Covid News Around the World One Year Later

[fjruple]

Probably a national guardsman. I did not notice till you pointed it out though. Good catch.

I had heard that the Minnesota National Guard still had the Trapdoor Springfields in the system in 1940!

[Aragorn243]

Seems odd but Covid news is getting covered less and less here. I don't have a good feel if cases are going up or down at the moment. Some say up but as they don't talk about it, that seems unlikely or the up is so small it doesn't matter at this point. Nothing major about the states coming out of lockdown anymore either. The people there don't seem to all be dying like the media seemed to indicate.

Gun violence is now the top of the news cycle. Although NBC went completely nuts and covered nothing but Prince Philip for days. I tuned out. Being informed he died and they were going to have a memorial service for him was enough for me. Seemed like a decent guy who lived a long life but there are more important things going on.

Restaurants and bars are open to 75% capacity now with no ill effects. Nearly all schools are back to in person instruction in PA now with the exception of Philly which plans to start three weeks before they are done for the year. That makes perfect sense. Most people here do not wear masks outside but a few do. Seems to be regional. Other areas wear them pretty heavily. In stores they are still required but I'm seeing more and more ignore the rule again.

TV shows are interesting. Some started with masks, some didn't, some are still wearing them at times but logic seems to have been thrown out. By general covid rules, they are putting the masks on when they could be taking them off and not wearing them when they should. Doesn't make a lot of sense.

Still seeing lone drivers in their cars wearing masks.

[Aragorn243]

Culturally, I'm now noticing long term affects from this. I don't see hand shakes ever coming back. People will likely continue to social distance from strangers in stores, some get a panicked look if you get too close and others including myself just back away is someone moves in. It's become second nature. A lot of people will demand to work from home and I expect employers will accommodate them. Businesses don't need to rent the space, they can also relocate anywhere for what facilities they do need.

The decline of churches has been accelerated. Online services is becoming the norm for some very devoted church goers. For others, it's simply forgotten.

The impact of this is huge and there's no escaping that. Time will tell if we will move forward or backward from this.

[Ovidio]

Here, today we had the communion, at last, of my little daughter. It was scheduled one year ago, but we got it done just now. In two weeks, the next group, one year younger, will get it.
Church was full. We managed the distancing by making two services and preparing lots of chairs outside, with a big tv screen and audio for those who could not fit inside.
Also today, birthday of my middle daughter. 15 splendid years. Big brother taking care of her and a couple of friends
It was the five of us plus our neighbors, greatest friends. Seven all together. Later on a couple of my middle daughter’s friends.
When my middle daughter had confirmation in October, my wife was immobilised in bed due to slipped disc and complications. We had a few relatives and friends here that time, but I never felt so alone in my life without her.
Today, even without anybody else, it was a great day!
Also, more and more people are coming back to church, as if in search for something. Maybe just a different angle from which to look at life...
That is very positive in my opinion.
Another thing I noticed in these last days, is that people are so sick of what’s going on since February 2020, that many are just starting to live more freely. Keeping distance and mask when with other people, but again starting to “interact”.
A few even want a handshake! And that is just GREAT!
Sorry for bothering you all, but having my wife with me today, in such an important day for us all, just makes me feel elated...

[Gil Boyd]

Ovidio,
Great news in the life of your family and more importantly your daughter.
The days of European double kissing and handshakes are gone, which I am quite pleased about. Used to kiss to many frogs anyway. It was almost a given that you would kiss a female after you had met them after one meeting...............not this callsign anymore.
Stay safe mate

[Ovidio]

Wow, what a day today!
It started at 8:00 am as RO at the firing range. I had fun and shot a bit.
After that I went home, prepared the lawn mower and my son took over the chore!!!
Got lunch and went for “duty” with the Alpini at the vaccination centre.
Among lots of lovely, incredible elders, we had the second oldest Alpino of the region (100 years old), one who fought in Russia and made it through the whole withdrawal. I offered him to be driven through to the door of the building, but he wanted to be left there and walked 250 metres to the place. And back. With a great smile.
Another old lady gave me a high five before walking to the place...
At the end of the day, the Carabinieri drove over, stopped and had a chat and a Prosecco with us. Great people!
During that nice end-of-day pause, the coordinator of the vaccination center came out and asked who was not vaccinated. Another guy and I raised our hands. “How old are you?” 51, was my answer. “Too young, I’ve got two shots of Astra Zeneca left”. The other guy is younger than me, so we went back to our Prosecco’s. A few minutes later: “You two, come in. We had to open a last Pfizer vial. Find two more youngsters!” So...that’s how I got into this vaccine... I never thought I would get it during “duty”...
But the love people, especially older people, have for us Mountain Troopers is so moving, that I thank God that he let me read the books I read as a teenager. Otherwise I might have chosen other corps... but I would have lost this universe!

---------- Post added at 11:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 PM ----------

By the way, I’m listening at full blast to The Dead South, what a great group!!!

[Bruce_in_Oz]

A different angle:

Chinese military involved in Wuhan viral research project, finding 1,640 new viruses JoNova

[Aragorn243]

A different angle:

This is what I've been saying all along. I don't think people are that stupid, they just don't want to think others are that evil. They are.

[browningautorifle]

I don't think people are that stupid

Then you ought to hear the foolishment hereabouts. Still they think if their measures didn't work the first and second time, we'll try them yet again. What would stop them from tasking another few seeder "drones" to travel around when things start to settle down? Thus second, third, fourth waves?

[painter777]

New mask mandates requires kids age 2 and up to wear masks at Day Care and Summer Camps...... etc

Last week Michigan cities accounted for seven of the 10 worst Covid-19 outbreaks in urban areas.

Gov Whitmer and Michigan Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist urged the White House to ramp up the vaccine doses that it is sending to their state to help control the outbreak -- a request the Biden administration has so far refused because they say it is most equitable to allocate shots based on the adult population in each state.
But Gilchrist argued on CNN's "Inside Politics" that an increase in vaccine doses to Michigan, as part of "a national hot spot strategy," is critical to slowing the spread of the variant in other parts of the country.

"What's happening in Michigan can spread through the Midwest and can spread to the rest of the country," Gilchrist said. "Equity means responding differently where there is the most need, and right now the most need is in the state of Michigan, that is very clear."

Many Hospitals are now at critical capacity levels as a result. Beaumont Health's eight hospitals in two Detroit-area counties are 90-95% full, and the number of their Covid-19 patients jumped from 129 in late February to more than 800 patients. Many surgeries are being postponed.

More here:
Michigan's mask mandate is expanded to kids ages 2-4 - CNN

To Add to this mess, My Wife was just informed by a friend of 3 bus loads of our fresh from the southern border 'Guests' being dropped off in the Upper Peninsula. This wasn't on the news that we were aware of. Wife's friend just happened to be at that location eating dinner while taking a break working on the family cabin remodeling project Sunday April 25th.

Does anyone think these 'Guests have been tested ? Let alone Vaccinated ?
Those in the UP know how limited hospital beds are.