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

@BreakForTheLight - Oh no, that sounds like Sinovac's Coronavac under another name!

I just read that they will be giving out Pfizer at a more convenient location for me starting this week, so I should be able to go there next week for my second dose. It's likely to be less busy than the vaccination center downtown as well.


That's great about your plan to make your apartment into a jungle. We are mostly laying down stones and mulch in the front yard because it's hard to grow grass, but we want to add some more plants that can handle the strong summer sun too. I tried ordering from a place that delivered for the side yard, but a lot of them died. I don't know if it was my error or an issue with the plants. With lockdown last year, the nurseries were closed, but since things constantly change, they were open this time. I called to make sure, because I didn't want to waste a permit.

We did a lot of lazy TV watching over our days off. There's this program called Divina Comida (AzulOscuro, you may want to check it out on YouTube) that every episode brings together 4 famous people - politicians, actors, comedians, singers, etc. for four dinners. Each person has to cook a three course one night and they are graded by the other participants. One episode had the former Social Development Minister, who is a presidential candidate, participating. He had this lovely vegetable garden and a lot of his ingredients came from that. I grew a few veggies and herbs this year, but seeing that inspired me to do more next spring. I don't want to plant right into the ground. The soil is pretty rocky behind the house and the dogs may get into it. I saw these large planters and fell in love - Macetero Normal ! They are kind of expensive, though. I am so tempted to buy 4 and plant stuff like peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

Hmm. One for the "why am I not surprised" file. Two municipalities in our region were shifted out of lockdown to phase two. Both have more active cases now than before they were locked down, but still were allowed to move to a less restricted phase. I really suspect that there are some sort of political motivations or other considerations driving these decisions rather than public health.

Well, I am looking at other large planters and the prices for those pretty wood ones are in the same price range. I may need to do it! The manufacturer is in Santa Cruz, which isn't all that far a drive. Maybe when things open up, we can take a drive to pick them up in person.

Yeah, I originally read the news on a Dutch website - it's Sinovac. The article even mentioned the doubts about its effectiveness.

It's been decided that fully vaccinated people will get more freedom. No curfew or contact restrictions, shopping without having to take a test first, and no quarantaine when traveling from another country. Lovely. So the older generation can go on holiday while we are still waiting for our vaccine. Not like we've given up a year of our lives to protect them or anything. Of course now other groups are seeking media attention saying they need to be vaccinated next - parents and youngsters. Sure, no problem, I'll just keep on waiting at home by myself, not talking to any other human being, because that's not at all harmful to me!

My plants have been on the way to the delivery point all day Guess it'll be tomorrow before they are finally delivered.

Break from the jungle.

After reading the article you posted I’m nearly glad that I don’t still apply for a vaccine.

Yes, lol...you’re right. Everyone is standing up by saying they have the right to be vaccinated before, for example, people who work n the tourist sector in the islands.
I thought, oh well...live your lives and good vacations to Germans and British people why we are here at that corner, in the hottest city. Go ahead!
And still we have to be grateful because what it’s happening in India is very sad.

I know which program you are referring to. I used to watch it often, I even watched the Chilean version. But, not with famous people. Look, it ending up being pretty addictive.
Divina comida! Just now, I don’t think it will a good idea for me since I’m trying to lose the kilos I put along the ****ing lockdown. lol!

I'd like to get mine before Sinovac is approved here.

My plants have been returned to sender no idea what went wrong, and now that same Set is out of stock

Oh no @BreakForTheLight I hope your plants can be redelivered or reordered. It sounds like a good plan to bring the outdoors indoors with you.

I understand how you feel about unfairness of vaccinated being given more freedom before everyone has had the opportunity to be vaccinated.

My son is early 20s and he is way down the list, yet he's still being asked to work in a high risk environment! Young people can and do get sick/long covid.

Hoping your turn will eventually come!

More stupidity from here. There is a musician who was busted for having a clandestine party a little while back. The other night was his birthday and he had 4 friends over to his apartment. His area is in phase 2, so you are allowed to have gatherings of up to 5 people. I guess they had the music on loud because a neighbor called the cops to complain. The police came and arrested them all for a “curfew violation” because it was after 9 PM!?!?! Curfew means you are not allowed to be out. They were in an apartment. Now the government has the idiot crime prevention undersecretary on TV to say that after curfew you can’t be in someone else’s home. You have to be in your home to prevent virus transmission. So, the virus is only dangerous if you are with other people after 9 PM? Up until 8:59 the virus behaves?

It seems like such an overreach. It feels like the police, military, etc. are so accustomed to repressing us that they have lost any criteria. If they were violating a local noise ordinance, fine him for a noise violation. But, curfew violation in your own apartment? What stupidity. If his visitors had realized it was getting late and tried to hurry home, but were caught on the streets, that could qualify as a curfew violation, which is still annoying, but it would have made more sense.

That is crazy! But really, you're allowed to have 4 people over? While you have such harsh restrictions? I would think having 4 people over is higher risk than going outside for a walk.

Ugh, I wish I had the guts to just turn around and snap at the people breathing down your neck at the supermarket "It's REALLY not that hard to keep your distance".

@BreakForTheLight - that was in a municipality where restrictions have been eased somewhat. They are in phase 2, not 1 (lockdown), but curfew applies everywhere regardless of phase. Where I live visitors wouldn't be permitted at all right now because we are in phase 1.

@AzulOscuro - that's funny you watched Divina Comida Chile. All participants on the show here are famous for something but I don't even know who they are sometimes. There are definitely many D-list actors, "models", soccer players' wives and influencers! My husband is more up to date with the local gossip, so I usually ask him. Sometimes they feature four chefs. That really takes it up a notch, everything is so beautifully presented.

Not exactly this program. I got confused. I watched the Chilean version of the Hell’s kitchen. Sorry. I got confused. But I know which program you are referring to. There’s a Spanish version too.
Not very fan of reality shows but I understand that in these times with the covid-19 thing, we are hanging on whatever. lol!

Here, things seem to be better and we are allowed to travel to other provinces in our communities. So, this weekend my sister will come here and I will be able to share with her and my niece and nephew. And the new member in the family, their rabbit Lenny.

@Break, I’m sending you my partner who is working outdoors and he’s all the time bringing home new plants for me to take care. lol! For you. lol!

@AzulOscuro - I am so happy for you that you will be able to see some of your family members soon! You might find the Divina Comida here entertaining if you are bored. They are on YouTube. And, no, most of us here don't live in the houses that many of the people on the program have!


Here, in my municipality, lockdown will continue for the time being. May is the month here to plant flower bulbs, so I ordered some to help keep me busy with my gardening. All I can do. In the areas that went to phase 2, the malls opened, causing chaos again. How soon until we see a new spike in cases?

I had ordered online some sweatpants that turned out to be very nice for winter. It was 2 Celsius this AM, so I ordered two more pairs. We are at that crazy time of year where it's 2 in the morning and 26 in the afternoon!


I have a whole other post about the Catholic University here trying to sign a deal with Sinovac to make vaccines to export to Latin America, but that will have to wait for another time.

I checked in with a dear friend in Colombia since the unrest there is very concerning. She hasn't been vaccinated yet, but she not very happy that she might have to get Sinovac since that is the majority that they are receiving. It seems like Sinovac is distrusted almost everywhere!

Hahaha! Don’t tell me. I live in a flat, an apartment how it’s called in the States. A very modest place. My pants are in the kitchen’s window.

@rechu, I would have to be very bored to see something on TV about celebrities. I don’t give a damn about reality shows. I like a movie that makes you think. lol! I’m rare as thaDocumentaries about different topics of my interest. And things like that. Cachai? lol!

Yes, thank you. I’m super excited to see my sister and my nephew and niece. It will be a good time in family. But with masks and all the security measures. There are some members in my family who are already vaccinated but not all.

Today, I finally, finally, thanks god! I heard something about vaccines patents being liberalised. At last!
At last, people in India and other countries will have the possibility to receive the vaccine. I guess Chemist’s enterprises won enough money. Now it’s time to care about people.

I don't watch it for the celebrities, like I said, I don't know who they are half the time. I watch it to see what they cook. I like to cook and have gotten some good ideas. Obviously, some participants have no clue what they are doing but many cook well.


I wish they would arrange to produce another vaccine here if patents are no longer an issue. Why does it have to be the worst one? I swear our president must be making money off it somehow. I have nothing against the Chinese people, but I don't trust their government or companies. There have been past quality scandals with Chinese-made medications and vaccines. In the end, I see the vaccines as an attempt by China to gain influence in the region. They've been trying to do it for years in Africa and Latin America. Basically, they need our natural resources.

My previous job was as a research analyst for infrastructure projects in Latin America where I had to track the progress of projects like new highways, ports, public transit, hospitals, etc. In Bolivia and a few other countries, Chinese companies often underbid the competition to win these projects. The companies were always shady. If you were able to track them down, they never answered the phone or e-mails. There were frequent reports of delays, shoddy quality and workers not being paid. They bid cheaply thinking that if they help Bolivia develop these projects, it will give them access to Bolivia's mining resources like lithium. Here, too, some Chinese companies received mining concessions and have been accused of mistreating workers. There was one case where they brought workers from China and didn't pay them anything. They were paid in food. Basically, China giving access to vaccines comes with strings attached.

Chinese official says local vaccines '''don'''t have high protection rates''' - BBC News

It is being more widely discussed that the Chinese vaccines aren't as effective as others.

Yeah. I had read that @Discombobulated. Our Health Minister was not happy at all when the news hit the media here and reporters started asking questions about it in press conferences. I swear, our government will defend Sinovac to the death. They just ordered another 3-4 million doses. Apparently the Public Health Institute wants to study whether a not a third dose of Sinovac will improve the efficacy. They double and triple down on this vaccine instead of seeing how soon we can get additional doses of the more effective vaccines now that it looks like the US may start to have excess vaccines soon.

Oh, I wanted to say that my plants are in the kitchen’t window, plants (instead of my pants)

I think you were right. The Health minister must be defending a kind of agreement with China.

I don’t understand many about macroeconomy but I know it happens all the time among countries. An unluckily, the well-going of the population is not always put as a priority.

@AzulOscuro - Haha! I just noticed you said cachai. Soon, you'll be saying puta la wea!

I would not be surprised at all if one of the president's family's businesses or the blind trust has some business dealings related to the vaccine. At some point it may come out, like with the casinos. It’s either that or maybe they don’t want to admit that they bought the worst vaccine.

It's not like they were even donated or cheap. From what I heard they paid a per dose price only slightly lower then Pfizer.

I was a reading a twitter feed from Mexico, where they were discussing Sinovac too since It’s what they mainly are using there. It started with a doctor saying that the best vaccine is the one you can get, so go get your vaccine. A lot of people responding were unhappy about not having more options. The bits of Pfizer and AstraZeneca they have received are reserved for certain groups. It sort of feels like we are being told that since we are middle income countries without much power in the world, we just need to suck it up and take the crumbs we are given and be happy we were even allowed to have those crumbs.

Our country having one of the fastest vaccination rates in the world feels like a sick joke when we are locked down, you know? You see the other countries like Israel, the US and UK that are vaccinating at similar rates, but with other vaccines, starting to get back to normal. Next week I will have my second vaccine and I will probably still be locked down. Vaccinated people are really going to lose their patience with the lockdowns soon I think, especially since more and more will have had their 2 doses.

In other news, the three main population centers s in our furthest south region, Magallanes, went back to lockdown yesterday. That region has the highest vaccination rate in the country!

Hahahahaha a while back I mentioned this cafe with lots of people drinking outside when they should've been closed.

This evening I was trying to walk off the frustration from a job interview (didn't work, still feel ugh) and it was quite busy there again, despite the weather not being very nice today. I was nearing the cafe, feeling very annoyed that those arseholes were blocking most of the sidewalk again..... up rolls a police van and an entire horde of cops jumps out knock knock on the door they went.

I was wondering why in the window but it didn't sound all that strange to me. I was thinking you just had your laundry hanging up to dry.

Interesting, it's similar to what is going on here:

Why the world’s most vaccinated country is seeing an unprecedented spike in coronavirus cases | The Seattle Times

So far, the number of deaths in the Seychelles attributed to the virus is relatively low — 28 out of more than 6,000 cases. But the surge in new cases may also confirm that the vaccines being used in the country have comparatively low effectiveness.

Roughly 60% of the doses administered in Seychelles are vaccines made by the Chinese company Sinopharm that were donated to the Seychelles by the United Arab Emirates. The remaining doses are of the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and produced by the Serum Institute of India.

In many ways, Seychelles government negotiations for vaccine supplies were savvy and speedy. But the country has ended up using two vaccines that appear to be less effective against symptomatic COVID-19.
The World Health Organization had recently estimated the efficiency of the Sinopharm vaccine at just over 78% for adults under 60, with little data on its success with older patients.

The UAE has asked some who received the Sinopharm vaccine to return for third doses, citing low immune responses, though officials said only a “very small number” need to do so.

Sinopharm is an inactivated virus vaccine like Sinovac.

I thought you had hung the pants up to dry!

Ugh, they announced changes in the phases today. We will continue locked down. I don't know how I am going to handle this endless house arrest.