Covid data for Sunday, 7 February 2021
Global Cases: 106,343,313
Increase: 436,080
Global Deaths: 2,320,450
Increase: 11,597
Australia
Cases 28,850 Change: 2
Deaths 909 Change: 0
Critical
Cases per Million 1,124
UK
Cases 3,929,835 Change: 18,262
Deaths 112,092 Change: 828
Critical 3,505
Cases per Million 57,706
USA
Cases 27,519,636 Change: 112,312
Deaths 473,528 Change: 2,823
Critical 22,406
Cases per Million 82,848
There seems to be a view that the Richer Countries are grabbing all of the vaccine stocks and doing little to help poorer Countries in getting a fair share.
Surely, if the richer Countries get their vaccines into people, as fast as possible, that will cut down on risks of carriers travelling from country to country and spreading the infection?
If all the people on incoming Cruise Ships, aeroplanes, Ferries, etc, are already vaccinated, then Bob’s your uncle!
If all of the holidaymakers, & Business people, are already jabbed, might it be more difficult for the virus to spread?
Let’s face it, that’s basically a view held by those who want to justify the distribution of jabs strongly in favour of those countries that can afford it.
The same arguments could be used to justify a more balanced share of vaccines among all nations. We are in this together. If people in poorer countries are not vaccinated, there’ll be economical, political, and also moral consequences that no one wants to bear either. Those will lead to growing migratory pressure from Africa. Within Europe there are also tens of thousands of immigrant workers who will keep spreading the virus when going home to see their families and returning.
There was a report this morning that the AstraZenica vaccine performs poorly in preventing mild to medium infections of the South African strain, there is not enough data to show how it performs in severe cases. I think this was stated by Astra Zenica themselves but that might be wrong
That is a bit of a worry I think which indicates that despite the vaccines the current regime might be with us longer than we anticipated as the virus mutates in different parts of the world.
NSW has also had a worrying case, a returning traveller that tested negative in their two tests in hotel quarantine tested positive in a test carried out on the 16th day (two days after their release). The genome sequencing shows the virus was caught overseas but there is now discussion about whether testing after hotel quarantine should be made compulsory. This person was from Wollongong so some places in the northern suburbs are now on the Dept of Health lists of places for testing and isolation.
It also ruins NSW run of 20 days without community transmission.
Covid data for Monday, 8 February 2021
Global Cases: 106,677,372
Increase: 334,059
Global Deaths: 2,326,819
Increase: 6,369
Australia
Cases 28,856 Change: 6
Deaths 909 Change: 0
Critical
Cases per Million 1,124
UK
Cases 3,945,680 Change: 15,845
Deaths 112,465 Change: 373
Critical 3,505
Cases per Million 57,938
USA
Cases 27,611,403 Change: 91,767
Deaths 474,933 Change: 1,405
Critical 21,907
Cases per Million 83,122
Dachs, wasn’t it Angela Merkel who invited all those immigrants to live in Germany?
If the immigrants are traveling home and bringing the the virus back with them, shouldn’t the country they live in prevent this travel?
I hear lots of criticism of Boris Johnson but at least he made sure that Vaccines for the British were ordered early, shame the EU didn’t do the same!
Let’s not confuse things. What I’m talking about has nothing to do with those immigrants who came in 2015. Apart from them, Europe has always been dependent on foreign labour. Without thousands of Czechs working in Saxony, parts of the critical infrastructure would collapse. The virus is transmitted before borders are closed which can only be the last resort.
No doubt, Johnson did a better job than Merkel and Von der Leyen. He had something to make up for.
Contrary to expectations fourteen seniors contracted the British strain B.1.1.7. after they had been given the second jab of the Biontech/Pfizer vaccine. None of them was reported to have experienced a severe course of the infection,though. Still, it’s better to be safe than sorry even if you’ve had your jabs.
Oh, don’t those immigrants go for holidays then Dachs ??
I thought slave labour was over??
Donkeyman!
I don’t see your point. Some of them do if they live here permanently while others commute daily. The same on the western border to France.
I can’t imagine which group we could put in place to manage distribution, fairly, around the poor countries, at this time.
Maybe, when this pandemic is over, they might think of a process to prevent a future happening.
I would, respectfully, ask that we don’t put the EU anywhere near the management of it!
Not even the UK? 
My point is that they are moving in and ou of the country with little
or no checks??
The slave labour bit was just an opinion based on observation and
your statement that Germany has long been dependant on
immigrant labour ??
Donkeyman!
What, so that some disgruntled EU boss can make more wild accusations and slow things down?
Nah.
That’s why the WHO has COVAX.
That way we can help ( and indeed are helping ) to vaccinate in countries less fortunate than ourselves.
" UK meets £250m match aid target into COVAX, the global vaccines facility.
The UK has now mobilised $1 billion from global donors to support vulnerable countries to access coronavirus vaccines – stopping the spread of the disease."
As usual there’s freedom of movement within the Schengen Area as a great asset which is upheld and guaranteed as long as possible before checks are introduced which is usually too late. That’s were infections happen.
Open borders are taken advantage of by care-workers, to give one example, for whom working in western countries is more attractive because wages are higher there. It is the free choice of these workers and, thus, has nothing to do with “slave labour”.
Zaphod wrote:
“What, so that some disgruntled EU boss can make more wild accusations and slow things down?
Nah.” (Sorry, the quotation function is not working here.)
Why should s/he do that considering that you are out? Accusations shouldn’t be of concern because they are made by anyone.
Pull the other one Dachs ??
Re the freedom of movement, l can only say you made your choice
and now you pays your price??
Open borders means spreading infections ? And other things !!
Donkeyman!
I think Zaphod meant the accusations that Von Leyen made about UK
stealing EU vaccine Dach’s??
But he will probably tell you himself !!
Donkeyman!
I’d say the choice was made for me by others. The price is indeed a little on the high side, some might say. Do you feel sorry for me?
BTW, are you fond of exclamation marks? I’m seeing too many of them for my taste. I don’t think I deserve them. Do you? 