that’s excellent news. I’m hopefully that once discovery starts it will go a lot smoother than it has been.
Lockdown diaries - COVID-19 matters!
- Thread starter Grand Guru
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that’s excellent news. I’m hopefully that once discovery starts it will go a lot smoother than it has been.
Japan's Covid-19 cases are surging with less than 90 days until the Tokyo Olympics
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/japans-covid-19-cases-surging-tokyo-olympics-2021-4
27 April 2021
On Friday, the Japanese government announced that it would put Tokyo, and three other major cities, under a state of emergency. Roughly 25% of the country's population stands to be affected by the announcement. Under the state of emergency, restrictions are expected to include the barring of spectators from events, per Japan Today.
The Olympics are set to begin on 23 July, and the state of emergency could affect the setup for the games, even if the declaration ends before torchlight. While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese government have expressed a commitment to ensuring the game commence this summer, one Japanese official, Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has said canceling the Olympics is an option.
"If rising coronavirus cases means 'this is impossible,' we would have to give up," Nikai told Kyodo News.
To date, Japan has recorded 548,000 cases and 9,737 deaths, per JHU CSSE data. Of Japan's 47 prefectures, Tokyo, the host city for most Olympic events, has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths (132,000 and 1,840 respectively), followed by Osaka (71,058 and 1,297 respectively), which is also scheduled to host events this summer.
Currently, the IOC is planning to allow Japanese locals in as spectators for the events. But surging Covid-19 cases could result in events taking place in front of small crowds or even empty stadiums. Foreign spectators have already been barred from attending.
Vaccines aren't projected to play a big part in curbing the spread in the coming months, as Japan lags significantly behind other developed countries in terms of vaccine rollout..."
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/japans-covid-19-cases-surging-tokyo-olympics-2021-4
27 April 2021
- Japan is averaging nearly 5,000 new Covid-19 cases per day with the Tokyo Olympics less than three months away.
- The Japanese government declared a state of emergency in some cities on Friday to combat the spread.
- Vaccination rates in Japan are only around 2%.
On Friday, the Japanese government announced that it would put Tokyo, and three other major cities, under a state of emergency. Roughly 25% of the country's population stands to be affected by the announcement. Under the state of emergency, restrictions are expected to include the barring of spectators from events, per Japan Today.
The Olympics are set to begin on 23 July, and the state of emergency could affect the setup for the games, even if the declaration ends before torchlight. While the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Japanese government have expressed a commitment to ensuring the game commence this summer, one Japanese official, Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, has said canceling the Olympics is an option.
"If rising coronavirus cases means 'this is impossible,' we would have to give up," Nikai told Kyodo News.
To date, Japan has recorded 548,000 cases and 9,737 deaths, per JHU CSSE data. Of Japan's 47 prefectures, Tokyo, the host city for most Olympic events, has recorded the most coronavirus cases and deaths (132,000 and 1,840 respectively), followed by Osaka (71,058 and 1,297 respectively), which is also scheduled to host events this summer.
Currently, the IOC is planning to allow Japanese locals in as spectators for the events. But surging Covid-19 cases could result in events taking place in front of small crowds or even empty stadiums. Foreign spectators have already been barred from attending.
Vaccines aren't projected to play a big part in curbing the spread in the coming months, as Japan lags significantly behind other developed countries in terms of vaccine rollout..."
You have to first register on the government portal for non-medical service members and then discovery will send you a link for another registration (basically so you don't have to go to a public health care facility).
A US private school says it won’t employ vaccinated teachers and staff
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/a-miami-private-school-said-it-wont-employ-vaccinated-staff-2021-4
27 April 2021
In the letter chock-full of vaccine misinformation, one of the school's co-founders and CEO, Leila Centner, said she made the decision "with a very heavy heart," while claiming that "reports have surfaced recently of non-vaccinated people being negatively impacted by interacting with people who have been vaccinated."
... [Centner said that] "new information" that suggests vaccinated individuals may "inadvertently" impact the health of others, "compelled" her to take action, she said.
There is no scientific evidence that supports Centner's claim that vaccinated people can impact unvaccinated people by interacting with them.
The letter gave employees three options:
1. Wait until the school year is over to get the vaccine - though Centner notes that employees who choose this option will not be able to return to their job until clinical trials on the vaccines are complete, and even then, will only be welcome back if a position is available at that time.
2. Inform the school if they have plans to get the vaccine before the end of the school year "as we cannot allow recently vaccinated people to be near our students until more information is known."
3. Let the school know if they've already received the vaccine and "maintain physical distance from the students."
My Comment:
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/a-miami-private-school-said-it-wont-employ-vaccinated-staff-2021-4
27 April 2021
- A Miami private school is asking its staff to avoid Covid-19 vaccines, citing unfounded claims.
- In a letter to faculty, the school's co-founder said vaccinated staff will be barred from contact with kids.
- Moving forward, Centner Academy's policy will be to not "employ" those who have gotten the shots.
In the letter chock-full of vaccine misinformation, one of the school's co-founders and CEO, Leila Centner, said she made the decision "with a very heavy heart," while claiming that "reports have surfaced recently of non-vaccinated people being negatively impacted by interacting with people who have been vaccinated."
... [Centner said that] "new information" that suggests vaccinated individuals may "inadvertently" impact the health of others, "compelled" her to take action, she said.
There is no scientific evidence that supports Centner's claim that vaccinated people can impact unvaccinated people by interacting with them.
The letter gave employees three options:
1. Wait until the school year is over to get the vaccine - though Centner notes that employees who choose this option will not be able to return to their job until clinical trials on the vaccines are complete, and even then, will only be welcome back if a position is available at that time.
2. Inform the school if they have plans to get the vaccine before the end of the school year "as we cannot allow recently vaccinated people to be near our students until more information is known."
3. Let the school know if they've already received the vaccine and "maintain physical distance from the students."
My Comment:
Singapore is now the best place to be during the pandemic, beating New Zealand
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/best-place-to-be-pandemic-singapore-new-zealand-2021-4
27 April 2021
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/best-place-to-be-pandemic-singapore-new-zealand-2021-4
27 April 2021
- Singapore surpassed New Zealand this week as the best place to be during the pandemic, according to Bloomberg's Covid Resilience Ranking.
- Local Covid-19 cases in Singapore are nearly zero, and residents' daily lives are relatively normal, per Bloomberg.
- The city-state has vaccinated about 20% of its population. New Zealand has vaccinated less than 2%.
AIRLINES
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/i...a-heres-when-theyre-expected-to-return-2021-4
26 April 2021
SINGAPORE
Singapore’s ban on travellers from South Africa, which was reintroduced amid the emergence of the 501Y.V2 variant at the start of 2021, has been lightened. While most travellers who have visited South Africa within the last 14 days will still be prohibited from entering the country – unless they’ve obtained specific entry approval from the ministry of health – Singapore’s Changi Airport will accommodate passengers-in-transit.
The updated regulations came into effect on Friday 23 April and allow Singapore Airlines to transport South African travellers to countries in Asia and the South-West Pacific region. The airline had previously operated a limited schedule between South Africa and Singapore, only carrying returning residents and citizens back home.
These returning residents – or visitors cleared for “critical and essential official travel”— will now be subjected to a mandatory 21 days of quarantine. This Stay Home Notice (SHN) is split between a dedicated government-run facility (14 days) and the traveller’s residence (7 days), during which follow-up PCR tests will be conducted.
Singapore Airlines operates five weekly flights between Johannesburg and Changi Airport.
El Al Airlines (Israel)
Israel’s flag carrier, El Al Airlines, will resume flights to and from South Africa on 6 May 2021. The airline’s schedule will, however, remain limited to just one flight per week.
Flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International will operate on Thursday, while outbound flights from South Africa to Israel will depart on Saturdays.
Stringent border restrictions still apply and only returning residents and nationals will be allowed to enter Israel. Any foreigners wishing to enter the country will need to apply for a special exemption via the Israeli Embassy or Office of the Population Authority.
Emirates
Emirates has extended its flight restrictions on South African travellers for a fourth time in April. The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was initially due to resume its operations on 8 April.
On 15 April, the revised date of return, Emirates confirmed that flight suspensions would continue until at least 30 May. The airline will continue to operate limited commercial passenger flights into, but not out of, South Africa.
“Daily passenger flights to Johannesburg will operate as EK763, however outbound passenger services on EK 764 remain suspended. Customers who have been to or connected through South Africa in the last 14 days will not be permitted on any Emirates flights bound for Dubai.”
KLM
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines continues to operate limited passenger flights to and from South Africa but is only carrying Dutch Nationals and EU Residents as outbound passengers.
“KLM is currently operating a daily flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, and three flights per week from Cape Town to Amsterdam,” said a representative of the airline.
“KLM has maintained this schedule to South Africa since the international borders were reopened in October 2020. The current Air France schedule between Johannesburg and Paris has increased from three to five flights per week with effect 29 March 2021.”
South African travellers are currently banned from entering The Netherlands, with its Ministry of Foreign affairs expected to review border restrictions on 1 May.
British Airways
British Airways, which operated daily flights between London, OR Tambo, and Cape Town prior to the pandemic – and returned with limited services in October – suspended all flights to and from South Africa on 23 December. This flight ban has since been extended several times, with the airline proposing the earliest return date of 17 May 2021...
Virgin Atlantic
The British Virgin Atlantic resumed limited passenger services to and from South Africa in October but, like BA, suspended flights on 23 December. The suspension has since been extended several times.
“Plans to resume flights to South Africa are aiming for early June, dependant on travel restrictions allowing,” said Rosie Watts, the PR Executive of Virgin Atlantic.
Cathay Pacific
The Hong King airline suspended travel to South Africa in March 2020 and intended to restart its flights to Johannesburg a year later. This proposed resumption date was recently extended to 30 June 2021.
Qantas
Australia’s flag carrier, Qantas, continues to limit its international operations to flights to and from New Zealand. Qantas’ international operations, beyond New Zealand, have been suspended since March 2020…
Delta Airlines
Prior to the pandemic, the American Delta Airlines offered non-stop flights between Atlanta in the United States and Johannesburg. The airline suspended this flight on 26 March 2020.
“Currently, we don’t have a firm date to restart our Johannesburg flight or launch our Cape Town service and continue to evaluate [the] market situation given the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the airline.
“We are certainly hoping to restart service by the middle of the year but [that’s] to be confirmed.”
Etihad Airways
The second flag carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, last operated a commercial passenger flight from South Africa on 24 March 2020. The airline initially aimed to resume operations in March 2021 but, owing to ongoing international restrictions, has extended its suspension with no set return date…"
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/i...a-heres-when-theyre-expected-to-return-2021-4
26 April 2021
SINGAPORE
Singapore’s ban on travellers from South Africa, which was reintroduced amid the emergence of the 501Y.V2 variant at the start of 2021, has been lightened. While most travellers who have visited South Africa within the last 14 days will still be prohibited from entering the country – unless they’ve obtained specific entry approval from the ministry of health – Singapore’s Changi Airport will accommodate passengers-in-transit.
The updated regulations came into effect on Friday 23 April and allow Singapore Airlines to transport South African travellers to countries in Asia and the South-West Pacific region. The airline had previously operated a limited schedule between South Africa and Singapore, only carrying returning residents and citizens back home.
These returning residents – or visitors cleared for “critical and essential official travel”— will now be subjected to a mandatory 21 days of quarantine. This Stay Home Notice (SHN) is split between a dedicated government-run facility (14 days) and the traveller’s residence (7 days), during which follow-up PCR tests will be conducted.
Singapore Airlines operates five weekly flights between Johannesburg and Changi Airport.
El Al Airlines (Israel)
Israel’s flag carrier, El Al Airlines, will resume flights to and from South Africa on 6 May 2021. The airline’s schedule will, however, remain limited to just one flight per week.
Flights from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International will operate on Thursday, while outbound flights from South Africa to Israel will depart on Saturdays.
Stringent border restrictions still apply and only returning residents and nationals will be allowed to enter Israel. Any foreigners wishing to enter the country will need to apply for a special exemption via the Israeli Embassy or Office of the Population Authority.
Emirates
Emirates has extended its flight restrictions on South African travellers for a fourth time in April. The flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was initially due to resume its operations on 8 April.
On 15 April, the revised date of return, Emirates confirmed that flight suspensions would continue until at least 30 May. The airline will continue to operate limited commercial passenger flights into, but not out of, South Africa.
“Daily passenger flights to Johannesburg will operate as EK763, however outbound passenger services on EK 764 remain suspended. Customers who have been to or connected through South Africa in the last 14 days will not be permitted on any Emirates flights bound for Dubai.”
KLM
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines continues to operate limited passenger flights to and from South Africa but is only carrying Dutch Nationals and EU Residents as outbound passengers.
“KLM is currently operating a daily flight from Johannesburg to Amsterdam, and three flights per week from Cape Town to Amsterdam,” said a representative of the airline.
“KLM has maintained this schedule to South Africa since the international borders were reopened in October 2020. The current Air France schedule between Johannesburg and Paris has increased from three to five flights per week with effect 29 March 2021.”
South African travellers are currently banned from entering The Netherlands, with its Ministry of Foreign affairs expected to review border restrictions on 1 May.
British Airways
British Airways, which operated daily flights between London, OR Tambo, and Cape Town prior to the pandemic – and returned with limited services in October – suspended all flights to and from South Africa on 23 December. This flight ban has since been extended several times, with the airline proposing the earliest return date of 17 May 2021...
Virgin Atlantic
The British Virgin Atlantic resumed limited passenger services to and from South Africa in October but, like BA, suspended flights on 23 December. The suspension has since been extended several times.
“Plans to resume flights to South Africa are aiming for early June, dependant on travel restrictions allowing,” said Rosie Watts, the PR Executive of Virgin Atlantic.
Cathay Pacific
The Hong King airline suspended travel to South Africa in March 2020 and intended to restart its flights to Johannesburg a year later. This proposed resumption date was recently extended to 30 June 2021.
Qantas
Australia’s flag carrier, Qantas, continues to limit its international operations to flights to and from New Zealand. Qantas’ international operations, beyond New Zealand, have been suspended since March 2020…
Delta Airlines
Prior to the pandemic, the American Delta Airlines offered non-stop flights between Atlanta in the United States and Johannesburg. The airline suspended this flight on 26 March 2020.
“Currently, we don’t have a firm date to restart our Johannesburg flight or launch our Cape Town service and continue to evaluate [the] market situation given the Covid-19 pandemic,” said the airline.
“We are certainly hoping to restart service by the middle of the year but [that’s] to be confirmed.”
Etihad Airways
The second flag carrier of the UAE, Etihad Airways, last operated a commercial passenger flight from South Africa on 24 March 2020. The airline initially aimed to resume operations in March 2021 but, owing to ongoing international restrictions, has extended its suspension with no set return date…"
I received an email yesterday from Discovery saying that I may register. I'm in the 60+ group. I tried unsuccessfully to access the site. Perhaps too many people trying to register at the same time?
Students, academics, and some engineers from SA can now also travel to the US – in theory
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/t...en-further-extended-for-south-africans-2021-4
28 April 2021
"South African agricultural workers have been exempt from the US travel ban since January. Earlier this month they were joined by South Africans holding valid immigrant or fiancé(e) K-1 visas, and a list of "exchange visitors", including:
"The pandemic continues to limit the number of visas our embassies and consulates abroad are able to process," said the state department in a statement.
"As always, visa applicants should check the website of the nearest Embassy or Consulate for the most up-to-date information about visa appointment availability."
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/t...en-further-extended-for-south-africans-2021-4
28 April 2021
"South African agricultural workers have been exempt from the US travel ban since January. Earlier this month they were joined by South Africans holding valid immigrant or fiancé(e) K-1 visas, and a list of "exchange visitors", including:
- au pairs who are able to provide specialised care for minor US citizens with particular needs – medical, special education, or sign language
- au pairs who take care of children whose parents are either frontline healthcare workers or medical researchers involved in work around Covid-19
- South Africans in bilateral exchange programmes which are "designed to promote US national interests", as long as that programme is endorsed by the US government at federal, state, or local government level
- interns and trainees on US government agency-sponsored programmes
- specialised teachers, who hold a degree-equivalent to a US bachelor’s degree in either education or the academic subject field in which they intend to teach, as long as they have at least two years’ experience and "possess sufficient proficiency in the English language".
"The pandemic continues to limit the number of visas our embassies and consulates abroad are able to process," said the state department in a statement.
"As always, visa applicants should check the website of the nearest Embassy or Consulate for the most up-to-date information about visa appointment availability."
SA wants Chinese and Russian vaccines for 10 million people – but regulators say not yet
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/s...lion-people-but-regulators-say-not-yet-2021-4
30 April 2021
https://www.businessinsider.co.za/s...lion-people-but-regulators-say-not-yet-2021-4
30 April 2021
- Covid-19 vaccines developed in China and Russia could be introduced in South Africa if they get approval from the Health Products Regulatory Authority.
- Health minister Zweli Mkhize confirmed government’s intention to acquire enough of Russia’s Sputnik V and China’s Sinovac doses to vaccinate 10 million people.
- But both vaccines have shown diminished efficacy in combatting Covid-19 variants, particularly 501Y.V2.
- And Sputnik V has already been shelved in Brazil due to fears surrounding its "dangerous" adenovirus vector.
New lockdown rules for South Africa considered
Bloomberg30 April 2021
The resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic in India has prompted the South African government to consider introducing additional measures in order to stave off a third wave.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/tren...-africa-considered.html?utm_source=newsletter
Bloomberg30 April 2021
The resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic in India has prompted the South African government to consider introducing additional measures in order to stave off a third wave.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/tren...-africa-considered.html?utm_source=newsletter
Noticed today.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/pandemic-plastic-is-flooding-the-oceans
Pandemic Plastic Is Flooding The Oceans
Experts say face masks and other pollution related to COVID-19 measures are stressing the marine environment.
By Cody CottierMar 17, 2021 7:00 AM
(Credit: Marti Bug Catcher/Shutterstock)
Newsletter
Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
For decades, the world’s seas and shorelines have been strewn with plastic bottles, bags and other disposable debris. But over the past year, as humanity armed itself against the coronavirus, a new category of waste joined the scene: personal protective equipment.
In relieving a global health crisis, we have inadvertently worsened an ecological crisis. Since early 2020, the products meant to hold the virus at bay — face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer bottles — have washed up on beaches worldwide, and even on remote islands. “I’m astonished by how much I see when I take walks on the coast,” says Nick Mallos of Ocean Conservancy, who lives in Portland, Oregon. “I think the pandemic has absolutely underscored the importance of proper waste management around the world.”
Face masks have perhaps stirred the most anxiety, with recent studies estimating that as many as 1.6 billion could have entered the oceans last year. Each one weighs only a few grams, but collectively they amount to between 4,700 and 6,200 tons. Like many plastics, these polypropylene garments could linger for as much as 500 years before fully breaking down into microplastics, which are themselves more or less eternal. In all its forms, plastic poses a threat to the health of marine animals, and its effect on human health remains poorly understood.
The Second Life of Masks
One of the first organizations to raise alarm over pandemic pollution was Hong Kong-based OceansAsia, which surveyed the nearby uninhabited island of Soko and found 70 masks in a 300-foot span of beach. The situation has only worsened in the meantime, according to research director Teale Phelps Bondaroff. “Every single visit we find more masks,” he says, and with some masks now shredded and covered in algae, animals may be more likely to eat them.
Many people have noted that, to an underwater predator, floating masks may resemble jellyfish. And as Laurent Lombard, a diver and founder of the French nonprofit Operation Mer Propre (Operation Clean Sea), warned in a Facebook post last spring, “soon there may be more masks than jellyfish in the waters of the Mediterranean.” With their elastic straps, some fear the masks could entangle animals as well.
Of course, this recent influx is only a small fraction of total plastic pollution (some 11 million tons each year). “Face masks are the tip of the iceberg of this much bigger problem,” Phelps Bondaroff says. But he hopes they will draw attention to marine pollution in general, cutting through society’s “litter blindness” to jolt us into action. “If I’m walking out on the street and I see a cigarette butt, it kind of blends into the environment,” he says. But face masks, besides being the most salient cultural motif of our time, “are light, bright, and they stand out.”
Phelps Bondaroff also acknowledges the importance of personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Wear a mask,” he advises, “but wear a reusable mask unless absolutely necessary.” And when the situation truly calls for a disposable one? “Fair enough. If that’s the case, dispose of it correctly.”
Single-Use Plastics: The Safe Choice?
The pandemic has influenced plastic consumption in less obvious ways, too. For one, as take-out replaced restaurant dining, disposable containers became the go-to vessels for many meals that wouldn’t have required plastic in the past. The plastics industry also seized the opportunity to push for reversals of the many plastic bag bans that have cut into its profits in recent years.
The CDC guidelines now state that airborne transmission is the greatest health risk, and that contact with infected surfaces is “not thought to be a common way that COVID-19 spreads.” But back in April, when studies found that the virus can survive up to three days on plastic surfaces, lobbyists leaped to pitch single-use bags as the hygienic alternative to reusable ones.
Read more about the plastic problem:
“The initial setbacks were disappointing,” Mallos says, “but I don’t think we are seeing irreparable damage to the broader movement.” Many jurisdictions that suspended their bag bans last spring have since reinstated them, including California, and the wave of new policies continues to grow.
Ending Our Plastic Addiction
COVID-19’s most enduring effect on plastic use may even be positive, according to some optimists. By simply making pollution more visible, it could spur society to confront long-neglected questions about how to reduce and handle these products. “I think the pandemic has really signaled a larger truth,” Mallos says, “of just how much … plastic waste we produce, and how we manage it, and that this really matters.”
He, too, notes that the ultimate enemy is not PPE, but “the broader single-use mentality and plastics economy that right now is overwhelming our oceans and planet.” Most single-use items — from bags to eating utensils to food containers — have reusable counterparts, and Mallos urges people to make the sustainable switch whenever possible. Such actions may seem insignificant, he says, “but if a global population of 8 billion is making these small little changes, they really do add up.”
There is no shortage of creative ways to reduce plastic and ensure it ends up in the waste stream rather than in natural spaces, Phelps Bondaroff says. Besides bag bans, governments can raise littering fines and improve wayfinding for garbage and recycling bins. Individuals can pressure manufacturers to produce sustainable products with less packaging. In fact, he argues the problem is not a lack of innovation, only of motivation. “The solutions’s there,” he says. “We just really need to step up and tackle our addiction to plastic.”
https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/pandemic-plastic-is-flooding-the-oceans
Pandemic Plastic Is Flooding The Oceans
Experts say face masks and other pollution related to COVID-19 measures are stressing the marine environment.
By Cody CottierMar 17, 2021 7:00 AM
(Credit: Marti Bug Catcher/Shutterstock)
Newsletter
Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
For decades, the world’s seas and shorelines have been strewn with plastic bottles, bags and other disposable debris. But over the past year, as humanity armed itself against the coronavirus, a new category of waste joined the scene: personal protective equipment.
In relieving a global health crisis, we have inadvertently worsened an ecological crisis. Since early 2020, the products meant to hold the virus at bay — face masks, gloves, hand sanitizer bottles — have washed up on beaches worldwide, and even on remote islands. “I’m astonished by how much I see when I take walks on the coast,” says Nick Mallos of Ocean Conservancy, who lives in Portland, Oregon. “I think the pandemic has absolutely underscored the importance of proper waste management around the world.”
Face masks have perhaps stirred the most anxiety, with recent studies estimating that as many as 1.6 billion could have entered the oceans last year. Each one weighs only a few grams, but collectively they amount to between 4,700 and 6,200 tons. Like many plastics, these polypropylene garments could linger for as much as 500 years before fully breaking down into microplastics, which are themselves more or less eternal. In all its forms, plastic poses a threat to the health of marine animals, and its effect on human health remains poorly understood.
The Second Life of Masks
One of the first organizations to raise alarm over pandemic pollution was Hong Kong-based OceansAsia, which surveyed the nearby uninhabited island of Soko and found 70 masks in a 300-foot span of beach. The situation has only worsened in the meantime, according to research director Teale Phelps Bondaroff. “Every single visit we find more masks,” he says, and with some masks now shredded and covered in algae, animals may be more likely to eat them.
Many people have noted that, to an underwater predator, floating masks may resemble jellyfish. And as Laurent Lombard, a diver and founder of the French nonprofit Operation Mer Propre (Operation Clean Sea), warned in a Facebook post last spring, “soon there may be more masks than jellyfish in the waters of the Mediterranean.” With their elastic straps, some fear the masks could entangle animals as well.
Of course, this recent influx is only a small fraction of total plastic pollution (some 11 million tons each year). “Face masks are the tip of the iceberg of this much bigger problem,” Phelps Bondaroff says. But he hopes they will draw attention to marine pollution in general, cutting through society’s “litter blindness” to jolt us into action. “If I’m walking out on the street and I see a cigarette butt, it kind of blends into the environment,” he says. But face masks, besides being the most salient cultural motif of our time, “are light, bright, and they stand out.”
Phelps Bondaroff also acknowledges the importance of personal protective equipment to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Wear a mask,” he advises, “but wear a reusable mask unless absolutely necessary.” And when the situation truly calls for a disposable one? “Fair enough. If that’s the case, dispose of it correctly.”
Single-Use Plastics: The Safe Choice?
The pandemic has influenced plastic consumption in less obvious ways, too. For one, as take-out replaced restaurant dining, disposable containers became the go-to vessels for many meals that wouldn’t have required plastic in the past. The plastics industry also seized the opportunity to push for reversals of the many plastic bag bans that have cut into its profits in recent years.
The CDC guidelines now state that airborne transmission is the greatest health risk, and that contact with infected surfaces is “not thought to be a common way that COVID-19 spreads.” But back in April, when studies found that the virus can survive up to three days on plastic surfaces, lobbyists leaped to pitch single-use bags as the hygienic alternative to reusable ones.
Read more about the plastic problem:
- The U.S. Recycling System Is Flawed. Here’s How We Can Do Better
- Sea Turtles Are Eating Plastic Because It Smells Like Their Food
- Are You an Aspirational Recycler? Here's 9 Things You Actually Can't Recycle
“The initial setbacks were disappointing,” Mallos says, “but I don’t think we are seeing irreparable damage to the broader movement.” Many jurisdictions that suspended their bag bans last spring have since reinstated them, including California, and the wave of new policies continues to grow.
Ending Our Plastic Addiction
COVID-19’s most enduring effect on plastic use may even be positive, according to some optimists. By simply making pollution more visible, it could spur society to confront long-neglected questions about how to reduce and handle these products. “I think the pandemic has really signaled a larger truth,” Mallos says, “of just how much … plastic waste we produce, and how we manage it, and that this really matters.”
He, too, notes that the ultimate enemy is not PPE, but “the broader single-use mentality and plastics economy that right now is overwhelming our oceans and planet.” Most single-use items — from bags to eating utensils to food containers — have reusable counterparts, and Mallos urges people to make the sustainable switch whenever possible. Such actions may seem insignificant, he says, “but if a global population of 8 billion is making these small little changes, they really do add up.”
There is no shortage of creative ways to reduce plastic and ensure it ends up in the waste stream rather than in natural spaces, Phelps Bondaroff says. Besides bag bans, governments can raise littering fines and improve wayfinding for garbage and recycling bins. Individuals can pressure manufacturers to produce sustainable products with less packaging. In fact, he argues the problem is not a lack of innovation, only of motivation. “The solutions’s there,” he says. “We just really need to step up and tackle our addiction to plastic.”
The 3rd wave is upon us.
It's been hovering between 1000-1600 new cases everyday for the last couple of weeks. Surprising that the deaths stay so low. But thats a good thing.
And the new jabs is just over 10k for the day. Slowly getting there.
New lockdown rules for South Africa considered
Bloomberg30 April 2021
The resurgence of the Covid-19 pandemic in India has prompted the South African government to consider introducing additional measures in order to stave off a third wave.
https://mybroadband.co.za/news/tren...-africa-considered.html?utm_source=newsletter
I don't see how India and South Africa can be compared. Our population (and thus densely populated areas) doesn't come anywhere near that of India's.
Unlike the previous 2 ones, this wave is starting is starting and going to hit hard in the FS.
If you look into the provinces individually Free State, Northern Cape and Limpopo looks like it is steadily increasing. KZN is at least stable this time.
Just hope we don't reach India levels. Looks like a warzone there.
Stephen Karanja: Kenyan anti-vaccine doctor dies from Covid-19
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56922517
30 April 2021
"A Kenyan doctor who became a vociferous opponent of the Covid-19 vaccine has succumbed to the virus, weeks after saying the jab was "totally unnecessary".
Dr Stephen Karanja, chairman of the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, advocated steam inhalation and hydroxychloroquine tablets..."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-56922517
30 April 2021
"A Kenyan doctor who became a vociferous opponent of the Covid-19 vaccine has succumbed to the virus, weeks after saying the jab was "totally unnecessary".
Dr Stephen Karanja, chairman of the Kenya Catholic Doctors Association, advocated steam inhalation and hydroxychloroquine tablets..."
At least the jabs have started up again. Excellent news.
It’s so terribly sad how bad India is at the moment.
FIRST BATCH OF 325,000 PFIZER VACCINES TO LAND IN SA ON SUNDAY NIGHT
https://ewn.co.za/2021/05/02/first-batch-of-325-000-pfizer-vaccines-to-land-in-sa-on-sunday-night
2 May 2021
"JOHANNESBURG - The Health Department has announced that the first batch of 325,260 vaccines from Pfizer would touch down at OR Tambo International Airport just before midnight on Sunday.
Minister Zweli Mkhize said the consignment will be transported to a central warehouse and to the national control laboratory for quality assurance and then released to provinces.
Government said it was expecting the same number of vaccines to arrive in South Africa on a weekly basis.
This will total over 1.3 million jabs from Pfizer by the end of May.."
https://ewn.co.za/2021/05/02/first-batch-of-325-000-pfizer-vaccines-to-land-in-sa-on-sunday-night
2 May 2021
"JOHANNESBURG - The Health Department has announced that the first batch of 325,260 vaccines from Pfizer would touch down at OR Tambo International Airport just before midnight on Sunday.
Minister Zweli Mkhize said the consignment will be transported to a central warehouse and to the national control laboratory for quality assurance and then released to provinces.
Government said it was expecting the same number of vaccines to arrive in South Africa on a weekly basis.
This will total over 1.3 million jabs from Pfizer by the end of May.."
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