What is the latest in other countries

[Cantstandsmugness]

Really keen to get a true idea of what you can and cannot do all over the world. For examples can you attend
Cinemas
Eating out
Weddings
Travel
Sporting fixtures
Is there compulsory Mask wearing
Are we all getting there? Please mention the country.

Wow - thank you all for a wonderful detailed replies. It’s great to see that it really does seem to be getting better. The news here in UK doesn’t really tell us what is happening else where.
Keep them coming, would love some more Europe replies.
It’s not over till the world is vaccinated really is it. Then everyone can go where they want and see family. Hopefully in another 6 months we should be nearly there.

@FromEden

West coast US. Absolutely normal. Masks required if not vaccinated but no one is asking for proof. I just came back from vacation and no one was wearing them there, except when crossing the border to another state where they were required. I highly doubt everyone going maskless was fully vaccinated given that the number for the US is around 40%, same as my state.

Vaccines available to anyone 12 and up who wants them, free and no appointment necessary.

Everything went back to full capacity recently, including sports. Tonight there is a hockey game on with a full arena and few masks. Certainly looks and feels like like pandemic is over in the US

This is encouraging I hope we get there very soon

Bahrain is just behind us in the vaccination table and they've just gone into another full lockdown. Schools closed etc. Hospitals filling up with younger, unvaccinated people.

@Cantstandsmugness

Wow - thank you all for a wonderful detailed replies. It’s great to see that it really does seem to be getting better. The news here in UK doesn’t really tell us what is happening else where. Keep them coming, would love some more Europe replies. It’s not over till the world is vaccinated really is it. Then everyone can go where they want and see family. Hopefully in another 6 months we should be nearly there.

newstart1234 mentioned Denmark on the previous page, but something to add is that all the restrictions and special rules in schools, kindergartens etc. are going on Monday. Our 6 year old has never actually known a 'normal' school and after-school club day!

One thing possibly worth noting is that after the over 50s were vaccinated, the groups started looking like this:

45-49 & 16-19 in the next group.
40-44 & 20-24 in the group after that.

Given how much the adolescents seem to spread it, it seems like a good policy, especially since those in their late teens have already lost a year of what should be an awesome part of their life.

How are the COVID rates and hospital admissions in countries where life is starting to go back to normal?

Bahrain has used the vaccine that is causing issues in other parts of the world, it’s not as effective - the Chinese Sinofram vaccine. So much so that Bahrain & the UAE will be offering a Pfizer booster 6 months after two doses of Sinofram! The WHO urged caution with Sinofram but countries still approved it. They Seychelles are having the same issue..

@NotBot

Bahrain has used the vaccine that is causing issues in other parts of the world, it’s not as effective - the Chinese Sinofram vaccine. So much so that Bahrain & the UAE will be offering a Pfizer booster 6 months after two doses of Sinofram! The WHO urged caution with Sinofram but countries still approved it. They Seychelles are having the same issue..

How galling for everyone there must be hard to know

Yep, it’s quite clear what Bahrain thinks the problem is.
www.jpost.com/health-science/despite-high-inoculation-rates-bahrain-uae-see-rise-in-covid-19-cases-670517

UK - 7 deaths
USA - 424 (as of 10th June.

I no longer understand why many countries around the world are easing restrictions, inc travel but we look like keeping our remaining ones and no travel for 2021?

Been watching pro cycling with large crowds , throughout Europe over the last 5 weeks, friends in France say they are v soon out of all restrictions and are welcoming tourists from across the EU.

France

Mostly back to normal and has felt fairly normal for a while apart from a curfew
Restaurants open - 6 people at table
Cinemas, ,musesums open
Shops open
Gyms and pools open
Curfew at 11 pm
Masks required in shops etc
Can travel easily now to spain and italy.
Vaccinations going very well, open to all over 18.

@ineedaholidaynow

How are the COVID rates and hospital admissions in countries where life is starting to go back to normal?

Case numbers have dropped dramatically in Denmark over the past week (from 1000ish a day to 400ish a day, and falling.)

There's a 120 people in hospital, which is the lowest since October, with about 25ish new admissions a day.

Denmark's population is roughly 10% that of the UK, for comparison.

Test trace and isolate are doing the heavy lifting in Denmark I think. The corona pass means that unvaccinated people typically have a test 3 times a week so asymptomatic transmission is cut. I would say it seems normal here aside from showing ones corona pass and the cases have not increased. 16 critical patients in hospital now and hospitalisations are decreasing. I’m visiting the UK in summer and it’s strange to think it’ll be like going back into restrictions but I think it’s because the British government are putting the responsibility onto the individual to cut transmission rather than having a system in place to deal with it.

Do people accept test trace and isolate @newstart1234?

It's interesting how quite a few countries, the US being the main one are allowing masks to be ditched once fully vaccinated. I'm sure that advice here would go a long way in boosting vaccination numbers amongst people who think they are being controlled by the government. No masks represents freedom and I think it's a good incentive to have the vaccine. Public transport, hospitals and maybe supermarkets but everywhere else I feel masks need to go now.

Yes it’s expected and accepted as being part of wider society. I don’t know anyone who would consider not following the guidance.

Close contacts are traced by the local authority and asked to isolate for at least 4 days before getting a pcr test. If it’s negative than another test can be taken no sooner than 2 days later. If both are negative and there are no symptoms then the isolation can end. Out of home isolation is available in multiple occupancy homes. People get full pay during this time.

One reason that the corona pass is accepted by the government is that it requires people to get a test 3 times a week (soon it will be 2 times a week). Ie. It’s not only to stop spread in various locations but also to compel people to be regularly tested. Danes I know are perfectly happy with this (foreigners are a bit more 🤨).

The jansson vaccine is available now to anyone though so if people don’t want a regular test they now have an alternative option. Either way, the cases are low and decreasing which is good. I hope they sort the test and trace and isolation in the UK before winter.

@bellamountain I think the problem here is that not all age groups have been offered the vaccine whereas I think in the US states where they let you off masks if double vaccinated any adult can have a vaccine

Thank you everyone sharing their experiences. I’m very interested reading them too.

As a slight digression, every now and then I’m slightly overwhelmed that here we are discussing obtaining a vaccine (for all the issues and patience involved) when this time last year it was still up in the air whether we’d even have one that worked. I think it’s just amazing.

Melbourne
Just come out of 2 week lockdown BUT;
No visitors allowed to your home
Masks to be worn outside and inside shops
Cannot travel further than 25km radius from your home
Weddings limited to 10 people
Restaurants and bars are open again but with limited capacity
Non essential shops are back open
You are allowed to meet 10 people outdoors
Not allowed to go into regional Victoria
Still WFH
Hairdressers back open
Gyms still closed
Schools are back
Barred from entering Queensland and WA I think?

Also with the countries lifting restrictions do they have the Delta variant as the prominent variant like we do?

Delta has been found in Melbourne but it looks as though the lockdown helped the contact tracers with tracking down close contacts of positive delta and getting them to isolate until they got a negative test result. It also meant less people were on the move so it hasn't been transmitted as fast as it would have been if lockdown hadn't happened. The contact 'traceys' here are pretty amazing.

It’d be interesting to know the level of double vaccination in US and if any issue with delta variant. Also sounds like 12 plus vaccination is helping.

Sound so encouraging, really want to get to same point reading those posts.

@ineedaholidaynow

Also with the countries lifting restrictions do they have the Delta variant as the prominent variant like we do?

Not in Denmark - I believe one or the other variants originally detected in India was present and suppressed, but it was before the variants were renamed so I don't know if it's the same one that got renamed Delta.

But it's accepted that it's coming sooner or later. The idea is simply that enough people have completed their vaccination by the time it arrives. It's funny - a few weeks ago I was annoyed that we wouldn't switch to leaving the gap between 1st and 2nd jab for as long as possible like the UK did, because it turned out to be the right strategy against the original virus and the Alpha variant. And now it turns out that 2nd jab is all important for the Delta.

Denmark's capacity for detecting variants is more or less up there with the UK's.

There is some grumbling from the political opposition about the cost of the testing. The idea is that when we're at a point that the virus is 'something we live with' rather than something that dominates our lives, sewerage testing will replace personal testing to detect outbreaks. Then focused testing can be brought in in those areas.

@StartupRepair

Melbourne Australia. Just coming out of 2 week snap lockdown. Still wearing masks outside and no visitors to homes. Not allowed to enter other Australian states.

What's the rest of Australia like? We hear how well Australia has done (death rate wise), what's the infection rate like at present?

@newstart1234

Test trace and isolate are doing the heavy lifting in Denmark I think. The corona pass means that unvaccinated people typically have a test 3 times a week so asymptomatic transmission is cut. I would say it seems normal here aside from showing ones corona pass and the cases have not increased. 16 critical patients in hospital now and hospitalisations are decreasing. I’m visiting the UK in summer and it’s strange to think it’ll be like going back into restrictions but I think it’s because the British government are putting the responsibility onto the individual to cut transmission rather than having a system in place to deal with it.

How does the corona pass work please?

Italy
Depends on what colour the zone the region is, at the moment nearly everywhere is 'Yellow' so these are the rules:

A nightly curfew is in place in all “yellow” regions from 11pm to 5am. Between 7 and 20 June, curfew is from midnight to 5am. Curfew ends on 21 June. You cannot leave your place of residence during this time apart from for emergency, work or health reasons. You’ll need to carry a self-declaration form explaining your reasons for travel during these hours
There is a strong recommendation from the Italian Government that people do not travel by public or private transport except for work, health reasons, or for reasons of necessity
Public transport is operating at 50% capacity and its use is discouraged except for essential purposes

Funerals are permitted to take place with limited attendance. Religious ceremonies are permitted. Receptions following civil and religious ceremonies are banned
Dance activity in nightclubs and open air venues has been suspended and parties are not permitted
Social distancing of one metre must be observed
The use of masks is mandatory in all public spaces, whether outdoors or indoors. You should pay close attention to signage when travelling and carry a mask with you at all times

When we're in red and orange, we also need to carry a self certification to be out of the house and we're not allowed to leave our home region/town.

Soon my region will be 'White' so everything will be open but masks still mandatory indoors and outdoors. Been working from home since March 2020 and don't expect it to change.