@Dormouse if it's any comfort, it sounds like the French are being quite cautious about relaxing regulations. I don't think face masks are about to disappear in closed spaces any time soon. Around here, I get the impression that people are so used to wearing them that they keep them on even when they don't have to.
I am currently looking into the matter for my parents, and arrivals from the UK are subject to stricter rules than other amber list countries - to avoid quarantine you must be double vaccinated AND have a negative test.
The President of the Republic is taking to the airwaves on Monday, so we'll see what happens. It's rather suspected that some rules may be tightened, especially for the unvaccinated.
I don't want to cast any nasturtiums, but when we went out to a restaurant* on Thursday night, the chap at the next table had booked under the name of Andy Capp...
As Mr S pointed out, the woman he was with was definitely not Flo!
There is little you can do other than mask wearing and hygiene, and attempting to keep some distance. It is a respiratory disease and is airborne so masks and distance are most important
Masks are important, but where cloth masks are important is on the face of the person with Covid. They are only very weakly useful on the face of someone who wishes to avoid being infected.
I know quite a few people here in the US who are happy to talk to people outside with no mask, but insist that the small number of people who enter their homes wear masks. I don't know what @Dormouse teaches, and whether insisting that their students wear masks is an option.
What can you do, in practice? You can probably choose to avoid crowded indoor places (don't frequent busy pubs etc.), but it's not in practice possible to unilaterally maintain 6 feet of distance from people in queues, supermarkets, and the like, because you can pretty much guarantee that someone will walk into your space.
And don't forget that it's not just distance - it's distance and time.
Hmm. Wearing such a T-shirt might invite a fist in the face, from some of our local covidiots, at least...
Then you'll have won the moral high ground and they're admitting that they can't argue against doing what Mr Johnson and his government have told everyone to do - to be responsible and sensible. Violence is the last resort of someone who has already lost.
Hmm. Wearing such a T-shirt might invite a fist in the face, from some of our local covidiots, at least...
Then you'll have won the moral high ground and they're admitting that they can't argue against doing what Mr Johnson and his government have told everyone to do - to be responsible and sensible. Violence is the last resort of someone who has already lost.
Quite so, but I might also have acquired a broken Nose (and mine really would not look better for it).
I know quite a few people here in the US who are happy to talk to people outside with no mask, but insist that the small number of people who enter their homes wear masks. I don't know what @Dormouse teaches, and whether insisting that their students wear masks is an option.
Dormouse is more than within her rights to insist on a mask. In France it's the law that masks must be worn in basically all indoor spaces that aren't your own home. Until quite recently they were compulsory outdoors as well. Most people are compliant (in my building everyone wears them in the lift, for example).
It is weird here. We drove across the border to New York last week and were checked by maskless border guards who were not interested in tests, vaccinations or anything - easiest border crossing ever. Going back to Canada we were supposed to have used a phone app called ArriveCan that didn't work on our phones and it was almost ArriveCan't. But something had changed that day and we were allowed a day's grace and sent through to the public health testing station. First we had to call the NY clinic where we'd had tests a few days before, and mercifully got through to a human who told us the negative results had just come through, which the official graciously accepted. The it was the up-your-nose test, and we were allowed on our way home, with the assurance that quarantine and more tests, as of that day, were no longer needed. Now we are getting daily e-mails and calls telling us to arrange for on-line supervised tests, despite one of the e-mails telling us it's no longer needed. Oy vey! Enough!
The NZ Navy has been given the task of delivering sufficient doses of Pfizer to the Tokelau Islands to vaccinate the eligible population. This will be a non-contact delivery.
I think @Dormouse can be reassured about the situation in France. The President's approach is essentially to make life as complicated and inconvenient as possible for anyone who refuses to be vaccinated at the first available opportunity. Apparently last night 20000 people per minute were connecting to the main medical booking site.
I know that some Shipmates have not been too impressed with their local Tesco store, but mine has felt reasonably safe and comfortable to use at off-peak times. Whether my village Co-Op will continue to restrict entry (just 3 customers at a time - it's a small *corner shop*) remains to be seen.
We had almost a third of our Guides off last night as they were isolating, for the second week of face-to-face meetings. The first week we had about a quarter off as isolating - slightly different group of girls each time. We did better keeping them with us on Zoom, because they could still attend.
The rates are steadily increasing in this area, went up, slowed down and are now on a steep climb, according to Zoe.
I was looking forward to attending my first live concert for months, but I have decided not to go. The venue will be fine, but I have decided the bus journey and being in town on a Saturday late morning present a risk too far. This is mainly for the sake of my husband who has health conditions. Maybe I am being too cautious, as we have had both jabs. I would readily go there in the week, but Saturday is busy, and the city will be full of the young unvaccinated.
This article claims that false positives from LFT are very low, but up to 60% of people who test positive on a PCR test show negative on the LFT.
Which means that you should assume that a positive LFT = "I have Covid", but make no assumption about a negative LFT.
The hopeful signs for our shipmate @KarlLB are that I recall him telling us that he has managed to be vaccinated, which is a good thing, and that serious complications in kids are very rare.
What we've been told re: LFTs is that because the false negative rate is so high they are useful in reducing the number of people who have the virus coming into work (those who test positive should stay home and self-isolate) but doesn't prevent someone with the virus from coming into work (because they could easily have a negative LFT). Therefore, those in work should behave as though they're in any other enclosed space - maintain physical distance, keep the windows open for ventilation, wear masks, wash hands etc. The main measures to keep work covid-secure are the latter - the LFTs provide an additional layer of security, by reducing the number of infected people entering the building by about 25%, and when a positive case does come up the tracing information comes in with self-isolation of contacts (at least until there have been proper PCR tests to confirm that the other measures did their job).
Comments
The government attitude seems to be *We don't care any more. It's up to you - if you get The Plague, it'll be your own fault, whatever.*
https://theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/10/covid-freedom-day-clinically-vulnerable-people-face-masks-england
As you say, looks like more shielding may be needed...
I am currently looking into the matter for my parents, and arrivals from the UK are subject to stricter rules than other amber list countries - to avoid quarantine you must be double vaccinated AND have a negative test.
The President of the Republic is taking to the airwaves on Monday, so we'll see what happens. It's rather suspected that some rules may be tightened, especially for the unvaccinated.
As Mr S pointed out, the woman he was with was definitely not Flo!
* the first time in forever!
I wonder if Mr A Capp was out with someone he shouldn't really have been out with?
Masks are important, but where cloth masks are important is on the face of the person with Covid. They are only very weakly useful on the face of someone who wishes to avoid being infected.
I know quite a few people here in the US who are happy to talk to people outside with no mask, but insist that the small number of people who enter their homes wear masks. I don't know what @Dormouse teaches, and whether insisting that their students wear masks is an option.
What can you do, in practice? You can probably choose to avoid crowded indoor places (don't frequent busy pubs etc.), but it's not in practice possible to unilaterally maintain 6 feet of distance from people in queues, supermarkets, and the like, because you can pretty much guarantee that someone will walk into your space.
And don't forget that it's not just distance - it's distance and time.
Love it!
Quite so, but I might also have acquired a broken Nose (and mine really would not look better for it).
https://theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/10/public-alarm-grows-at-boris-johnsons-plan-for-covid-freedom-day
Dormouse is more than within her rights to insist on a mask. In France it's the law that masks must be worn in basically all indoor spaces that aren't your own home. Until quite recently they were compulsory outdoors as well. Most people are compliant (in my building everyone wears them in the lift, for example).
🙁
https://theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/13/scotland-to-move-to-level-zero-covid-restrictions-from-19-july
https://theguardian.com/business/2021/jul/15/tesco-john-lewis-ask-customers-staff-face-masks-england
I know that some Shipmates have not been too impressed with their local Tesco store, but mine has felt reasonably safe and comfortable to use at off-peak times. Whether my village Co-Op will continue to restrict entry (just 3 customers at a time - it's a small *corner shop*) remains to be seen.
The rates are steadily increasing in this area, went up, slowed down and are now on a steep climb, according to Zoe.
Oh dear, I'm sorry.
What Piglet said. That's so crummy, Karl. Hugs to the LB-let!
It's all pretty scary.
Which means that you should assume that a positive LFT = "I have Covid", but make no assumption about a negative LFT.
The hopeful signs for our shipmate @KarlLB are that I recall him telling us that he has managed to be vaccinated, which is a good thing, and that serious complications in kids are very rare.
Well stuff that for a lark - I've done a whole box of negative Innova LFTs and am now on to my second ...