October 2022 - Global Covid News & Issues

[qhank]

https://www.dw.com/en/new-german-cov...ths/a-63305695

[shri]

Meanwhile back in the UK...

The Guardian: Latest Covid surge a ‘heavy straw on camel’s back’ for every hospital in UK.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...hospital-in-uk

[Cheeky Kiwi]

Yup, there's more than an even chance of Chung Mau re-implementing hotel quarantine and restrictions.

[Cornmeal]

Despite the anticipated rise in cases this fall, infectious disease specialist Sumon Chakrabarti said there's no cause for panic, or even for many protection measures.

“I don't think you have to do anything specifically this winter to avoid respiratory viruses,” Chakrabarti, who works at Trillium Health Partners in Mississauga, Ont., said in an interview with CTVNews.ca Tuesday. “If you're otherwise healthy, you have immunity, whether from the vaccine or previous COVID. You should do what you did back in 2018.”

Chakrabarti means that people should act as they would before the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the past, increased COVID-19 cases prompted strict lockdown orders and holiday gatherings over Zoom, but Chakrabarti said despite high transmission, the latest Omicron strain is weak and most people who get an infection don't get very sick.

“Omicron itself is much milder and in fact, if you look at it, it actually has a fatality rate of less than influenza,” Chakrabarti said.

Chakrabarti has been treating COVID-19 patients at Mississauga Hospital since April 2020, so he's seen what the situation was like at the start of the pandemic – when patients he described as "relatively healthy" and middle aged needed ventilators – compared to what it's been like in recent months, when few people are extremely sick.

“Even the oldest people, the average age of people coming in with COVID, they're generally all over 80,” he said. “And even they get better and go home.”

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/with-c...-say-1.6096287

[Morrison]

https://www.dw.com/en/new-german-cov...ths/a-63305695

OK-tober fest effect

[qhank]

https://www.smh.com.au/national/not-...10-p5bohc.html

[Cornmeal]

https://www.smh.com.au/national/not-...10-p5bohc.html

Who cares?


In other Aussie news Victoria State seems to have been a quite a bit more brutal than others re: covid enforcement (at least based on this montage, which is reminiscent of 2019 here):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvVaKFB65lw

[qhank]

Deleted

[MABinPengChau]

I received this pithy e-mail from Japan Airlines, the first leg of my trip to the US with American Airlines (huge mistake but had a large flight credit to use):

There being an extremely large number of passengers booked to arrive in Japan.
Due to quarantine procedures and other border control measures in response to the COVID-19 situation,
it takes a long time for all passengers arriving in Japan on international flights to complete entry procedures.
(Depending on the level of congestion, it may take up to 5 hours.)
Please note that even if your itinerary meets the required minimum connection time, you may not be able to connect to your flight.

Wow, just flat-out, you might not get to your connecting flight.

And lots of stuff to do, glad I am not entering Japan...but travelling with all my vaccine certificates, just in case someone, somewhere wants to see them:

■Notice: For Passengers Entering/Re-Entering or Returning to Japan(Updated September 5)
- From 0:00 AM (Japan time) on September 7, 2022, returnees and entrants who hold a vaccination certificate (3 doses) are not required to submit a certificate of examination within 72 hours before departure.
(If you do not have a certificate of vaccination (3 doses),you need to submit a certificate of examination within 72 hours before departure as usual.)
Please be sure to check the JAL website page entitled “Notice to all passengers entering Japan.”

- Request for cooperation from the Government of Japan on preparations prior to travel.
In order to reduce the waiting time when entering Japan, the following cooperation is requested from all visitors to Japan, including Japanese nationals.
Waiting times for those who cooperate are actually shorter than for others.
・Prior to departure : Install government-designated apps.
・At least 6 hours prior to scheduled arrival time in Japan : Complete the Entry Quarantine Fast Track (pre-quarantine procedures) .

- All customers entering or returning to Japan are required to enter the Questionnaire Website of the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Please complete the form before you arrive.
*This is available submitted simultaneously using the Entry Quarantine FastTrack (pre-quarantine procedures) described above.

- The need to the isolate after entry may vary depending on the classification of the country/region where the entrant was staying before entering Japan and whether or not they have a valid vaccination certificate.

I am only transiting to another international flight so shouldn't affect me but we'll see. Pretty sure I have a good chance of missing at least one connection, luggage getting lost, something. Since I am expecting that the whole trip is going to suck, if it goes smoothly, I will be pleasantly surprised.

[qhank]

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapo...se-of-covid-19