scrubbedexpat091

No doubt Trump is racist, but the travel restrictions never specifically banned Chinese at any point, the initial travel restrictions barred any foreign national who had been in China in the 14 days prior to arriving in the US from entering, excluded US Citizen's and PR.

Those travel restrictions were a few weeks later expanded to include 26 Schengen countries in Europe.

The travel restrictions Canada is doing currently is exactly the same thing Trump did, barring foreign nationals from entering Canada if they have been in any of the South Africa region countries on the list in the past 14 days, exluding Canadian Citizens and PR's.


Trump is an idiot, is a racist, and proudly liked to claim he was banning Chinese from the US, but the actual travel restrictions never included any specific nationalities and applied to all foreign nationals.

OrangeMango

I'd say, Canada will probably put a travel ban in Europe as well, as the new virus is already in Europe.

Looks like in the worst case scenario we're back to the 14 day quarantine and that mandatory hotel rip of, even for the vaccinated?

It surprises me that the US hasn't closed the borders for travellers from Europe yet, they are usually the first to close borders.

BristolUK

Things are still relatively okay here but even for NB things have taken a major downturn - relatively speaking.

Our hospital has outbreaks on four sections, staff tested positive, others isolating and only three ICU beds not occupied by covid patients. Most of whom not vaxxed of course.

An elderly woman had a fall a week ago and has been waiting 6 days for an ICU bed so she can be operated on for her multiple rib breaks. She's just coming to the end of the window in which an op is needed or the ribs 'heal' in a way that will make things even worse.

It's no time to need hospital treatment. I've told everyone in the house to be extra careful, almost paranoid. Just don't do anything with even a hint of risk of fall or anything like that. Winter's coming so if it's icy out, just don't go out. Or get a taxi door to door to avoid the walk to the bus stop.

dbd33

Yes, fair enough, I was too lazy to look back for the exact phrasing. Nonetheless, he didn't ban flights and he did ban according to nationality, not as flagrant as the Muslim ban but still a policy driven more by race than health.

sharkus

Could one say that the recent increases in cases in Europe are likely possible due to the new Omicron variant?

JamesM

I don't think so.

The likely victims of the Omicron variant in Southern Africa are unlikely to be able to afford flights.

I think the flight bans are more pandering to voters than anything.

Similar noises were made about the delta variant and that's not been the disaster that the click bait suggested.

Europe's increase in cases is down to poor vaccination rates.

philat98

Omicron has replaced Delta in southern Africa in only a few weeks. Even if it is not more dangerous it is more contagious. In North America and Europe it will soon be the dominant virus. Gibralta has a lot of infections despite very high vaccination rates. May be that is omicron?

Danny B

And so it begins….

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59445388

caretaker

Pah, 2 cases. Trust England to try to hog all the glory. No mention of all the cases in Europe both confirmed and suspected.
https://www.rt.com/news/541505-omicr...across-europe/

OrangeMango

Just wondering regarding the Coronavirus vaccine:

Why isn't there more public discourse in Canada on the 3rd vaccine? Many countries in Europe are offering it, not after 6 months, but already after 4 months.

I haven't heard anybody in Canada getting their 3rd shot after 4 months.

BristolUK

In my province they've been doing the third shot or booster for anyone of any age for some weeks now, if one of both of the original shots were AZ, as long as 4 weeks since the second one.

My mate in the UK got his because he was a care worker, although he stopped that some time ago. Seems he was still listed as priority even though he wasn't anymore.

Jerseygirl

Covid numbers have been steadily rising in Ontario. 854 cases today, 927 yesterday.

scrubbedexpat091

Boosters shots for elderly/seniors/older adults 70+ and highest risk immunocompromised adults, have already been underway in BC, general population begins in January which would be 6 months from 2nd dose for general population, who started to get their 2nd dose around July.

BC doesn't report numbers over weekends, and yesterday is the most up to date with 341 new cases and 6 deaths.

Hospitalizations down 18.7 per cent from the previous Friday, but patients in ICU is up 5.5% over the previous Friday.

BristolUK

I had been wondering about that. CBC radio did a feature on people out Christmas shopping the other day. I didn't catch where in Ontario but Toronto seemed the most likely place where they'd be interviewing exited shoppers.

A guy said he thought it a good idea to go as Ontario's infection rates had been low for a while.

Jerseygirl

Boosters are not generally available for those under 70 until the New Year, but there are calls for them to drop the age limit. Maybe the Omicrom variant will accelerate boosters.