Europe 2021

[matt2matt2002]

Waiting for my plane to Rome to depart. Tough checks on covid but nothing on money etc of course.

Flying from where?

[willem jongman]

Amsterdam

[Jdsk]

"Today, the European Commission adopted two new decisions certifying that COVID-19 certificates issued by Armenia and the United Kingdom are equivalent to the EU Digital COVID Certificate. As a result, the two countries will be connected to the EU's system and the COVID certificates they issue will be accepted in the EU under the same conditions as the EU Digital COVID Certificate. At the same time, the two countries agreed to accept the EU Digital COVID Certificate for travel from the EU to their countries."
https://ec.europa.eu/commission/pressco ... ex_21_5645

Jonathan

[willem jongman]

Excellent news. I am in Rome now and Covid measures are strict and strictly complied with. But it pays off with a very low infecton rate.

[mjr]

A TV news report yesterday broadcast a hidden camera investigation in Belgium and southern Netherlands (Maastricht and unsure where else) which showed only a fifth of places checking covid certs correctly. Most common failure was not checking ID cards or passports, so accepting a photocopy or screenshot of somone else's pass, but some were not even scanning passes. Brussels regional government has reacted by saying it will end the leniency and start issuing fines. Not sure what other regions are doing.

[willem jongman]

The south of the Netherlands is traditionally less disciplined. There has been quite a bit of survey work and fortunately the picture is far better than 20%, but still not nearly good enough. Amateur sport facilities are a problem area in particular. The Dutch government clearly has to become tougher and take a leaf from the Italian book. In fact, the mayor of Amsterdam has just announced tougher enforcement with the threat of business closures.

[simonhill]

Currently the EU certificate and the NHS one need 2 jabs. However with the evidence that the effect wanes after 6 months, I wonder how long before these and other certs (or accepting countries) are time limited.

By next summer many of the second jabs will be a year old. Possibly more hurdles to jump through when this post becomes Europe 2022.

So will the 3rd jab become essential for travel.

[willem jongman]

With infections rapidly rising in the Netherlands the government has reintroduced stricter measures, with facemasks once again mandatory in e.g. shops or railway platforms, a voluntary but strongly advised work at home for half the time rule, and the covid digital certificate required in more locations than before, including potentially particularly in towns and villages with a high infection rate. Also, legislation is being propared to mandate vaccination in some professions. In the meantime, the number of people who decide to have a vaccine after all has shot up quite a bit. Finally, booster jabs will be given to immunocompromised people, medical and care staff, and the over 80s in December, to be followed by booster jabs for the 60-80 year olds in January, and probably everyone else thereafter. Thus far, there are no indications that protection is waning. Of all 12+year olds 82.1% is fully vaccinated, and 85.4% has had at least one dose. For the 18+ year olds this is 84.1% and 87.5%. The by far largest proportion of people ending up in hospital are unvaccinated.

[nirakaro]

The by far largest proportion of people ending up in hospital are unvaccinated.

Do you mean that the great majority of people who end up in hospital are unvaccinated, or that the proportion of unvaccinated people who end up in hospital is much larger than the proportion of vaccinated people? Very different things. I have the same question about here in the UK.

[willem jongman]

Both. The chance to end up in hospital is 17 times bigger for the unvaccinated. Therefore, even though most people have been vaccinated some 80% of people in hospital are unvaccinated.

[mattheus]

Both. The chance to end up in hospital is 17 times bigger for the unvaccinated. Therefore, even though most people have been vaccinated some 80% of people in hospital are unvaccinated.

Slightly related factoid - from 11th Oct:
"COVID-19: Unvaccinated pregnant women make up one fifth of most critically ill coronavirus patients in England"

[willem jongman]

It is so sad, now that we have the vaccines.

[willem jongman]

The Covid situation in the Netherlands is rapidly deteriorating after six weeks of the government's refusal to act. We are expecting to finally go into some form of lockdown on Saturday or a bit later. Like earlier on, the infection rate in our town is fortunately still about half the national average, but even so. The other expected measure is that a negative test will no longer qualify you temperarily for access with the Covid digital certificate (the 2G rule, as is also applied in Austria and parts of Germany). The first booster shots have already been given, but the roll out is slow.
In France, booster shots are being given at a rather more rapid pace, and so much so that president Macron has announced that from 15 December the over 65s will need a third dose for their Covid pass to give the green light.

[Jdsk]

The problem of demonstration of a booster dose has just appeared on the GOV.UK site, but there isn't yet an answer:
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/france

The French Government has announced that from 15 December, those who are 65 and over and who have been fully vaccinated for more than six months and five weeks will need to demonstrate that they have received an approved COVID-19 booster injection in order to access the “pass sanitaire” in France. We will update this page with further information when it becomes available.

Jonathan

[willem jongman]

As of yesterday new restrictions have indeed been imposed in the Netherlands, but nothing that will really impact cycle tourists. This is likelly to change in three weeks time when the 2G rule will probably be introduced in at least some situations. Our government continues to be reluctant to do what needs to be done, with high and rising numbers of infections, hospitalisations and deaths.