Canadian COVID-19 News

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by NaClyDog

Thanks Mike.

Go figure, even my portal (https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/) doesn't look like that!

It's no big deal, I was originally scheduled to get shot 2 in early August and now I'm early July. I can sit and wait my turn.

Appreciate the help though!

Glad to help NaClyDog. It's weird... I started here: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/book-vaccine/ . This seems to take me to the pharmacy option.

But as you say, early July is coming fast. Just good to see it's all coming along. My initial second dose was scheduled for August 1st. I was content with that, but then Ford moved everything up which is when I jumped back into the booking system and found the pharmacy path.

But either way, it's great we're all going to be double-jabbed pretty soon -- much sooner than the original plan of September.

[desodave]

BC (Dr Henry) announced yesterday that BC residents could have whatever vaccine they wanted as a second jab. Supply issues must vary across the country.

We're sitting in Squirrel Cove right now and there are definitely fewer boats than normal. But then we've also had a 7 day SE'er going too. Mac, I can't believe only once in Prideaux Haven... but I agree it is a lot nicer with few other boats in the shoulder seasons. We'll see if the province lifting travel restrictions leads to a dramatic increase in boats here.

[Montanan]

US COVID-19 deaths hit 600,000, equal to yearly cancer toll

The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 600,000 on Tuesday, even as the vaccination drive has drastically brought down daily cases and fatalities and allowed the country to emerge from the gloom and look forward to summer.

The number of lives lost, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University, is greater than the population of Baltimore or Milwaukee. It is about equal to the number of Americans who died of cancer in 2019. Worldwide, the COVID-19 death toll stands at about 3.8 million.

The milestone came the same day that California and New York lifted most of their remaining restrictions

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/us...?ocid=msedgntp

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by desodave

BC (Dr Henry) announced yesterday that BC residents could have whatever vaccine they wanted as a second jab. Supply issues must vary across the country.

We're sitting in Squirrel Cove right now and there are definitely fewer boats than normal. But then we've also had a 7 day SE'er going too. Mac, I can't believe only once in Prideaux Haven... but I agree it is a lot nicer with few other boats in the shoulder seasons. We'll see if the province lifting travel restrictions leads to a dramatic increase in boats here.

We were right across from you in Refuge Cove a couple of days ago and were the ONLY visiting boat there for many hours. Very, very quiet. Heading for Cortez Bay tomorrow with the last of the south-easter, then down to Comox (hopefully on the forecast nortwesterly Thursday morning) for family obligations on the weekend.

Look for us on AIS (just got it installed and working. Quite the system!)

[desodave]

I will look. Where are you now? We have a new to us boat with ais and it has been part of my operating entertainment when motoring. We came from Comox yesterday on a SE breeze ... first sail on the new boat Sedna VI.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by desodave

I will look. Where are you now? We have a new to us boat with ais and it has been part of my operating entertainment when motoring. We came from Comox yesterday on a SE breeze ... first sail on the new boat Sedna VI.

Sedan VI? That's a lot of boats! Do you think you got it right this time? ☺

We're in a little cove just inside the entrance of Malaspina Inlet, SW side, just NW of Thorp Island - pretty well on top of the anchor symbol.

I have the AIS on now so you may be able to pick it up. We're heading for Cortez Bay on the last of the south-easter tomorrow morning.

[Mike OReilly]

Manitoba and Alberta are now using lotteries as incentives to get more people to take the jab. Both provinces have seen their first-jab rates bend down a bit in recent days, so I guess it makes sense.

I heard the Alberta officials explain that they don't expect this to influence the hard-core anti-vaxxers, but they say there is evidence that it can move some honestly hesitant folks. We'll see...

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Manitoba and Alberta are now using lotteries as incentives to get more people to take the jab. Both provinces have seen their first-jab rates bend down a bit in recent days, so I guess it makes sense.

I heard the Alberta officials explain that they don't expect this to influence the hard-core anti-vaxxers, but they say there is evidence that it can move some honestly hesitant folks. We'll see...

'Joints for Jabs' program in Washington state offers free weed to those getting COVID-19 vaccine

Officials at the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board have recently given state licensed cannabis retailers permission to offer one pre-rolled marijuana joint "to adult consumers who receive a vaccination at an in-store vaccination clinic."

There be instant side effects, like the on the onset of hunger and a sense of time slowing.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Manitoba and Alberta are now using lotteries as incentives to get more people to take the jab. Both provinces have seen their first-jab rates bend down a bit in recent days, so I guess it makes sense.

I heard the Alberta officials explain that they don't expect this to influence the hard-core anti-vaxxers, but they say there is evidence that it can move some honestly hesitant folks. We'll see...

What is the matter with people who need to be bribed because of a PUBLIC health hazard?


Unless they have a personal health issue that they can prove, they oughta be...


Sheez, the stupidity.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Montanan

'Joints for Jabs' program in Washington state offers free weed to those getting COVID-19 vaccine

Officials at the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board have recently given state licensed cannabis retailers permission to offer one pre-rolled marijuana joint "to adult consumers who receive a vaccination at an in-store vaccination clinic."

There be instant side effects, like the on the onset of hunger and a sense of time slowing.

Love it! It would certainly be popular here in BC (best pot in the world!) but maybe not as most of the business is still underground ☺

[Mike OReilly]

Personally, I'd rather be offered a pint of good, local craft beer. But weed is good too .

I get your sentiment Stu. It is sad that we need to bribe some people to do, not only the right thing, but the smart thing. But I'm a pragmatist. If that's what it takes, and if it's actually effective (the evidence is mixed so far), then I'm all for it.

There's another CBC story talking to a psychology expert on gambling. He does think it will be an effective strategy, in part because:

Williams said those who are vaccine hesitant because they worry about experiencing very rare side-effects — like those associated with the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, for example — are also likely to overlap with the demographic who perceive their odds of winning a lottery to be higher.

"The people who overestimate the risk of COVID adverse effects are probably the same people who are overestimating the chances of winning the lottery," Williams said.

"It's appealing to that demographic specifically. So, it's particularly clever for that segment of the population."

In other words, people who have a poor grasp of statistics are part of the demographic the lottery strategy will likely be effective with.

[Mike OReilly]

More news from Alberta (can you tell I'm back in Wild Rose country?):

Alberta's COVID-19 vaccination rates tied to levels of formal education, data shows

"What I found was it's actually education, more so than income, that seems to be driving it," said [Economist Blake Shaffer], who works at the University of Calgary.

Simply put, he said, areas where more people have a university degree tend to have higher vaccination rates.

[Stu Jackson]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Personally, I'd rather be offered a pint of good, local craft beer. But weed is good too .

I get your sentiment Stu. It is sad that we need to bribe some people to do, not only the right thing, but the smart thing. But I'm a pragmatist. If that's what it takes, and if it's actually effective (the evidence is mixed so far), then I'm all for it.

REVERSE SNOBBERY & UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES


Hey, Mike, I getcha. But what about if the govt gave all those goodies to those of us WHO DID THE RIGHT THING, instead of the freeloaders who won't.


I "demand" my weed, craft beer and free Amazon Prime for an hour!


WaPo ran a story the other day about how the covidiots who refuse are getting sicker than those who don't, by US State.


Now I know why Alberta is "North Texas." Sheez...


Bonnie, keep the border closed!!! BOTH borders.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

Hey, Mike, I getcha. But what about if the govt gave all those goodies to those of us WHO DID THE RIGHT THING, instead of the freeloaders who won't.

Well, to be fair, the lottery is open to everyone who has got their first shot. So it's not just the hold-outs who might benefit.

[desodave]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

More news from Alberta (can you tell I'm back in Wild Rose country?):

Alberta's COVID-19 vaccination rates tied to levels of formal education, data shows

To be fair to the article rather than the headline, it is a correlation not a cause. There are a number of factors that are discussed in the article why the correlation is as it is - access to vaccine, history, job situations, political leanings as some. It also talks about what I'll call validation, ie, those who believe the messenger rather than the logic in a message. Like Stu I'm a bit perplexed by the hesitancy and the need to bribe people but .... if it works, why not. Unfortunately a huge number of people think about themselves and not about society as a whole. And it's not just Alberta ... perhaps a higher proportion there than in BC but there will still be a significant number in all provinces imo.