How are you all dealing with coronavirus and the restrictions... #2

I was at a store the other day and two employees were stocking things in an aisle. They were unmasked and discussing their anti-vax beliefs and unvaccinated status. One of them was talking about getting a friend to give her a fake card or exemption letter (I got out of the aisle quickly and did not stay to hear the story). I sent a note to the store this morning. I hesitated because I am sure they are tired of being the vaccine police and this felt like tattling. On the other hand, why should the other staff be at risk due to these law-breakers who can't even keep their mouths shut?

@BreakForTheLight - I was definitely hoping the same. One of the main reasons that are numbers are way down is likely that the delta variant hasn't gotten a real foothold here because of the strict controls on people coming into the country. If that gets loosened up, all bets are off.

I applaud you. You are kind to consider everyone's feeling, but you acted responsibly. These two employees are irresponsible and unwilling to submit to legitimate authority - in short, immature. We who ARE responsible must be supportive of each other and of the sensible measures being taken to protect health and life. The "adults" in society have to band together and constrain those who would sabotage the efforts we are making to defend against this awful plague.

Society has bent over backwards trying to cater to a lot of ridiculous notions too many people have about what their "freedom" requires. We are fighting for our lives. We can't afford to indulge these selfish idiots.

I didn't leave the house today. It's the third day I haven't stepped outside the door. I'm afraid. I think about how Variant D causes infected persons to have one thousand times more viral particles in their throats than the original COVID. I feel like the threat of COVID now is worse than it ever was.

I was thinking of getting a sandwich at Subway today. Then I thought of how the fixins are all there kind of exposed behind the counter. What if the store employee, or any random customer, sneezed or coughed? I envision viral particles floating through the air and settling on the pickles and shredded lettuce. No . . . not going to risk it.

This thing isn't going away in a year or two, either. With 90 million unvaccinated numbskulls out there, COVID will keep jumping from host to host. Some in that group will wise up and get the shots. But plenty won't! And we can't really force them to either. It's just not doable. Sure, over the next few decades, we could force universal compliance, as we've done with other vaccinations. Meanwhile, COVID roams and mutates. This is a nightmare. I will never in my lifetime feel okay being in a crowd. I don't know how people in NYC can even bring themselves to use the subway. (At least I don't live in an environment that crowded.) I canceled a trip I was looking forward to because I'm afraid to get on a plane.

I live alone. I'm retired. I'm sick of doing most of my interacting with others on the telephone.

When I go anywhere, I wear 2 masks and gloves. I'm vaccinated, but that isn't affording me the protection I was expecting. Plenty of vaccinated people are getting COVID-D. So, if I catch COVID, I'm not supposed to get all that sick. I guess that's something to take comfort in. It's no guarantee though. My life is going to be radically different from what I had planned. I don't even know what to plan now.

I read recently one epidemiologist thought Covid would be here for seven years. Who knows if they are right or wrong. This whole thing with Delta and the vaccine not being as effective after eight months is really discouraging. I go back and forth about whether I am being too cautious or not cautious enough. A friend is in town from another state but I don't think we will see each other because neither of us want to meet indoors and it's going to rain for the next three days.

@Rose76 I am with you on being tired of virtual socializing. Outside still feels safe to me as long as it is not crowded. My library has some kind of outdoor book club and I'd like to check that out before it gets too cold.

Hello...is it ok to join in here?

Yes of course, everyone is welcome to post whatever they are feeling about the pandemic here.

I've been really feeling the change in my social life, of course I feel guilty too because I haven't suffered like so many and like you @hvert I notice I go back and forth on what I feel about my safety.

I've decided to volunteer at an event next month, it's a mass participation sporting event but it's outdoors. I have participated many times over the years myself but not fit enough this year. I'll be handing out goodie bags - it sounds very busy but fun.
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The old me would have thought very little about volunteering but this year I had to think it over a long time, weigh up potential risks/exposure and ask my husband what he thought (if he didn't want me to I wouldn't have gone, although I'd have been disappointed).

I hope it'll go okay, I want to balance safety with having some kind of a life. I do want to do this but I'm also feeling some anxiety.

Of course! how are you doing?

@Discombobulated It's so much more complicated, isn't it? Passing out goodie bags outside sounds pretty safe. You've hopefully already had your peak and things could be calm next month. Plus, you've been vaccinated and a sporting event seems like it would attract other vaccinated people. I haven't done it in a while, but I used to volunteer as a tour guide at a museum. There's no way I want to do that now - indoors, all tourists. Many were from cruise ships, though I am not sure the cruises are going right now.

Rose76 - I am glad too that I haven't had to use the subway or other public transit in the last year and a half. I have taken a bus once and a shared taxi once. Both were from our little town to the house, so only about 5 minutes.

My husband and I used to live in the capital city and it would have been hard to avoid public transit living there, because there are places where parking is a major hassle. I am glad we moved away before the pandemic hit. Even when we were under partial or full lockdown, it always looked crowded on TV footage. It's probably worse now that we are more open.

Seven years.... I sure hope not!

I feel the same in regards to being too cautious or not cautious enough. I'm also constantly bouncing between feeling optimistic and hopeless. It's an exhausting rollercoaster!

Apparently we've entered into the 4th wave. Schools are starting again so we can look forward to numbers rising even more. Yay!

Why is it the media can look to other countries and see things as a warning - like I'm now reading about the effects schools opening had in the UK - but the government can't? They just keep making the same mistakes as other countries have done before. Do they expect a different result?

It happened when corona first hit Europe and nobody learned anything from the situation in Italy and 1,5 year on it is still happening.

Yeah, count me in as one who is tired of the roller coaster. We continue to do very well, but there are constant warnings of impending doom. Many schools are doing hybrid right now with some still online. I haven't heard of outbreaks related to classes starting. Masks are required, so that may be helping. They are going to allow limited Independence Day celebrations. I guess that could lead cases to rise again.


Unfortunately, lots of governments seem unable to learn from past mistakes. Here they finally are to some extent. For example, after that one woman was out and about with Delta they clamped down harder on quarantining arrivals either in hotels or checking in on ones that are allowed to quarantine at home. For now, entries are restricted to citizens and legal residents.

I have been very critical of some of the handling of the pandemic here, but it seems like we must be doing something right at the moment and I hope it keeps up. Last time they opened the border and let in tourists it was not well handled and the progress that was made quickly went to hell. I hope they learn from their mistakes.

And, I have to say that I am glad vaccinations and masks never became political. There are some outliers but it's nothing like in the US, for example.

Premier League: Which players will miss the South American WC Qualifiers in September?
Chile

La Roja would be also affected by this measure, as they'll already have to replace Watford's Francisco Sierralta. Meanwhile, Chile keep on waiting to see how Ben Brereton Díaz's situation unfolds, given he plays for English second-tier Blackburn Rovers. Unfortunately, it seems like he wouldn't be allowed either.



Well now the Premier League will not allow players from red listed countries travel to their World Cup Qualifying matches. Spain will allow clubs to prohibit travel too. It doesn't affect us as much as other national teams, at least.

This is being done because our countries are red listed and people traveling from them to the UK have to quarantine on arrival - even though all countries in South America have lower rates of active Covid cases than the UK or Spain right now!

Coronavirus World Map: Tracking the Global Outbreak - The New York Times

I am not sure if that is behind a paywall or not, but if you can view it, you will see what I am talking about For example, the UK has 50 active cases per 100,000. Chile has 3.3. Maybe the UK should red list itself !

@rechu yes it's strange, I had heard it's because we haven't got the Brazilian variant yet so it could cause a whole new wave possibly if it arrived.

I am confused why premier league footballers aren't allowed in from red list because some people can come in, if their job is required, for example diplomats. My son works in border controls so he tells me this.

Actually the case rate for the UK is higher than that, it's 339 per 100,000 and climbing at the moment.

Daily summary | Coronavirus in the UK

Wow, that is high. I will have to look at what was being measured on the site I was looking at.

Interesting point about not wanting to let in the Brazilian variant. I was looking at the latest epidemiological report on variants here. Between August 1st and 8th, of the variants they sequenced 90% was Gamma. That compares to 25 in March. Delta is 8%, but that is mostly people that are tested and isolated upon arrival. Community transmission hasn't taken off. I know they are monitoring Delta closely, so I imagine they sequence a lot of positive tests from people that are allowed into the country.

Interestingly, Lambda is down to nothing. It was 28% in March. There have been recent articles in English fear mongering about Lambda devastating South America. So, it is kind of surprising to see it is gone. I was under the impression that Gamma burned through here first and fizzled and now we had Lambda, but I guess it is the other way around. I don't know what kind of research those authors did to arrive at that conclusion. One states that Lambda has become the dominant strain here, but the data I am looking at does not back that up. It has never been over 35%, which occurred in April 2021.

Deaths are going up here, a few A&E's have asked people to not go unless its an emergency, cos no beds. Now there's mention of food shortages due to so many workers being absent at warehouses etc for things being packed, loaded onto lorries and transported to supermarkets etc.


Even KFC have had problems running out of chicken! ... and McDonalds has no milk shakes or bottled drinks and things are being taken off the menu's.


There's mention of problems for school dinners when kids go back to school after the bank holiday. People who've been vaccinated twice they are saying now the effectiveness will be wearing off. Nobody seems to have any idea what happens if a new variant comes but they seem to be expecting one to to be able to evade vaccines eventually! ....so all doom and gloom in the papers!

I'm staying shielding all winter, only time I go out is to walk my dog when no-one else is about.

I'm surprised because it feels like footballers are above the law - at least in NL festivals have so many restrictions they can't happen - it's just not cost efficient, but football with live audiences is okay. They just get told off if they don't keep to the rules

And the GP is also happening. Multiple day festivals are forbidden but the GP over multiple days, and now with a camping place as well - no problem! The most outrageous thing is the organisation asking musicians to play during the breaks - FOR FREE honestly how can they even THINK that is okay. Musicians are already pissed off over the GP happening when festivals are forbidden, they're missing out on income and to then ask them to play for free.... I can't even wrap my head around it.

I've been in two minds about the protests from the event sector - yes I totally agree that it is ridiculous sport events are allowed while they're killing the music business, but maybe sporting events should be more restricted as well?But in this case I am 100% on the musicians ' side.

Speaking of music. I have my last concert planned for tomorrow. It's open air and it is going to rain - fun! There will be seating in groups and you have to stay around your seats - you can get up and dance as long as you stay in your area. However the seats are not assigned, so I wonder how that's gonna go. I have a single ticket. I've read - mostly in the beginning of the mess - of venues setting up the single seats on the edges, I hope that will not be the case here!

Yeah, they made an exception for the European Cup players, but are not being so kind to the South American players. Places like Brazil or Argentina can put together a competitive team from their domestic league players. Chile, not so much. Italy has now decided to follow the UK's lead. We have several national team players in the league there.

They announced that the whole Metropolitan Region heads to phase 4 tomorrow. The main difference between phase 3 is higher capacity limits in places like gyms, stadiums, restaurants and such. Masks are still mandatory and there is still a 10 PM curfew in our region. Most regions have a midnight curfew, but that won't happen until we get to 80% vaccinated. There are some stubborn municipalities with low vaccination rates holding us back.

Last time we made it to phase 4 was last November. Then they opened to tourists and sent the region arbitrarily back to phase 2. The tourists had more freedoms than we did. Until we finally started moving forward recently, it had been a long slog between 1 and 2, with only one fleeting week in phase 3 last January.