look at this the following way, the virus is non discriminatory and whilst science,/vaccines have helped in saving many, we now need to genuinely consider the effects that children are having on its persistence.

I would never advocate vaccination for children unless it was a threat on their lives.
Now the consideration is different.

These really are hard decisions for everyone.


----------



## odyssey06

Missed this at the time...

Pfizer has signed a deal with a UN-backed group to allow other manufacturers to make its experimental Covid-19 pill, which could make the treatment available to more than half of the world’s population...
Pfizer will not receive royalties on sales in low-income countries and will waive royalties in all countries covered by the agreement while Covid-19 remains a public health emergency.









						Pfizer agrees to let other companies make its Covid-19 pill
					

Rolling coverage of the international stories of interest to our readers




					www.irishexaminer.com


----------



## EmmDee

78k positive cases in UK in last 24 hours - higher than peak in January.

Hospitalisations up 10% on prior week - even though less severe than Delta, a small percentage of a very high number can still be a high number


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

EmmDee said:


> 78k positive cases in UK in last 24 hours - higher than peak in January.
> 
> Hospitalisations up 10% on prior week - even though less severe than Delta, a small percentage of a very high number can still be a high number


France has also banned UK tourists from Saturday. 
Its not a month since Omicron was identified and its already causing havoc.


----------



## EmmDee

Paul O Mahoney said:


> France has also banned UK tourists from Saturday.
> Its not a month since Omicron was identified and its already causing havoc.



I just found out last night that the UK reports "new" cases i.e. the reported number doesn't include people reinfected. Apparently they will be adding repeat infections at some point - but there could be quite a bit of under-reporting


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

EmmDee said:


> I just found out last night that the UK reports "new" cases i.e. the reported number doesn't include people reinfected. Apparently they will be adding repeat infections at some point - but there could be quite a bit of under-reporting


There was a Professor on BBC earlier saying that the true figure is probably double what's reported. 
He went on to say that if Omicron was doubling every 2 days it's not difficult to understand where it's going.
Chris Whitty is giving evidence in Westminster and he said " expect all previous case records to be broken repeatedly over the coming weeks ".

Omicron is 25% of total cases in the UK, but its dominant in London and from there it will spread as they approach Christmas. 

If as many are saying its milder great, but the hospitals every where are simply not going to be able to cope and that's the sad reality of this.


----------



## EmmDee

Paul O Mahoney said:


> If as many are saying its milder great, but the hospitals every where are simply not going to be able to cope and that's the sad reality of this.



A point I had forgotten (but was also mentioned last night) was that the risk to the NHS isn't just the absolute numbers going into hospital / ICU - but rather that if the spike is incredibly high, there will be severe shortages of staff due to needing to isolate. So whereas last time the stress was mainly a demand driven issue, this would be a combination of demand increase but a significant supply reduction


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: Cases hit new record as booster drive continues
					

Omicron could peak fast but subside sooner than past strains, England's chief medical officer says.



					www.bbc.com
				




Worked out how to link again,  anyway the above is a good indication of where the UK is. It compares last Thursdays cases to today, its stark.

It also gives the R number,  generally and specifically for Omicron .

C4 news just had a Professor saying that 30% of London's population isn't vaccinated that's incredible.


----------



## Bluefin

odyssey06 said:


> Missed this at the time...
> 
> Pfizer has signed a deal with a UN-backed group to allow other manufacturers to make its experimental Covid-19 pill, which could make the treatment available to more than half of the world’s population...
> Pfizer will not receive royalties on sales in low-income countries and will waive royalties in all countries covered by the agreement while Covid-19 remains a public health emergency.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pfizer agrees to let other companies make its Covid-19 pill
> 
> 
> Rolling coverage of the international stories of interest to our readers
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.irishexaminer.com


It's a good outcome for all... As someone who works in this industry it's so much easier to make this type of product compared to complex vaccines.. This is never stated in main stream media.. Pharma companies are war profiteering is the typical headlines..


----------



## odyssey06

Netherlands to close schools, hospitality and non essential retail.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Covid: London 'major incident' declared due to Omicron rise
					

Mayor Sadiq Khan says the variant is having an impact on staff absences in the emergency services.



					www.bbc.com
				




And a huge amount of people living in London are going to be spreading throughout the UK and here.


----------



## odyssey06

Portugal announces strong measures...

Portugal has ordered nightclubs and bars to close and told people to work from home for at least two weeks starting this Saturday to control the spread of Covid-19 over the holiday period. PM Costa also announced capacity restrictions at stores and said a negative coronavirus test would now be required to stay at hotels or go to events.
Authorities will also limit outdoor gatherings to 10 people per group on New Year's Eve, when a negative test will be needed to enter restaurants, casinos or attend parties in public spaces, Mr Costa said.









						Portugal shuts bars, nightclubs for at least two weeks
					

Portugal has ordered nightclubs and bars to close and told people to work from home for at least two weeks starting this Saturday to control the spread of Covid-19 over the holiday period.




					www.rte.ie


----------



## odyssey06

US top 1 million cases a day...

The United States recorded more than one million Covid-19 cases on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, as the Omicron variant spread at a blistering pace. There were 1,080,211 new cases in the country, a global record, with the number of cases doubling on the previous week. It comes a day after top US pandemic advisor Anthony Fauci said the country was experiencing “almost a vertical increase” in Covid-19 cases, adding the peak may be only weeks away.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

On average 1 in 15 people in the UK may have had Omicron from 21st to 28th of December according to UK officials.

C4 last night said  that if accurate 3.7m were infected. That's some figure.

While hospital admissions are not as severe as previous variants the effects on the basic work of living are severely affected.

A friend of mine in England said last night " its weird, life seems to have slowed to a crawl" and he can sense uncertainty.


----------



## Duke of Marmalade

I wouldn't fancy being in the next room to Djokovic as he practices his tennis in isolation.


----------



## Purple

Duke of Marmalade said:


> I wouldn't fancy being in the next room to Djokovic as he practices his tennis in isolation.


No-Vax Djokovic?


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Purple said:


> No-Vax Djokovic?


Exactly, he knew the rules. I think in 2020 he organised a tournament during one of the lockdowns and all but one of the 16 got infected despite his assurances everything would be controlled.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Duke of Marmalade said:


> I wouldn't fancy being in the next room to Djokovic as he practices his tennis in isolation.


Apparently it houses asylum seekers too.


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Exactly, he knew the rules. I think in 2020 he organised a tournament during one of the lockdowns and all but one of the 16 got infected despite his assurances everything would be controlled.


Yep, complete clown. I hope Australia do the right thing and kick him out.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

This is the main story on practically every news bulletin since 4am this morning, the mind boggles.


----------



## Paul O Mahoney

Purple said:


> Yep, complete clown. I hope Australia do the right thing and kick him out.


My hope too.


----------



## Purple

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Exactly, he knew the rules. I think in 2020 he organised a tournament during one of the lockdowns and all but one of the 16 got infected despite his assurances everything would be controlled.


It's not my line, I heard it on NewsTalk this morning.


----------



## waterman

Purple said:


> Yep, complete clown. I hope Australia do the right thing and kick him out.



In fairness he was giving an exemption & was told he was ok to travel. There where also 26 other tennis players who applied and a few others were given the same exemption however none of them have been treated the same.....


----------



## Purple

waterman said:


> In fairness he was giving an exemption & was told he was ok to travel. There where also 26 other tennis players who applied and a few others were given the same exemption however none of them have been treated the same.....


If he fulfilled the medical criteria he'd still have the exemption but obviously he  didn't he hasn't.
I'm delighted for him. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. He's a clown, spouting his anti-vax nonsense.


----------



## Bluefin

Maybe we should dump all the anti-vax and the unvaxcinated people onto there own little island..Australia comes to mind


----------



## Bluefin

Forgot to add, they might take in those crazy tax increasing shinners for us as well


----------



## waterman

Purple said:


> If he fulfilled the medical criteria he'd still have the exemption but obviously he  didn't he hasn't.
> I'm delighted for him. Couldn't have happened to a nicer bloke. He's a clown, spouting his anti-vax nonsense.


I've no time for him either. But why was he given an exemption and then all of a sudden not. Has a reason been given for his deportation? If he has lied then of course kick him out but if he has supplied real proof he should be allowed play like the other players who got exemptions.


----------



## joer

I'm glad he was treated like anyone else who didn't have their papers in order.


----------



## Purple

waterman said:


> I've no time for him either. But why was he given an exemption and then all of a sudden not. Has a reason been given for his deportation? If he has lied then of course kick him out but if he has supplied real proof he should be allowed play like the other players who got exemptions.


He got the exemption based on having his paperwork in order when he got there. It seems he didn't have said paperwork in order.


----------



## EmmDee

waterman said:


> I've no time for him either. But why was he given an exemption and then all of a sudden not. Has a reason been given for his deportation? If he has lied then of course kick him out but if he has supplied real proof he should be allowed play like the other players who got exemptions.



The exemption was from the Tennis organisers not the Melbourne authorities / border control afaik. While no doubt the border control paid a lot more attention to his case because of public opinion overnight - that public reaction was also self inflicted as he has spouted about having the exemption on Instagram before leaving.

Just as an example - the Australian Tennis require a vaccine to even attend as a spectator unless you have an exemption .One of the grounds for an exemption was having been infected already in the last 6 months. However prior infection isn't valid for an exemption for entry to Victoria. So it could be that he didn't have the required documentation. Or it could be that the exemption to play / attend wasn't valid as an exemption to enter Victoria

More fun to come - the next major is the French Open. Good luck with that one


----------



## joer

EmmDee said:


> The exemption was from the Tennis organisers not the Melbourne authorities / border control afaik. While no doubt the border control paid a lot more attention to his case because of public opinion overnight - that public reaction was also self inflicted as he has spouted about having the exemption on Instagram before leaving.
> 
> Just as an example - the Australian Tennis require a vaccine to even attend as a spectator unless you have an exemption .One of the grounds for an exemption was having been infected already in the last 6 months. However prior infection isn't valid for an exemption for entry to Victoria. So it could be that he didn't have the required documentation. Or it could be that the exemption to play / attend wasn't valid as an exemption to enter Victoria
> 
> More fun to come - the next major is the French Open. Good luck with that one


And he will have plenty of volunteers to give him the jab before the French open ...


----------



## Duke of Marmalade

Novax is still 2.8 favourite to win the Aussie Open.  So the smart money thinks this is all a storm in a teacup.  If you think he is going to be deported short him at 2.8.  Even if not deported he still might lose the thing.


----------



## odyssey06

Djokovic has a match point versus the Australian government it appears...

_WORLD TENNIS NUMBER one Novak Djokovic won a shock victory in his bid to remain in Australia today, overturning the cancellation of the tennis star’s visa on Covid-19 health grounds and ending his detention. It was an extraordinary setback for the Australian government... But the Australian government’s lawyer told the court that Immigration Minister Alex Hawke may still decide to use his “personal power of cancellation” despite the player’s victory._









						Djokovic says he wants to play Australian Open after visa cancellation overturned
					

A government lawyer warned Australia may yet use ministerial powers to order the tennis player’s removal from the country.




					www.thejournal.ie


----------



## waterman

I'm sure we've all seen the NHS Dr tell the Health secretary that he does not want to get vaccinated and is not happy about the mandatory requirement however what I thought very interesting was the nurses reaction when the health sectary asked them. It's terrible that people are too afraid to speak up.


----------



## Purple

waterman said:


> I'm sure we've all seen the NHS Dr tell the Health secretary that he does not want to get vaccinated and is not happy about the mandatory requirement however what I thought very interesting was the nurses reaction when the health sectary asked them. It's terrible that people are too afraid to speak up.


I didn't see any of that. 
There are a half a million nurses in the UK. Some of them are bound to be idiots. 
There are over 300,000 doctors in the UK. Some of them are also bound to be idiots.
To be clear, I am saying that, as this stage, anyone who doesn't accept that vaccines reduce your risk of serious disease and death and that outweighs the tiny risk the vaccines pose, is an idiot. We've seen idiot professors here and idiot doctors and idiot nurses who refuse to get vaccinated. People are entitled to be idiots. It's one of the great things about living in a free country.


----------



## waterman

Here is the link if you're interested:









						COVID-19: Sajid Javid directly challenged on mandatory coronavirus jabs by unvaccinated NHS doctor
					

Steve James, a consultant anaesthetist who has been treating coronavirus patients since the start of the pandemic, tells Health Secretary Sajid Javid about his displeasure with the government's policy of mandatory vaccination for NHS staff.




					news.sky.com


----------



## Purple

waterman said:


> Here is the link if you're interested:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> COVID-19: Sajid Javid directly challenged on mandatory coronavirus jabs by unvaccinated NHS doctor
> 
> 
> Steve James, a consultant anaesthetist who has been treating coronavirus patients since the start of the pandemic, tells Health Secretary Sajid Javid about his displeasure with the government's policy of mandatory vaccination for NHS staff.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> news.sky.com


Okay so an anaesthetist is taking a position against the experts (he's not an expert). I stand by my point above.


----------



## michaelm

Purple said:


> To be clear, I am saying that, as this stage, anyone who doesn't accept that vaccines reduce your risk of serious disease and death and that outweighs the tiny risk the vaccines pose, is an idiot.


Your unequivocal view notwithstanding, I think it's valid to ask questions about the vaccines.  

They were produced at breakneck speed.  The more traditional vaccines (viral vector\protein subunit\inactivated virus) haven't had stellar performance against the virus. The efficacy of the newer mRNA type drops off alarmingly also.  That Israel are on their fourth jab wouldn't instil confidence.  The vaccines don't seem to be doing all that much re Omicron, perhaps reducing the already mild symptoms.  The risks appear to be small but the vaccines have caused damage to some and deaths.  Obviously the time-frame did not allow for longitudinal studies so we won't know for a while whether the vaccines cause any long-term issues.

While the vaccines may reduce serious disease and death in the overall population that may well make little difference to young, healthy people.  It seems to me that the vaccines offer little to young children as Covid doesn't seem to be much of a risk for health younger kids. Do you view parents who decide not to vaccinate their young children to be idiots also?


----------



## Purple

michaelm said:


> . Do you view parents who decide not to vaccinate their young children to be idiots also?


I view people who refuse vaccines because of risks associated with the vaccines as idiots.


----------



## michaelm

So if they choose not to to vaccinate their young children against Covid on the basis that it poses little risk to them (and perhaps also because it may be morally questionable to vaccinate those not really at risk while many at risk people in other jurisdictions can't get a vaccine) then maybe they're not necessarily idiots?


----------



## EmmDee

michaelm said:


> Your unequivocal view notwithstanding, I think it's valid to ask questions about the vaccines.
> 
> They were produced at breakneck speed.  The more traditional vaccines (viral vector\protein subunit\inactivated virus) haven't had stellar performance against the virus. The efficacy of the newer mRNA type drops off alarmingly also.  That Israel are on their fourth jab wouldn't instil confidence.  The vaccines don't seem to be doing all that much re Omicron, perhaps reducing the already mild symptoms.  The risks appear to be small but the vaccines have caused damage to some and deaths.  Obviously the time-frame did not allow for longitudinal studies so we won't know for a while whether the vaccines cause any long-term issues.
> 
> While the vaccines may reduce serious disease and death in the overall population that may well make little difference to young, healthy people.  It seems to me that the vaccines offer little to young children as Covid doesn't seem to be much of a risk for health younger kids. Do you view parents who decide not to vaccinate their young children to be idiots also?



"Just asking questions" - the comfort blanket of the uninformed (whether deliberately or not).

The vaccines in question were not developed at "breakneck" speed. I watched the Dimbleby lecture where Prof Sarah Gilbert (led the Oxford vaccine team) described how the work on the Oxford and MRNA vaccines had actually been going on for years. What had been realised after MARS and Ebola outbreaks was that there was a risk of more new viruses and the traditional vaccine development approach was too slow to respond. So they had been developing a new vaccine delivery infrastructure that would then allow for quicker development and testing of vaccines - so the delivery mechanism was already tested and safe and therefore just needed to be adjusted for a new virus. COVID was sequenced within days of appearing and the initial vaccine was ready for testing within a month or two. She also explained that none of the testing was skipped  -what allowed quicker deployment was that they were funded to prepare for the following stages before completion of prior stage - so for example, mass production facilities were being prepared before testing was complete. If anything was done at breakneck speed it was political and funding decisions, not a reduction in scientific rigour. The MRNA approach was an alternative but similar logic to the Oxford one

The reduction of efficacy is due to the amount of variation and Omicron has significant variations. She also made the point that they could produce a variant of the vaccine to a new variant virus within 3 months but that there is always a balance between higher efficacy versus production delay to switch. So if the vaccine is reasonably effective on a new variant, it is more efficient to keep using the current stocks. It may be that they end up producing a new booster adjusted for Omicron

Omicron has resulted in much higher hospitalisation for younger populations - where before there was a low probability of illness it seems that is higher now.


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## Leo

michaelm said:


> So if they choose not to to vaccinate their young children against Covid on the basis that it poses little risk to them


Then they are deliberately choosing the option that carries a higher degree of risk to their children. If they don't care enough about their children to have worked that out by now... 



michaelm said:


> ...then maybe they're not necessarily idiots?


A colleague of my wife was recently faced with the parents of a child now suffering from post-covid MIS-C, they will sadly admit they were idiots whose decision will likely have lifetime consequences for their child.


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## michaelm

EmmDee said:


> "Just asking questions" - the comfort blanket of the uninformed (whether deliberately or not).


You're probably better informed than me, but I'm not uninformed, just asking questions.  I'm not opposed to the vaccine, though probably won't get a fourth (maybe that'll make me an idiot).  I'm triple vaccinated and had Omicron.  My two adult sons are double vaccinated and had Omicron.  My unvaccinated 11 year old had asymptomatic Covid over Christmas, I'm currently disinclined to get him a vaccine as he should have some natural immunity and it would seems that the current iteration holds no fears for him.



EmmDee said:


> Omicron has resulted in much higher hospitalisation for younger populations - where before there was a low probability of illness it seems that is higher now.


I don't know the stats but it was very low.  Is it not still very low?  Might the figures be skewed by hospital admissions with incidental Covid?


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## Paul O Mahoney

EmmDee said:


> "Just asking questions" - the comfort blanket of the uninformed (whether deliberately or not).
> 
> The vaccines in question were not developed at "breakneck" speed. I watched the Dimbleby lecture where Prof Sarah Gilbert (led the Oxford vaccine team) described how the work on the Oxford and MRNA vaccines had actually been going on for years. What had been realised after MARS and Ebola outbreaks was that there was a risk of more new viruses and the traditional vaccine development approach was too slow to respond. So they had been developing a new vaccine delivery infrastructure that would then allow for quicker development and testing of vaccines - so the delivery mechanism was already tested and safe and therefore just needed to be adjusted for a new virus. COVID was sequenced within days of appearing and the initial vaccine was ready for testing within a month or two. She also explained that none of the testing was skipped  -what allowed quicker deployment was that they were funded to prepare for the following stages before completion of prior stage - so for example, mass production facilities were being prepared before testing was complete. If anything was done at breakneck speed it was political and funding decisions, not a reduction in scientific rigour. The MRNA approach was an alternative but similar logic to the Oxford one
> 
> The reduction of efficacy is due to the amount of variation and Omicron has significant variations. She also made the point that they could produce a variant of the vaccine to a new variant virus within 3 months but that there is always a balance between higher efficacy versus production delay to switch. So if the vaccine is reasonably effective on a new variant, it is more efficient to keep using the current stocks. It may be that they end up producing a new booster adjusted for Omicron
> 
> Omicron has resulted in much higher hospitalisation for younger populations - where before there was a low probability of illness it seems that is higher now.


No matter how many times all this has been explained there is a cohort that simply refuses to accept it . 

Had any of the vaccines been toxic or harmful there would be huge numbers of people showing symptoms of that given the now billions of vaccines administered,  yet they will focus on a few cases .

The Mnra vaccines don't even enter your DNA, it tells your T cells to look out for and attack the spike protein of the virus, to put it in lay man's terms "it sends a text to your T cells " thus the M

Of course the " waning " is something highlighted in the middle of 2020 and gave rise to us having 2 jabs to extend immunity to 6 months so that populations could be offered some protection. 

Then Delta and Omicron comes along, and 3rd jabs are required. 

These vaccines are being updated,tested and if its believed needed will be produced and this is a fact,  AZ, Moderna,  Pfizer,  J&J continue to spend billions to try and be ready for the next variant. 

Questions regarding vaccines have been asked by suitability qualified people since phase 1 trials began in May 2020, asking questions from highly biased individuals like the doctor who is against mandatory vaccination as he is unvaccinated and probably won't get vaccinated,  frankly is BS.


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## Bluefin

This is the critical point.. 

No matter how many times all this has been explained there is a cohort that simply refuses to accept it

Hopefully once this cohort get infected they will build up some natural immunity and won't be to much of a burden on the health system


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## Paul O Mahoney

Bluefin said:


> This is the critical point..
> 
> No matter how many times all this has been explained there is a cohort that simply refuses to accept it
> 
> Hopefully once this cohort get infected they will build up some natural immunity and won't be to much of a burden on the health system


They also need to stop " making stuff up" or indulging in "whataboutery" about the vaccines so they can justify their decision, there are plenty of echo chambers that will facilitate their ignorant views and create more.

Natural immunity might never happen as it's a virus that mutates regularly. And of course they'll be treated in hospital even when they have an opportunity to lessen that burden.

" There can be no truth without facts" one of the Peace Noble Laureates wrote that and it's true


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## Purple

No-Vax Djokovic had his visa cancelled again. Great news.


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## EmmDee

Duke of Marmalade said:


> Novax is still 2.8 favourite to win the Aussie Open.  So the smart money thinks this is all a storm in a teacup.  If you think he is going to be deported short him at 2.8.  Even if not deported he still might lose the thing.



Thanks for the heads-up


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## Leo

Purple said:


> No-Vax Djokovic had his visa cancelled again. Great news.


Really would have made a joke of the severe restrictions on their own citizens if they turned a blind eye to the litany of issues with his entry.


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## joer

He should not be allowed to play in France or UK either, in my opinion.


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## Paul O Mahoney

joer said:


> He should not be allowed to play in France or UK either, in my opinion.


I hope that by the time both of those championships come around we may not have to be concerned on his status.

But if we are in the throes of another variant 100% agree.

He really needs a slap, and his sponsors need to have a chat too.


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## Paul O Mahoney

Well looks like the majority of the UK has removed all restrictions including the requirements for face masks in a multitude of settings where close contact is inevitable. ( I think this applies to England for now, with exceptions such as London transport still mandating mask wearing)

Javid said something like " we must live with Covid-19 as we do with the flu" somebody should remind him that covid isn't the flu his language won't do much for their vaccine program which now has approximately 64% boosted.

I am of the opinion that we must move on , Omicron is a lot milder but we must move on carefully. Masks should be still promoted for general good health and should be worn in places where the risk levels of infection are highest. Of course good health practices will also help with the better control of other viruses such as colds and the flu. 

It will be interesting where we / Europe finds itself over the next 2 months.


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## Leo

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Javid said something like " we must live with Covid-19 as we do with the flu" somebody should remind him that covid isn't the flu his language won't do much for their vaccine program which now has approximately 64% boosted.


They're now in a position where the career prospects of one individual outweighs all else!


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## Paul O Mahoney

Leo said:


> They're now in a position where the career prospects of one individual outweighs all else!


Absolutely, and I do wonder if he wasn't under so much pressure would this call be made.


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## Leo

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Absolutely, and I do wonder if he wasn't under so much pressure would this call be made.


They've always been a bit gung-ho in their approach, perhaps driven by a desire to make Brexit look like a good idea through prioitising the economy. They've almost twice the death rate that we do as a result. Only time will tell whether this timing is reckless, prudent or somewhere in between.


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## odyssey06

Note that masks will still be required on London transport (TFL) in UK

But things loosening up in NI also








						Stormont ministers agree to relax many Covid-19 restrictions in Northern Ireland
					

They include ending the legal requirement for Covid certification to enter some hospitality venues and the reopening of nightclubs.




					www.thejournal.ie


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## odyssey06

First the minks, now the hamsters:









						Hong Kong warns animal lovers not to obstruct hamster cull
					

The cull was approved after a number of hamsters in a pet shop tested positive for Covid-19.




					www.thejournal.ie


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## michaelm

This, albeit Chinese, study suggests a mouse origin for the Omicron variant . .


"Collectively, our results suggest that the progenitor of Omicron jumped from humans to mice, rapidly accumulated mutations conducive to infecting that host, then jumped back into humans, indicating an inter-species evolutionary trajectory for the Omicron outbreak."


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## joer

On l lighter note , sort of,   ...this virus started and finished with a 'bat out of hell'


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## Paul O Mahoney

Two-thirds with Omicron say they have had Covid before
					

The latest findings hint at how common reinfections might be and who is more likely to catch Covid again.



					www.bbc.com
				




This is an interesting study, it states that 1 in 23 people in England contracted/had covid in the first 3 weeks of January with 65% of those saying that they had covid previously.

Additionally France yesterday recorded over 500,000 cases.

While we know that Omicron is milder these are very large numbers and the risks associated with the virus don't seem be reducing.


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## odyssey06

There doesn't seem to be much or any flu circulating. Omicron is raging but not the other usual winter viruses which put strain on health services - probably because of the measures intended to suppress covid as they are less infectious. That takes some pressure off, and vaccines covid is now at a level they can handle?


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## Sophrosyne

"France says it will start administering Pfizer’s coronavirus antiviral drug this week, the first pill for treating COVID-19 approved in the 27-nation EU.

It has received its first 10,000 doses of the Pfizer drug Paxlovid and they will be available in pharmacies starting Friday, the Health Ministry said Wednesday. It says it’s the first European Union country to start providing the treatment since it won regulatory approval last week.

It will be given to adults with symptoms who don’t require oxygen and who are at higher risk of severe disease, according to European Medicines Agency guidelines. Supplies of the drug remain limited worldwide.

An antiviral pill from Merck also is expected to soon be authorized. Both drugs are expected to be effective against omicron because they do not target the spike protein where most of the variant’s worrisome mutations reside."


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## Paul O Mahoney

It will be interesting to see how effective these treatments are in the real world.


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## odyssey06

China puts city of Shenzhen under lockdown








						China locks down 17m people as Covid hits two-year high
					

The southern Chinese tech hub Shenzhen was put under a citywide lockdown today, the local government announced, after it reported 66 new coronavirus cases and sealed off the central business district.




					www.rte.ie


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## Paul O Mahoney

odyssey06 said:


> China puts city of Shenzhen under lockdown
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> China locks down 17m people as Covid hits two-year high
> 
> 
> The southern Chinese tech hub Shenzhen was put under a citywide lockdown today, the local government announced, after it reported 66 new coronavirus cases and sealed off the central business district.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.rte.ie


Yet again it looks like China are struggling with containment. I saw a report that Hong Kong's cases are increasing too.

The BBC had , for the first time in months, had their 2 experts back, cases are again rising and Javed was on breakfast asking people to get the booster. 

Finally looks like a 4th dose is going to be a real thing come Autumn, but that's according to Pfizer.


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## odyssey06

Paul O Mahoney said:


> Yet again it looks like China are struggling with containment. I saw a report that Hong Kong's cases are increasing too.
> 
> The BBC had , for the first time in months, had their 2 experts back, cases are again rising and Javed was on breakfast asking people to get the booster.
> 
> Finally looks like a 4th dose is going to be a real thing come Autumn, but that's according to Pfizer.


Things seem bad in Hong Kong, cases translating into serious cases in hospital as the older population contains a lot unvaccinated or who got Chinese Sinovac(?) which isn't holding up well.


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## odyssey06

odyssey06 said:


> Things seem bad in Hong Kong, cases translating into serious cases in hospital as the older population contains a lot unvaccinated or who got Chinese Sinovac(?) which isn't holding up well.


Hong Kong: The city’s morgues run out of space from a deadly Omicron surge. In under three months since the highly transmissible variant broke through, Hong Kong has recorded nearly a million infections and more than 4,600 deaths – the bulk of them from the city’s unvaccinated elderly population.









						Hong Kong morgues running out of space amid Omicron surge
					

The city has recorded nearly a million infections and more than 4,600 deaths in the last three months.




					www.thejournal.ie


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## Sophrosyne

In the UK, PM Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been notified that they will be issued with fixed penalty notices over lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.


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## Paul O Mahoney

Sophrosyne said:


> In the UK, PM Boris Johnson, his wife Carrie and Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been notified that they will be issued with fixed penalty notices over lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.


Therefore he has lied to Parliament ,Sunak is already in the mire with a Non Dom wife and his own green card....this is going to be fun.

Nurses are now struggling with living expenses and they essentially saved the country. 

Maybe the pandemic is going a little good afterall.


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## Daithi7

odyssey06 said:


> Hong Kong: The city’s morgues run out of space from a deadly Omicron surge. In under three months since the highly transmissible variant broke through, Hong Kong has recorded nearly a million infections and more than 4,600 deaths – the bulk of them from the city’s unvaccinated elderly population.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Hong Kong morgues running out of space amid Omicron surge
> 
> 
> The city has recorded nearly a million infections and more than 4,600 deaths in the last three months.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.thejournal.ie


My god,  this is crazy imho.  These countries surely can clearly see what works & what doesn't at this stage e.g. social distancing,  masks,  Antigen tests and effective vaccines are the planks of an effective covid management programme.  There may(...) be some excuse for China, but places like Hong Kong, no excuse really.


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## odyssey06

easypeasy said:


> I mean when this madness will stop? I'm so sick of this news, it's been a lot since we normally lived, how come world can't beat this covid...


We vaccinated they didn't.
We have stopped publishing daily case counts and seem to have gotten through the Omicron wave peak.
So it's relatively quiet on 'our' front and now we're coming into summer. Will have to see what autumn winter brings now that travel is open.


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## Paul O Mahoney

Daithi7 said:


> My god,  this is crazy imho.  These countries surely can clearly see what works & what doesn't at this stage e.g. social distancing,  masks,  Antigen tests and effective vaccines are the planks of an effective covid management programme.  There may(...) be some excuse for China, but places like Hong Kong, no excuse really.


Old people in HK simply didn't get vaccinated, it's the same in other south Asian countries.  
But the bull in the China shop, unfortunate pun, it's the same in China now millions are locked up and the Chinese Government are still going for zero covid. 

Today an outbreak was reported in Beijing. 

The problem I can see here is that the virus will once again mutate as its active amongst 1.5? Bn people,  The Chinese have vaccines and other medical supplies but when the population is this large its impossible to contain it. So why are they trying?


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## almostthere

My son and his family live in Hong Kong.  They are down to a few hundred cases daily. They are out and about, no problem.


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