Displaying items by tag: pandemic

Thursday, 24 February 2022 20:42

China: Hong Kong healthcare overwhelmed

Hong Kong is compulsorily testing all its 7.5 million citizens as the city battles surging coronavirus infections. Residents must undergo three rounds of tests starting in March. Hong Kong is trying to adhere to China's ‘zero Covid’ policy, but Omicron has overwhelmed hospitals, testing and quarantine facilities. While other parts of the world are learning to live with the disease, China's policy is to try to eradicate infection through early testing, detailed contact tracing and strict quarantine and travel restrictions. Tens of thousands of new isolation spaces are being created for those who test positive, but chief executive Carrie Lam conceded the new measures may not succeed. ‘The coming one to three months are crucial in fighting the pandemic,’ she told reporters. ‘This quickly worsening epidemic has far exceeded the Hong Kong government's ability to tackle it.’

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 10 February 2022 21:22

Strategy for living with Covid

‘It is my intention to return on the first day after the half-term recess to present our strategy for living with Covid’, Boris Johnson has said. ‘Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions - including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive - a full month early.’ The law will be replaced with guidance; for example, people will be urged not to go to work if they have Covid. The PM added, ‘The self-isolation regulations expire on 24 March, at which point I very much expect not to renew them. Indeed, were the data to allow, I would like to seek a vote in this House to bring that date forwards’ Downing Street also suggested there could be an update on the remaining travel rules when Mr Johnson sets out his ‘living with Covid strategy’ later this month.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 10 February 2022 20:58

Canada: truckers’ protests cause chaos

A movement which started in January as a loosely organised convoy of truckers has now raised millions of dollars and is causing chaos.Trucker convoy demonstrations are spreading across Canada by protesters opposed to vaccine mandates and other pandemic restrictions. After days of chaotic disruption by trucks blocking streets and blowing their horns day and night, Ottawa’s mayor declared a state of emergency because the situation is out of control. Increasing resident frustration has brought confrontations, some physical. Some protesters drive vehicles on pavements and stunt drive and there are allegations of mischief, theft, property damage and hate crimes in many provinces. The protesters said they don’t want physical confrontation with the authorities, but are willing to be arrested for their beliefs. Supporters have donated portable toilets, tents, fully equipped kitchens, tables with toiletries, and portable generators. Truckers slept in their cabs while others used home rentals. On 9 February four provinces reduced coronavirus restrictions to bring the protests to heel. Protesters’ demands now include removing the PM.

Published in Worldwide
Thursday, 20 January 2022 20:15

Anti-vaccine protesters

‘Sovereign citizen defence’ uses obsolete ancient law to challenge Covid regulations. They distribute fake legal documents to teachers, parents, and health workers outside schools and hospitals, accusing the Government of ‘vaccine genocide’. ‘Sovereign citizens' and ‘freemen on the land’ wrongly believe they possess legal power to bring politicians, civil servants and scientists before ‘common law courts’, claiming Covid restrictions and vaccinations are illegal. Now a newly-formed group, ‘Alpha Men Assemble’ (AMA), combines anti-vaccine and sovereign citizen beliefs. It trains members in ‘direct action’ in breaking through police lines, marching formations and sparring. They post training sessions online for UK members. Believing they are immune from government rules, they have violently confronted police in Australia and the US. UK’s AMA only started in December, but numbers swelled to 7,000 after a recent training session for recruits.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 13 January 2022 20:59

PM under pressure

About thirty people including Boris Johnson attended a ‘bring-your-own-drink’ party in Downing Street’s garden during the first lockdown. The gathering - and others that had happened under Covid restrictions - are now subject to an independent enquiry by Sue Grey. Because of the way he handled recent events and evaded probing questions before admitting attending the drinks party, the PM has damaged public confidence in him. He now faces calls to resign from Labour and some senior Tories. Conservative MP William Wragg said there is a carelessness among people in government over standards and possibly more than that. The inquiry could make or break Johnson’s premiership as his government descends into open warfare as he defied Scottish and English Tory politicians. He survived probably the worst day in his political career without Cabinet resignations, a leadership challenge, or a confidence vote among MPs.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 13 January 2022 19:47

China: starving through lockdown

Authorities are cracking down hard to make China Covid-free ahead of the Winter Olympics. In a Maoist-style shaming stunt, four violators of Covid rules were paraded through Jingxi city wearing hazmat suits, with placards showing their names and photographs round their necks and surrounded by armed police in riot gear. At Christmas, China imposed a lockdown on Xi'an city (population 13 million) and Yuzhou city (1.2 million inhabitants) after finding three cases of Covid. Residents cannot leave home, even to buy food. Government workers have been distributing aid, but the distribution is patchy, resulting in many desperate stories leaking onto social media of residents near to starvation, bartering mobile phones for food. Some people are living on one egg or one bowl of porridge a day. 'I'm about to be starved to death,' was one message. Recently authorities turfed a thousand people out of their homes at midnight and carted them off to grim quarantine facilities. See

Published in Worldwide

Covid jab appointments at mass vaccination centres are being block-booked by people who have no intention of getting inoculated. Wembley Stadium, which is being used to roll out thousands of shots before Christmas, is one of the sites where they have been employing this tactic. On 19 December staff said that patients had not arrived for their bookings and the centre was ‘really quiet’. The site had hoped to inoculate 10,000 people, but only 2,500 had been administered by mid-afternoon. Anti-vaxxers have employed similar tactics at other sites around the country. However, a spokesman said, ‘Any suspected disruption has been offset by the number of walk-ins, including thousands of local residents, many of whom have made a big step in coming forwards to start their vaccination journey, as well as very high numbers of boosters.’

Published in British Isles
Wednesday, 22 December 2021 21:34

Covid circuit breaker request

A group of scientists are urgently calling upon the Government to utilise a ten-day circuit breaker lockdown to get Covid numbers under control as the UK breaks its record for daily new cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Independent Sage (not affiliated to the Government's own Sage) issued the emergency statement calling for circuit-breaker measures to be implemented immediately if the spread of Omicron is to be halted. We pray for God’s timing over every decision made regarding the pandemic. Father God, we ask you to give Boris Johnson’s spirit the discernment needed to hear your voice and the strength to do your will. May all our politicians be deaf to flawed agendas of man or harmful distractions of the enemy. May they carry the authority You gave them with grace and unity. We pray for politicians to have a double portion of wisdom.

Published in British Isles
Wednesday, 22 December 2021 21:28

Some who shielded need support now

Twenty charities are calling for more support for patients with severely weakened immune systems who risk severe Covid illness if they catch the virus. Many have had three jabs, but still need a fourth for better protection. For example, Hal Cohen had a kidney transplant two years ago and takes immunosuppressants to stop his body rejecting the organ. He had his third vaccine in July but was told despite this that his body is not making enough antibodies to fight off the virus. The charities said, ‘Those who are immunosuppressed due to a health condition or treatment are advised to have a fourth Covid jab three months after their third dose.’ They are calling a smooth rollout of booster jabs for these people, which should provide much needed extra protection.

Published in British Isles
Wednesday, 15 December 2021 21:31

Needle-free coronavirus vaccine enters clinical trial

Safety trials are underway for a Cambridge-led vaccine that could be used as a booster targeting Covid variants which threaten future coronavirus pandemics. The first volunteer received the vaccine on 14 December through a needle-free ‘injection’ - a blast of air that delivers it into the skin. This offers a possible future alternative to people who fear needle-based jabs. If it is successful it could be scaled up and manufactured as a powder to boost global vaccination efforts, particularly in low and middle-income countries. As new variants emerge there is a need for newer technologies. It’s vital that science continues to develop new generation vaccines. Pray for this new trial to lead the way for vaccines that will prime the immune system to respond with broader, stronger protection. The vaccine trial will follow up volunteers for about a year to ensure it is safe.

Published in British Isles