@Jeanne-Mayell That sounds great, Jeanne. Please let Tech Angel Dave know we appreciate everything he does for the site. We are lucky to have him.
Pediatric Covid-19 rates are rising dramatically. The reason for this is unclear.
(In my state the Governor just got rid of the state mandate for masks in schools).
88 days until the already postponed once Olympics are due to begin and some major questions remain over how Tokyo can hold a massive sporting event and keep volunteers, athletes, officials -- and the Japanese public -- safe from Covid-19.
I posted something about this around the time the site went down few days back and am not sure we have it any longer so I am re-posting the topic with some updated information and thoughts.
A new state of emergency have been declared in Japan this past Friday and much of Japan is in lockdown once again. Less than %1 of the country has been vaccinated and they are having a very slow roll out of the vaccination program. Only 17% of health career workers have had 2 doses of the vaccine and .1% of seniors just a single dose. Volunteers and workers at the Olympics have been told not to except a vaccination. Japan is not allowing visitors to Olympic events or into the country. Japanese athletes can't even a shot.
In February of 2020 I thought ahead to the Olympics planned for that summer and felt the state of the Olympics would give us a snap shot of the state of the virus globally. Not long afterward, Japan postponed them and we ended up having a horrible surge across the globe that summer.
I had hoped the opposite would be true this year.
This time using the state of the Olympics as a guide is different however. If Japan ends up canceling or postponing them again ( and who knows at this point), it will likely not be a statement on how things are going globally. There are countries around the world which are doing relatively well and others (India, Brazil) which are not. Even within single countries, there are pockets of major virus spread with low spread ( US/Europe).
So this year, I don't think looking at the Olympics will tell us how the world is doing regarding the pandemic. I think it will just be telling us how Japan is doing, or even how Japan thinks it will be able to manage the Olympics during a catastrophic pandemic.
Right now, deep questions remain.
An Alaska state lawmaker who had called flight attendants "mask bullies" and clashed with airline employees on video over mask rules is now banned from Alaska Airlines for her "continued refusal to comply" with the mask policy, the airline said in a statement.
Just popping in briefly to say hi and share that I have it on excellent sources that yes, a booster vaccine will be needed this Fall, and it's already being worked on by well respected medical research orgs (for example, Sloan Kettering in NYC).
Here in CA, most of the people I know are now fully vaccinated, so we have been socializing cautiously. Also, with the new CDC guidelines, I feel safe enough to go on rural hikes without being masked the whole time, which is good because I was starting to develop a minor skin problem where the masks had been rubbing the side of my face. Also, where I am vaccine appointments are starting to go begging - more vaccines than people wanting them already.
@lovendures - I am not in my own house right now, but when I get back into it (it's being renovated), my first order of business is chucking more crap, especially clothes I haven't worn since 2019. Even though I'm losing the Covid-15 I gained, being in a small rental house with just the basics has made me realize how much I can do without. (side note - yes I moved most of my 2020 shopping hoard with us, and it's been quite useful - less shopping to do!) Also, about a week ago I went to Target JUST TO SHOP FOR A FEW NEW CLOTHES. I needed some t-shirts and shorts, etc. They had cute stuff! Got a pair of linen pants for $25! I have not done that since about October 2019...
Oh Laura,
It is always great to see you stop in and read your posts.
I still need to do some shopping for clothes. And clean my garage out, again.
I am so happy you have been able to renovate your home. That is awesome! I have some things here at our home which MUCH be done soon too such as a new bathroom vanity and reproofing. Then fixing up the window area where we had a leak, but not until the roof is fixed.
Love that you are making your way through your stash too. Yes, I am finding I can do with less also. I also trying to periodically set a nice table. Something different for the season we are in, it makes me happy to bring some joy into the house.
It is fantastic that you feel comfortable being unmasked on hikes.
Hopefully the booster will not be outdated before it can be given to others in the fall.
Thank you for popping in to update us. It is ALWAYS great to see you here my friend.
Just popping in briefly to say hi and share that I have it on excellent sources that yes, a booster vaccine will be needed this Fall, and it's already being worked on by well respected medical research orgs (for example, Sloan Kettering in NYC).
Do your sources know if the booster will work for all three of the major vaccines?