A Global Reopening

Two years after the US went into its first lockdown, the country is getting nearer to a pre-pandemic existence. But what about the rest of the world?

When California issued a statewide stay-at-home order on 19 March 2020, most people thought that life would return to normal relatively quickly.

A full 24 months later, people are finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, with restrictions being eased in the US and several other countries.

But with some places experiencing record numbers of cases yet again, it's clear that the pandemic isn't ready to let go its grip just yet.

We asked our correspondents in the UK, Hong Kong, South Africa, New Zealand, Canada, Peru and the US to give us a snapshot.

A very light touch - England
Nick Triggle, London


England's last remaining Covid restriction - the legal requirement to isolate after a positive test - was lifted at the end of February.

It came a month after the government lifted the requirement to wear masks in places such as shops and on public transport and the advice to work from home where possible.

But the truth is England has had a pretty light-touch approach to regulations compared to many places since the summer.

The masks mandate and working from home advice was only reintroduced in late 2021 as the Omicron variant took off.

The approach is based on the fact that vaccines are providing great protection and England has seen very good uptake among those groups most at risk - 95% of over-60s have had a booster jab.

It has meant that despite the surge in infections caused by the Omicron variant, the number of people dying has been similar to what would normally be seen during a normal winter.

There are signs infections may be starting to climb again, but it is causing little concern at the moment.  

TO READ MORE ABOUT COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, CLICK HERE...

The Minority of the ELITE

noun. \ ā-ˈlēt , i-, ē- \ 

Essential Meaning of elite. 

1 : the people who have the most wealth and status in a society : the most successful or powerful group of people. 

2 US : a person who is a member of an elite : a successful and powerful person.

The most important characteristic of this so-called ELITE, is the fact that they are always in a MINORITY...  and, if they are in a minority, then the majority should be able to exercise their collective powers and force them out-of-the-picture...

For example:

There are more Canadian Truckers than there are police or tow trucks so they have the advantage over the government who is in a minority.

There are less highway patrol people on the highways than there are drivers, so if the drivers got together and organized they could drive at any speed they wanted to.

There are more whites in America than there are blacks so why are the whites allowing the blacks to push them around

There are more workers in the USA than there are owners or bosses ...so if the workers collectively don't want to work then the workers have the power.

There are less wealthy people than there are others who are not wealthy and yet the wealthy can control our society...  they can do this because we do not collectively stand up against them.

COVID-19 has showed us that the majority once collectively joined can stand up to the elite minority...

• Parents against the VA school Board
• Canadian Truckers against the government
• Unemployed workers against companies
• Americans against facemasks
• Americans against vaccines
• Americans against government control
• Americans against lockdowns
• American against critical race theory
• Americans against being WOKE
• Americans against the cancel culture
• Americans against crime and violence

THINK ABOUT THAT

Italy Locked Down Until April 6, 2021

ROME -- Italy is facing another lockdown, as the government attempts to contain a recent surge of coronavirus cases, marred by the presence of new variants.  Half of Italy's 20 regions, which include the cities Rome, Milan and Venice, will be entering new coronavirus restrictions from Monday, March 15. The measures will be effective through April 6, according to a decree passed by Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi's cabinet on Friday.

In regions demarcated as "red zones" people will be unable to leave their houses except for work or health reasons, with all non-essential shops closed. In "orange zones," people will also be banned from leaving their town and their region -- except for work or health reasons -- and bars and restaurants will only be able to do delivery and take-away service.

Affected regions will be labelled red or orange, depending on the level of contagion. Regions that report weekly COVID-19 cases of more than 250 per 100,000 residents will also automatically go into lockdown, meaning that other regions could also be affected during this time period.

The health ministry said that the aim of the measures is to get the R rate -- the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus onto -- down to 1.

Additionally, over Easter weekend, the entire country will be considered a "red zone," and will be subject to a national lockdown from April 3 to 5.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi said new coronavirus measures are "necessary" because "we are unfortunately facing a new wave of infections" one year after the start of the pandemic.

The country's R rate is now at 1.6 with coronavirus variants increasing the spread of the virus, according to the health ministry.

The variant B.1.1.7, which was first identified in the United Kingdom, is also now prevalent in the country, according to the health ministry, who also said that they are worried about the presence of small clusters of the Brazilian variant.

The UK variant was originally found to be more easily transmissible -- and new data published in the medical journal, the BMJ, supports claims from UK officials, based on preliminary data, that the variant may be more deadly, as well.

Meanwhile, the variant first reported in Brazil, known as P.1, may be up to 2.2 times more transmissible and could evade immunity from previous COVID-19 infection by up to 61%, according to a modeling study, released earlier this month by researchers in Brazil and the UK.            READ MORE