Archiv: (endless) state of emergency / curfews / mass house arrests / lockdowns (quarantines) / zones / production ban / art ban / sports ban / assembly ban / etc


26.01.2021 - 10:51 [ iamexpat.nl ]

Anti-coronavirus protests and riots across the Netherlands

The national curfew came into effect at 9pm on January 23. The first night saw the police issue over 3.600 95-euro fines for violations of the curfew. 25 people were arrested. However, the police did note that, of the people who were stopped and checked during curfew hours, 80 percent carried the necessary government forms.

On Monday, the Dutch Security Council – made up of the 25 mayors who chair security regions – will meet in Utrecht in order to discuss how the curfew will be enforced over the coming weeks.

26.01.2021 - 10:42 [ DutchNews.nl ]

Rutte calls anti-curfew violence ‘unacceptable’ but rules out calling in army

The prime minister expressed his support for police, municipal mayors and journalists who were targeted while reporting on the weekend’s violence. He said police had responded ‘adequately’ to the situation and dismissed the idea of calling in the army to enforce the curfew. We’re not taking these measures for fun,’ Rutte said. ‘We’re doing it because we’re fighting the virus and right now it’s the virus that’s taking away our freedom, and it’s because of the virus that we’re taking these rotten measures.’

26.01.2021 - 10:39 [ DutchNews.nl ]

Riot police called out across the Netherlands as trouble flares for third night

Police in Noord-Holland province said they had arrested five people who had called online for riots in Purmerend, Hoorn and Alkmaar. In Amsterdam, there were at least nine arrests after trouble erupted in the east of the city. In Gouda, the mayor also evoked his emergency powers after several cars were set on fire. There were also arrests in Geelen, in Limburg, including several minors, police said.

25.01.2021 - 07:08 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Tory MPs revolt over plans to keep children off school until after Easter amid warnings Covid crackdowns are creating a ‘lost generation’

The group includes the former Cabinet minister Esther McVey and Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, according to the Telegraph

And Mr Williams faced yet more opposition from Conservative colleagues last night, in the form of Education Select Committee Chairman Robert Halfon.

The former Minister of State for Skills revealed he had asked for an Urgent Question in the House of Commons in which he would demand to know the route-map for getting children back to school.

25.01.2021 - 06:55 [ UsForThem.co.uk ]

#ReopenSchools

MISSION

We are a community of tens of thousands of parents across the U.K. campaigning to #ReopenSchools.

UsforThem is calling on the Government to reopen schools immediately or at the very least to publish the work it has done to show that the schools shutdown is proportionate and takes account of the huge amount of harm we know we are causing to our children both today and in the future.

25.01.2021 - 06:44 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Vaccine passports supported by majority of public despite ‚dystopian‘ consequences

(24.01.2021)

Two polls conducted in April found that between 51 and 70 per cent of people were likely to support these passports.

24.01.2021 - 23:55 [ YouGov.com ]

Americans now see other Americans as the biggest threat to their way of life

A new CBS News/YouGov poll shows that most Americans (54%) now think that the biggest threat to their way of life comes from domestic enemies.

There is bipartisan agreement that the nation’s way of life is most threatened by individuals who are already in America, with 53% of Democrats, 56% of Republicans, and 57% of Independents each choosing that as the most significant risk. One in five Americans (20%) believe economic forces present a greater challenge, while slightly fewer (17%) chose natural disasters or viruses as a key concern.

About one in 12 Americans (8%) think foreign countries are the most looming threat, with Republicans being more likely than Democrats (4%) to say this.

24.01.2021 - 19:19 [ Glenn Greenwald ]

The New Domestic War on Terror is Coming

No speculation is needed. Those who wield power are demanding it. The only question is how much opposition they will encounter.

24.01.2021 - 18:53 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Germans who keep refusing to quarantine could be put in detention centres under new Covid rules

(17.01.2021)

Germans who repeatedly refuse to enter quarantine after being exposed to coronavirus will be held in detention centres under new rules drawn up by regional authorities.

Legal experts say the detention centres are permitted by emergency powers granted to German authorities during a pandemic.

24.01.2021 - 16:45 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Police fine 78 revellers £200 each at illegal rave in London – while officers in Birmingham shut down huge student party, 30th birthday bash and poker night – issuing £16,000 in penalties

– Met officers broke up rave under railway arch, Hackney, in early hours of Sunday
– Bodycam shows loud music being played and a crowd of people in a small space
– It comes after Birmingham police officers issued £16k of fines after breaking up birthday party, an event inside a shop and poker night in the city on Friday night

24.01.2021 - 15:46 [ NLtimes.nl ]

Empty roads during curfew; meanwhile riots escalate in Urk

Reportedly, the youngsters took to the streets, played loud music, and drank alcohol. At least a hundred young people had gathered in the center around 9 p.m. From there, they marched through the streets chanting “dictatorship.” They were addressed by someone with a megaphone who said, “today is the first day that we let you know that we are done.” The protestors also lit fireworks with which they attacked the police.

The police struggled to bring the situation on the control and had to call in the riot control unit. What followed was a game of ‘cat and mouse’, in which the police with long batons ran through the streets and groups of protestors repeatedly managed to escape via side streets.

24.01.2021 - 15:19 [ DutchNews.nl ]

Riot police called to Urk, youngsters protest in Limburg as curfew comes into force

The first curfew in the Netherlands since the occupation during World War II began smoothly in most part of the country but riot police were drafted in to restore order on the staunchly Protestant former island of Urk after youths went on the rampage.

24.01.2021 - 15:13 [ iamexpat.nl ]

Curfew effective in the Netherlands from Saturday, January 23

Why does the Netherlands need a curfew?

The weekly report from the National Institute for Public Health and Environment (RIVM) suggested that the number of coronavirus infections in the Netherlands was dropping, as they observed that the effects of the national lockdown announced on December 14 could finally be seen. However …

23.01.2021 - 20:07 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Do people want to be free? Or do they prefer security at any price?

The present emergency has raised a question that we thought was answered: do people value safety more than freedom? The great political argument of the twentieth century between a totalitarianism that promised lifelong protection, and open democracy which took the riskier path of liberty seemed to have been settled when communism collapsed and its Western acolytes, for the most part, gave up the fight. Or at least re-framed their position in a way that could accommodate the winning side.

23.01.2021 - 19:49 [ CNN ]

Unlocking the World: What ‚vaccine passports‘ mean for your summer vacation

This week, Zurab Pololikashvili, the secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, called for the global adoption of vaccination passports as part of wider measures he said were essential to get the world in motion once again.
„The rollout of vaccines is a step in the right direction, but the restart of tourism cannot wait,“ he told a meeting of the UNWTO’s Global Tourism Crisis Committee in Madrid. „Vaccines must be part of a wider, coordinated approach that includes certificates and passes for safe cross-border travel.“

23.01.2021 - 19:33 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

London is burning in lockdown – and if it falls, so will the rest of the UK

London is burning. There are no flames but, make no mistake, it is burning. Instead of fighting the fire, the government and its ineffectual mayor are pouring fuel on it.

23.01.2021 - 11:00 [ Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety / Twitter ]

. @EU_Commission and Member States expressed deep dissatisfaction with this. We insisted on a precise delivery schedule on the basis of which Member States should be planning their vaccination programs, subject to the granting of a contitional marketing authorisation. /2

The @EU_Commission will continue to insist with @AstraZeneca on measures to increase predictability and stability of deliveries, and acceleration of the distribution of doses/3.

23.01.2021 - 10:39 [ Sky.com ]

COVID-19: AstraZeneca to ‚cut COVID-19 vaccine delivery to EU by 60%‘

The company was expected to deliver around 80 million doses to the 27 EU countries by the end of March, an EU official told the agency.

However, it now expects that to be cut to 31 million doses due to „production problems“ at a vaccine factory in Belgium run by its partner Novasep.

23.01.2021 - 10:05 [ New York Times ]

Pfizer Will Ship Fewer Vaccine Vials to Account for ‘Extra’ Doses

After the surprise discovery of an extra dose in every vial, Pfizer executives successfully lobbied the F.D.A. to change the vaccine’s formal authorization language. The company charges by the dose.

23.01.2021 - 09:05 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Revealed: SAGE warning that says scientists are only 50% sure Kent strain is more deadly in evidence that was handed to ministers just hours before ’scaremongering‘ press conference

A SAGE warning revealing that scientists are only 50% sure the Kent strain of coronavirus could be more deadly was handed to ministers just hours before last night’s ’scare-mongering‘ press conference, it has been revealed.

Ministers were only informed about the development yesterday morning after scientists on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), a subcommittee of Sage, discussed the issue on Thursday.

22.01.2021 - 20:42 [ Spectator.co.uk ]

The way ‘Covid deaths’ are being counted is a national scandal

(May 30, 2020)

Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.

22.01.2021 - 20:30 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Boris Johnson, Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance make shock claim the Kent mutant coronavirus MIGHT be 30-40% more deadly but provide no evidence at all – as Covid cases fall AGAIN by 30% to 40,261 and R number drops below 1

Boris Johnson and his top scientific advisers tonight sensationally claimed the Kent coronavirus variant could be up to 40 per cent deadlier – but sparked fury by not providing the public any evidence for their doom-mongering.

Critics argued No10’s bold claim – based on findings by three academic groups – were reminiscent of ‚Project Fear‘, accusing ministers of managing to find a ’new twist‘ in Britain’s crisis whenever hopes are raised that lockdown could be eased.

22.01.2021 - 20:20 [ aa.com.tr ]

EU postpones issuing ‘vaccination passports’

The EU decided Thursday to postpone the issuing of vaccination certificates to people immunized against COVID-19 and opted to strongly deter all unnecessary travel within the bloc and with third countries to curb the spread of the virus.

Leaders of the EU met via videoconference to discuss the novel coronavirus pandemic and vaccination efforts in member states.

22.01.2021 - 18:52 [ Weltgesundheitsorganisation - WHO.int ]

Berlin, Jan 17th, 2020: Diagnostic detection of 2019-nCoV by real-time RT-PCR

All oligonucleotides were synthesised and provided by Tib-Molbiol, Berlin. Thermal cycling was performed at 55°C for 10 min for reverse transcription, followed by 95°C for 3 min and then 45 cycles of 95°C for 15 s, 58°C for 30 s.

22.01.2021 - 18:38 [ New York Times ]

Your Coronavirus Test Is Positive. Maybe It Shouldn’t Be.

(29.08.2020)

Most tests set the limit at 40, a few at 37. This means that you are positive for the coronavirus if the test process required up to 40 cycles, or 37, to detect the virus.

Tests with thresholds so high may detect not just live virus but also genetic fragments, leftovers from infection that pose no particular risk — akin to finding a hair in a room long after a person has left, Dr. Mina said.

Any test with a cycle threshold above 35 is too sensitive, agreed Juliet Morrison, a virologist at the University of California, Riverside. “I’m shocked that people would think that 40 could represent a positive,” she said.

21.01.2021 - 18:23 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Travel latest news: Vaccine passports for travellers ‘unavoidable’

Vaccine passports for holidaymakers will soon be ‘unavoidable’ as more countries make Covid immunity a condition of entry, a leading travel health expert has claimed.

Dr Richard Dawood, a specialist in travel medicine at the Fleet Street Clinic in London, also suggested that tight border controls will remain in place while countries feel ‘insecure’ about the risks posed by the virus.

21.01.2021 - 18:06 [ SimpleFlying.com ]

European Commission Working On Standard COVID Passports

(20.01.2021)

The European Commission is exploring proposals to introduce vaccine passports, a move that will facilitate greater travel across borders within the EU. Member states will discuss the idea at a summit this week, with many already signaling their approval for a passport-style document.

21.01.2021 - 18:05 [ Euronews.com ]

European leaders to discuss vaccination speed and immunity passports

Amid rising infections and new strains of COVID-19, EU leaders will meet on Thursday (January 21) to discuss how best to tackle the pandemic. It comes amid continued criticism that the vaccination drive has been too sluggish.

20.01.2021 - 12:15 [ BioProcessintl.com ]

AstraZeneca: ‘Manufacturing should take lion’s share of credit for vaccine success’

Back in March, Oxford University had “a limited manufacturing and supply capacity so they needed a partner,” Srinivasan said. “We decided to immediately offer our capacity in terms of the global reach. But that was only the beginning. Then we had to establish various alliances whether public partnerships that have been governments, or with for profit organizations or CMOs [some of which can be found here, here, and here], or not for profit organizations such as The Gates Alliance, GAVI, CEPI, and other organizations.”

20.01.2021 - 11:10 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Slow vaccine rollout could make lockdown last PAST Easter as Priti Patel blames AstraZeneca and Pfizer for causing ’supply issues‘ by ‚upgrading their factories‘ – even though ’21m doses are already in UK‘ and Scotland is ’sitting on 400k‘

Priti Patel today blamed AstraZeneca and Pfizer for an alarming slowdown in the UK’s vaccine rollout – amid warnings the target of giving jabs to the 14million most vulnerable people by mid-February is now ‚very tight‘.

The Home Secretary pointed the finger at the firms after the daily rate fell for a third consecutive day, saying ‚upgrades‘ at factories and ‚reconfiguring‘ of supply chains were causing delays.

19.01.2021 - 21:50 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Pressure grows on Boris Johnson to agree plan to start easing lockdown restrictions by March 8

„We locked down the country and shut down our schools on the basis of a forecast, so why can’t we open it up on the basis of one too? It is not sustainable to leave the public and British businesses languishing any longer,“ Mr Baker told The Telegraph.

19.01.2021 - 18:47 [ Prem Sikka / Twitter ]

To rebuild the economy, UK govt has set-up a Build Back Better Council. It is full of grandees from companies not paying the minimum wage, dodging taxes, engaged in illicit financial flows and anti-worker practices. No union reps. What could go wrong?

19.01.2021 - 17:52 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

388 people aged under 60 with ‚NO underlying health conditions‘ have died of Covid in England’s hospitals

(27.12.2020)

Just 388 people aged under 60 with no underlying health conditions have died of Covid-19 in England’s hospitals since the start of the pandemic, NHS data has showed.

The figures show that 1,979 previously healthy people died in hospitals in England after testing positive for Covid-19 between April 2 and December 23.

19.01.2021 - 17:36 [ DerbyShireTimes.co.uk ]

Derbyshire health chiefs warn that vaccines alone will not mean an end to restrictions

“We don’t know yet whether an individual can, although not becoming ill from the virus because they have been vaccinated, still catch it and spread it on to others.

19.01.2021 - 17:24 [ Standard.co.uk ]

Vaccinated Brits told not to hug kids amid fears millions will ignore Covid rules once they have jab

Asked whether people who had received the jab could hug their children, Janet Lord, director of Birmingham University’s Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, said: “I would certainly advise not to do that at the moment because as you probably know with the vaccines they take several weeks before they are maximally effective.“

18.01.2021 - 12:57 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Lockdown is set to be ‚gradually lifted‘ from March when all over-70s are vaccinated: Five million more will be offered jab from TODAY as minister guarantees second doses within 12 weeks – amid warnings areas face postcode lottery for access

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi was bullish about the longer date in a round of interviews this morning – and he also struck an optimistic tone about the prospects of easing lockdown from early March.

He said the restrictions could be taken away ‚gradually‘ from ‚two to three weeks after the middle of February, after we’ve protected the top four cohorts‘.

Mr Zahawi also insisted that second doses of vaccines will be given within 12 weeks of the first – after Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab refused to confirm yesterday that would be the case.

18.01.2021 - 12:56 [ Express.co.uk ]

Boris on the brink as Tories turn on PM over lockdown end date – rebellion ready to erupt

Last week Steve Baker, the deputy chair of the Tory backbench Covid Recovery Group (CRG), wrote to MPs calling on them to write to the Government chief whip and make clear an exit strategy was needed.

He told them „inevitably the Prime Minister’s leadership will be on the table“ unless Mr Johnson outlined the return to freedom.

17.01.2021 - 19:52 [ Newsweek ]

COVID Lockdowns May Have No Clear Benefit vs Other Voluntary Measures, International Study Shows

(14.01.2021)

The peer reviewed study was published in the European Journal of Clinical Investigation on January 5, and analyzed coronavirus case growth in 10 countries in early 2020.

The study compared cases in England, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and the U.S. – all countries that implemented mandatory lockdown orders and business closures – to South Korea and Sweden, which instituted less severe, voluntary responses. It aimed to analyze the effect that less restrictive or more restrictive measures had on changing individual behavior and curbing the transmission of the virus.

17.01.2021 - 18:45 [ Robin Monotti / Twitter ]

BOLOGNA, ITALY: Customers escort police out of the #IoApro restaurant under the cries of „Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!“

(16.01.2021)

17.01.2021 - 18:36 [ Robin Monotti / Twitter ]

A very angry Italian opposition MP (@VittorioSgarbi ) backs the #IoApro (#IOpen) movement & calls for an insurrection against government restrictions on businesses, he says „Open up, & don’t worry, in the end we will make them eat their fines“.

(14.01.2021)

The revolution starts tomorrow.

17.01.2021 - 18:08 [ Dr Naomi Wolf / Twitter ]

Part 2 of my 3 part series on how NHS does not manage, own, present its own COVID data, but for-profits such as Amazon, Palantir, Transunion, Boots, Microsoft, Google and G4S do. So they can say anything, profit from ‘lockdown’ .

(…)

17.01.2021 - 17:45 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Labour surges to a four point lead over Boris Johnson and the Conservatives – Sir Keir Starmer’s biggest polling margin since the 2019 general election

A new Opinium survey puts Labour on 41 per cent and the Conservatives on 37 per cent, providing a significant boost to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.

The poll suggests the Tories are suffering because some 22 per cent of 2019 Conservative voters now say they are undecided about who to vote for.

17.01.2021 - 17:35 [ John Crace / theGuardian.com ]

In these grim times we all need a saviour and right now it is Chris Whitty

(11.01.2021)

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. In these exceptionally grim times we’re all – Boris Johnson included – looking for a saviour to rise from these streets. And right now that salvation appears to be the England’s chief medical officer, Chris Whitty. Just about the only person left whom anyone can trust to tell the country the naked truth about coronavirus.

17.01.2021 - 17:25 [ Spectator.co.uk ]

The way ‘Covid deaths’ are being counted is a national scandal

(30.05.2020)

Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.

17.01.2021 - 17:15 [ Neil O'Brien / theGuardian.com ]

I’d love to ignore ‘Covid sceptics’ and their tall tales. But they make a splash and have no shame

They rubbished those who knew what they were talking about. Professors Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance were “Messrs Doom and Gloom”, “fear-mongering” and “self-serving”. That Whitty and Jonathan Van-Tam used their tiny amount of spare time to volunteer in hospitals suggests that’s not true. Now, as the death toll still rises, the same people crawl from the woodwork to demand we lift all restrictions as soon as the most vulnerable are vaccinated.

17.01.2021 - 17:03 [ BMJ.com ]

Covid-19: the problems with case counting

(03 September 2020)

At the moment it seems that a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive result is the only criterion required for a case to be recognised.

“In any other disease we would have a clearly defined specification that would usually involve signs, symptoms, and a test result,” says Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford and the editor of BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. “We are moving into a biotech world where the norms of clinical reasoning are going out of the window. A PCR test does not equal covid-19; it should not, but in some definitions it does.”

17.01.2021 - 15:56 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Travellers rush in to the UK to beat Covid crackdown beginning at 4am tomorrow with quarantine hotels and facial-recognition technology under consideration to ensure new arrivals are properly isolating

Officials have been told to prepare to use facial-recognition and GPS technology in order to ensure people stay in isolation when they arrive in the country.

Passengers are being asked to complete online passenger locator forms to tell officials where they are staying after arriving in the UK.

But MPs have heard just one in 10 of the forms are checked by Border Force, while police officers told to visit addresses for potential breaches of quarantine simply walk away if no one answers – with no follow up investigation.

17.01.2021 - 11:27 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Tory rebels demand Boris Johnson publish a ‚clear road map‘ to begin easing the national lockdown from March 8 and warn there ‚cannot be any more excuses‘

– Tory MPs have urged Boris Johnson to publish draft lockdown exit plan this week
– They said that the gradual easing of draconian curbs must start from March 8
– The Covid Recovery Group warned the PM ‚there cannot be any more excuses‘

16.01.2021 - 18:27 [ #BlackLivesMatterUK / Twitter ]

Baaaaate TSG vans outside Downing Street right now. Cops detaining and dispersing. Be careful if you’re in the area

16.01.2021 - 18:22 [ Subject Access / Youtube ]

Protest against Police Brutality – Parliament Square | London

(video)

16.01.2021 - 18:14 [ birminghammail.co.uk ]

Live updates: Arrests as huge police presence in Birmingham city centre ahead of planned demonstration

Police made three arrests before 1.30pm – with all three suspected to have planned to attend.

Officers were speaking to everyone in the area to check they have a valid reason for being in the city centre.

15.01.2021 - 06:01 [ Thorne Geary / Twitter ]

Thousands of restaurant owners in Italy are preparing to open the doors on Friday by initiating a civil disobedience movement against Covid-19 measures. The movement grows under #ioapro (I am opening) hashtag on social media!

14.01.2021 - 18:29 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

More proof Britain could be beating Covid: PHE figures reveal cases were falling in EVERY age group except over 80s last week and infections dropped in all but three English regions – as Boris drops plans to tighten lockdown this weekend

– Ministers have been considering tightening lockdown amid fears over surge caused by mutant Covid strain
– Boris Johnson refused to rule out changes yesterday but hailed early signs the outbreak is flattening off

14.01.2021 - 12:17 [ Stanford University / Wiley Online Library ]

ASSESSING MANDATORY STAY-AT-HOME AND BUSINESS CLOSURE EFFECTS ON THE SPREAD OF COVID-19

(released 05.01.2021)

Conclusions: While small benefits cannot be excluded, we do not find significant benefits on case growth of more restrictive NPIs. Similar reductions in case growth may be achievable with less restrictive interventions.

14.01.2021 - 12:06 [ Zero Hedge ]

Lockdowns Do Not Control The Coronavirus: The Evidence

(21.12.2020)

Much of the following list has been put together by data engineer Ivor Cummins, who has waged a year-long educational effort to upend intellectual support for lockdowns. AIER has added its own and the summaries. The upshot is that the virus is going to do as viruses do, same as always in the history of infectious disease. We have extremely limited control over them, and that which we do have is bound up with time and place. Fear, panic, and coercion are not ideal strategies for managing viruses. Intelligence and medical therapeutics fare much better.

(These studies are focused only on lockdown and their relationship to virus control. They do not get into the myriad associated issues that have vexed the world such as mask mandates, PCR-testing issues, death misclassification problem, or any particular issues associated with travel restrictions, restaurant closures, and hundreds of other particulars about which whole libraries will be written in the future.)

14.01.2021 - 10:00 [ Neil Clark / Twitter ]

Health Secretary Hancock says he can give no timetable for the lifting of lockdown restrictions even after vaccinations. As I have said on numerous occasions, this only ends when people realise it’s not meant to end.

14.01.2021 - 09:52 [ .LancashireTelegraph.co.uk ]

Those who have received Covid jab to be offered ‚vaccine passport‘ in new trial

The news comes depsite the Vaccines Minister, Nadhim Zahawi, ruling out immunity passports back in December, a week after suggesting it was something ministers were considering, saying: “We are not looking at immunity passports at all.”

Matt Hancock also denied plans to implement passporting last week, telling the Spectator: „It’s not an area that we’re looking at.“

14.01.2021 - 09:30 [ Public Health England / Twitter ]

Even if you’ve had your #COVID19 vaccine, it’s important that you continue to follow national restrictions. We don’t yet know if the vaccine prevents transmission – you could potentially still carry and transmit the virus to other vulnerable people, even if you are protected

14.01.2021 - 09:06 [ Spiked ]

The government is terrorising the public

The politics of fear is being used to justify another authoritarian lockdown.

14.01.2021 - 08:56 [ Spectator.co.uk ]

The way ‘Covid deaths’ are being counted is a national scandal

(30.05.2020)

Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.

14.01.2021 - 08:54 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Government’s chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance warns UK is in for ‚a pretty grim period‘ for Covid deaths which won’t reduce ‚for some weeks‘ even if lockdown measures bring infections down – as Britain sees daily record of 1,564 fatalities

Department of Health figures show the daily laboratory-confirmed death toll has risen 50 per cent week-on-week, with data suggesting the total number of coronavirus victims — both suspected and confirmed — has now passed the 100,000 mark.

13.01.2021 - 18:30 [ Nature.com ]

UK science advisers: publish evidence behind COVID vaccine changes

Pfizer–BioNTech say they do not have evidence of what happens to immunity beyond 21 days after the first dose.

(…)

The JCVI adds that: “Protective immunity from the first dose likely lasts for a duration of 12 weeks.” But it has not published evidence to support this.

13.01.2021 - 18:12 [ voanews.com ]

US Changes Vaccine Strategy, WHO Says Herd Immunity Will Not Be Achieved in 2021

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization is warning that mass vaccinations against the novel coronavirus will not produce herd immunity this year.

WHO chief scientist Dr. Soumya Swaminathan told reporters Monday that it takes time to produce and administer enough doses of a vaccine to finally stop the spread of COVID-19. Swaminathan stressed the need for countries to continue observing mitigation efforts such as mask-wearing, social distancing and hand-washing.

13.01.2021 - 17:57 [ theGuardian.com ]

How well does the Oxford vaccine work? What we know so far

(30.12.2020)

And while there are some early signs the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine might not only prevent people becoming seriously ill with Covid but also prevent asymptomatic infections, more data is needed to confirm such protection.

13.01.2021 - 17:19 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Thousands of Britons who have received their Covid jab ‚will be offered a vaccine passport‘ in trial taking place this month – as EU considers plan to bring them in for travel across Europe

– Thousands of Britons will be offered vaccine passes in trial starting this month
– Passport will be issued as a free app which show if people have had Covid jab
– Government agency Innovate UK has pumped £75,000 into project so far
– Vaccines tsar Nadhim Zahawi has flip-flopped over controversial policy

13.01.2021 - 17:11 [ Neeltje van Doremalen / Twitter ]

The data supports the investigation of intranasal delivery of COVID-19 vaccines. With the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, it will be crucial to investigate whether the vaccines provide sterilizing immunity…

13.01.2021 - 17:09 [ Vox.com ]

Once you and your friends are vaccinated, can you quit social distancing?

How long it takes for various countries to reach herd immunity will depend in part on how fast they can access vaccines and what share of their populations are willing to get the shot. But as mentioned above, there’s another crucial factor.

“It’s really going to come down to what we learn over the next few months about how well the vaccine prevents infection and transmission,” Murray said, adding that she doesn’t expect we’ll have an answer to that until March at the earliest.

13.01.2021 - 10:11 [ Times of Israel ]

Liberman: US Capitol storming ‘nothing’ compared to what Netanyahu planning if he loses

(09.01.2021)

Yisrael Beytenu chief Avigdor Liberman says the storming of the US Capitol by Trump supporters is “nothing” compared to what he claims Prime Minister Netanyahu is planning if the premier feels he’s lost the elections.

13.01.2021 - 10:00 [ Jerusalem Post ]

Netanyahu trial postponed by coronavirus lockdown

(09.01.2021)

The order could potentially postpone the calling of witnesses to right before Election Day, or right after.

The order came less than 48 hours after the same court rejected Netanyahu’s request for postponing his January 13 hearing next week.

11.01.2021 - 20:08 [ Dr Naomi Wolf / Twitter ]

Chart from @nytimes is based on absolute complete b-it. @COVID19Tracking uses unnamed „volunteers‘ to upload data, built by a magazine owned by @Bloomberg , and uses data from a hedge fund information service. 100% corrupted, a way to legally insider trade.

11.01.2021 - 19:50 [ Neil Clark / Twitter ]

Lockdowns only end when we realise they are not meant to end.

11.01.2021 - 19:44 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

People with common colds testing positive for Covid-19 may simply be asymptomatic cases, experts reveal

Trademark symptoms of seasonal flu could be mistaken for symptoms of Covid-19 if the individual tests positive for the virus, it is claimed.

More than eight in ten people who test positive for coronavirus show none of the main symptoms at the time they are tested, a major study by UCL previously revealed.

However, those who test positive when they have cold symptoms may mistake them as being a part of the virus – adding to fears that it is taking a new guise as fresh strains emerge.

11.01.2021 - 09:13 [ Abir Ballan, Master in Public Health| Psychology / Twitter ]

They used a tactical warfare strategy against us. ‚Divide and conquer‘. We fell for it. Now we must become aware of it and fight back. We must reunite. We must find true solidarity to save our world. To free ourselves. To regain our autonomy.

Understand the strategy of your opponent and think of your next move.

We, the people, are the only ones who know what is for our greater good. The people on top who are pulling the strings don’t know what is good for us and don’t care about what is good for us. They only care about their self-interests and what is good for them.

11.01.2021 - 08:14 [ DailyMal.co.uk ]

No 10 considers a tougher lockdown ‚with curfews, exercise limits, compulsory masks outside, no support bubbles and nurseries shut‘ if Covid cases keep rising‘ – amid suggestion ‚people may only be allowed to leave home ONCE a week‘

– The Cabinet Office refused to deny that the draconian new laws were incoming after UK’s streets were busy
– They instead pointed to Matt Hancock’s vague statement on rules earlier today: ‚Follow the rules we’ve got‘
– Hancock refused to speculate when asked if harsher measures coming, such as curfews and closing nurseries
– Whitehall source said potential changes included introducing ban on people leaving their homes more than once a week

11.01.2021 - 07:55 [ Dr Naomi Wolf / Twitter ]

Oh. My. God. Huge new restrictions in Sweden. It’s looking a lot like a global coup based on/predicated upon medical fascism.

10.01.2021 - 15:33 [ theGuardian.com ]

NHS could vaccinate UK against Covid in five days, says Oxford professor

Sir John Bell, regius chair of medicine at the University of Oxford, said stubborn NHS bureaucrats were standing in the way of a high-speed mass inoculation programme that could prevent many further deaths.

“The NHS has the theoretical capacity to immunise everybody in five days if they want to, but I don’t get the sense they are really motivated,” Bell told the Times.

10.01.2021 - 15:27 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

No10 is examining plans to keep bars closed for FIVE MONTHS with full lockdown until late March as Covid death toll passes 80,000

Prof Whitty commended the public for their efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19 and noted the hope offered by various vaccines, but he echoed other experts in saying it would be some weeks before the jabs start to reduce the number of people taken to hospital.

10.01.2021 - 14:52 [ Ezra Levant / Twitter ]

MARTIAL LAW: The province of Quebec, Canada is now under police rule. Every night from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. no-one is allowed onto the streets. Police cars are driving through neighborhoods, sirens blaring, scanning for dissidents to arrest. $6,000 fines – enough to destroy families.

(today)

Another police car, siren blaring, driving through residential neighborhoods with the sole purpose of terrifying the public into submission. A far greater infringement of civil liberties than the FLQ crisis 50 year ago.

10.01.2021 - 14:42 [ Neil Clark, journalist & broadcaster / Twitter ]

(1) How do we know we’re not bring told the truth? There’s c 1600-1700 deaths a day at this time of the year. Yet we are told that ´1300 are dying from Covid’. But with no excess deaths that means just 3-400 from pneumonia, flu, heart disease, cancers? That is clearly absurd.

(09.01.2021)

(2) Clearly what is happening is a reclassification of deaths. Non-Covid deaths are being reclassified as ´Covid deaths’ by means of ramped up PCR testing. Which begs the question: why are they doing this, if not to justify lockdowns and other restrictions?

10.01.2021 - 14:23 [ theCanary.co ]

Coronavirus data contractors engaged in dirty tricks and disinformation campaigns

(10.05.2020)

Palantir was co-founded in 2004 by Paypal owner and billionaire Peter Thiel. What the blog doesn’t reveal is that Palantir’s client list has included amomgst others, the CIA, the FBI, the NSA, the Centre for Disease Control, the Marine Corps, the Air Force, Special Operations Command, West Point and the IRS.

Furthermore, in 2016, it was revealed Palantir had a $34.6m contract with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and helped the Customs and Border Protection Agency create the Analytical Framework for Intelligence (AFI) system to track immigrants.

Nor does the blog mention that Palantir worked for UK intelligence and was awarded contracts to handle vast data sets on UK citizens for British spy agency GCHQ.

10.01.2021 - 14:15 [ theRegister.com ]

UK govt publishes contracts granting Amazon, Microsoft, Google and AI firms access to COVID-19 health data

(05.06.2020)

UK government has published the contracts it holds with private tech firms and the NHS for the creation of a COVID-19 data store, just days after campaigners fired legal shots over a lack of transparency.

Available on the openDemocracy website, the contracts describe how the arrangements between the NHS and Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and AI firms Faculty and Palantir (which subcontracts to AWS) will operate.

10.01.2021 - 09:41 [ NewStatesman.com ]

How Palantir is quietly extending its reach through the British state

As Palantir’s executives were preparing over the summer to release shares publicly for the first time, they faced a challenge: how do you convince investors to buy into a 17-year-old company that has never turned a profit?

10.01.2021 - 09:25 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Police ‚are told to fine Covid rule-breakers after just ONE verbal warning‘ as three officers ‚arrest a woman for sitting on a bench‘ and another is surrounded for ‚leaving her house more than once‘

– Officers will ‚move through the gears‘ and fine people £200 if they think a person is flouting the restrictions
– It comes as footage showed three police officers surrounding a woman for leaving her house more than once
– Another four officers appear to arrest a different woman for what she claims was ’sitting on a bench‘ by sea

09.01.2021 - 18:18 [ BMJ.com ]

Covid-19: the problems with case counting

(03 September 2020)

At the moment it seems that a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) positive result is the only criterion required for a case to be recognised.

“In any other disease we would have a clearly defined specification that would usually involve signs, symptoms, and a test result,” says Carl Heneghan, director of the Centre for Evidence Based Medicine at the University of Oxford and the editor of BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. “We are moving into a biotech world where the norms of clinical reasoning are going out of the window. A PCR test does not equal covid-19; it should not, but in some definitions it does.”

09.01.2021 - 18:12 [ Spectator.co.uk ]

The way ‘Covid deaths’ are being counted is a national scandal

(30.05.2020)

Normally, two doctors are needed to certify a death, one of whom has been treating the patient or who knows them and has seen them recently. That has changed. For Covid-19 only, the certification can be made by a single doctor, and there is no requirement for them to have examined, or even met, the patient. A video-link consultation in the four weeks prior to death is now felt to be sufficient for death to be attributed to Covid-19.

09.01.2021 - 18:02 [ Lockdown Resistance Network / Twitter ]

Enough and no more. Never in history have we behaved like this. This is psychological warfare and gaslighting. Whitty and the rest are drunk on power. I’m not complying with this nonsense. I’m not complying with this once great country becoming a totalitarian dictatorship.

09.01.2021 - 17:53 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Now scientists call for ‚lax‘ third lockdown to be made even TOUGHER: SAGE expert says new coronavirus variant cannot be contained by current restrictions as terrifying Chris Whitty adverts try to scare of Brits into staying at home

As a result, ministers are considering introducing tougher measures as part of the crackdown, including possibly making face masks mandatory in busy outdoor areas.

England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty has appeared in adverts urging us to stay at home as the new variant of the virus rips across the country.

08.01.2021 - 20:13 [ Achse des Guten ]

Ausgestoßener der Woche: Alles

Seit dem 1. Januar 2021 wendet die britische Medienaufsichtsbehörde „Office of Communications“ (Ofcom) eine neue, erweiterte Definition von „Hassrede“ an. Vor diesem Datum mussten Rundfunkteilnehmer lediglich sicherstellen, dass ihre Sendungen keine „Aufstachelung zu Hass“ auf der Grundlage von „Rasse, Geschlecht, Religion oder Nationalität“ enthielten.

08.01.2021 - 18:43 [ Spiked ]

The totalitarian hell of lockdown

Debate, dissent and independent thought are not allowed in Covid Britain.

08.01.2021 - 18:41 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Freedom of expression fears grow as tough new Ofcom code classes ‚political opinion‘ in its definition of hate speech

(04.01.2021)

Tory MP Iain Duncan Smith said: ‚We are drifting into a totalitarian ‚woke‘ state where nothing can ever be said for fear that somebody will be offended. It’s madness, and it’s driven by a small minority. Most people don’t care.‘

08.01.2021 - 18:18 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Now police ban SNOWBALLS! Officers threaten to fine people £200 for playing in the snow – after swooping on friends for driving just SEVEN miles to go for a walk in the park – and claiming their cups of tea counted as a picnic

– The West Mercia police force tweeted: ‚There have been two reports of snowballs being thrown last night‘
– Came as friends were surrounded, read their rights and fined £200 each after driving seven miles for a walk
– Derbyshire Police has previously been criticised for using drones to film dog walkers and dying lagoon black
– Priti Patel insisted it’s ‚right‘ for officers to confront Britons sat on park benches after criticism of their tactics
– Officers in England and Wales have handed out more than 30,000 fines under coronavirus laws since March

08.01.2021 - 10:29 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

100,000 Britons abroad face scramble to find a covid test or risk being stranded as government rules travellers will be BANNED from entering UK without a negative test – within DAYS

It is expected to cause a scramble for return flights as around 100,000 Brits are currently away in hotspots such as Dubai and the Maldives.

Ministers agreed the strict measures last night amid growing pressure to tighten borders – but have not confirmed a start date, although it is expected to be next week.

08.01.2021 - 10:15 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Covid crackdown Britain: Drivers are turned away from beauty spots while police question parents with pushchairs about where they are going and FOUR cops surround man outside Tube station

– Scotland Yard revealed that officers will be told to stop civilians in the street and ask why they are not at home
– MailOnline witnessed patrols out in force in Hammersmith today stopping Tube travellers and drivers
– Police in Derbyshire stopped people outside National Trust property including a woman desperate for the loo
– Officers in Birmingham City Center questioned a couple with pushchair to ask what business they had in town
– Priti Patel backs police to demand answers about why public are out with a ’stay at home‘ order in place
– This includes approaching people in parks, drivers out and about and going to homes if they are very noisy
– Police arrested 28 demonstrators for flouting restrictions and fined four men £800 for driving to McDonald’s

08.01.2021 - 10:01 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Three people are charged with assaulting police after officers entered family’s home ‚after being told too many people were inside‘

She said: ‚My house. That is bullying. This is my house. Get out of my house. I did not ask you in here.‘

A young boy can be seen in the video as the woman’s daughter said: ‚Just stop it mum‘.

Two women, aged 18 and 48, and a 43-year-old man were charged in connection with assaulting police officers and threatening and abusive behaviour, according to Police Scotland.

07.01.2021 - 20:15 [ Spiked ]

How the left learned to love the Tory police state

Lockdown has devastated civil liberties, punished the poor and boosted the rich, but the left wants more of it.

06.01.2021 - 23:28 [ NBC Washington ]

DC Under Curfew Starting Wednesday Night Amid Capitol Hill Chaos

The curfew will be in effect until 6 a.m. Thursday.

06.01.2021 - 21:24 [ Washington Post ]

Pelosi has requested deployment of National Guard troops to Capitol

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has requested National Guard troops be deployed to clear and secure the Capitol, a senior Democratic aide said Wednesday.

06.01.2021 - 21:22 [ wusa9.com ]

2 buildings nearby U.S. Capitol evacuated, Congress on lockdown

Outside, protesters could be heard chanting „USA, USA!“ and „This is our house“ as they quickly began forcefully removing metal barriers.

06.01.2021 - 14:05 [ Spiked ]

It’s the pro-lockdown lobby that is spreading fake news

This is the stage of lockdown authoritarianism we have now reached: anyone who questions the lockdown will be branded a liar and a hoodwinker who should be expelled from public life, while the cheerers of lockdown, those self-styled saviours of lives, can say whatever they want with very few repercussions.

06.01.2021 - 13:37 [ Jim Reaper / Twitter ]

There is no exit strategy you fool. It never ends. The only non-violent way for it to end is if a majority of Tory MP’s overthrow Johnson, but they are too snivelling and cowardly to do that.

06.01.2021 - 13:30 [ BBC ]

Coronavirus: MPs back in Parliament for England lockdown vote

However, with Labour saying it will support the measures, the law enforcing them is likely to be approved.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is updating the Commons now, telling MPs – many of whom are participating remotely – that says the vaccine programme provides a „means of escape“ from the current lockdown, with 1.3 million people in UK already vaccinated.

06.01.2021 - 13:25 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Met Police WILL stop people ‚with no good reason to have left home‘, fine groups over two and issue on the spot £200 penalties for mask flouters – as forces say officers should be able to FORCE entry into rule-breakers‘ homes as law is published in full

Police today vowed to fine anyone not wearing a mask, groups of more than two or anyone out of the house without ‚good reason‘ at least £200 on the spot with one force ready to smash their way into homes to break-up parties, MailOnline can reveal.

06.01.2021 - 10:00 [ Ian Cornwell / Twitter ]

Ireland. Just had a 16 Billion Euro COVID bill, that it gets 1.5 back from. Waits patiently for the EMA to approve its vaccines. No sign of the EMA approving Oxford any time soon. 2009 – gets another Lisbon ref, whilst being threatened with perdition. „Independence“

06.01.2021 - 09:53 [ Giles Maybe / Twitter ]

EU land news. EMA who sign off vaccine has not even began to look at the AZ Oxford vaccine while its own curevac vaccine is still months away from approval. The eu failed to buy needles & its vaccine distributions hit a brick wall yesterday (accept holland They not yet started)

06.01.2021 - 09:47 [ Max Roser / Twitter ]

Good article in The Economist trying to explain why the vaccination campaigns across Europe are so very slow and why this ‚risks extending the pandemic for months.‘

05.01.2021 - 08:39 [ @shawalzy / Twitter ]

Can’t wait for the ‚Tier 19 Annual Hunger Games‘ where all districts battle it out for visiting Greggs privileges. #lockdownthoughts #lockdown

05.01.2021 - 08:32 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

‚What I’ll look like when we FINALLY get out of lockdown‘: Brits wearily take to social media to ponder how long it will be before they are free again

– Britons have taken to social media to mock the prospect of a third lockdown
– Boris Johnson unveiled a new set of restrictions in his address to nation last night

04.01.2021 - 22:34 [ Diogo Simão Lemos / Twitter ]

• @ECDC_EU assesses that the probability of #SARSCoV2 VOC 202012/01 and 501.V2 being introduced and further spread in the EU/EEA is currently 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡. 1/4

(29.12.2020)

(…)

Therefore, the overall risk of an increased impact on health systems in the coming weeks is assessed as 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡. 4/4

04.01.2021 - 22:31 [ yenisafak.com ]

ECDC releases report on new COVID-19 strain

(22 Dec 2020)

Noting that the ECDC’s report on the new strain was published last night, Balik said “this mutant variant has been named SARS-CoV-2 VUI 202012/01 [Variant Under Investigation, year 2020, month 12, variant 01] for now.”

Balik said the report points out the importance of a comprehensive examination of the new strain.

04.01.2021 - 22:25 [ Boris Johnson, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom / Twitter ]

WATCH LIVE: My update on coronavirus. (4 January 2021)

04.01.2021 - 22:24 [ Mirror.co.uk ]

Covid updates: Boris Johnson plunges England into third lockdown with schools shut

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the weeks ahead would be the „hardest yet“ but added that he believed the country was entering „the last phase of the struggle“ with coronavirus

04.01.2021 - 17:59 [ Wikispooks.com ]

Document:Senior spy appointed to lead UK’s joint biosecurity centre

(05.06.2020)

Clare Gardiner, head of cyber resilience and strategy at the UK National Cyber Security Centre — a branch of signals intelligence agency GCHQ — will become the centre’s first director-general, responsible for advising ministers on the “alert level” for the virus; which is similar to assessing the terror threat.

Ms Gardiner’s role at the NCSC involves advising businesses and public organisations on how to improve their cyber defences, and she will return to this post after her secondment at the centre. But her research background in epidemiology and medical statistics make her well-suited to the role, according to one person familiar with her appointment.

She will report to Dido Harding, who is in charge of the NHS test and trace service.

The decision to put a security official in charge is likely to cause consternation among public health experts, who have questioned whether the template of a terror analysis centre is appropriate for managing a viral pandemic,

04.01.2021 - 17:48 [ Nick Eardley / Twitter ]

NEW: Sources have told the BBC the Covid threat level – decided by the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which includes the UK’s four Chief Medical Officers – is being moved up to 5, the highest level. This is different from tiers

04.01.2021 - 17:40 [ MorningAdvertiser.co.uk ]

‘No hard evidence on curfew’ admits Gov adviser Vallance

(09 Dec 2020)

Vallance and chief medical officer Chris Whitty were asked if there was something that could be done in the structure in scientific advice that could be a bit more forensic about those restrictions on the sector that have a very big impact on certain people. The scientific advisers said they are trying very hard to get data but can´t give specific data on it, and nor can anyone else across the world.

04.01.2021 - 17:17 [ Independent.co.uk ]

Matt Hancock blames Covid spread on public as government under pressure for new lockdown

Health secretary Matt Hancock has said that Boris Johnson’s tier system is “no longer strong enough” to deal with the new more virulent variant of coronavirus.

04.01.2021 - 17:10 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

England goes BACK into full lockdown: Boris will plunge country into March-style curbs in 8pm TV address tonight – with fears schools will be shut and households banned from mixing for MONTHS as COVID alert is raised to top level

– Boris Johnson is set to announce a dramatic new national lockdown for England amid mutant Covid crisis
– Ex-health secretary Jeremy Hunt urged immediate closure of schools, borders with household mixing ban
– Matt Hancock said the tiers were no longer strong enough to deal with the mutant version of coronavirus
– Suggested public’s failure to comply with all the rules was to blame for inability to control outbreaks in Tier 4
– PM warned that curbs are about to get ‚tougher‘ – and admitted he is considering further closures of schools
– Government’s core ‚Covid-O‘ committee has met this morning to decide on the next steps in the response

04.01.2021 - 07:20 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Boris’s lockdown D-Day: PM will decide TODAY whether to plunge ALL of England back into full lockdown – potentially for MONTHS – after Keir Starmer demanded tougher restrictions to stop ‚out of control‘ mutant Covid virus

Professor Sir Mark Walport, a member of the Government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it would be difficult to keep the new, faster-spreading strain of the virus under control without ‚much tighter‘ social-distancing measures.

Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, the former chief scientific adviser said: ‚It’s clear that this variant is transmitting more readily – it’s transmitting more readily in younger age groups as well.

03.01.2021 - 08:21 [ Sky.News ]

COVID-19: Chief medical officer Chris Whitty warns coronavirus vaccine shortages will last months

(01.01.2021)

„At the moment it doesn’t look good – a hole is appearing because there’s a lack of other approved vaccines and we have to fill the gap with our own vaccine,“ BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told news weekly Spiegel.

03.01.2021 - 07:06 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

PETER HITCHENS: Guess where Professor Lockdown got his ideas … China’s police state

Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, said at the time that it was ‘just not possible’ for Ferguson to continue advising the Government. But this was not true. The professor was said to have resigned from the SAGE advisory committee. But did he? Not really. A current State website lists him as a member of the ‘New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group’ (NERVTAG). Minutes suggest he was only ever away from that for a few weeks.

02.01.2021 - 08:17 [ Sky.News ]

COVID-19: Chief medical officer Chris Whitty warns coronavirus vaccine shortages will last months

„At the moment it doesn’t look good – a hole is appearing because there’s a lack of other approved vaccines and we have to fill the gap with our own vaccine,“ BioNTech CEO Ugur Sahin told news weekly Spiegel.

01.01.2021 - 07:48 [ New Yorker ]

Our Year in Hell

And yet, uncanny though it might be, the imagery of an actual pandemic is, truth be told, considerably less melodramatic than the cinematic version. Often, when we call something “unimaginable,” what we really mean is more like “too oft imagined.” We actually have been here before, in every pandemic movie, in that Will Smith one with the zombies, for instance—and, in the zombie movie, the people are slavering in the streets. In the real one, the streets are merely empty.

01.01.2021 - 07:44 [ Mirror.co.uk ]

New York’s Times Square is ‚ghost town‘ as Covid-struck US sees in New Year

The same place that last year saw over a million people pack in to watch the annual tradition as well as live music performances was far more somber.

Only a handful of invited guests, including health care workers and others from the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, gathered to usher in the New Year.

30.12.2020 - 17:51 [ Newsweek ]

Ohio Senator Brown Joins Sanders in Delaying Senate Holiday Over $2K Stimulus Checks

Ohio Democrat Senator Sherrod Brown said Tuesday that he would push for a Senate vote on $2,000 stimulus checks by joining Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’s filibuster on the Senate floor.

30.12.2020 - 03:58 [ mark cording / Twitter ]

What’s the update on the Oxford vaccine Mr Hancock

30.12.2020 - 03:50 [ Matt Hancock, secretary of State for Health & Social Care / Twitter ]

Fantastic to see Margaret Keenan receive her second dose of the @Pfizer /@BioNTech_Group #coronavirus vaccine

30.12.2020 - 03:38 [ BBC ]

Covid: Millions more braced for tougher rules in England

Government sources have indicated an announcement later will see more areas move into tier four – „stay at home“.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock is due to detail the changes – which could be introduced within days – in the House of Commons after 14:30 GMT.

30.12.2020 - 02:38 [ Bernie Sanders, US Senator / Twitter ]

This is about life and death for millions of people. The Senate must approve the $2000 for every working class adult.

30.12.2020 - 02:23 [ PBS.org ]

Bernie Sanders on the battle to increase stimulus payments

Efforts to increase stimulus payments to $2,000 were blocked in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, while Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell put forth a new bill. Sen. Bernie Sanders was one of those making the case for higher stimulus payments. He joins Amna Nawaz to discuss.

30.12.2020 - 02:18 [ Deadline.com ]

Mitch McConnell Ties $2,000 Covid-19 Relief Checks To Repeal Of Section 230; Democrats Call It A “Poison Pill”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) introduced a bill that ties $2,000-per-person Covid-19 relief checks to a repeal of Section 230, the provision of a 1996 law that protects social media platforms from liability for the way that they moderate third party content.

In doing so, McConnell has likely added a “poison pill” to the effort to increase the Covid-19 relief payments from the current $600.

30.12.2020 - 02:12 [ NPR.org ]

McConnell Blocks Senate Vote On $2,000 Direct Payments

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a proposal to vote on the House bill on $2,000 direct payments. Also, the Senate will vote Wednesday to override President Trump’s veto of the NDAA.

29.12.2020 - 10:50 [ Newsweek ]

Donald Trump Presses Senate On $2,000 Stimulus Checks, Says People ‚Have Suffered Enough‘

Trump responded to comments that Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) could filibuster a move to override the president’s veto of the defense funding bill unless a vote is held on the $2,000 checks.

Replying to details of this potential move, Trump wrote on Twitter: „Give the people $2000, not $600. They have suffered enough!“

29.12.2020 - 10:49 [ Xahoo.com ]

Bernie Sanders hopes to force Senate vote on $2,000 stimulus checks

Sanders, an independent from Vermont, made the comments after Democrats in the House – joined by 44 Republicans – voted to more than triple the $600 checks included in the coronavirus relief package signed by President Donald Trump over the weekend.

29.12.2020 - 07:12 [ Boston.com ]

Sens. Markey and Sanders to stall defense bill veto override vote in effort for $2,000 relief checks

Soon after Sanders’ announcement, Markey said he would join in on the filibuster.

“That relief passed in the House today with 44 Republicans voting for it,” Markey wrote on Twitter. “Senate Republicans must do the same and get the American people the help they need.”

29.12.2020 - 04:48 [ Bernie Sanders, US Senator / Twitter ]

This week on the Senate floor Mitch McConnell wants to vote to override Trump’s veto of the $740 billion defense funding bill and then head home for the New Year. I’m going to object until we get a vote on legislation to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class

29.12.2020 - 04:41 [ theHill.com ]

Sanders to slow down NDAA veto override in bid to get vote on $2K checks proposal

„This week on the Senate floor Mitch McConnell wants to vote to override Trump’s veto of the $740 billion defense funding bill and then head home for the New Year. I’m going to object until we get a vote on legislation to provide a $2,000 direct payment to the working class,“ Sanders tweeted.

29.12.2020 - 04:23 [ CBS News / Youtube ]

House approves stimulus check increase to $2,000

The House on Monday approved a bill that would increase COVID stimulus checks to $2,000. The bill is likely dead on arrival in the GOP-controlled Senate, despite President Trump’s insistence on larger checks. Mr. Trump signed a bill on Sunday night that would distribute $600 stimulus checks. Wall Street Journal congressional reporter Siobhan Hughes joins CBSN to discuss.

28.12.2020 - 17:25 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Coronavirus latest news: One million vaccinations a week will not bring pandemic under control, warns Sage expert

Sir Jeremy Farrar, the director of the Wellcome Trust who advises Number 10’s advisory panel Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said: „We’re not going to be free of this pandemic by February, this is now a human endemic infection.

28.12.2020 - 17:24 [ .oxfordmail.co.uk ]

No herd immunity through vaccine programme before summer, Sage scientist warns

Calum Semple, professor of outbreak medicine at the University of Liverpool and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), described the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine as a “game changer” if it is approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the coming days.

But he told BBC Breakfast…

28.12.2020 - 17:20 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

SAGE demands ALL pupils are kept home till February: Scientists demand new national lockdown for kids after Gove says only Years 11 and 13 and primary schools will return on January 4

Pressure has also been growing on Boris Johnson from within his own party to keep all pupils in school at the start the new term – but the PM has sided with SAGE scientists, who are pushing for schools, especially secondary schools to close for all of January, at least, because of the new super-strain of Covid-19, according to Politico.

Mr Johnson was reportedly told last week by SAGE, led by Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance, that a stricter lockdown is required because the one in November, where schools remained open, did not keep the ‚R‘ rate below 1, an adviser has claimed.

28.12.2020 - 10:33 [ Brian Bond - 007, JavaScript Developer / Twitter ]

Replying to @Eve6: learn to code

28.12.2020 - 10:30 [ eve6 / Twitter ]

i had a famous song in the nineties and i cant afford health care

28.12.2020 - 09:44 [ Mirror.co.uk ]

Millions more face being placed in Tier 4 in bid to control mutant coronavirus strain

Dr Zubaida Haque, who sits on Independent Sage, has questioned why the government haven’t placed the whole country in the harshest tier of restrictions to save lives.

28.12.2020 - 09:37 [ Spiked ]

Lockdown: a deadly, failed experiment

It has been a global catastrophe. We must never go down this road again.

28.12.2020 - 09:24 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Oxford coronavirus vaccine: 10,000 medics and volunteers recruited to administer jab

The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab could be approved early next week by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), after the final cut of data was submitted by the Government last Monday.

28.12.2020 - 05:18 [ noone@nowhere / Twitter ]

Still no Oxford vaccine emergency approval. Unbelievable.

(23.12.2020)

28.12.2020 - 04:57 [ Ro Khanna, Abgeordneter im US Repräsentantenhaus / Twitter ]

I am glad we are finally having a vote tomorrow on a $2000 stimulus. The question remains why we didn’t have this vote in March when @TimRyan and I proposed this. This is a lesson. It should not require permission from Trump or Republicans to vote on and push for bold policies.

28.12.2020 - 03:32 [ BostonHerald.com ]

Trump signs coronavirus relief bill, still pushes for $2,000 stimulus checks

“As President, I have told Congress that I want far less wasteful spending and more money going to the American people in the form of $2,000 checks per adult and $600 per child,” Trump said in a statement.

“On Monday the House will vote to increase payments to individuals from $600 to $2,000,” he added. “Therefore, a family of four would receive $5,200.”

28.12.2020 - 03:25 [ CNN ]

Trump signs coronavirus relief and government funding bill into law after lengthy delay

The Covid-19 relief legislation was passed by Congress on Monday and was flown to Mar-a-Lago on Thursday to await Trump’s signature. But after sitting on the sidelines during the negotiations, Trump emerged with an eleventh-hour complaint that a separate provision in the deal, which the President’s own White House helped broker, would only provide up to $600 in direct payments. Trump wanted to send out $2,000 checks.

27.12.2020 - 19:51 [ Forbes ]

What Every Vaccine Skeptic Should Know About The New Coronavirus Vaccines

What hasn’t been demonstrated, at least so far, is that these vaccines prevent you from getting infected entirely. We’ve shown that these vaccines provide neutralizing immunity, where the virus will no longer severely harm you, but not necessarily sterilizing immunity, where you cannot pass the virus onto others. Additionally, it isn’t known how long your immunity will persist. This, very importantly, means that you still need to wear a mask, wash/sanitize your hands, and practice social distancing — and to be rigorous about doing them all — for now.

23.12.2020 - 19:27 [ Haaretz ]

Coronavirus Live: Four People Test Positive for New Strain of Coronavirus in Israel

(today)

A fourth case had been discovered in an Israeli who had not been abroad recently. The Health Ministry said they are investigating the case and will update accordingly.

„Over the past few days we are making a concerted effort to check that the mutation from Britain has not infiltrated [Israel]. Until several minutes ago, we had been optimistic, and now we are less optimistic,“ Health Minister Yuli Edelstein said.

23.12.2020 - 19:21 [ Haaretz ]

Netanyahu Uses New COVID-19 Strain to Scare the Public at the Best Possible Time for Him

(22.12.2020)

The coronavirus pandemic is dangerous enough on its own – but adding the considerations of a prime minister who is a criminal defendant trying to escape justice, the result is systematic disregard for the population

23.12.2020 - 18:49 [ Sky.com ]

COVID-19: Germany extends UK travel ban to 6 January – despite EU urging countries to lift restrictions

Germany has extended its ban on travellers arriving from the UK to 6 January, despite the EU telling countries to lift restrictions to allow essential journeys and minimise trade disruption.

23.12.2020 - 18:43 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Kent lorry chaos could get WORSE: Army is performing as little as 200 tests an hour – meaning 10,000 stranded truckers could take DAYS to clear threatening food shortages after clashes with police and blockades

– Truckers try to force their way past police guarding Port of Dover as hundreds leave cabs and walk along road
– Jeering and whistling with some shouting: ‚Open the border‘, ‚We just want to go home‘ and ‚F*** you, Boris!‘
– France announced travel ban on all traffic from UK on Sunday night after emergence of new Covid-19 strain
– Decision meant Port of Dover was dramatically closed to all freight vehicles leaving the UK for next 48 hours
– Deal now struck with France which means every driver must be tested for coronavirus using lateral flow tests
– Tensions also boiled over at Manston Airport, where truckers whose lorries are being held staged a protest

23.12.2020 - 18:07 [ BBC Radio Sussex / Twitter ]

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told a Downing Street briefing the old tiering system was not enough to control the new variant of the Covid virus, as he announced stricter curbs for Sussex and part of Surrey.

23.12.2020 - 18:05 [ Flint Bedrock / Twitter ]

The UK has detected two cases of another „more transmissible“ variant of coronavirus, the health secretary Matt Hancock says.

23.12.2020 - 11:32 [ BBC ]

Oxford vaccine: How did they make it so quickly?

(23.11.2020)

Scientists took a common cold virus that infected chimpanzees and engineered it to become the building block of a vaccine against almost anything.

Before Covid, 330 people had been given ChAdOx1 based-vaccines for diseases ranging from flu to Zika virus, and prostate cancer to the tropical disease chikungunya.

The virus from chimps is genetically modified so it cannot cause an infection in people. It can then be modified again to contain the genetic blueprints for whatever you want to train the immune system to attack.

23.12.2020 - 11:18 [ inews.co.uk ]

Boris Johnson’s future as Prime Minister rests on the Oxford vaccine being approved

The hope in Downing Street is that the Oxford vaccine will get the green light by the end of the year. This would allow the Prime Minister to start laying out plans for restrictions to be lifted.

23.12.2020 - 08:31 [ Washington Post ]

Live updates: Trump demands $2,000 stimulus checks; calls long awaited coronavirus relief bill a ‘disgrace’

President Trump derided the recently-passed coronavirus relief bill as a “disgrace” on Tuesday night, calling on Congress to increase stimulus payments from $600 to $2,000 and get rid of “wasteful and unnecessary items.” The move stunned Congress which has been deadlocked for months over the long-awaited stimulus package to address people’s increasingly desperate situations in the midst of a pandemic-fueled economic downturn.

23.12.2020 - 08:27 [ theGrayzone.com ]

Covid-19 catch-22: Regime-change policies come packed with US pandemic relief

The US Congress’ $900 billion Covid-19 relief bill was packaged with $1.4 trillion in omnibus spending that includes tens of billions for war, weapons, and regime change abroad, from anti-Russia and anti-China initiatives to $3.3 billion for Israel’s military.

23.12.2020 - 07:53 [ theSun.co.uk ]

TRUCK OFF, MACRON: Stranded Brit truckers on the move again as shamed Emmanuel Macron is forced to reopen French border

STRANDED truckers were ready to roll again last night after shamed French leader Emmanuel Macron was forced to reopen his country’s border with the UK.

He caved in after pressure from Britain and the EU to end a 48-hour blockade imposed amid fears over the new Covid strain.

23.12.2020 - 07:48 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Thousands of truckers in Dover will have controversial rapid Covid test today after Macron gives way and says lorry drivers CAN now enter France if they have negative result – but freight backlog will take days to clear

The agreement requires every driver to have been tested for coronavirus, using controversial lateral flow tests, which are able to turn around results in under an hour but have had their effectiveness questioned.

Those who come back negative will be told by text message in as little as 20 minutes, and be given the green light to hit the road and head over to the continent, but positive cases will be sent to a hotel to isolate.

21.12.2020 - 21:09 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Who knew what and when about Britain’s Covid mutation? PHE first discovered the fast-spreading variant in October but didn’t raise the alarm until last week – amid claims scientists held back discovery to bounce No10 into Tier Four

At the start of the month information about VUI-202012/01 was passed to the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Advisory Group (NERVTAG) committee, which advises England’s Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty. The group first discussed the strain at a December 11 meeting and began modelling its severity on the UK’s epidemic.

Ministers were not made aware of the variant until last Monday, almost two months after its initial discovery, when they were told it was more infectious and probably behind the continued rise in cases in London and the South East.

21.12.2020 - 20:47 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Boris blusters his way through pointless press conference without giving a single answer about when truckers will be allowed into France: Port chaos could continue until Xmas after Macron insists on Covid tests or no travel

– Port of Dover in Kent was dramatically closed to all freight vehicles leaving the UK for the next 48 hours
– Hauliers coming to UK will still be allowed but there are fears drivers won’t travel to avoid being ‚marooned‘
– Countries including France, Germany, Italy, Belgium and Poland have announced restrictions on UK travel
– Comes after emergence of mutant strain of coronavirus in England which spreads quicker than predecessor
– PM Boris Johnson held a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee this afternoon to discuss travel ban
– Port of Dover later confirmed inbound freights were still arriving and France said movement would resume
– But Mr Johnson was unable to say exactly when the travel ban will be lifted as he expressed his frustrations

21.12.2020 - 20:27 [ Yahoo.com ]

Europe blockade pushes UK closer to food shortages at Christmas

Responding to yesterday evening’s suspension of accompanied freight traffic from the UK to France, FDF CEO Ian Wright told Yahoo Finance UK: “Yesterday’s suspension of accompanied freight traffic from the UK to France has the potential to cause serious disruption to UK post-Christmas fresh food supplies – and exports of UK food and drink.

21.12.2020 - 08:51 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Heathrow chaos as hundreds try to cram onto last plane to Dublin after more than a dozen countries ban ALL flights from Britain, Eurotunnel closes and French BLOCK UK lorries for 48 hours after discovery of ‚70% more infectious‘ mutant Covid strain

– France, Germany, Israel, El Salvador, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Italy, Finland, Denmark, Turkey, Morocco, Canada, Belgium, Austria, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Ireland have banned all flights from Britain

– Boris Johnson will chair a meeting of the Government’s Cobra civil contingencies committee on Monday after a series of countries announced they were stopping flights from the UK, Downing Street has said

21.12.2020 - 00:12 [ Movement for a People´s Party ]

Dr. Cornel West and Jimmy Dore join the People’s Party Advisory Council, launch MPP organizing campaign to Force The Vote on Medicare for all

Public intellectual and Harvard professor Dr. Cornel West and political comedian Jimmy Dore have joined the People’s Party Advisory Council. Together with the Movement for a People’s Party, they are launching the Force The Vote petition and organizing campaign. The campaign aims to pressure The Squad and House progressives to refuse to vote for Rep. Nancy Pelosi as Speaker until she publicly pledges to bring Medicare for all to the floor of the House for a vote. Nearly 10,000 people signed the petition overnight.

Dore hosted Dr. West on The Jimmy Dore Show Friday evening where they broke the news. “We’re joining forces with the Movement for a People’s Party. We are ForceTheVote.org,” said Dore. “There’s never a wrong time to do the right thing. And now is the time, in the middle of a deadly pandemic. There’s never been a better time to have a Medicare for all vote.”

20.12.2020 - 23:48 [ Caitlin Johnstone ]

The Revolutionary Struggle Is A Fight Between Movement And Inertia

(16.12.2020)

The pandemic and a Democrat-controlled House presents a once-in-a-century opportunity to shove hard toward getting Americans the same healthcare rights afforded to everyone else in every major country on earth and forcing all House Democrats who oppose it to expose themselves to their constituents instead of passing the blame to the Republicans. With things getting more and more desperate, waiting for the next once-in-a-century opportunity to even begin pushing is a ridiculous proposition.

20.12.2020 - 23:45 [ theHill.com ]

Former Sanders spokesperson: Progressive base confused by ‚ambiguity‘ over how to replace

(18.12.2020)

In contrast, she said, “this question of whether Pelosi should be ousted altogether, and whether we have to do so because there’s not someone in the ranks, is a new one.”

“It’s an interesting conversation given that we’ve had now two years of these progressive ‘Squad’ members in office who came in really hot to do something about Nancy Pelosi and to threaten her leadership at that point,” she added.

20.12.2020 - 23:27 [ Business Insider ]

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez rejects left-wing calls to force Pelosi to hold a ‚Medicare for All‘ vote in exchange for her vote for the speaker

(16.12.2020)

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is publicly rejecting those calls, saying that Democrats don’t have the votes to pass „Medicare for All“ in the House and there are other options the party has that would affect real change.

20.12.2020 - 23:20 [ Movement for a People’s Party / Twitter ]

There’s a feud on the political left right now. It all started when @jimmy_dore made a video arguing that House progressives should refuse to re-elect Nancy Pelosi as House Speaker unless she puts #MedicareForAll to a floor vote.

Via @caitoz
. #ForceTheVote

20.12.2020 - 15:24 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

It felt like a meeting of horror movie scriptwriters: GLEN OWEN tells the inside story of how a libertarian PM ended up feeling he had no choice but to cancel Christmas

The grim countenances of Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance told the story before they even started talking – Christmas was off. As Boris Johnson sat in the Cabinet Room at 5pm on Friday, Whitty and Vallance appeared on the Zoom monitors and started reeling off increasingly alarming data about the new mutant strain of the coronavirus…

19.12.2020 - 21:51 [ @TheBlackFlags1 / Twitter ]

החיסון האמיתי ניתן עכשיו בבלפור:

19.12.2020 - 21:44 [ Haaretz ]

Anti-Netanyahu Protesters Mark Six Months of Weekly Demonstrations

Protesters against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are demonstrating in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and at traffic junctions, bridges and intersections nationwide for the 25th week in a row on Saturday, marking six months since the protest movement began.

19.12.2020 - 21:07 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

‚We’re not going to be knocking on people doors on Christmas Day‘: Police officers say new Tier 4 restrictions ‚don’t make sense‘ as thousands vow to IGNORE the rules

At an emergency press conference, Boris Johnson announced a third of England, including London and swathes of the home counties, will be shifted up to the brutal new tier from midnight.

Mr Marsh told MailOnline the new rules – which close non-essential retail and ban overnight stays in infection spots – meant little, because Mr Johnson has ‚lost the good will of the people‘ over the festive period.

19.12.2020 - 20:43 [ Downing Street No 10 / Regierung von Großbritannien ]

Prime Minister announces Tier 4: ‚Stay At Home‘ Alert Level in response to new COVID variant

The Prime Minister has announced tougher restrictions for large parts of South East England with a new Tier 4: ‘Stay at Home’ alert level.

The decision follows a rapid rise in infections attributed to the rapid spread of a new variant of COVID-19.

Based on preliminary modelling data, the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (NERVTAG) now consider that the new strain can spread significantly more quickly and could increase R by 0.4 or more. New and existing data will continue to be analysed as we learn more about the variant.

19.12.2020 - 20:38 [ Telegraph.co.uk ]

Exclusive: Alarming new evidence on coronavirus mutation could bring tougher restrictions

Government scientists at the Porton Down laboratory in Wiltshire have been conducting experiments on the new strain, and have confirmed ministers‘ fears about it being far more infectious than the original strain of the virus.

(…)

The meeting of ministers was expected to continue late into the night, with Whitehall sources refusing to rule out a press conference on Saturday to announce additional restrictions.

14.12.2020 - 23:53 [ FT.com ]

Researchers looking at new coronavirus strain, says health minister

Chris Whitty, England’s chief medical officer, told a press conference that London was being moved to more stringent Tier 3 restrictions because cases were surging in and around the capital — and not directly in response to the discovery of the new variant.

14.12.2020 - 23:20 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

What is ‚VUI – 202012/01‘? Matt Hancock reveals new fast-spreading strain of coronavirus could be behind surging cases in London and the South East – but it has ‚only been found in 1,000 people and isn’t more deadly‘

However, there have been three that have caught scientists‘ attention:

D614G

D614G is by far the most common strain of coronavirus affecting humans worldwide and first appeared in February in Germany.

It is thought to account for 85 per cent of global cases.

The D614G mutation sprung up at one specific location, position 614, on the spike protein of the virus, in a European patient.

This viral spike hijacks the human receptor ACE2 and this is how it infects human cells.

13.12.2020 - 13:31 [ New York Times ]

Your Coronavirus Test Is Positive. Maybe It Shouldn’t Be.

(29.08.2020)

Most tests set the limit at 40, a few at 37. This means that you are positive for the coronavirus if the test process required up to 40 cycles, or 37, to detect the virus.

Tests with thresholds so high may detect not just live virus but also genetic fragments, leftovers from infection that pose no particular risk — akin to finding a hair in a room long after a person has left, Dr. Mina said.

Any test with a cycle threshold above 35 is too sensitive, agreed Juliet Morrison, a virologist at the University of California, Riverside. “I’m shocked that people would think that 40 could represent a positive,” she said.

13.12.2020 - 01:41 [ France24 ]

French law on filming police triggers third weekend of protests

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in France Saturday for a third consecutive weekend of demonstrations over a controversial security bill that would limit filming of the police.

11.12.2020 - 14:15 [ Times of Israel ]

Israel said considering restrictions on those who refuse COVID vaccine

Under the proposal being considered, those who refuse to be inoculated will only be allowed to fly, attend certain events, dine at restaurants or frequent cultural venues by providing a recent negative result from a coronavirus test, according to Channel 12 news, which quoted unnamed senior officials.

Health officials were also reportedly considering barring medical personnel who refuse vaccination from working in coronavirus wards or intensive care units.

08.12.2020 - 04:27 [ Sarah Abdallah / Twitter ]

Wow. Massive anti-Macron protests are happening right now in France for #MarchesDesLibertes. Have you seen anything about it in the Western corporate media?

(05.12.2020)

08.12.2020 - 04:25 [ Spiked ]

The Berlin authorities are waging war on Berliners

The other is that too few, until now, are ready to oppose openly the government’s strict new regulations – even in freedom-loving Berlin. Of course, there is a reason for that. For months, those protesting against the lockdowns have been equated with the far right by many media outlets and assorted politicians. This despite a recent study revealing that most participants are not right-wing at all. There have even been calls to have Querdenken, the outfit that has been organising the big anti-lockdown demonstrations, put under observation by Germany’s secret service, the Verfassungsschutz.

As a result, anyone voicing anger over the lockdown risks being discredited as a Covid denier or a right-wing conspiracy theorist. I

08.12.2020 - 01:02 [ CNN ]

New Covid-19 stay-at-home orders set to take effect Sunday night for millions of Californians

Some 27 million people in the Southern California and San Joaquin Valley regions will be affected after both regions triggered a mandate issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom last week requiring new restrictions if a region’s hospital intensive care unit capacity drops below 15%.

05.12.2020 - 14:32 [ Standard.co.uk ]

Food For London Now: Scenes of young queueing for food have moved us, say volunteers

Daisy Affum and Errol Johnson spoke about how Londoners should come together to tackle the hunger crisis as they posed for portraits by artist Henry Hudson which can be bought by readers to support Food for London Now.

Ms Affum, who works as a catering manager at a school but helps feed vulnerable Londoners in her spare time, said: “This issue of people going hungry was here long before Covid-19 but the virus has made it worse.”

04.12.2020 - 21:50 [ CNN ]

Vaccination cards will be issued to everyone getting Covid-19 vaccine, health officials say

(02.12.2020)

„Everyone will be issued a written card that they can put in their wallet that will tell them what they had and when their next dose is due,“ Moore said. „Let’s do the simple, easy thing first. Everyone’s going to get that.“

04.12.2020 - 21:47 [ Zero Hedge ]

‚Immunity Cards‘ To Be Issued To All Americans; Enable CDC To Track COVID-19 Vaxx Status In Database

On Wednesday the Department of Defense released the first images of a COVID-19 vaccination record card as well as vaccination kits, according to CNN.

„Everyone will be issued a written card that they can put in their wallet that will tell them what they had and when their next dose is due,“ says Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of the Immunization Action Coalition.

04.12.2020 - 21:33 [ theLocal.ch ]

‚Freedom Pass‘: Will Switzerland introduce a British-style coronavirus immunity card?

Ruth Humbel, a National Councillor with the Swiss People’s Party, said that people who are immune to the virus should receive a card or certificate which will allow them to participate in certain activities, such as going to football games, clubs or travelling, 20 Minutes reports.

04.12.2020 - 21:24 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

No10 stops short of ruling out Covid ‚immunity passports‘ despite saying it is ’not something the PM wants‘ – as Wales raises fears of spot checks at pubs and shops by bringing in ID-style cards for people who get vaccine

– Pfizer vaccines licensed by UK regulator and will be distributed from next week
– Wales says people will be issued with ID-style cards to show they have had jab
– Fears that pubs and shops could demand proof of vaccine before allowing entry

04.12.2020 - 05:09 [ CNN ]

CNN Exclusive: Biden says he will ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days he’s in office

President-elect Joe Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Thursday that he will ask Americans to wear masks for the first 100 days after he takes office, in a sign of how Biden’s approach to the virus will be dramatically different from President Donald Trump’s response.

„Just 100 days to mask, not forever. One hundred days. And I think we’ll see a significant reduction,“ Biden said for the first time in the interview with Tapper.

02.12.2020 - 15:28 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Wounded Boris Johnson lashes out at ‚General Indecision‘ Keir Starmer for abstaining in crunch tiers vote that saw 55-strong Tory revolt – as MPs warn things will get WORSE for PM unless he makes good on hints curbs will be eased in two weeks

The new tiers system for England came into force at midnight after the Commons approved it by 291 to 78 – but the healthy majority masked a disaster for Mr Johnson as a swathe of his own MPs abandoned him.

Scores of Tories joined the biggest uprising of this Parliament despite Mr Johnson personally waiting in the division lobbies and urging them to stick with the government, and he only secured victory because Sir Keir stopped short of opposing the measures.

02.12.2020 - 04:01 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Boris Johnson’s post-lockdown tiers come into force despite biggest-ever Tory rebellion against him – as 55 of his backbenchers vote against his plans putting prospect of future lockdowns in jeopardy

– Boris Johnson’s new tiers have been approved by the Commons despite revolt by 55 Conservative MPs
– The rebellion was the biggest in this Parliament despite desperate please from the PM and Matt Hancock
– Sir Keir Starmer saved the PM by ordering Labour to abstain effectively guaranteeing the government victory
– But move left Mr Johnson exposed to anger on his own benches with measures branded ‚back of fag packet‘
– Sir Keir suffered his own rebellion with 16 Labour MPs breaking ranks to oppose the government’s measures

30.11.2020 - 22:17 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

Only FOUR hospitals in the whole of England are busier now than last winter: As top medics blast No10 for ‚brainwashing PR campaign‘ to scare people into lockdown, use our interactive tool to find out how busy YOUR local trust is

Michael Gove sparked fury over the weekend when he claimed that every hospital in England would be ‚physically overwhelmed‘ by Covid-19 without the Government’s new restrictions, as he tried to persuade MPs and the public to support the brutal curbs.

But NHS England figures paint an entirely different picture, with thousands more hospital beds spare this year than last winter.

30.11.2020 - 09:39 [ France24 ]

France’s top court orders review of Covid-19 restrictions on church attendance

Catholic organisations have challenged the limit, arguing that churches and cathedrals are much more spacious than retail outlets, where the limit is one person per eight square metres.

29.11.2020 - 16:11 [ Lavenir.net ]

VIDÉO | 500 personnes à Liège pour protester contre le couvre-feu: des arrestations et 7 blessés, dont 4 policiers

À 22h15, une partie du cortège s’est retrouvée coincée, encerclée par des policiers sur le pont Maghin, appelé aussi pont Saint-Léonard. Des manifestants qui tentaient de briser le cordon ont été interpellés par les forces de l’ordre, présentes en nombre sur place avec un renfort de la réserve fédérale et notamment deux autopompes prêtes à intervenir.

La police a ensuite procédé à l’identification de chaque personne, qui a dû remettre sa carte d’identité avant d’être… photographiée par la police.

29.11.2020 - 16:04 [ BrusselsTimes.com ]

Coronavirus: Hundreds protest against curfew in Liège

There was no immediate police estimate of the size of the crowd, although, according to law enforcers, there were far more protesters than during a first demonstration, held on 17 November.

29.11.2020 - 15:40 [ DailyMail.co.uk ]

‚This is what happens when we politicians trash ancient liberties‘: MP CHARLES WALKER was left outraged when elderly protester was dragged into a police van outside the Commons

The real villains of the piece are us, the politicians, with our cavalier approach to the trashing of our constituents’ civil liberties. For the past eight months, we have removed these liberties almost without a second thought, relying on the overstretched police to enforce our panoply of new and wretched laws.

I did not vote for these appalling laws but accept that I am part of the political collective that has forced them on our constituents. Merely to suggest that we may be ‘over-cooking the goose’ is to invite the wrath of the ‘high-ups’ in Parliament. It is tantamount to heresy to point out that criminalising parents for seeing their children strikes many as grotesque.

29.11.2020 - 15:15 [ Robin Monotti Graziadei / Twitter ]

LONDON: „Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!“

29.11.2020 - 15:10 [ Le Général, Street journaliste / Twitter ]

„LIBERTE LIBERTE“ à #paris ce soir La bastille

#Violencepolicieres

29.11.2020 - 15:02 [ OpenDemocracy.net ]

France’s ‘global security’ bill

(23.11.2020) Perfectly in line with the trend of the times – and by consequence, we are sorry to have it observed, with very little inventiveness and innovation – these articles impose a general surveillance for the many and a privileged disclosure for the few, as they provide for ground mass surveillance, air mass surveillance and a ban on documenting police action.