If you live outside the UK

[zen1]

How is the government reacting to Omicron in your country? Is there a drive like there is here to give everyone over 18 a booster jab ASAP?
How often are you advised to carry out LFTs?
I’m just interested as our government seems to be in a complete panic.

@zen1

So are people being encouraged to have boosters if it’s less than 6 months since your last one?

As I said, it's 4 months here if your vaccine was AZ.

@zen1

I read somewhere that some counties count a positive PCR test in the last 6 months as the same as a vaccine, but don’t know if that’s true or not, i.e if you have a vaccine then get COVID before your second shot, it still counts as you having had two doses.

Yep, that's the case here. I don't think there's even a six month limit, it's just if you can prove that you have ever had COVID.

If you've had COVID, then one dose and you're fully vaccinated for now. Once boosters become mandatory, two doses will suffice instead of three.

The wait between the second dose and the booster dose is currently 5 months in France. Vaccination of clinically vulnerable 5-11 year olds starts tomorrow with an expectation that it will be opened to all 5-11 year olds by the end of the year.

@madisonbridges

It's so interesting to see how other countries handle things. So if Spain doesn't routinely use LFTs, how do you pick up positives? Do you just wait til you're ill? If they're not free, how much do you pay? I can see people wouldn't want to test willy nilly if you're having to fork out money!

In other countries people get a PCR test when they have symptoms or are a contact. Surely in the UK too and you're only using the LTFs to test 'just in case'? I don't think it's right to take an unreliable LTF if you are a contact or have Covid symptoms.

@Gwenhwyfar
you're only using the LTFs to test 'just in case'?
I don't think it's right to take an unreliable LTF if you are a contact or have Covid symptoms.

Yes, we do pcr tests for 100% reliability but I also do routine LFTs when I have no symptoms and have had no contact to make sure I'm not an asymptomatic carrier. People are asked to do it 2 or 3 times a week. Some people do it daily depending on their job. It's not 100% accurate but 80% is pretty high, I think. So tomorrow we going out for a meal and I will do a test before going to the restaurant 'just in case'.Also it makes me happy that my mums carers are doing the test before visiting her.

In Canada they are currently sticking to the 6 months till you can get a booster, we were only able to get them today because we were 6 months as of yesterday and had AZ jabs previously.
If you’ve had other makes of vaccine then no booster unless you are in a vulnerable category or key worker, they are starting the over 60 age group from 4th Jan.
However I think if cases start to really go up they will change that and allow more people to get boosters, I’m pretty sure Canada has plenty of supply and the facilities to do so, I suppose we will have to see what happens in the next few weeks,

Italy. We have less than 50 cases at the moment and overall the Covid cases are low, although on the increase, so it hasn't really hit us.

Our very tight restrictions were introduced before Omicron was discovered, so nothing has changed although our state of emergency was today extended to March 2022.

Masks have been mandatory in all indoor places for nearly 2 years, a lot are still WFH full time (I've been doing it since Feb 2020) Covid passports to do anything, including go to work, take public transport etc. Unvaccinated people not allowed inside theatres restaurants and bars. Masks mandatory outdoors in some places, but I think they are thinking to make it everywhere, but in reality most still use them outdoors anyway.

Apart from the Unvaccinated who need to for a Covid passport, no one I know of does LFTs. They are not free, if you feel you need onem you go to a pharmacy and get a tested, results back in 15 minutes, or do a PCR.

74% of population fully vaccinated and 20% had booster. They are quite easy to get, I booked mine and got it the next day. They even do them in the supermarket car park!

Over 18s can get booster and over 5 year olds can have first and second dose.

In Australia it's now five months after the second vaccine, and yes, there is a drive. What is different here is that pharmacies as well as GPs can seek licence to administer vaccines, so this take the heat off GPs. Indeed, the group practice I went to for my first two vax is not offering any vax at all until February. By this time lots will have gone to the pharmacies.

@Mifacagare

Italy. We have less than 50 cases at the moment and overall the Covid cases are low, although on the increase, so it hasn't really hit us.

Our very tight restrictions were introduced before Omicron was discovered, so nothing has changed although our state of emergency was today extended to March 2022.

Masks have been mandatory in all indoor places for nearly 2 years, a lot are still WFH full time (I've been doing it since Feb 2020) Covid passports to do anything, including go to work, take public transport etc. Unvaccinated people not allowed inside theatres restaurants and bars. Masks mandatory outdoors in some places, but I think they are thinking to make it everywhere, but in reality most still use them outdoors anyway.

Apart from the Unvaccinated who need to for a Covid passport, no one I know of does LFTs. They are not free, if you feel you need onem you go to a pharmacy and get a tested, results back in 15 minutes, or do a PCR.

74% of population fully vaccinated and 20% had booster. They are quite easy to get, I booked mine and got it the next day. They even do them in the supermarket car park!

Over 18s can get booster and over 5 year olds can have first and second dose.

Forgot to add I've had all three vaccines since June, it's less than 6 months since my last Pfizer. The booster is Moderna

"t's not 100% accurate but 80% is pretty high, I think. "

Well, 20% wrong is quite high I'd say.

Masks mandatory outdoors in some places, but I think they are thinking to make it everywhere, but in reality most still use them outdoors anyway.

@Mifacagare do you mean that they are thinking of making masks compulsory every time you go outside? That seems quite oppressive to me.

Also Italy and popped my LFT cherry last Friday as a student of mine tested positive. It's the first case in our school since September. It's all very centralised and organized (and yes, that surprises me too)
Heard on Thursday afternoon the student was positive and in the evening the 5 teachers she'd seen were sent an email by the regional health authority telling us we needed to do a test. At the same time our Covid passes were updated and a notification received that there was a "restriction" placed on us. The test was done at the local pharmacy (you can't do your own) and was free (they aren't free for everyone but they are for certain categories like teachers) I had the test at 11.04 (my results say) and at 11.14 my pass was updated with those results. At 11.14 on Sunday it was updated again telling me the negative test result has expired. Sunday afternoon we were contacted to say we had to do a PCR at the local health authority office. Did that yesterday morning. That result was added to the pass this morning. The kids are also all PCR negative and can come back to school tomorrow except for the 3 who aren't double vaccinated who have to do extra days at home. We have 23 non vaccinated kids out of 998 (or did in September, I imagine some others will have had the vaccine by now)

As pp said, we've never stopped wearing masks and are used to it. I'm 56 and had my booster 2 weeks ago at a session organised for all the teachers I work with. Dp had his last Saturday at our GP. DD is 18 and had her second jab at the beginning of September and will hopefully get a booster around February.

Positivity rates are up to 4% now which is concerning as it was less than 1% three weeks ago. The govt is concerned but not panicked. I think there'll be localised extra restrictions. In my town they've introduced outdoor mask wearing in the evenings of Friday, Saturday and Sunday when big crowds gather at all the nightlife spots. The school has its Christmas ball next Wednesday in a local nightclub and it will be Covid pass entry only.

@zen1

Masks mandatory outdoors in some places, but I think they are thinking to make it everywhere, but in reality most still use them outdoors anyway.

@Mifacagare do you mean that they are thinking of making masks compulsory every time you go outside? That seems quite oppressive to me.

Yes, but they were mandatory outdoors from around Feb 2020 until earlier this year. There were checks and heavy fines for anyone outside without one, which there rarely were. The majority are pro mask outdoors too

Different situations in different parts of Australia but basically mixed messages between easing restrictions for Christmas and getting boosters asap.

South Africa. The age 12 to 18 are having 2nd doses, and everyone else is having a third dose (not called a booster) after 6 months.

We have to wear masks all the time. It's a legal requirement. No-one will will allowed entry into any shop, restaurants, infscyx anywhere without wearing one.

We don't do lft testing. Just pcr if have symptoms or for travel purposes.

We haven't had any further restrictions put in place yet, the positivity rate was 34.9% today.

We have come off the red list along with the other African countries today though.

I’m in Eastern Europe. About 6-8 weeks ago we had one of the highest death rates in Europe and around 20,000 cases a day. They introduced compulsory mask wearing everywhere, you have to show your vaccination certificate to access shops, malls, bars, cafes and restaurants. Bars and restaurants had to close at 2100 and only allowed to operate at 50% capacity.

Massive vaccine drive, but still less that 50% vaccinated. Unvaccinated only allowed to access pharmacies and supermarkets, not allowed in restaurants or non-essential shops. Unvaccinated also curfewed from 2000 to 0500. Cases now down to around 1,000 a day, deaths in double figures. Now cautiously relaxing things.

The difference here from U.K. is that mask wearing is enforced. If you are exempt, you need to show a doctor’s letter.

@zen1

Masks mandatory outdoors in some places, but I think they are thinking to make it everywhere, but in reality most still use them outdoors anyway.

@Mifacagare do you mean that they are thinking of making masks compulsory every time you go outside? That seems quite oppressive to me.

In Spain masks were compulsory everywhere, indoors and out until a few months ago, now it's only indoors but lots of people still wear them outdoors

Well, 20% wrong is quite high I'd say.

You could look at it like that but I think it's better that it's picking up 80% of the asymptomatic people who use them. Better than not taking them and so never picking up any asymptomatic people who are spreading it around. And according to the BBC, scientists have said it picks up 90% of people with higher viral loads.

I’m Asia, zero covid here but even so everyone will be encouraged to get boosters as of January. Masks have been compulsory throughout indoors and outdoors and we have a super strict testing and quarantine regime. Many elderly people haven’t even had first dose because no incentive to risk it (no covid here). Much higher uptake in the under 60s including over 12s. No exit strategy from zero covid on the horizon.

@Longwayfromhome21. Thanks for that we don't hear a lot from those in Asia. Its great that you've avoided deaths, but what will happen when you open up again? You say there's no exit strategy but is there any gossip about it? Is the feeling they'll sit it out with the borders closed til it's gone completely? Or do they think the vaccine will be sufficient? It'll be very interesting to see how those Asian countries, which have done so well, move forward over the next year.

I’m in Portugal. Our vaccination rate is very high, around 90% double jabbed I think. We’re having an increase in cases and some measures that were dropped in October have been reintroduced, though it hasn’t really changed as no-one stopped wearing masks in the autumn anyway. People tend to quietly get on and follow rules here, hence high vaccine uptake and no protests to speak of. Boosters are proceeding as originally planned at the moment.

It'll be very interesting to see how those Asian countries, which have done so well, move forward over the next year

You can't really lump Asia together as, for example, Singapore's strategy is totally different to China's (and Hong Kong's is basically now part and parcel of China's). Singapore is in a bid to become Asia's world city now that HK has given that up. Every country determines its own strategy.

You say there's no exit strategy but is there any gossip about it? Is the feeling they'll sit it out with the borders closed til it's gone completely?

I think they know it wont ever be "gone completely". They may be hoping that it'll mutate into a more benign version or that therapeutics will improve sufficiently. However, more importantly, China (and by default HK) won't even consider relaxing the borders until after the Winter Olympics because that has to be seen as a huge success. Also, China's got a problem in that its domestic vaccines aren't that great and outside major cities, hospitals are not very well equipped (for example if you compare rural and urban neonatal deaths the difference is massive and largely explained by medical care). If they let Covid run amok they'd have big problems in terms of deaths. Also, there are major political factors (20th party congress in November) which mean that it doesn't necessarily work for China to open up in 2022. Some commentators argue (reasonably credibly) that China will never be as open as it was pre-covid, for political reasons. Basically, it's complicated but I don't think many people are expecting much of a relaxation in 2022 other than possibly the opening of the border between HK and Mainland China.

@Insert1x20p. This is so interesting, thank you. Its so difficult to know what happening in the eorld from our press, thar it's so informative yo hear ftom peoole who live in these countries or who have information about them.
I understand that the different countries,eill gave different strategies and I can see how some countries like China can keep closed down, but these smaller countries will surely start to feel serious economic pressures if they keep closed too long. Can they really afford to just hunker down until a mild enough strain comes along? The thought that countries could stay closed til 2023, blows my mind but then in February 2020 if someone had said we'd be entering 2022 with restrictions, I'd have laughed in their face.
It really is a strange world at the moment.

Japan. The government has almost totally shut the borders and seems determined to have a New Zealand moment over Omicron.

Numbers and deaths remain really low for the moment. So everything is really quite normal apart from the lack of international travel. But I am skeptical that Omicron can be kept out.

Boosters are apparently coming but seems so slow. We were slow to do the original two vaccines though.

Canada—Ontario. Vaccines for 5-12 yo opened up just before omicron. Boosters for over 50s opened this week, Jan 4 for over 18s. Although there are rumours this may be brought forward imminently. Apparently cases are doubling every three days. Also rumours that teachers are being told to take everything home to be prepared for online teaching in Jan, although the official line is no plans to close schools.

Where I live pcr tests have been restricted to weekdays only, office hours. Book in advance and you often have to wait 24-48 hours to even get in for a test. It’s a real pain for school attendance and presumably they will have to up their game soon. All children in the province are being sent home with five LFTs this week (they have not been available before, at least in my area). The advice is to use them every 2-3 days over the holiday, although surely it would be more to the point to use them every Monday morning before school.