Covid And The Rest of Us

[disneyholic family]

14.57 Million call Ontario, Canada home.

Yes, most cases are in our GTA (Greater Toronto Area) which does have several high density areas.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_Toronto_Area

i actually know that...
i grew up in detroit, so ontario's just across the river..
it was more a joke......
canada's this gigantic country with barely any people in it..
.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

@MommyinHonduras Thanks for checking back in and giving us updates! Love the picture and thank you for sharing that with us

 

[NFLDERS]

i actually know that...
i grew up in detroit, so ontario's just across the river..
it was more a joke......
canada's this gigantic country with barely any people in it..
.

My bad

 

[disneyholic family]

My bad

it's very hard to tell if someone is joking, just talking, or yelling or whatever in writing..
especially when you have as bad a sense of humor as i have..
.

 

[BadPinkTink]

https://www.independent.ie/irish-ne...full-scale-level-5-restrictions-39915297.html
Irish Prime Minister announces that Level 5 restrictions will be in place from midnight Wednesday 30 December 2020 at least January 31 2021

Social and family gatherings

• No visitors are permitted in private homes or gardens except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, or as part of a support bubble.
• No social or family gatherings should take place in other settings.

Schools, creches and higher and adult education

• Early Learning and Childcare Services remain open with protective measures.
• Schools open from 11 January with further review on precise situation in advance of that date.
• Higher, further and adult education should remain primarily online.

Weddings

• Up to and including January 2, a maximum of 25 guests can attend a wedding ceremony and reception, whether indoors or outdoors. From January 3, up to six guests are permitted.

Funerals

• Up to 10 mourners can attend.

Retail and services (for example: hairdressers, beauticians, barbers)

• Face coverings must be worn in essential shops such as newsagents and grocery stores.
• All retail, other than essential retail, must close from close of business on December 31.
• All non-essential services remain closed.

Work

• Work from home. Exceptions for a job which is an essential health, social care or other essential service and cannot be done from home.

Domestic travel restrictions

• People will be required to stay at home except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, and will be permitted to take exercise within 5 km of home.
• People away from their place of residence on December 31 are permitted to return to their place of residence.

You can travel outside 5 kilometres of home for the following reasons:

• travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service
• to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
• travel to attend disability day services
• travel to attend a court
• for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular for those who live alone, but excluding social family visits
• for food shopping
• for farming purposes (food production or care of animals)
• to attend a wedding or funeral
• to visit a grave

Foreign travel restrictions

• The ban on travel to and from Britain will remain in place until at least January 6. A ban on travel to South Africa, where a new strain has been identified, also applies until that date.

Organised indoor gatherings

These are defined as controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager.

• For example: business, training events, conferences, events in theatres and cinemas or other arts events (excluding sport). No organised indoor gatherings should take place.

Organised outdoor gatherings

• These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager. For example: outdoor arts events, training events. No organised outdoor gatherings should take place.

Exercise and sporting events

• People may meet with people from one other household in outdoor settings when taking exercise. No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.
• Individual training only. No exercise or dance classes. No indoor or outdoor gatherings involving “individual training” except for exempted groups.
• Professional, elite sports, horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events only are permitted to continue behind closed doors. No other matches or events are to take place.
• Outdoor golf and tennis are not permitted.
• Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools must close on December 31.

Religious services

• Services will be held online.
• Places of worship remain open for private prayer.

Museums, galleries and other cultural attractions

• All venues closed.
• Online services available.

Bars, cafes and restaurants (including hotel restaurants and bars)

• Take away food and delivery only. Wet pubs remain closed.

Nightclubs, discos, casinos

• Nightclubs, discos and casinos will remain closed.

Hotels and accommodation

• Open only for essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.
• Anyone staying in a hotel on 30 December can complete their stay.

Outdoor playgrounds, play areas and parks

Open with protective measures in place.

Transport

• Face coverings must be worn.
• Walk or cycle where possible.
• Avoid public transport - essential workers and essential purposes only.
• Public transport capacity will be restricted to 25pc.

Over 70 and medically vulnerable individuals

Those aged over 70 years and over and the medically vulnerable should exercise judgement regarding the extent to which they engage with others and in activities outside home. Specific guidance will be provided.

Visiting long-term residential care facilities (nursing and care homes)

Suspended, aside from critical and compassionate circumstances.

 

[bcla]

actually, they're much more complex than regular flu vaccines.
They have to inject saline into the vial..

here are the pfizer directions for preparing a vial for use:

• Before dilution invert vaccine vial gently 10 times.
• Do not shake.
• Inspect the liquid in the vial prior to dilution. The liquid is a white to offwhite suspension and may contain white to off-white opaque amorphous particles.
• Do not use if liquid is discolored or if other particles are observed.
• Obtain sterile 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP. Use only this as the diluent.
• Using aseptic technique, withdraw 1.8 mL of diluent into a transfer syringe (21-gauge or narrower needle).
• Cleanse the vaccine vial stopper with a single-use antiseptic swab.
• Add 1.8 mL of 0.9% Sodium Chloride Injection, USP into the vaccine vial.
• Equalize vial pressure before removing the needle from the vial by withdrawing 1.8 mL air into the empty diluent syringe.
• Gently invert the vial containing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine 10 times to mix.
• Do not shake.
• Inspect the vaccine in the vial.
• The vaccine will be an off-white suspension. Do not use if vaccine is discolored or contains particulate matter.
• Record the date and time of dilution on the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine vial label.
• Store between 2°C to 25°C (35°F to 77°F).
• Discard any unused vaccine 6 hours after dilution.
• Using aseptic technique, cleanse the vial stopper with a single-use antiseptic swab, and withdraw 0.3 mL of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine preferentially using a low dead-volume syringe and/or needle.
• Administer immediately.

that is NOT the standard procedure that people have to follow when administering vaccines.
Even if you're only doing the last step, withdrawing a dose, it's not the standard procedure.
usually vaccines come ready to go already in the syringe.
even just withdrawing a dose from a vial has become a lost art.

I saw that information. The CDC has a more detailed PDF, but it's multi-page.

 

[disneyholic family]

I saw that information. The CDC has a more detailed PDF, but it's multi-page.

it's actually pfizer's pdf - i only copied a few lines from the pfizer instruction booklet..

.

 

[disneyholic family]

my 36 year old daughter succeeded in getting her first dose of pfizer tonight..
people are going to vaccination stations at the end of the day to try their luck.
Any vaccines that are left need to be used or thrown away.
So rather than throw away perfectly good vaccines, they're vaccinating people who show up at the end of the day without appointments.
My daughter tried 3 different places tonight and succeeded at the 3rd.
My son and daughter in law will probably get next week as they're teachers (teachers are up next in the priority).
I think we're almost at 10% of the entire population vaccinated.
And if you take off under 16, then for sure we must be at 10%.

the only worry is it's not clear whether we'll get more pfizer in time.
but now that astrazeneca has been approved in the UK, this might free up some of the pfizer.

 

[NFLDERS]

https://www.independent.ie/irish-ne...full-scale-level-5-restrictions-39915297.html
Irish Prime Minister announces that Level 5 restrictions will be in place from midnight Wednesday 30 December 2020 at least January 31 2021

Social and family gatherings

• No visitors are permitted in private homes or gardens except for essential family reasons such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, or as part of a support bubble.
• No social or family gatherings should take place in other settings.

Schools, creches and higher and adult education

• Early Learning and Childcare Services remain open with protective measures.
• Schools open from 11 January with further review on precise situation in advance of that date.
• Higher, further and adult education should remain primarily online.

Weddings

• Up to and including January 2, a maximum of 25 guests can attend a wedding ceremony and reception, whether indoors or outdoors. From January 3, up to six guests are permitted.

Funerals

• Up to 10 mourners can attend.

Retail and services (for example: hairdressers, beauticians, barbers)

• Face coverings must be worn in essential shops such as newsagents and grocery stores.
• All retail, other than essential retail, must close from close of business on December 31.
• All non-essential services remain closed.

Work

• Work from home. Exceptions for a job which is an essential health, social care or other essential service and cannot be done from home.

Domestic travel restrictions

• People will be required to stay at home except for travel for work, education or other essential purposes, and will be permitted to take exercise within 5 km of home.
• People away from their place of residence on December 31 are permitted to return to their place of residence.

You can travel outside 5 kilometres of home for the following reasons:

• travel to and from work, where work involves providing an essential service
• to attend medical appointments and collect medicines and other health products
• travel to attend disability day services
• travel to attend a court
• for vital family reasons, such as providing care to children, elderly or vulnerable people, and in particular for those who live alone, but excluding social family visits
• for food shopping
• for farming purposes (food production or care of animals)
• to attend a wedding or funeral
• to visit a grave

Foreign travel restrictions

• The ban on travel to and from Britain will remain in place until at least January 6. A ban on travel to South Africa, where a new strain has been identified, also applies until that date.

Organised indoor gatherings

These are defined as controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager.

• For example: business, training events, conferences, events in theatres and cinemas or other arts events (excluding sport). No organised indoor gatherings should take place.

Organised outdoor gatherings

• These are controlled environments with a named event organiser, owner or manager. For example: outdoor arts events, training events. No organised outdoor gatherings should take place.

Exercise and sporting events

• People may meet with people from one other household in outdoor settings when taking exercise. No indoor or outdoor exercise group activities, including those involving children, should take place.
• Individual training only. No exercise or dance classes. No indoor or outdoor gatherings involving “individual training” except for exempted groups.
• Professional, elite sports, horse racing, greyhound racing and approved equestrian events only are permitted to continue behind closed doors. No other matches or events are to take place.
• Outdoor golf and tennis are not permitted.
• Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools must close on December 31.

Religious services

• Services will be held online.
• Places of worship remain open for private prayer.

Museums, galleries and other cultural attractions

• All venues closed.
• Online services available.

Bars, cafes and restaurants (including hotel restaurants and bars)

• Take away food and delivery only. Wet pubs remain closed.

Nightclubs, discos, casinos

• Nightclubs, discos and casinos will remain closed.

Hotels and accommodation

• Open only for essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.
• Anyone staying in a hotel on 30 December can complete their stay.

Outdoor playgrounds, play areas and parks

Open with protective measures in place.

Transport

• Face coverings must be worn.
• Walk or cycle where possible.
• Avoid public transport - essential workers and essential purposes only.
• Public transport capacity will be restricted to 25pc.

Over 70 and medically vulnerable individuals

Those aged over 70 years and over and the medically vulnerable should exercise judgement regarding the extent to which they engage with others and in activities outside home. Specific guidance will be provided.

Visiting long-term residential care facilities (nursing and care homes)

Suspended, aside from critical and compassionate circumstances.

WOW! KUDOS IRELAND, and I thought the vaccine instructions were involved.

 

[elphaba91]

By “get on top of it” do you mean putting you all back into full lock-down?

I meant get the numbers back to zero. I highly doubt a full lock-down will come in at this point, although a lot will depend on whether these cases are actually connected to each other and to NSW. If not, it indicates a much bigger problem that likely can’t be overcome with just contact tracing, testing and isolating contacts. It wouldn’t surprise me if they did reintroduce masks for all public indoor locations and potentially even had some tighter limits on indoor gathering numbers effective immediately.

In South Australia they did do an immediate strict lockdown for a few days when they had a handful of cases, which brought the outbreak to an end very quickly. (Although that happened because one person lied to contact tracers and said he’d caught it from picking up a takeaway pizza when he’d actually been working in the pizza shop, but that’s another story!)

ETA: What I predicted is exactly what is being implemented. From 5pm today masks are compulsory anywhere indoors again and private indoor gatherings are reduced from 30 to 15. They have identified a link to “a person” from NSW and at 2 of the cases are relatives, so that is a good sign. There will be at least 3 new cases in tomorrow’s numbers though.

 

[bcwife76]

Canada is introducing new rules upon entry. You will need to submit a negative covid test 72 hours before entering Canada. This is on top of the mandatory 14 day quaratine. Non essential to Canada is still banned for anyone who is not a citizen or a permanent resident, however (there are exceptions for business travelers and immediate family members).

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/negative-pcr-covid-test-air-passengers-1.5857626

 

[ronandannette]

7,000 doses of Moderna were administered to the oldest residents in a number of senior's care facilities across the province today.

 

[elphaba91]

Happy New Year all! It is officially 2021 on the east coast of Australia. I’ve started the year with a white chocolate martini so so far things are looking up!

 

[BadPinkTink]

Happy New Year all! It is officially 2021 on the east coast of Australia. I’ve started the year with a white chocolate martini so so far things are looking up!

Happy New Year and thank you for all the updates from Australia. That martini sounds delish, enjoy

 

[disneyholic family]

Happy New Year all! It is officially 2021 on the east coast of Australia. I’ve started the year with a white chocolate martini so so far things are looking up!

happy new year. I would have gone with plain chocolate without the martini

it's 3:46 pm here, so another whatever hours to go.
But in truth, we don't really celebrate it that much here.
No days off or anything like that.
And with corona, there are most definitely no parties.

 

[BadPinkTink]

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/hea...w-cases-and-12-more-deaths-reported-1.4447994
A further 1,620 cases of coronavirus and 12 more deaths were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Thursday.

There have now been 91,772 cases of coronavirus reported in the Republic since the start of the pandemic last March, and 2,237 deaths.

Of the cases notified today, 794 are men and 819 are women, 65 per cent are under 45 years of age wih the median age 34 years. A total of 498 were in Dublin, 203 in Limerick, 89 in Galway, 73 in Cork, 67 in Mayo and the remaining 690 cases are spread across all other counties.

As of 2pm today, 490 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 42 are in ICU, with 58 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours, Nphet said.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the “alarming escalation in the incidence of the virus in the general population gives great cause for concern.

“This disease is now widespread in our communities and as a result we are asking everyone to behave as if they are a close contact,” he added.

“To support the testing system through this surge, we are no longer advising close contacts of confirmed cases to get tested. Testing and tracing is an exercise in containment and we are no longer in a containment phase. However, it is imperative that if you are a close contact of a confirmed case you restrict your movements and contact your GP immediately if you develop symptoms.”

The number of positive cases of Covid-19 is under-reported by an estimated 4,000, due to delays in recording positive test results on the system over the Christmas period, a senior public health official has said.

Professor Philip Nolan, chair of the Nphet Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said the epidemiological situation has deteriorated rapidly over the past week, and that we are “clearly in the midst of the third wave”

He said the reproductive number is at least 1.6 to 1.8, and the daily growth rate is estimated at 7 to 10 per cent, giving a doubling time of seven to 10 days.

However, Prof Nolan said the number of positive cases is higher than has been reported, due to a lag between a test coming back positive and being reported in the system.

He said this situation arose because “very few people” presented for tests on Christmas, Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day. However, immediately after Chrsistmas, there were very large numbers testing.

“We know of additional positive tests that have yet to be reported on the system in recent days,” he told the Nphet briefing on Thursday. This system wasn’t designed to report 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000 tests per day,” he said.

Prof Nolan said that this lag “in no way interferes” with identifying cases, but acknowledged the epidemiological situation is “somewhat worse” than has been reported.

Dr Holohan said the average number of contacts per case had risen from 2.5 in November to an average in recent days of 6.3. “This is very far from where we need to be and I am appealing to everyone at every age to adhere to the mandated restrictions that the Government has introduced – stay at home, except for essential reasons, other than for exercise up to 5km.”

Prof Nolan said: “The epidemiological situation is very serious and the virus is spreading rapidly amongst all age groups, increasing the risk to those most vulnerable to severe infection, such as the medically vulnerable and people over 60 years of age. The reproduction number is at least 1.6-1.8. The daily growth rate is estimated now at 7 per cernt -10 per cent giving a doubling time of 7-10 days or less.

“We project significant further increase in cases and hospitalisations in the coming days before public health measures take effect and are likely to see over 700-1000 people in hospital with Covid-19 early in the New Year.

“While it is difficult to face into further restrictions, it is vital that everyone plays their part by following the public health advice to protect those most vulnerable in the population.”

 

[ronandannette]

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/hea...w-cases-and-12-more-deaths-reported-1.4447994
A further 1,620 cases of coronavirus and 12 more deaths were reported by the National Public Health Emergency Team on Thursday.

There have now been 91,772 cases of coronavirus reported in the Republic since the start of the pandemic last March, and 2,237 deaths.

Of the cases notified today, 794 are men and 819 are women, 65 per cent are under 45 years of age wih the median age 34 years. A total of 498 were in Dublin, 203 in Limerick, 89 in Galway, 73 in Cork, 67 in Mayo and the remaining 690 cases are spread across all other counties.

As of 2pm today, 490 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 42 are in ICU, with 58 additional hospitalisations in the past 24 hours, Nphet said.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the “alarming escalation in the incidence of the virus in the general population gives great cause for concern.

“This disease is now widespread in our communities and as a result we are asking everyone to behave as if they are a close contact,” he added.

“To support the testing system through this surge, we are no longer advising close contacts of confirmed cases to get tested. Testing and tracing is an exercise in containment and we are no longer in a containment phase. However, it is imperative that if you are a close contact of a confirmed case you restrict your movements and contact your GP immediately if you develop symptoms.”

The number of positive cases of Covid-19 is under-reported by an estimated 4,000, due to delays in recording positive test results on the system over the Christmas period, a senior public health official has said.

Professor Philip Nolan, chair of the Nphet Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, said the epidemiological situation has deteriorated rapidly over the past week, and that we are “clearly in the midst of the third wave”

He said the reproductive number is at least 1.6 to 1.8, and the daily growth rate is estimated at 7 to 10 per cent, giving a doubling time of seven to 10 days.

However, Prof Nolan said the number of positive cases is higher than has been reported, due to a lag between a test coming back positive and being reported in the system.

He said this situation arose because “very few people” presented for tests on Christmas, Eve, Christmas Day and St Stephen’s Day. However, immediately after Chrsistmas, there were very large numbers testing.

“We know of additional positive tests that have yet to be reported on the system in recent days,” he told the Nphet briefing on Thursday. This system wasn’t designed to report 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000 tests per day,” he said.

Prof Nolan said that this lag “in no way interferes” with identifying cases, but acknowledged the epidemiological situation is “somewhat worse” than has been reported.

Dr Holohan said the average number of contacts per case had risen from 2.5 in November to an average in recent days of 6.3. “This is very far from where we need to be and I am appealing to everyone at every age to adhere to the mandated restrictions that the Government has introduced – stay at home, except for essential reasons, other than for exercise up to 5km.”

Prof Nolan said: “The epidemiological situation is very serious and the virus is spreading rapidly amongst all age groups, increasing the risk to those most vulnerable to severe infection, such as the medically vulnerable and people over 60 years of age. The reproduction number is at least 1.6-1.8. The daily growth rate is estimated now at 7 per cernt -10 per cent giving a doubling time of 7-10 days or less.

“We project significant further increase in cases and hospitalisations in the coming days before public health measures take effect and are likely to see over 700-1000 people in hospital with Covid-19 early in the New Year.

“While it is difficult to face into further restrictions, it is vital that everyone plays their part by following the public health advice to protect those most vulnerable in the population.”

So what does that all boil down to in practical terms? What new restrictions are in place? I'm a little confused by the comments about close contacts not getting tested. Who then are they suggesting should get tested? One of the things we have seen consistently everywhere is that more testing discovers more cases - many places had an artificial lull in numbers over the holidays and they have shot back up again now that testing and reporting have resumed as normal.

Sorry for this news and you have my wishes for a warm and Happy New Year - whatever that might even be anymore.

 

[BadPinkTink]

So what does that all boil down to in practical terms? What new restrictions are in place?

Scroll back a page or two I post about the re introduction of Leve 5 restrictions and what they are.

I'm a little confused by the comments about close contacts not getting tested. Who then are they suggesting should get tested?

Right now they only want people who have symptoms to get tested, as the testing system is getting over whelmed. For example my cousin and her husband had symptoms and got a positive result today. My aunt and uncle, her parents are close contacts, but don't have symptoms. They are to isolate for 14 days and only call to get test appointment if they get symptoms. The numbers of people with symptoms are escalating too fast so they just want to get them tested as fast as possible.

We do have private testing facilities at Dublin airport if close contacts can get there and are willing to pay.

Happy New Year to you and thank you for starting this thread. Its been really great to get updates from around the world and see how different countries are taking different approaches to this horrible situation. Stay safe

 

[Karin1984]

It's past midnight here in the Netherlands, so we have made it to 2021!

It's not the 80 million a year the Dutch set on fire in a normal year, but definitely more people who still had fireworks at home, or got some illegal stuff ;-) Normally the sky is filled, and what I can see from my home on the 4th floor, it's only a handful. Some areas have a few, some skies are completely empty. I was able to make some pictures, the weather conditions are great for fireworks. Imagine some Disney music if you will.

Happy new year everyone, especially everyone in this thread ;-)

 

[BadPinkTink]

Happy New Year from Ireland. Our annual concert and fireworks in Dublin city centre has been cancelled. Theres quite a few illegal fireworks being set off in my neighbourhood. Its against the law to set off fireworks except in an organized event, but no one cares. Its the same at Halloween, I hate it, as its so unsafe to be outside, as you don't know where they are going and where the are coming from.