Covid - Plan B & Omicron

[Chippy_Tea]

Face coverings will be mandatory again in shops and on public transport in England from next week, the PM said, after two people were infected with the Covid variant, Omicron.
PCR tests for everyone entering the UK will be introduced and all contacts of new variant cases will have to self-isolate, even if fully jabbed.
Boris Johnson said Christmas would be "considerably better" than last year.
The measures were "temporary and precautionary", he added.
Mr Johnson announced the restrictions at a Downing Street news conference with the chief scientific adviser to the government, Sir Patrick Vallance, and the UK's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty.
Earlier it was confirmed that Omicron cases had been detected in Brentwood, Essex, and Nottingham. Officials said the cases were linked and connected to travel in southern Africa.

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The new Omicron variant was first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on Wednesday. Early evidence suggests it has a higher re-infection risk.
Countries around the world are currently racing to introduce travel bans and restrictions on southern African countries in an effort to contain the variant's spread.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59445124

 

[An Ankoù]

Australia closed to all. Any arrivals. regardless of where they've come from, have to do a 72 hour quarantine (if that's not a contradiction in terms, which it is, but you know what I mean). Bojo recommends face masks in shops and public transport, which was never enforced. May the gods of wherever save us.
And I thought Scomo was a useless twonk, which he is!
Edit:
It was NSW, not the whole of Australia.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Bojo recommends face masks in shops and public transport, which was never enforced.

It was here you couldn't get on a bus or into a supermarket without a mask and people generally stuck to it in the smaller shops ETC, they should never have relaxed the rule we had got used to wearing them.

 

[An Ankoù]

It was here you couldn't get on a bus or into a supermarket without a mask and people generally stuck to it in the smaller shops ETC, they should never have relaxed the rule we had got used to wearing them.

I'm glad to hear it. I only get the carp that the newspapers report. Let's hope everyone will fall back into line while they sort out what this omicron variant is up to.

 

[Irishwizard]

Great - what about all the folk with CVD and COPD from the mining industry

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Great - what about all the folk with CVD and COPD from the mining industry

They were exempt last time so i assume they will be exempt this time.

 

[Irishwizard]

They were exempt last time so i assume they will be exempt this time.

Great news - Thank You!!

 

[Jon1964]

Omicron could have picked a better name.
It's Moronic

 

[dad_of_jon]

at least by the end of the pandemic we'll be a lot more familiar with the greek alphabet

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Omicron
Omicron is the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 70. This letter is derived from the Phoenician letter ayin. In classical Greek, omicron represented the sound in contrast to omega and ου. Wikipedia

 

[Hop_it]

Omicron

Omicron is the 15th letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals it has a value of 70. This letter is derived from the Phoenician letter ayin. In classical Greek, omicron represented the sound in contrast to omega and ου. Wikipedia

Did Latin at school for a few years, but the rest of the "Classics" are all Greek to me :tinhat:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

 

[Chippy_Tea]

The new coronavirus variant Omicron has been detected in 13 people who arrived in the Dutch capital Amsterdam on two flights from South Africa.
They are among 61 passengers who tested positive for coronavirus.
It comes as tighter restrictions come into force in the Netherlands, amid record Covid cases and concerns over the new variant.
This includes early closing times for hospitality and cultural venues, and limits on home gatherings.
Omicron was first reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) by South Africa on Wednesday, and early evidence suggests it has a higher re-infection risk. It has been categorised by the WHO as a "variant of concern".

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The flights by Dutch national carrier KLM from Johannesburg arrived on Friday. Some 600 passengers were held for several hours after arrival while they were tested for the virus.
The passengers who have Covid-19 have been quarantined at a hotel near Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.
Those that tested negative have been asked to isolate at home for five days and take further tests. Officials said those in transit would be allowed to continue their journeys, though there were reports on Saturday that some passengers had not received written proof of a negative test and were therefore unable to board onward flights.
Following the announcement of the 13 Omicron cases, Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge made an "urgent request" for people returning from southern Africa to get tested for Covid "as soon as possible".
"It is not unthinkable that there are more cases in the Netherlands," he told reporters.
Cases of the new variant have also been confirmed in several European countries, including the UK, Germany and Italy, as well as Botswana, Israel, Australia and Hong Kong.
A number of countries around the world have now banned or restricted flights to and from South Africa and several neighbouring nations in response to the new variant.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands is one of several European countries struggling to contain record numbers of infections.
It has a shortage of intensive care beds, operations are being cancelled and hundreds of people are dying of Covid every week, the BBC's Anna Holligan in The Hague reports.
The new restrictions in the country came into force on Sunday morning and will remain in place for at least the next three weeks.
The rules set closing times for shops and venues, and limit the number of guests allowed in people's homes.
People are also being encouraged to work from home where possible, but nurseries, schools and universities across the country will stay open.
Thousands of people protested after the measures were announced.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-59451103

 

[The Baron]

More riots then:tinhat:

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Nicola Sturgeon: Covid travel curbs 'may need to go further'

Travel restrictions may need to be tightened further in the coming days due to the Omicron Covid variant, Scotland's first minister has said.
Ten countries in southern Africa have been added to the "red list" due to concerns about the new variant, with PCR tests for all incoming travellers.
But Nicola Sturgeon said she thought more action may be needed amid concerns about the new variant.
She said "we must be open minded to doing anything" to keep people safe.

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From 04:00 on Tuesday, it is expected that people travelling into the UK from any destination will have to take a PCR test by the end of the second day after arrival, and self-isolate until they get a negative result.
And everyone who comes into contact with a case of Omicron will have to self-isolate, even if they have had both vaccine doses.
UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the UK "could not have acted more swiftly" in response to the new variant.
Ms Sturgeon also told the BBC's Andrew Marr show that rules were being introduced "as quickly as possible", but added: "I think we may need to go further in restricting travel in the days to come. I hope I'm wrong, but we must keep our minds open to that."
Asked if this might mean new restrictions on travel between Scotland and England, Ms Sturgeon said this would be a "last resort" but added: "We need to be open-minded to doing anything to keep the population safe."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-59451117

 

[Chippy_Tea]

A third case of the Omicron coronavirus variant has been detected in the UK, the Health Security Agency has said.

Officials said the case was linked to travel to southern Africa, where the variant was identified, but the individual was no longer in the UK.
The agency said the individual spent time in Westminster, central London.
They added it was "very likely that we will find more cases over the coming days... as we increase case detection through focused contact tracing".
The first UK cases were confirmed on Saturday in Brentwood, Essex and Nottingham. Officials said the cases were linked and connected to travel in southern Africa.
Early evidence suggests the variant - first reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on Wednesday - has a higher re-infection risk.
On Saturday, the government announced that face masks will be compulsory in shops and on public transport in England, and UK arrivals are expected to have to take PCR tests from Tuesday in response to the new variant.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said they had acted "swiftly" and "in a proportionate way".

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59453744

 

[Leon103]

Everything coming out of SA says that this new variant gives milder symptoms. Perhaps it would be better if we let it spread before it mutates again.

 

[The Cat]

Everything coming out of SA says that this new variant gives milder symptoms. Perhaps it would be better if we let it spread before it mutates again.

Am no expert but I would suggest it's a good reminder for people to start using precautions again as everyone has gotten too blaise about it all.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Am no expert but I would suggest it's a good reminder for people to start using precautions again as everyone has gotten too blaise about it all.

Spot on Cat i wonder how many will forget their masks tomorrow.

 

[Leon103]

Am no expert but I would suggest it's a good reminder for people to start using precautions again as everyone has gotten too blaise about it all.

That reminds, I must go to the chemist and get a 9 pack