Covid 19 - Updates from your zones

[Lenny]

A few weeks ago they implemented a curfew. Right now they're arguing about whether the curfew is even legally allowed or not. That in itself wouldn't be too bad, they did bring it in under a law that it wasn't really fit for, but uh... the side arguing against it is bringing in "COVID isn't even really that bad" kind of arguments which is just a waste of everyone's time.

Other than that vaccinations are steadily happening and numbers are dropping, but we're not out of the woods yet, and there isn't any indication of when we will be. Still in lockdown (which started at the beginning of November) until 2nd of March at least, all non-essential stores have been closed for weeks, and the current numbers are similar to the level of November last year (between 4000-5000 infections per day).

Everyone's getting a bit stir-crazy. I'm as introverted as they come, and that's not a good thing - this lockdown has made it so I want even less human interaction than normal, but at the same time want to do huge group events with everyone possible. In turn that also means that I've been acting horribly anti-social the very few times I have seen someone other than my spouse, because that interaction is forced to be one on one (only one visitor total allowed per day), which makes me want to see people even less. It's like slowly watching my socialisation skills float down the drain... this really isn't all that healthy. And after being pretty much completely alone during the first lockdown last year, I'm extremely sympathetic to all the many people stuck on their own for months. Students and young people in their 20s and 30s are being hit especially hard with that over here. I'm extremely lucky to have two kittens and my spouse this time around.

[Groupoid]

Lenny, you’re not alone having more trouble socializing than usual. It hit me pretty hard as well, but I also have other issues going on. I wish you good luck finding alternatives and/or dosages of socialising you’re comfortable with.

Here in Switzerland, the politicians talk about lifting some restrictions at the start of march, but nothing definitive yet. They talk about allowing gatherings outdoors of up to 15 people. (The limit in- & outdoors is 5 since November/December) And maybe some non-essential stores may open up again. At least we had less than 200 confirmed cases per 100'000 inhabitants over the last week. This is about as much as we had during the first wave, but now we’re testing much more than during the first wave. So lifting some restrictions doesn’t seem unreasonable. Source: FOPH
It’s been such a drag, since university moved to online-lectures in October. To me it didn’t make a lot of a difference when major restrictions were enforced. "Taking away" university and the cafeteria hurts the most. The other restrictions not much. I didn’t meet a lot of people outside of uni. Alas, the heads of the university said they wouldn’t allow lectures in-person before April.

[Lenny]

Wheeee, they've extended the curfew by three weeks! And opened hairdressers. And opened primary schools (partially). Uni students are taking it hard, for the same reasons you're stating, Groupiod. Also lots of questions as to "why hairdressers?" but I think I've found an argument that makes sense - there are tons of "underground" hairdressing appointments being made (and I know these are around because I've seen people making them, urgh), so it's better to get that up in the open so any spread can be controlled. They're also thinking of making shopping physically by appointment possible, which would solve a lot of problems people are having with only being able to get stuff online (can't physically check the quality and state of the product, which is vital for all kinds of projects and ends up in a lot of returned purchases and wasted time if you do it completely online). Teachers, on the other hand, are going "ouch" at the news that primary schools are opening again - as per usual they're leaving it to schools to sort out how it works, and there's the usual worry of students that young being unable to keep distance between each other consistently.

There really needs to be some kind of bone given to students and the younger part of the workforce, though. Mentally it's going down, hard, and alarms are being pulled from multiple sources. Also fun, there's an election in March, so everything's turning political, too *sigh*

[Mirasol]

Hugs to you, Lenny and Grupoid!

We have a similar situation now. Hairdressers open in march, also partly because haircuts started getting sold on the black market... Haircuts of all things...

I actually had school again today! I saw some of my friends again for the first time in weeks, which was great. Of course with masks.
Other than that, the system is kinda weird... On some days both the classes graduating this year and next year have full class at school, on other days nobody does. And then the schedule gets switched every week??? And again every teacher basically has their own keeping-distance-system. Apparently there are no official rules for that.
Not to mention that the delays pushed my finals in a very strange spot... We still write classtests until two weeks before (where usually from what I got, we shouldn´t even have school to have time to study. And that´s already the better version from where we originally were still supposed to write tests in the week before finals. Where we usually also aren´t supposed to have school. But luckily we got the teachers to change that. At least the test-part.) and afterwards. Our last exams are in the week before the summerholidays. This is going to be... interesting.

[midwestmutt]

My county has now opened a vaccine hotline to get in line for an appointment. The online site to self register was little better than tossing hunks of bread off a balcony to a throng of milling peasants. They have also allotted a number of appointments for seniors who don't have a computer. The question has been raised about what to do for home-bound seniors. I expect to be on the phone most of the day trying to get an appointment for me and my brother. Between weather delays and spotty supplies this isn't gong well.

[Jitter]

Finland is having two minds about the pandemic.

On the one hand, this week was the first winter holiday week for schools in southern Finland (the winter holiday is one week but they are phased over a three-week period) and Lapland is packed. Apparently many of the holiday makers do keep distance for example when queuing to the ski lifts, but there are bound to be situations where there is no sufficient space between people. Many cook in their own accommodation, but many also go to the restaurants. Also the travel is a contagion risk, even when traveling by car they have to stop to eat, have coffee and pee, several times over the 1000 km drive. As we have the variant viruses here in the south (mostly the British variant), the holidays are now making sure it gets evenly distributed all over the country.

On the other, the government has declared a state of emergency and stricter restrictions are being rolled out. We are not going into an actual lockdown, but indoor public spaces will be closed. Even restaurants and bars will close for three weeks starting 8. March. I say “even”, because it’s apparently been very hard to close private businesses, so bars have been open since the previous state of emergency was ended last spring. This has raised a lot of criticism, as young people im secondary education have been on distance learning for months, hobbies are closed, yet bars stay open.

The three upper years of comprehensive school (we have 9 yrs mandatory school, 6 yrs of which is “lower” and 3 yrs “upper) will go back to distance learning also from March 8. In other words my kid goes to school for a week to gather the bugs classmates have collected in Lapland...

Vaccinations are under way, but like everywhere they are going slow. However as the Astra-Zeneca vaccine is not recommended for over 70 year olds, people who are younger but have elevated risk due a medical condition are being vaccinated as a parallel stream to the old people who are getting either the Pfizer or Modena shots. So, I have a vaccination booked for next week, which will be a little relief. (I have diabetes 2 which puts me in the first medical risk group).

Cases and hospitalizations are surging. I really do hope the closures will help, or we’ll be in deep trouble!

[midwestmutt]

When I signed up for the county health dept. waiting list I was told to still try to get an appointments whenever the registration balcony toss opens up. When it opened that evening we all waited two hours before they said they were having problems with the "software people", and we should wait for an update in the morning. I checked the site at 8am and then at 10am, no update. I checked at 12 and saw that the scramble opened at 11am with only 20 minutes notice given. It filled up in minutes. In disgust I checked online with the local pharmacies and got lucky when I saw the one at Walmart had just opened with 12 slots. My brother and I got the first shot today and have appointments to get the 2nd in four weeks. I don't know what comes after FUBAR but you'll find our health dept there.

[Jitter]

Yeah so Finlamd had the biggest daily number of cases recorded on Friday. That’s still only 720, but the direction is all wrong.

Also the state of emergency will be declared on Monday. I don’t know how wise it is to give advance warning, as this likeky results in some people going out  specifically because they still can...

I also had another test taken today, so far the results aren’t in.

[midwestmutt]

I got the Moderna vaccine 1st shot yesterday. I woke up a couple of times feeling quite warm and needed to move around a bit to loosen up some muscle aches. This morning I feel OK. I'm from the old school of medicine and expect a remedy to taste bad or hurt a bit to be effective.

[thegreyarea]

I got the Moderna vaccine 1st shot yesterday. I woke up a couple of times feeling quite warm and needed to move around a bit to loosen up some muscle aches. This morning I feel OK. I'm from the old school of medicine and expect a remedy to taste or hurt a bit to be effective.

That's great midwestmutt! We have a say that goes like: Remedy that burns, cures.
My mother also got her 1st shot a few days ago. She had the Pfizer one, but complained exactly the same, and is fine now.

Jitter, I hope the result comes negative. Don't forget to tell us!
I also hope things don't go downhill. As for your boys, remember that usualy they have more contact when coming or going to school than inside, so reinforcing the precautions thay should have when they are with their coleagues would be a good idea.

In Portugal things a way better, but no one want's to risk another surge, so we are staying on lockdown until Easter, and I think it's the best choice.

[Jitter]

Oh, the result is in, it’s negative. I expected it to be, but still it’s good to know! I should try and arrange to see an oncologist, I was supposed to have a control check up for the cancer I had, sometime in September already, and I still haven’t heard from them. Maybe now that I have a fresh negative result they’ll see me! Also need a dentist.

For me and my family the restrictions haven’t been too bad, we have each other and the dogs for company, as well as you guys (this community is a HUGE thing in times like these!) but things such as health appointments left undone isn’t nice!

Grey, my son walks to school so it’s mainly in there that puts him at risk. At least they are wearing masks now!

[Grade E cat]

Looks like we have a potential French variant under watch right now. Special feature: PCR tests don't detect it. And tomorrow will be the anniversary of the first confinment's announcement.

[Jitter]

Finland is contemplating the first actual lockdowns now. My son is in quarantine as there was a case (or several, we don’t know) among his classmates during that one week at the classroom after winter holidays. He’s been tested twice since and appears to have dodged the bullet, thankfully.

We are renovating a house, and it’s been a bother that my hubby hasn’t been able to go there at the same time as the builders (we are actually not in quarantine, just the one son who was exposed, but we want to be very careful), but now after the second test on my son he intends to go there tomorrow again. If the lockdown does happen, it may allow the builders to come in anyways as they can’t work remotely (and there’s only two of them), but it might also mean they aren’t allowed to come in. We’ll have to wait and see.

There are many people who are raging about how the government should make masks mandatory (difficult for legal reasons) and others, who are raging about being told to wear a mask. Obviously we can’t expect people to take responsibility, no, the prime minister must come to hold their hand and tell they must behave and wear the masks.

I’m fed up with the virus and the restrictions, but I’m a lot more fed up with people!

[moredhel]

Here in germany the infection numbers are growing and growing. And our politicians are reopening schools and shops. Either I am too dumb the wisdom of this plan. Or our politicians are dumb.

My wife the kids and me are all in a high risk group. Dangerous times are coming for us.

[Grade E cat]

Concrete lockdown measures this time: curfew is bumped up from 6 PM to 7 PM nationwide, full-on four-week confinment 7 days a week in several areas that include the Paris region and hence where I live. Upgrade since last time: bookstores are now essential businesses (and we get unlimited time to exercise outside less that 10 km from home as long as we are back for curefew, in that order).