Covid 19 - Updates from your zones

[JoB]

I see everyday people wearing it wrong, like not covering the nose (!)

(I admit that I'm not treating my mask with Doc Rat level diligence, either, but ... !

I don't use a beard and never thought about the problem that it could mean when one wants to wear a mask. But I see doctors using them over beards without much thought, so I suppose (but I may be wrong) that beards don't have a significant effect. otherwise surgeons would be required not to use beards, right?

Dunno about Portugal, but word in Germany is that medical personnel is encouraged to shave, but allowed to decide according to their professional knowledge and diligence.
(Which, from a jurisprudence POV, is a way to say "get caught with insufficient protection and someone getting infected because of it and you'll get the best lawyer that YOUR money can buy".)

In other news, I got my online shopping delivered today, with the FFP2 masks I ordered ... and a complimentary free cloth mask. Seems that the shop's marketing is lagging a tad behind the legislation-to-be.

Spoiler: verify verify verify ... • show

Correct regulations (EN 149:2001 + A1:2009) listed on package, certification authority (number after CE sign) exists, OK. QR code "for EU declaration of conformity" on package takes me to an online parade of pastel-colored non-latin scripture. Certification authority's website offers to verify certificates IF you have the purported certificate's number at hand ... so, dead end.

You really can´t blame the teachers here, but I think someone should at least give us information whether the stricter mask-rules now also apply to schools...

No final statement on that until the states have written and enacted (and hopefully put online - looking at you, Saarland!) the actual legalese. So far, the wording is that the requirement for certified masks is aimed at public transport and shops only ...

Spoiler: bit of ranting • show

I ordered my new ID over two months ago which was a hassle in itself as the citizen´s center was only open during times I had class in the early morning because apparently that´s safer for the employees to only be available for like three hours a day. (and since I´m now an adult(TM) I have to go there myself.) So when I finally got there during an opening time, they told me immediately that the ID probably wouldn´t be done until the new year (which nearly costed me the opportunity to get my drivers license...), but then they finally sent me a letter a few days ago that it was done. So I go there this morning, and the thing is completely closed until (at least, depends on developments) the end of January. You can´t even reach them by telephone unless you have Covid or something really important comes up (like you move away or someone dies-level of important). I know they were also completely closed until about a week ago, so how long have they been open in-between? Have they at all? I understand that people need to be protected, but shouldn´t they at least be able to send it by post or something instead? Having a valid ID is kind of important, and there´s no way to get it. Ugh...

Spoiler: show

Now that seems to depend on the community you're in, methinks. Over here, I applied for a new ID card in the last days of October, grabbed a temp one at the same time, as I urgently had to travel abroad, letter informing me that it has been issued arrived way before my return, picked up the proper one in late December after my quarantine. Requirements: Make an appointment beforehand online or by phone, but within only slightly less of a timeframe than the Bürgerbüro's original opening hours to pick from; Come to pick up without an appointment, again within largely normal opening hours. Granted, there was someone at the door asking visitors one by one for topic and appointment (if required) before letting them into the building.

On the flip side, I also had to change a car registration in October in a less-than-trivial way and getting that done was flat out impossible with my local Straßenverkehrsamt. Luckily, the one over where the car was actually in storage was willing to serve my need with no more hassle than, again, making appointments online beforehand.

[thorny]

The kind my wife and other medical staff preferably use are FFP2 - KN95, that is unvented, and not N95. It would make no sense to protect the professional while exposing patients.

At least in normal times, N95's are made in both vented and unvented versions. (The other types may be too.) They're also used by people doing physical activity in dusty situations at times/in conditions in which contagion isn't an issue -- farmers and carpenters and so on; an exhale valve makes it a lot easier to breathe in them while active.

As you say, the exhale valve versions are useless when at least part of the idea is to protect other people from the wearer's possible infection.

[Mirasol]

Spoiler: show

Now that seems to depend on the community you're in, methinks. Over here, I applied for a new ID card in the last days of October, grabbed a temp one at the same time, as I urgently had to travel abroad, letter informing me that it has been issued arrived way before my return, picked up the proper one in late December after my quarantine. Requirements: Make an appointment beforehand online or by phone, but within only slightly less of a timeframe than the Bürgerbüro's original opening hours to pick from; Come to pick up without an appointment, again within largely normal opening hours. Granted, there was someone at the door asking visitors one by one for topic and appointment (if required) before letting them into the building.

On the flip side, I also had to change a car registration in October in a less-than-trivial way and getting that done was flat out impossible with my local Straßenverkehrsamt. Luckily, the one over where the car was actually in storage was willing to serve my need with no more hassle than, again, making appointments online beforehand.

Spoiler: show

You´re probably right. But doesn´t help me much right now, as according to the letter they sent me the ID is stuck in that very building, so going to a different Bürgerbüro isn´t really an option...

I´m happy you at least managed to get all the papers you needed!

[JoB]

No final statement on that until the states have written and enacted (and hopefully put online - looking at you, Saarland!) the actual legalese. So far, the wording is that the requirement for certified masks is aimed at public transport and shops only ...

... aaaand at least NRW also added doctors' offices and religious congregations to the list - but not schools ...

Spoiler: show

You´re probably right. But doesn´t help me much right now, as according to the letter they sent me the ID is stuck in that very building, so going to a different Bürgerbüro isn´t really an option...

Spoiler: show

One moment, let me check ...

... where the *bleep* did I file my letter? Anyway, just one letter, sent from the Bundesdruckerei as they sent the ID Card to the community, so all it could say is that my card should be waiting for me some time later wherever my communal Meldebehörde deals with handing them out. If your letter pinpoints a specific building, it ought to come directly from your Bürgerbüro instead ...

(And yes, of course handing it over to you necessarily needs to involve the place where it physically is at for the moment, IIUC introduction of fully digital documents is but a proposal for driving licenses by now. )

(For the non-Germans: Driving licenses do not serve as a primary means of ID here like they do in the U.S., but you're required to have them on you whenever you're at the wheel, unlike "real" IDs. Hence, discussion whether we can somehow make them something you can, e.g., upload into your smartphone. Which doesn't fully solve the problem because you're also required to carry a piece of paper pertaining to the vehicle, but, a) baby steps and b) Germany pretty much invented the system where questions of ownership and registration of a vehicle require a second document that you can safeguard at home.)

[Purple Wyrm]

Well, our dream run here in Western Australia has come to an end with a security guard at a quarantine hotel coming down with the virus, and running all around the place before his test came back positive. So as of about 90 minutes ago the entire southwest of the state is in hard lockdown until 6:00pm Friday.

Said security guard actually visited a bunch of businesses pretty near me, but so far at least our paths don't seem to have crossed. Also I did all my grocery shopping yesterday so I have plenty of supplies to see me through.

My boss will likely expect me to work from home, but I don't work that way very well at all, so he'll get what he gets. I may end up going in to the office for a couple of days - which you're allowed to do if you can't work from home and as long as you wear a mask. I'm currently following government instructions to make one by cutting up some old clothes - although I'll be using staples and duct tape instead of stitching for a contemporary industrial look.

I suppose I'll spend a lot of the next week sleeping and cleaning - which is no bad thing.

[Keep Looking]

Yep, we've got a 5-day lockdown!

It was a bit of a shock for me, as this week was gonna be the first week of the school term (and I'm going into my last year of high school, so it's a year I've had a fair bit of apprehension for) but now it's just... delayed, I suppose. Dunno what this is gonna do to our assessment schedules, but I'll deal with that when it comes.

Although the sudden announcement was a bit jolting, I do appreciate how our government is taking action quickly - hopefully we'll be able to curb the spread before it really gets anywhere. Wyrm, I hope you stay safe from the virus, given you're in the general area.

My older brother and his girlfriend managed to observe the hordes of panic-buyers at the shops near his girlfriend's place - this whole announcement has set people right back into their 'stock up on toilet paper' instincts, which is rather unfortunate, but I suppose it really isn't all that surprising.

[thegreyarea]

Wyrm, Keep Looking, I'm glad your government is working hard to prevent spread. Don't lower your guard. Look at Portugal. Our government decided that Christmas was a good time to give citizens a break and now we have the worst numbers in the World... (with lots of effort and, sadly, many deaths later, those number are slowly shifting for better, but it's a very high price for a few good moments).

Wyrm, I'm curious to see the duct tape mask. Do you have a picture?

"Duct tape works anywhere. Duct tape is magic and should be worshiped."
Andy Weir, The Martian

(anyway I would try to use an homologated model and leave the hand-made one for low-risk moments)

[Grade E cat]

We have new measures in France this week-end, but thanks to a last-ditch attempt to do something while giving small non-essential businesses a fighting chance, the only really new thing besides stricter conditions for entry into the country is that non-essential stores inside big malls are closed as of today. The whole place has to shut down if it doesn't have a supermarket and/or a pharmacy. Yesterday's cat food run and birthday spending spree was the first time I saw lines in front of stores in a while. I was lucky I had to only do it once out of four stores.

My current masking technique consists of various forms of double masking.

[Purple Wyrm]

Jolting is the word! The first I heard was an SMS from a friend telling everyone to stay safe, which was startling and ominous until I hopped online to see what was going on. But yes, I'm certainly glad the government has acted so quickly!

So far it's looking good for my not being exposed. Both the carrier and I were in Maylands (just down the road from me) on Saturday afternoon, but I left at 2:30 and he didn't get there until 2:30. So it looks like we missed each other. But I guess we'll see.

I'm sure a week shouldn't affect your assessment Keep Looking, particularly at the start of the year. And even if it does, I'm sure the authorities will be merciful

I will post a picture of my mask when I've finished making it. I am following the official instructions, so it should be good enough for Government work at least.

[midwestmutt]

The rollout of the vaccine in my county last week was totally fubar. It was compared to trying to get the best tickets at the hottest concert of the year. They used a computer template that has been criticized in other places that used it. First it opened earlier than advertised due to error so they voided anyone who got in early. Then the 200 available slots filled in 20 minutes with people losing their slots while still filling in the registry to anyone who was faster. Many complaints that seniors without computers or skill with computers are being ignored. I don't expect better this week. Registry opens again at noon today.

[JoB]

Germany at large is currently debating whether the EU's acquisition of vaccines is proceeding as well as could be expected, or a dismal failure. ("A bit worse than in the middle" in my opinion.) Germany's gamut of different (per state) vaccination appointment systems have a heavier slant towards the latter end of the spectrum, including usability issues for non-computer-savvy seniors (who happen to be the brunt of the 1st-prio group currently being disserved) and all-day-long overload conditions.

(Apart from such seniors being unable to use online routes in the first place, in the states that didn't go phone-only, sending them an SMS that refers them to H-T-T-P-S-what-the-heck-is-that-and-what-is-a-"link" for forms and documents to bring to the vaccination is a nonstarter. Who woulda thunk. My 80+yo uncle in Hessen got lucky - if you can call it "lucky" that his two doses will be given about forty days apart now. Assuming that the dates won't get shoved around by vaccine delays, of course.)

With the masks being worn in shops, public transport, and medical offices now being required to be of the "medical or FFP2" variety, and employers having a "natural" affinity to their national equivalent of OSHA certifications, opportunities to wear anything but bought-as-certified masks are pretty much nil for me now. (Also, the "medical" category has been added late in the process, and is still rather rarely available in my neck of the woods, unlike FFP2.) I suppose that anyone who has kids - who go to school, will get accompanied to playgrounds, etc. - still can make good use of DIY-grade ones, though.

[Purple Wyrm]

My mask, as promised. It looks a bit weird, but meets the government requirements.





Oh, and on top of the virus, the city is now burning down

[Keep Looking]

Well, if it works it works! My family already had two reusable masks and a couple of disposable ones, so thankfully we've been able to get by without having to cut up any of our clothes.

And yeah - the fire. I wouldn't quite say that the city is burning down, but the entire city is covered in smoke, and my friends who live in more northerly and easterly suburbs than me have reported having ash coming from the sky as well. It's up in the hills to the northeast of the city - the hills always get some fires, but this one is very bad. My friend who lives in the area had to evacuate his sister and pets in the middle of last night (thankfully they have some relatives to stay with in the city, so they don't have to stay at an evacuation centre). It's... not a fun time.

[thorny]

My mask, as promised. It looks a bit weird, but meets the government requirements.

Oh, and on top of the virus, the city is now burning down[/url]

The fires look awful.

-- Purple Wyrm, I can't see anything in the pictures; just two big blank white squares.

[Annuil]

Oh, the fires in Australia look so awful! Good luck you, guys, stay safe! Comforting hugs! 
Yeah, my family switched to hand-made masks as soon as the pandemic started. In the beginning there were actually no disposable masks in the stores, so we made them ourselves. (I'm saying, Minna should start selling the masks designed like the ones in her comic, I would have bought one!)

A little update on our church out-brake... after a month of quarantine and barely any zoom-services  we have successfully returned to our building and last Sunday (the 31st of January) we were together again! Thankfully all of us survived, no deaths, some people are still recovering but everything else seems to be quite up-lifting. 
We are alive! (I didn't get sick even though my sister had covid and we live in one house, so I am either already immune or the virus miraculously avoided me, so... hoping for the best)

Butter good, everyone!