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COVID-19

What most of the world may not appreciate is the United States is a federation of independent, sovereign, states (currently fifty in number) who are united under a federal government for the mutual benefit and protection of ALL the states. ----------
Apologies for going off topic a bit more, this federal power of the USA is one of the things, all be it in a much watered down version, we in the UK have thrown away with our cursed and doomed Brexit. But more than the economic power, I am saddened that we have thrown away our friendship and solidarity with Europe that Americans show to each other to the rest of the world. (Given that there are cracks in this like all other things to do with the Human Race.)
Sorry, still sore about being screwed by our ruling elite and gutter media.

Back to Covid-19 we here in the Midlands of the UK are under severe isolation measures at the time of writing. We have a large family and have always got together at Christmas at our house and both myself and my wife are taking it badly. The rules are somewhat confusing and vague, but effectively stopping us having any of the family around for Christmas. We are allowed two families if we have "bubbled" with them and they have not bubbled with any others (clear so far?). It is a case with us of all can come or none as we can not show favourites. We are hoping that our isolation level will go down to the next lower tier that will allow us to meet up with up to 6 people in our garden and we could have several sittings with the kids in the garden and they can do the same at their houses with each other. To this end I have put our traditional front of the house Christmas lights in the back garden. Quite a Christmas grotto even if I say so myself.

Of course, it will be the weather that is the deciding factor.
Anyway, that's my tuppence worth for what it is worth. Stay safe and when you can, get the vaccination! I think we here are all singing from the same song sheet on this one.
 
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as we can not show favourites.
Ballot? -
How long will the situation last?
If you accept, as some do, that this sort of thing may continue, on and off for some time, perhaps decide whether you want no family there, for years, or accept the worst and move to some form of roster and/or ballot?
What I remind myself is that typhoid-Mary was isolated for 30-odd years. If you create a sustainable plan, you may find you don't need it.
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Our brief lock-down period did great things for online tech. Suddenly all manner of things, meetings, school, all sorts found that online catchups were viable: different, but workable.
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Feel for you. Can only encourage you that isolation can work. Here in New Zealand we are basically back to a cautious but almost normal, without restrictions on internal travel & meetings. May go to the beach for a BBQ for Christmas. :)
 
Certainly zoom meetings with family have made a huge difference. Quiz night tomorrow in fact. My turn to give the questions. When the rules have allowed we have been able to meet up for outdoor activities, walking and cycling, but of course can not cuddle the grandchildren. Funny thing -- I was standing too close to one of my sons on a walk and his 3 year old daughter pointed out that we were too close!! Such is life at the moment.
I am constantly aware there are people a lot worse off than us so I am not overly complaining. We managed with the summer, but now the second wave has hit in, we find ourselves very restricted in our movements. We are following isolating rules as best as possible.
This utube annoys me though.


I am missing my skiing this year particularly as I would be going with our 13 year and 11 year old granddaughters (excellent skiers and lots of fun!), but the reason why we are missing our skiing is because we are in the 2nd or 3rd wave of C-19, and this is because of the scene in the utube of the skiers in the piste basher cab wearing no masks. It is people like this who are keeping the pandemic going. We all have responsibilities in this matter.
 
I had my vaccination (UK, Astrazenica - Oxford) day before yesterday. I will not be reducing my isolation precautions though. We have had two C-19 deaths in our extended family. One of our son's is presently in hospital but thankfully has turned a corner yesterday and has come off the forced oxygen. two others of our close family have had Covid and got over it reasonably well.

I had some weird side effects from the jab, but no worse than a normal flue jab. A bout of severe shivering and a hang-over type headache the next day. Fine now.

I have the greatest anger and distain for all those idiots who are non-maskers. They are nothing more than scum.
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
Moderator
From the country with the 8th best response to COVID-19...

This is what an initial lockdown and continued social distancing and enhanced handwashing can do:

upload_2021-1-28_10-39-12.png

This site tracks weekly rates of influenza (this includes COVID since it just tracks symptoms).

The links in the image are:

https://www.flutracking.net/Info/Docs/AU/50617274696369706174696F6E5F323032302E706E67
https://denden.shinyapps.io/MapApp/
https://www.flutracking.net/Info/Report/Latest/AU

I thought this might be interesting, and I'm not sure if I've posted this before. You might note that the information from New Zealand (the country with the world's best response to COVID-19) is also included (see https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-01...-as-country-with-best-covid-response/13095758).
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
Moderator
My city has just recorded a single case and will be going into a hard shutdown in 4 hours.

Unfortunately it seems to be one of the easily transmissible variants.

Edit: The skuttlebut below seems to be a result of people confusing this incident with a recent case in another state. As far as it is established so far, there is no truth to it:

Scuttlebutt is that a guard at one of our guards being used for quarantine of new arrivals was, ummm, having a good time with one of the not-yet-completed-quarantine inmates.

I (no longer) have a few choice words for that individual.
 
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(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
Moderator
After 1 week of lockdown, and a subsequent week of mandatory masks, we are back to normal.

It appears that the person who caught the more easily spread variant strain wasn't a very good shedder.
 

bertus

Moderator
A sheep farmer stuck in lockdown in New South Wales who was unable to attend his aunt’s funeral has honoured her memory with the ultimate tribute:
a love heart made from sheep. Ben Jackson from Guyra couldn’t make it to Brisbane to be with his aunt during her final moments after a two-year fight with cancer that began at the start of the pandemic:



 
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