International COVID-19 Megathread

[Tender Branson]

Hospitalizations and ICU admittance now down to October-levels again in Austria.

[StateBoiler]

Here's politico.eu's take late Thursday night.

https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-brandishes-export-ban-to-claim-dibs-on-vaccine-astrazeneca-pfizer/?force_isolation=true

They start with "it's not Europe 1st, but the Commission made clear Thursday they won't stand for EU 2nd"

[Zinneke]

Finally we are growing some minerals.

[Mike88]

https://twitter.com/juliaineurope/status/1355177039616212992

I don't know if anyone has noticed this already, but the classified parts of the #AstraZeneca agreement can be read from Acrobat Reader bookmarks

[FrancoAgo]

Actually i see only the index

[StateBoiler]

Tony Connelly of RTE:

-first said that Taioseach Michael Martin had not been consulted about the move from the Commission prior

-just came out saying:

"Senior figure says a resolution to the Article 16 row is "in sight" and could before the end of the evening.

Second source says Commission is working on a solution and Article 16 is "unlikely to be triggered".

Safe to say, IMHO, that the Commission made a mistake here and know it."

[StateBoiler]

Darren McCaffrey of euronews.com in the last hour:

AND with that, the official regulation text has been taken offline
Are we about to see a major EU u-turn on this?
Talks within the Commission ongoing
Has the damage been done?

He had a funny earlier tweet:

EU decision to invoke Article 16, clearly without prior notice has managed to unite the British and Irish governments, Labour, the DUP and SDLP in disagreement with the move...
When did that last happen?
later Tweet: We can now add Sinn Fein to that list

[2952-0-0]

Canada has been entirely reliant on Belgium for its Pfizer vaccines, and Trudeau has said that the EU's export controls won't affect Canada's supply. He's been under criticism for not securing licenses to manufacture the AstraZeneca vaccine domestically, and made-in-Canada vaccines won't be available until the end of this year at the earliest.

[GenerationTerrorist]

Absolute lunacy going on by the EU today.
Looks like they didn't even consult the Irish government before trying to impose the vaccine border on the island.

[rc18]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ShippersUnbound/status/1355256232853073923

[Tender Branson]

New "Profil" magazine poll:

By a 64-29 margin, Austrians want ALL ski areas closed (even a majority of FPÖ-voters).

https://www.profil.at/oesterreich/umfrage-64-sind-dafuer-die-skigebiete-zu-schliessen/401173123

[President Johnson]

New "Profil" magazine poll:

By a 64-29 margin, Austrians want ALL ski areas closed (even a majority of FPÖ-voters).

https://www.profil.at/oesterreich/umfrage-64-sind-dafuer-die-skigebiete-zu-schliessen/401173123

Isn't the problem so called Après-Ski and social gatherings afterwards rather than just being out in the snow? Since gastronomy is closed, I'm not sure this will have an impact.

[Tender Branson]

New "Profil" magazine poll:

By a 64-29 margin, Austrians want ALL ski areas closed (even a majority of FPÖ-voters).

https://www.profil.at/oesterreich/umfrage-64-sind-dafuer-die-skigebiete-zu-schliessen/401173123

Isn't the problem so called Après-Ski and social gatherings afterwards rather than just being out in the snow? Since gastronomy is closed, I'm not sure this will have an impact.

Yeah, as I've said a few times in this thread already the skiing itself is not a problem at all.

It's out in the vast space with fresh air on the lifts and gondolas and an infection risk doesn't exist there.

The problem is more the ski instructors from the UK, Netherlands and Eastern Europe who are still allowed in here and who organize "private parties" on their own during the night in garages or somehwere, therefore being real dicks.

There have also been several cases of younger UK, Danish, Polish, Dutch etc. tourists coming here to their secondary homes in winter tourism areas and giving a damn about COV rules.

Yesterday, there was a massive police raid in Tyrol, in which more than 100 of them were rounded up and fined more than 2000€ each for breaking quarantine measures.

Austria doesn't need those dicks and they should be sent home from where they came from.

What we need is responsible ski tourists, who buy their stuff at the supermarkets, go skiing with masks on and leave some money here (without the aprés ski excesses).

[palandio]

New "Profil" magazine poll:

By a 64-29 margin, Austrians want ALL ski areas closed (even a majority of FPÖ-voters).

https://www.profil.at/oesterreich/umfrage-64-sind-dafuer-die-skigebiete-zu-schliessen/401173123

Isn't the problem so called Après-Ski and social gatherings afterwards rather than just being out in the snow? Since gastronomy is closed, I'm not sure this will have an impact.

Yeah, as I've said a few times in this thread already the skiing itself is not a problem at all.

It's out in the vast space with fresh air on the lifts and gondolas and an infection risk doesn't exist there.

The problem is more the ski instructors from the UK, Netherlands and Eastern Europe who are still allowed in here and who organize "private parties" on their own during the night in garages or somehwere, therefore being real dicks.

There have also been several cases of younger UK, Danish, Polish, Dutch etc. tourists coming here to their secondary homes in winter tourism areas and giving a damn about COV rules.

Yesterday, there was a massive police raid in Tyrol, in which more than 100 of them were rounded up and fined more than 2000€ each for breaking quarantine measures.

Austria doesn't need those dicks and they should be sent home from where they came from.

What we need is responsible ski tourists, who buy their stuff at the supermarkets, go skiing with masks on and leave some money here (without the aprés ski excesses).

It's easy though to blame only the fake skiing instructors.
Hotels and landlords have some responsibility regarding whom they accomodate and how.
Politics has to provide a legal framework that doesn't encourage breaking the rules.
Local authorities must intervene when rules are broken (and I'm glad they actually do, as pointed out by you).

Yes, I know, you can't guarantee that all people follow the rules, but you can at least try to provide an environment where rule-breaking is less likely. I acknowledge that many hotels are acting responsible and that many local authorities are trying their best, but I don't like that some deny any responsibility at all.

[CumbrianLefty]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ShippersUnbound/status/1355256232853073923

"SoRrY, bUt We InVoKeD aRtIcLe 16 By MiStAkE!!"

[Meclazine for Israel]

Australia with 13 Days COVID free.

We have halved our inbound flights for returning Australians and strengthened our quarantine protocols for hotels.

Professor Michael Kidd

https://youtu.be/s3GTyoR4u9s

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

It looks like new cases per day *in the entire world* may be consistently falling for the first time since the start of the pandemic?

Italy is doing... not so bad on the COVID statistics front. But of course our government has just collapsed because, hey, this is Italy, and I'm mostly following that thing instead.

[Mike88]

It looks like new cases per day *in the entire world* may be consistently falling for the first time since the start of the pandemic?

Italy is doing... not so bad on the COVID statistics front. But of course our government has just collapsed because, hey, this is Italy, and I'm mostly following that thing instead.

Yeah, it seems that the 7-day moving average, at least, is at November 2020 levels. However, the number of new deaths worldwide continues to grow by a lot.

[Tender Branson]

New "Profil" magazine poll:

By a 64-29 margin, Austrians want ALL ski areas closed (even a majority of FPÖ-voters).

https://www.profil.at/oesterreich/umfrage-64-sind-dafuer-die-skigebiete-zu-schliessen/401173123

Isn't the problem so called Après-Ski and social gatherings afterwards rather than just being out in the snow? Since gastronomy is closed, I'm not sure this will have an impact.

Yeah, as I've said a few times in this thread already the skiing itself is not a problem at all.

It's out in the vast space with fresh air on the lifts and gondolas and an infection risk doesn't exist there.

The problem is more the ski instructors from the UK, Netherlands and Eastern Europe who are still allowed in here and who organize "private parties" on their own during the night in garages or somehwere, therefore being real dicks.

There have also been several cases of younger UK, Danish, Polish, Dutch etc. tourists coming here to their secondary homes in winter tourism areas and giving a damn about COV rules.

Yesterday, there was a massive police raid in Tyrol, in which more than 100 of them were rounded up and fined more than 2000€ each for breaking quarantine measures.

Austria doesn't need those dicks and they should be sent home from where they came from.

What we need is responsible ski tourists, who buy their stuff at the supermarkets, go skiing with masks on and leave some money here (without the aprés ski excesses).

It's easy though to blame only the fake skiing instructors.
Hotels and landlords have some responsibility regarding whom they accomodate and how.
Politics has to provide a legal framework that doesn't encourage breaking the rules.
Local authorities must intervene when rules are broken (and I'm glad they actually do, as pointed out by you).

Yes, I know, you can't guarantee that all people follow the rules, but you can at least try to provide an environment where rule-breaking is less likely. I acknowledge that many hotels are acting responsible and that many local authorities are trying their best, but I don't like that some deny any responsibility at all.

Young 🥳 party people 🥳 from the UK, Netherlands and Scandinavia are the real plague.

The towns and police are actually doing their best though:

"Vacationers" from abroad storm the ski resort of St. Anton



Dozens of "ski bums" have settled in the world-famous winter sports resort. Apparently, they don't care about the Corona rules.

Party despite Corona - photos of celebrations with dozens of guests are now causing outrage far beyond the local borders of St. Anton am Arlberg.

"Apparently there are tips circulating on the Internet on how to circumvent bans and get to St. Anton, namely by train from Zurich," says local mayor Helmut Mall annoyed to the "Tiroler Tageszeitung". In some photos, "30 to 40 party guests can be seen".

The so-called "ski bums" are identified as culprits. These are young people, primarily from Great Britain and Scandinavia, who fill the place every winter. Also this year dozens are here and indulge their desire for skiing, snowboarding and partying. This lifestyle is often financed by doing odd jobs such as washing dishes or shoveling snow.

Mall explains the modus operandi of the "vacationers" observed in his town: Because hotels are closed, the young people would register a secondary residence with the municipality after their arrival and indicate that they were here to look for work.

"We are in the middle of a pandemic, there is currently no work," complains the mayor of the situation. Instead of looking for a job, the "ski bums" can then be seen on the slopes, while the whole place has to remain at a prescribed standstill.

Mayor Mall was also outraged by "black sheep" among the landlords who play this game. In addition, the police apparently had to find out that après-ski continues, despite the closed restaurants and huts: the celebration is now taking place in remote hay barns with canned beer from the village shop.

Mall responded with a direct mail warning that such behavior could not be tolerated. He fears that if the virus is introduced, great damage could be done to his location.

And: Now there are particularly strict controls under the Registration and Residence Act. "The police have already been charged with this," said Deputy District Captain Siegmund Geiger, according to the "TT" report.

https://www.heute.at/s/partynarren-aus-dem-ausland-stuermen-skiort-st-anton-100124586

[Mike88]

Seriously, the priorities in my country are just mind boggling:

https://twitter.com/cmjornal/status/1355517545642663936

Society - Pastry workers next to INEM Porto were considered a priority and vaccinated ...

The North INEM delegation included the owners and employees of a pastry shop in Porto in the group of professionals that was vaccinated in the first phase of the vaccination plan.

The entire staff of the establishment, located next door to INEM Porto, has already received two doses of the vaccine. The CM questioned INEM but did not receive an answer.
(...)

[Mike88]

The North INEM delegation included the owners and employees of a pastry shop in Porto in the group of professionals that was vaccinated in the first phase of the vaccination plan.

The entire staff of the establishment, located next door to INEM Porto, has already received two doses of the vaccine. The CM questioned INEM but did not receive an answer.
(...)

It seems that the head of INEM medical services in the North has resigned.

[Tender Branson]

The test positivity rate has declined from 20% in mid-November to about 4.5% yesterday in Austria.

[Beet]

Ireland should leave the EU. They have far more in common with northern Ireland and the rest of the UK than the EU.

[parochial boy]

Ireland should leave the EU. They have far more in common with northern Ireland and the rest of the UK than the EU.

Yeah, I mean they should really just give up on being an independent country and rejoin the UK

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Ireland should leave the EU. They have far more in common with northern Ireland and the rest of the UK than the EU.

Yeah, I mean they should really just give up on being an independent country and rejoin the UK

Yeah, I mean, I am sure contemporary Irish all hate Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera and the like, and are burning to renege their legacies and rejoin the UK