Covid restrictions abroad: updates & observations

[Mag_seven]

Possibly also Portugal but @Giugiaro can correct me on this

Portugal ditched them months ago.

 

[Giugiaro]

Possibly also Portugal but @Giugiaro can correct me on this

Only for going to Health Centres and Hospitals. COVID-19 has ceased to be a thing in Portugal and is basically considered a seasonal disease.
I finally got ill with COVID-19 two years after the disease became known, and I was still required to go to work, so...

 

[SouthEastBuses]

Portugal ditched them months ago.

Like Italy then, great to hear.

Only for going to Health Centres and Hospitals. COVID-19 has ceased to be a thing in Portugal and is basically considered a seasonal disease.
I finally got ill with COVID-19 two years after the disease became known, and I was still required to go to work, so...

Sorry to hear you've been ill, but at least things are back to normal in Portugal, so that's a good thing.

Portugal's restrications are basically like Italy then. In Italy, the only places which still has a mask mandate are hospitals. Otherwise, no masks required (I had the pleasure of riding a city bus in Naples and the train from Naples to a village in the north of my region mask free).

Apologies for not having the will to research this myself, but could someone please tell me what the official mask rules are on public transport across the channel? Would I be right in saying that the only country still requiring masks on public transport is Germany?
Thanks

Actually, I just realised that according to gov.uk, apparently Greece still has a legal requirement to wear masks on public transport. However, when I went to Rhodes in August, nobody (whether passengers or the driver) was wearing them, so I have a feeling that the mandate has been abolished in Greece too.

 

[danm14]

Apologies for not having the will to research this myself, but could someone please tell me what the official mask rules are on public transport across the channel? Would I be right in saying that the only country still requiring masks on public transport is Germany?
Thanks

You'll probably be able to add the Republic of Ireland to the list later today.

It is being reported that a surprise meeting between the Taoiseach, HSE and chief medical officer will take place tomorrow, with the chief medical officer recommending mandatory masks due to "a significant increase in cases of Covid-19 and other seasonal respiratory diseases in circulation, including flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Strep A."

Decision on face masks on public transport expected before Christmas

Chief clinical officer expressed concern this week about a significant increase in cases of Covid-19 and other seasonal respiratory diseases

www.irishtimes.com

Government leaders are expected to make a decision before Christmas on a recommendation from the chief medical officer, Prof Breda Smyth, that people travelling on public transport should start wearing face masks again.

Looks like we can look forward to this nonsense for two or three months every year for the rest of our lives then.

 

[Richard Scott]

You'll probably be able to add the Republic of Ireland to the list later today.

It is being reported that a surprise meeting between the Taoiseach, HSE and chief medical officer will take place tomorrow, with the chief medical officer recommending mandatory masks due to "a significant increase in cases of Covid-19 and other seasonal respiratory diseases in circulation, including flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and Strep A."

Decision on face masks on public transport expected before Christmas

Chief clinical officer expressed concern this week about a significant increase in cases of Covid-19 and other seasonal respiratory diseases

www.irishtimes.com

Looks like we can look forward to this nonsense for two or three months every year for the rest of our lives then.

How ridiculous, based on some recommendation by someone who needs a quick fix of their 15 minutes of fame. Perhaps they should be asking for a full scientific review as to why this is necessary?

 

[gordonthemoron]

I have a friend in Hainan, it would appear that half of the Chinese population has covid

 

[berneyarms]

How ridiculous, based on some recommendation by someone who needs a quick fix of their 15 minutes of fame. Perhaps they should be asking for a full scientific review as to why this is necessary?

Let’s wait and see what they actually say later before jumping in with all guns blazing.

Your comment is very unfair about our CMO wanting “15 minutes of fame”. She and our government are having to deal with a massive crisis in the Irish Health Service right now. There has been a massive surge in admissions, and the Irish Health Service simply doesn’t have anything like the capacity needed to deal with surges in demand for hospital beds such as the current one, which is being caused primarily by respiratory illnesses.

 

[nw1]

I have a friend in Hainan, it would appear that half of the Chinese population has covid

So much for their government's ridiculous policies then!

Clearly just a way to control and silence the population and stifle the dissent which I suspect they are very afraid of.

 

[Richard Scott]

Let’s wait and see what they actually say later before jumping in with all guns blazing.

Your comment is very unfair about our CMO wanting “15 minutes of fame”. She and our government are having to deal with a massive crisis in the Irish Health Service right now. There has been a massive surge in admissions, and the Irish Health Service simply doesn’t have anything like the capacity needed to deal with surges in demand for hospital beds such as the current one, which is being caused primarily by respiratory illnesses.

Just saying these restrictions, if they happen, need justifying. It might be unfair but seems moment there's an issue the masks option gets proposed as though it's a magic solution. If they're dealing with a problem then they need to propose sensible and scientific options. It's what they're paid for so get no sympathy from me.

 

[Bantamzen]

Let’s wait and see what they actually say later before jumping in with all guns blazing.

Your comment is very unfair about our CMO wanting “15 minutes of fame”. She and our government are having to deal with a massive crisis in the Irish Health Service right now. There has been a massive surge in admissions, and the Irish Health Service simply doesn’t have anything like the capacity needed to deal with surges in demand for hospital beds such as the current one, which is being caused primarily by respiratory illnesses.

We have had a similar problem in the UK for as long as anyone can remember. Every winter the NHS struggles as people get more respiratory illnesses, and its because of continued under-funding and/or bad management for the Health Service. Covid is just an excuse that managers can hide behind. Making people wear masks on public transport will have sod all effect on what happens every single year.

 

[danm14]

Your comment is very unfair about our CMO wanting “15 minutes of fame”. She and our government are having to deal with a massive crisis in the Irish Health Service right now. There has been a massive surge in admissions, and the Irish Health Service simply doesn’t have anything like the capacity needed to deal with surges in demand for hospital beds such as the current one, which is being caused primarily by respiratory illnesses.

The Irish health service is permanently in a state of crisis of one sort of another. The solution is to attempt to fix it, rather than to expect people to restrict their lives based on its capacity. We've been hearing "it can't be fixed overnight" for years if not decades - at a certain point that ceases to be a valid excuse.

But over the past three years, rather than blaming the government, we'd been trained to blame each other - a sentiment that has been dying off as 2022 progressed, so the old reliables will have to be trotted out to bring it back.

It's not our fault, blame those people over there. They simply didn't "#HoldFirm" enough, and they haven't been doing it "#ForUsAll", whatever "it" is. We "don't always know who's at risk from Covid-19 and other viruses, but we do know how to protect them" - and those bad people over there were just too selfish to do it.

We cannot continue to go through the psychological torture of being left to wonder whether restrictions will be reintroduced every Christmas and at two or three month intervals throughout the year - as we've already had in March, June/July, October and now December 2022.

 

[berneyarms]

We have had a similar problem in the UK for as long as anyone can remember. Every winter the NHS struggles as people get more respiratory illnesses, and its because of continued under-funding and/or bad management for the Health Service. Covid is just an excuse that managers can hide behind. Making people wear masks on public transport will have sod all effect on what happens every single year.

Unfortunately I think that the Irish Health Service is in a far more precarious state than the NHS is in GB. It takes far less to push it over the tipping point sadly.

 

[Bantamzen]

Unfortunately I think that the Irish Health Service is in a far more precarious state than the NHS is in GB. It takes far less to push it over the tipping point sadly.

Well masks aren't going help that, the Irish government need to get their priorities right rather than token gestures.

 

[berneyarms]

The Irish health service is permanently in a state of crisis of one sort of another. The solution is to attempt to fix it, rather than to expect people to restrict their lives based on its capacity. We've been hearing "it can't be fixed overnight" for years if not decades - at a certain point that ceases to be a valid excuse.

But over the past three years, rather than blaming the government, we'd been trained to blame each other - a sentiment that has been dying off as 2022 progressed, so the old reliables will have to be trotted out to bring it back.

It's not our fault, blame those people over there. They simply didn't "#HoldFirm" enough, and they haven't been doing it "#ForUsAll", whatever "it" is. We "don't always know who's at risk from Covid-19 and other viruses, but we do know how to protect them" - and those bad people over there were just too selfish to do it.

We cannot continue to go through the psychological torture of being left to wonder whether restrictions will be reintroduced every Christmas and at two or three month intervals throughout the year - as we've already had in March, June/July, October and now December 2022.

I agree that our health service is certainly is in almost permanent crisis. That isn’t going to change quickly.

But personally speaking I think you are out of step with most people in Ireland.

Maybe it’s because I suspect I am older than you, and that I’ve sadly seen what the people on the ground at the coalface go through in the hospitals several times over in winter, and the amazing lengths that they go to look after their patients.

Personally I think most Irish people have a more benevolent view than you, and did see measures like we had as trying to do our bit (rightly or wrongly) to support the health service staff.

I do think that the majority of Irish people have a collective sense of togetherness rather than a more-self centred one as many in GB and some in NI express. That’s just a difference in national characteristics in my view.

I’m no particular fan of wearing masks either, but no decision has been made about them, so let’s not put the cart before the horse.

Well masks aren't going help that, the Irish government need to get their priorities right rather than token gestures.

Well as I said above, firstly Ireland is different to Britain, and probably has a benevolent view of things like this, but secondly no decision has been announced yet.

Let’s not put the cart before the horse.

At the same time I think I’d trust a CMO over random posts on the internet.

I don’t really want to get into a mask debate, I just wanted to put a bit of context in terms of the problems that the Irish health service faces, which are worse than in GB.

 

[danm14]

Well masks aren't going help that, the Irish government need to get their priorities right rather than token gestures.

They will allow the government to be seen to be doing something, enable the deflection of blame away from the government onto those who will not comply with restrictions, and ultimately allow the government to credit their action with the natural decline in infections which will happen in a couple of weeks time. What more could you possibly want?

 

[Merseysider]

Just had a few days in Sweden and it’s felt completely normal. Most enjoyable / relaxing part of my holiday so far.

Literally seen just two or three “keep your distance” signs not taken down yet and masks are almost completely gone.

No paranoia, filling in forms or archaic paint still on the pavement

I imagine Helsinki will feel much the same tomorrow.

 

[Watershed]

According to RTE:

Mr Varadkar [the Taoiseach] said that there are currently no proposals to reintroduce a mask mandate

The article is said to have been updated an hour ago, although of course the quote could be older than this.

 

[danm14]

The article is said to have been updated an hour ago, although of course the quote could be older than this.

If this remains the case after he meets with the Minister of Health and HSE this afternoon, I will be very pleasantly surprised.

It does certainly seem a lot more positive than the media were suggesting last night and this morning, but I am mindful that the Irish government would repeatedly throughout 2020 and 2021 suggest that there were no current proposals to introduce a given restriction - very shortly before a meeting where they were fully aware that a proposal to introduce that restriction would be made and accepted.

If this turns out to have been simply blown out of proportion by the media, I will be most happy indeed. Once we make it to the end of February without restrictions "needing to be" imposed, I am very confident that that will be the final nail in the coffin for their reimposition at any point in the future - for we will have made it a full year, including a Christmas and a Winter, without them.

 

[Mainline421]

Does anyone remember the 'emergency lockdown' in Sweden in winter 2020? I certainly don't, but Devi Sridhar seems to have hallucinations of one:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/dec/21/china-covid-surge-vaccination-data-infected


(a 'useful' link is provided on the words 'winter of 2020', but it just links to a review of a book which mentions nothing whatever about this mythical event).

If we ever needed proof that some of these people just make stuff up as they go along to suit their agenda, this may be a rather good and trivial example.

That article has now been amended. Arguably still implies they went further than they did, but it is at least now technically accurate.

 

[greyman42]

We have had a similar problem in the UK for as long as anyone can remember. Every winter the NHS struggles as people get more respiratory illnesses, and its because of continued under-funding and/or bad management for the Health Service.

Another reason for the problem is that people are in a poor state of health, such as being overweight, due to an unhealthy lifestyle.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I agree that our health service is certainly is in almost permanent crisis. That isn’t going to change quickly.

But personally speaking I think you are out of step with most people in Ireland.

Maybe it’s because I suspect I am older than you, and that I’ve sadly seen what the people on the ground at the coalface go through in the hospitals several times over in winter, and the amazing lengths that they go to look after their patients.

Personally I think most Irish people have a more benevolent view than you, and did see measures like we had as trying to do our bit (rightly or wrongly) to support the health service staff.

I do think that the majority of Irish people have a collective sense of togetherness rather than a more-self centred one as many in GB and some in NI express. That’s just a difference in national characteristics in my view.

I’m no particular fan of wearing masks either, but no decision has been made about them, so let’s not put the cart before the horse.


Well as I said above, firstly Ireland is different to Britain, and probably has a benevolent view of things like this, but secondly no decision has been announced yet.

Let’s not put the cart before the horse.

At the same time I think I’d trust a CMO over random posts on the internet.

I don’t really want to get into a mask debate, I just wanted to put a bit of context in terms of the problems that the Irish health service faces, which are worse than in GB.

“Trying to do our bit” is laughable a bit like the cutting down of iron fencing in WWII “For the war effort“

 

[Bantamzen]

Another reason for the problem is that people are in a poor state of health, such as being overweight, due to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Indeed, I'd become one of them. However a year of walking (estimated 2,000+ miles thus far) I'm making inroads into my soggy waist!

 

[brad465]

Another reason for the problem is that people are in a poor state of health, such as being overweight, due to an unhealthy lifestyle.

An imminent problem that we and other countries will have is that the baby boomer generation is approaching life expectancy: currently their age range is 58-76, so in the next decade the largest population cohort will be having more health problems and in turn dying just by being at the ages where these happen. The health service certainly isn't prepared, and our attitude to covid doesn't give me much hope for how society reacts to it.

 

[greyman42]

Indeed, I'd become one of them. However a year of walking (estimated 2,000+ miles thus far) I'm making inroads into my soggy waist!

All credit to you, but it seems a lot of people just have a could not care less attitude.

 

[berneyarms]

“Trying to do our bit” is laughable a bit like the cutting down of iron fencing in WWII “For the war effort“

I wasn’t specifically referring to masks with my comment, but rather the Irish sense of community, which is quite real and tangible and far from laughable.

It’s something we can be quite proud of as a nation.

 

[VauxhallandI]

I wasn’t specifically referring to masks with my comment, but rather the Irish sense of community, which is quite real and tangible and far from laughable.

It’s something we can be quite proud of as a nation.

Well as a Scot I could call that too but in fact all it has delivered is a mess of a society I’m afraid.

I can see myself as I get older not mentioning Scotland much, travesty

 

[Jimini]

This news has now landed on the Beeb (currently in the top ten read article list):

China to end Covid quarantine for foreign arrivals

China has announced that its requirement for travellers arriving in the country to go into quarantine will end on 8 January.
The measure is the latest in a series of restrictions to be lifted as China abandons its zero-Covid policy.
China is seeing an explosion in Covid-related infections and medical workers have said they are struggling to cope.
In his first comments on the changes, President Xi Jinping urged officials to do what was "feasible" to save lives.
State media quoted him as saying the country faced new situations demanding a more targeted response.
China has stopped publishing Covid statistics, but it is thought thousands of people may be dying every day.
Since March 2020, all passengers arriving in China have had to undergo mandatory centralised quarantine.
But the length of time has been progressively reduced, from three weeks originally to just five days at present.
Under the new rules, Covid will be downgraded from a Class A infectious disease to Class B, meaning that quarantine will no longer be enforced.

• How many Covid cases are there in China?

China's about-turn on how it manages the pandemic has left Mr Xi in an uncomfortable position, analysts say.
He was the driving force behind the zero-Covid policy, which was blamed for restricting people's lives excessively and harming the economy.
But having abandoned it, he now has to take responsibility for the huge wave of infections and hospital admissions, mainly among older people.
Public anger over the president's handling of the pandemic is one of the areas in which he is most vulnerable.

 

[Cdd89]

India and Japan are reimposing restrictions on visitors from China in view of their Covid outbreak.

While there is certainly some schadenfraude, it’s disappointing to see that these sorts of ridiculous, unscientific policies aren’t quite dead.

 

[Mag_seven]

India and Japan are reimposing quarantine requirements on visitors from China in view of their Covid outbreak.

While there is certainly some schadenfraude, it’s disappointing to see that these sorts of ridiculous, unscientific policies aren’t quite dead.

I know - it's as if we are back in 2020 again.

If COVID is now endemic in India and Japan and elsewhere in the world what possible difference will quarantining people from China make!

 

[Cdd89]

I know - it's as if we are back in 2020 again.

January 2020, no less. (I distinctly recall being asked on multiple occasions as part of the standard questions whether I had been in China in the last 14 days).

If COVID is now endemic in India and Japan and elsewhere in the world what possible difference will quarantining people from China make!

It didn’t even make much difference in January/February 2020 against a far less fit virus (or with the UK’s ridiculous attempts at using the Red List to “keep out” Omicron at the end of last year).


Additional updates, 28/12/2022 10:13am:

India has expanded its testing requirement to include China, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Thailand, as well as requiring random testing from all travellers.

Milan is also testing arrivals from China.

The Philippines’ transport secretary has stated that they are looking at imposing additional measures on China arrivals.

The US is reportedly also weighing additional measures to control potential new variants.

Clearly we are in a time loop. There isn’t a big impact from these measures but it is concerning to see they can be brought back, as well as the bogeyman of “dangerous variants”.

(Sources below-)

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...sport-chief-favors-curbs-for-chinese-visitors

Philippine Transport Secretary Jaime Bautista said he’s in favor of imposing Covid measures including testing on inbound travelers from China, mulling similar plans by the US amid a rapid rise in infections in the mainland as Covid Zero restrictions are lifted.

“We should be very cautious because if they have a lot of Covid cases, we should be careful about Chinese visitors coming into the Philippines,”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...-prevention-measures-for-travelers-from-china

Health experts worry spread could spawn dangerous new variants. The US is considering taking new coronavirus precautions for people traveling from China, which has seen a rapid rise in infections as officials lift Covid Zero restrictions.
US officials said the government is concerned about the surge of cases in China, and has raised questions about the transparency of data the country is reporting about the spread of the virus.