Covid - coming out of Lockdown 3 - no politics, less opinion and more facts and information.

[rockershovel]

I can’t find it now, but someone mentioned electoral canvassing, and why it was permitted. Leaving aside the rights and wrongs of it, “conducting or participating in an election” was specifically identified as a “permitted activity” (for want of a better description) in the last renewal of lock-down Powers. Electoral canvassing will take place because it has been  specifically provided for. 

Edited March 1, 2021 by rockershovel

[Andy Hayter]

4 hours ago, hayfield said:

 

 

It's also reporting some countries are not even using all the vaccines they have, Germany for instance has just under 5m doses stockpiled. Yet many countries are still seeing infections rates either increasing or staying stumblingly high..

 

 

 

France likewise BUT these two countries are sticking to the manufacturers' recommended spacing between first and second jabs.  Given the current supply problems, the only way to guarantee that the second jab is given on time is to hold it in the warehouse when the first jab is given.   So 5m "unused" vaccines is simply WIP.

 

AS often the case it is important to know and understand the background.  

[Martin]

I don't think I would vote for any party that thought door-to-door canvassing was a good idea at the moment.

[rockershovel]

20 minutes ago, Martin said:

I don't think I would vote for any party that thought door-to-door canvassing was a good idea at the moment.

 

Well, door to door deliveries of various descriptions have never stopped, and have increased enormously in volume. Royal Mail took on around 10,000 temporary staff during the year, most of them agency workers doing fluctuating workloads. That increased to 30,000 over Xmas, and back around 10,000 now. 

 

I don’t want to speculate on the workforce at various on-line sales outlets, but Amazon in Peterborough are reckoned locally to be around double their 2019 staffing levels. 

 

Its one of the contradictions of the whole business, that most people have probably never had so many people coming to the door; and so many items, too. 

 

 

[Metr0Land]

At least all those deliveries are (normally) just plonked on the doorstep.  It's not as if the postie/Yodel/Hermes are wanting to engage in conversations about the 'merits' of their politicians and their policies.

[Fenman]

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

...

And 'the local area' is defined as the town, part of town, or village in which you live.  

...

 

 

You may be right, though the last time I checked the goverment had deliberately not defined what "local area" meant, leaving it to your discretion. 

 

In general, I've followed the "Boris Rule": he went for a cycle ride to a park just over 7 miles from his house, so I also stay within 7 miles of home.

 

Paul

 

 

[caradoc]

3 hours ago, admiles said:

I have family in Germany and they're all been vaccinated, even those in their 20s and 30s.

 

So does that mean Germany has already completed vaccinating all older age groups, all vulnerable people, and is now able to vaccinate younger persons ? If so, an incredible achievement. 

 

[admiles]

2 hours ago, chris p bacon said:

 

It's not the fault of the tabloids, you can't avoid the fact that there is an issue with other countries being slower off the mark.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/24/eu-covid-vaccination-difficulties-anti-vaxxers

 

https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20210206-how-the-eu-s-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-became-an-advert-for-brexit

 

An eye raising statistic in this link s that at W/E 21.2.2021 there were a million new cases of C19.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1139048/coronavirus-case-rates-in-the-past-7-days-in-europe-by-country/

 

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1196071/covid-19-vaccination-rate-in-europe-by-country/

 

This gives the EU perspective of vaccinations both Full and part 

https://www.euronews.com/2021/03/01/covid-19-vaccinations-in-europe-which-countries-are-leading-the-way

 

 

 Unusual as the Germans have prioritised the elderly as has the UK.

 

 

Not unusual as whole families are being vaccinated at the same time. Very much area dependent apparently.  My cousin who libes in Augsburg is 51, her husband 49 and one son 22 were all done at the same time. Their older son 28 lives in Munich and has also been.

[admiles]

7 minutes ago, caradoc said:

 

So does that mean Germany has already completed vaccinating all older age groups, all vulnerable people, and is now able to vaccinate younger persons ? If so, an incredible achievement. 

 

 

No I don't think so. See my reply to chris P bacon above.

 

But then we are also vaccinating younger people before completing the older age groups. I'm having my first vaccination on Weds and I'm 47. I have colleagues who are 60 and 64 who haven't been called for one yet. Just seems to be some areas are further ahead than others.

[Pete the Elaner]

22 minutes ago, caradoc said:

 

So does that mean Germany has already completed vaccinating all older age groups, all vulnerable people, and is now able to vaccinate younger persons ? If so, an incredible achievement. 

 

 

No.

 

Vaccines were not tested & proven on some older age groups until more recently, (which is why you may have read that they are less effective..which is not true, they were simply no figures to prove their effectiveness).

Some countries therefore held them back from use for these age groups until they had been tested further.

[Reorte]

2 hours ago, Fenman said:

 

You may be right, though the last time I checked the goverment had deliberately not defined what "local area" meant, leaving it to your discretion. 

 

In general, I've followed the "Boris Rule": he went for a cycle ride to a park just over 7 miles from his house, so I also stay within 7 miles of home.

What's sensible IMO depends anyway, there's no way you can define a hard and fast rule. They've said in the past that getting in to the car to go a short distance is OK, yet since I'm fortunate enough to live somewhere where there are plenty of pleasant places to walk and cycle straight from my doorstep I'd feel that using the car at all could not be justified for me, but on the other hand if you have to drive a bit anyway then a bit of leeway wouldn't seem unreasonable.

[Reorte]

The levelling off of the rate of decline of cases was a worry but it seems to have started going down again (although Monday's always been a low number day) - perhaps the effect of vaccinations are starting to show up in the numbers, now that a noticeable proportion of the population's been vaccinated?

[boxbrownie]

15 minutes ago, Reorte said:

What's sensible IMO depends anyway, there's no way you can define a hard and fast rule. They've said in the past that getting in to the car to go a short distance is OK, yet since I'm fortunate enough to live somewhere where there are plenty of pleasant places to walk and cycle straight from my doorstep I'd feel that using the car at all could not be justified for me, but on the other hand if you have to drive a bit anyway then a bit of leeway wouldn't seem unreasonable.

Well, we had to go to a dentist appointment today and the round trip of about 30 miles felt like a day trip to Mars, teeth in great condition, wonderful sunny weather, not so much traffic and beautiful Cornish countryside........this needs to end soon 

[Reorte]

4 minutes ago, boxbrownie said:

Well, we had to go to a dentist appointment today and the round trip of about 30 miles felt like a day trip to Mars, teeth in great condition, wonderful sunny weather, not so much traffic and beautiful Cornish countryside........this needs to end soon 

When my parents got the jab they chose to wait until they could get it done near to them, even though they'd had had an invite to the regional centre a bit earlier - 100 miles away. To be honest I'd have been tempted to take the longer journey just for a good reason to have a change of scene!

[Oldddudders]

4 minutes ago, Reorte said:

When my parents got the jab they chose to wait until they could get it done near to them, even though they'd had had an invite to the regional centre a bit earlier - 100 miles away. To be honest I'd have been tempted to take the longer journey just for a good reason to have a change of scene!

But with lots of sensible warnings about the risk of a bad reaction, who wants to be stuck 100 miles from home feeling rancid? Sherry, in Babbacombe, Devon, was invited to have a jab in Exmouth - 11 miles away, they said. Quite right, as the seagull flies - but very considerably further by land! She waited a little longer and had a great experience at her local centre in Torquay. 

[Ighten]

I have  a ? - has anyone been given anything remotely resembling an official certificate - proof etc (I ask ask as a few of our hols have in the future requested this)

[Derekl]

I was given a small card (credit card sized) confirming my fist dose of AZ and the appointment for the next in early April. I don't suppose it is proof but it does show you have been vaccinated. Mine did not have my name on, but I entered it. I cannot say what value it has - the prime reason appears to be as a reminder of the next shot...

[Hobby]

All we got was a card marked with the date of the first jab and a soace for the second. My wife's was typed mine was hand written (different centres). 

[Hobby]

2 hours ago, admiles said:

 

Not unusual as whole families are being vaccinated at the same time. Very much area dependent apparently.  My cousin who libes in Augsburg is 51, her husband 49 and one son 22 were all done at the same time. Their older son 28 lives in Munich and has also been.

 

Admiles, the official stats are out there if you look which is where the tabloid stories come from. Whether or not people you know have had it the stats show they are in the minority in Germany. 

Edited March 1, 2021 by Hobby

[hayfield]

5 hours ago, Andy Hayter said:

 

France likewise BUT these two countries are sticking to the manufacturers' recommended spacing between first and second jabs.  Given the current supply problems, the only way to guarantee that the second jab is given on time is to hold it in the warehouse when the first jab is given.   So 5m "unused" vaccines is simply WIP.

 

AS often the case it is important to know and understand the background.  

 

Andy

 

Have they even vaccinated 5m Oxford vaccines?

[hayfield]

2 hours ago, Pete the Elaner said:

 

No.

 

Vaccines were not tested & proven on some older age groups until more recently, (which is why you may have read that they are less effective..which is not true, they were simply no figures to prove their effectiveness).

Some countries therefore held them back from use for these age groups until they had been tested further.

 

Pete

 

I think is was not the fact that no older folk were in the trial, but insufficient numbers of them, it was a box ticking exercise in a few countries, the EU authorised its use for all ages the same as the UK but a few weeks later than the UK. But this unwarranted controversy has put doubt in peoples minds 

 

As for its effectiveness, I think it was the French President in one of his less informed briefings, whilst France, Germany and Italy wanted further evidence on effectiveness in older ages

Edited March 1, 2021 by hayfield

[eastglosmog]

1 hour ago, Ighten said:

I have  a ? - has anyone been given anything remotely resembling an official certificate - proof etc (I ask ask as a few of our hols have in the future requested this)

I had a round sticker as well as a card.

[hayfield]

1 hour ago, Oldddudders said:

But with lots of sensible warnings about the risk of a bad reaction, who wants to be stuck 100 miles from home feeling rancid? Sherry, in Babbacombe, Devon, was invited to have a jab in Exmouth - 11 miles away, they said. Quite right, as the seagull flies - but very considerably further by land! She waited a little longer and had a great experience at her local centre in Torquay. 

 

But the vast majority have little or no ill effects, sadly its been hijacked by scaremongers with ulterior motives. I know of plenty of people who have had it, none have had any adverse reaction, just talking about what they may have had, my wife reported a mild head ache the next day, but was it related to the injection? She also had a slightly sore arm for 2 days, it did not stop her playing her flute.

[eastglosmog]

3 minutes ago, hayfield said:

 

But the vast majority have little or no ill effects, sadly its been hijacked by scaremongers with ulterior motives. I know of plenty of people who have had it, none have had any adverse reaction, just talking about what they may have had, my wife reported a mild head ache the next day, but was it related to the injection? She also had a slightly sore arm for 2 days, it did not stop her playing her flute.

Of the ten people I know who have had the injection, the worst reaction was my elderly mother, who had a sore arm for about a week.

[hayfield]

3 minutes ago, eastglosmog said:

Of the ten people I know who have had the injection, the worst reaction was my elderly mother, who had a sore arm for about a week.

 

To be quite honest if I felt nothing I would have wondered if they had injected me with anything, whilst the odd tweak may have been felt and discussed, we must be careful in what we say so it is not taken the wrong way and frightens some

 

My wife hates injections and usually gets worked up about them, she had her first flu injection last year and was a bit uneasy, this time for the covid jab she beat me to the chair, no stopping her