Northern Europe during Pandemic -- Summers 2020 & 2021 & onwards

[CatNewBee]

If no one wants to get a shot anymore, there is no need to keep the all the measures in place. The vaccinated are protected and the other have done their choices. No need for nannying any more or for restrictions.

The vulnarable are vaccinated or chose not to, like one would decide for intensive care or not in an accident, it is the will of the patient. No need for testing, mask mandates or curfews. End of state of emergency and back to normal.

You cannot protect people that do not want to be protected. The unvaccinated do not fear the virus, so they would not be anal like the vaccinated about masks and distancing anyway, they are not scared, they will probably live a free life much earlier than the vaccinated and not care much about the measures in the private areas of their lifes where govt. has no access to any way, like private gatherings etc.

They may be bullied by testing for restaurants, events or hair cut shops to get the shot. But otherwise they will meet people, don't use masks, hug friends and family with compassion, socialise... This is like civil resistance to an overreaching state. Fear spread by the media doesn't work for them, nor does it work for family and friends. Either they accept the decision and don't discuss it again and again (what real family and friends will do at the end), or they stay away and break up the relationship - what is perfectly OK too, you don't want intollerant dickheads around you any way.

I mean look around, masks on the streets, masks in the stores, everybody seams to comply, and then daytrip boats full to their capacity of partying people without distance, clothes, masks, hugging, kissing, singing, drinking, dancing together every day on the water here.

People celebrate weddings, birthdays, life.

[goboatingnow]

You cannot protect people that do not want to be protected. The unvaccinated do not fear the virus, so they would not be anal like the vaccinated about masks and distancing anyway, they are not scared, they will probably live a free life much earlier than the vaccinated and not care much about the measures in the private areas of their lifes where govt. has no access to any way, like private gatherings etc.

They may not foolishly fear it , but it will still kill them

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

.....
People celebrate weddings, birthdays, life.

And funerals.

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

They may not foolishly fear it , but it will still kill them

Very unlikely, with a 99.9% survival rate for the not vulnerable group.

[CatNewBee]

Originally Posted by Paul L

And funerals.

Yes, weddings and funerals are the biggest gatherings. And most often the reason for them was not Covid.

[dannc]

Originally Posted by Exile

Too many these days would prefer that their political prejudices and stereotypes be the "end of the story," and so they rely on biased information and anecdotes that support their personal preferences at the expense of actual facts.

"Part of the challenge is that the unvaccinated live in communities dotted throughout the United States, in both lightly and densely populated counties. Though some states like Missouri and Arkansas have significantly lagged the nation in vaccination rates, unvaccinated Americans are, to varying degrees, everywhere: In Cook County, Ill., which includes Chicago, 51 percent of residents are fully vaccinated. Los Angeles County is barely higher, at 53 percent. In Wake County, N.C., part of the liberal, high-tech Research Triangle area, the vaccination rate is 55 percent."...l

Since you brought up NC.

Robeson county is rural, poor, and a minority, majority county. Two thirds of the population are Black or Indian with the rest being other races, but mostly White. 32% of the county has had one shot and 27% have had two. Robeson county looks to have the worst jab rate in NC. Having said that, there are too many NC counties that have jab rates in the 30% or 40% range.

If one looks at the Research Triangle Park(RTP) region, which is in two counties, the jab rate is high for the state. However, if one digs into the numbers, minority areas have low, or very low, vaccination rates, just like Robeson county. These low vaccination rates are not political but mostly due to historical distrust of government.

Vaccinations were and are free for everyone, heck at this point, you can get PAID to get the jab. Access to getting vaccinations was pretty wide spread though sites are now shutting down due to lack of demand. Urban areas could more easily get vaccinated while rural areas have the problem of getting to a place offering jabs but that does not really explain low jab rates in rural areas.

We want to visit the NL next year. the pandemic stopped the planned visit in 2020. What is encouraging is that the UK and NL numbers are showing a large, sharp increase in cases followed by an large sharp decrease. Hopefully, this will be the last bit of this mess for Europe. I think it is going to take longer in he US due to geographic and population size. But, hopefully we will be mostly done with this in a few months.

Later,
Dan

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

Yes, weddings and funerals are the biggest gatherings. And most often the reason for them was not Covid.

Hay, that is real progress acknowledging that some of the funerals are due to Covid.

[CatNewBee]

Sure, some died with covid, some even on covid, some on the covid vaccines, most die on cancer, heart attacks and simply old age. Never said anything else.

[Dockhead]

Meanwhile -- ahem -- back in Northern Europe:

Situation today continues to be very good, with life quite normal everywhere, varying, mostly low, rates of infection despite the Delta variant, and almost no death at all.







Great to see Germany doing so well after struggling throughout the spring.


Europe as a whole is at 151 per million daily infections, a pretty low rate, and in our region only Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania are slightly above that, whereas Norway, Sweden, and Latvia are way below at under 100.


As far as death is concerned, Europe as a whole is at 0.54, compare to over 10 during the worst of it and nearly 20 in some countries. Our whole region except Estonia and Lithuania are below that, and those are only slightly above. Absolute lowest death rate in Europe is in Sweden, where it's 0.01 on a rolling seven day average. Sweden has a population of about 10 million, so I guess that means one person died during the entire last week.


The UK was having a horrible outbreak just about the time the "Freedom Day" end of restrictions was announced, with daily infections at over 700 per million. Since then the rate fell to below 400 and is now slightly above 400. Death rate is 1.31, nearly 3x the European average, but that's still less than 1/10 of what it was at the worst, and I guess will seem acceptable under the circumstances.



Vaccination in the UK reached a high level earliest of all large countries in the world, but proceeds now at a slow pace for some reason. In the Nordic region, vaccination continues to proceed at a high rate, and Denmark already passed the UK in total doses administered per 100 people and percentage of people vaccinated. In Denmark, more than 75% of the entire population is already vaccinated, Sweden is at 65%, and Europe as a whole is 61%, whereas the U.S. after early success is stuck at 58%.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by dannc

. . . Hopefully, this will be the last bit of this mess for Europe.. .

From your lips to God's ears . . .

[CatNewBee]

some more debunked conspiracy theories...
https://youtu.be/sj5P65YzphM

[Exile]

Originally Posted by CatNewBee

some more debunked conspiracy theories...
https://youtu.be/sj5P65YzphM

Some important points made but mostly looks like pure politics to me. I think it's better to question and, when necessary, criticize govt actions without always demonizing specific actors. On either "side."

[goboatingnow]

I agree the prognosis in Europe looks good , Ireland ( the forgotten northern European country !! ) is now vaccinating 12-16 year olds with 78% as of today of the adult pop double vaccinated. Huge signup amongst 16-20 year olds Vaccine supply now exceeds application rate ( 1.38 people per 100 per day is one of highest in the EU) ) 400,000 AZ supplied to UN programme

Restrictions gradually relaxing , indoor dining and drinking on presentation of vaccine cert etc

Projections suggest actual non vaccine take up will be around 2% of those that have free choice

Cant see mask mandates ( shop and public transport ) disappearing before Christmas.

Ps. The huge phizer plant in grange castle outside Dublin ( 5000 employees ) has now turned on its vaccine production facility ( final packaging in Belgium ) my brother is responsible for building these !

Everyone now expects Phizer boosters next year.

[CatNewBee]

https://youtu.be/GWPIhgknRhI

Sure, boostets and afterburners, masks and distancing, what else?

[Dockhead]

Last stop on our summer cruise was on the Swedish mainland.


We went to 5 different restaurants before we found one which wasn't full up.


Not a mask in sight. People enjoying life; it's as if the pandemic never happened. One of the lowest infection rates in Europe, AND 2/3 of the entire population are vaccinated. Is it over here?


We arrived late last night in Denmark, where I haven't been since June. We'll see what it's like here, but I suspect it's much the same despite the relatively higher infection rate. However, when I left Denmark in June, you had to show a vaccination card to dine indoors. Don't know if that's still the case.