The CDC here has shortened the isolation and quarantine periods for people testing positive and for close contacts. New Zealand is lengthening them. Isolation for people testing positive is now 14 days, up from 10. Close contacts must isolate for 10 days rather than one week. The covid spread in New Zealand is higher than ever and could reach 1,000 cases in one day. The country is moving to red alert, meaning that businesses and schools stay open and domestic travel is permitted. However, there are mandates for mask-wearing, restrictions on gathering size--100 unless unvaccinated people are there in which case 25 is the limit--and vaccine passes needed to enter most non-essential businesses. The prime minister is postponing her wedding to comply with the tightened restrictions.
It's less than two weeks before the Olympics begin, and Olympic-bound athletes have been going all out to avoid covid. One snowboarder has not seen her family or friends other than her boyfriend since November. Some athletes have celebrated making the Olympic team via FaceTime. The eight members of the Canadian men's curling team live together and train only when the rink is closed and they are the only ones there. The American biathlon team is operating in "roommate pods." Some athletes are skipping extra competitions such as the X Games. An American speedskater explains, "We are playing Russian roulette every single day. You can take all the precautions, wash your hands, wear a mask, and somehow you can still get covid. In my opinion it is luck of the draw at this point."
Here in Virginia, only a couple of counties over, a woman has been charged with misdemeanor communicating an oral threat while on school property and released on a $5,000 bond. Speaking at Thursday night's school board meeting, she said, "My children will not come to school on Monday with a mask on, all right? That's not happening. And I will bring every single gun loaded and ready to ..." She was then cut off but on exiting the meeting added, "I'll see you all on Monday."
Finally, are we there yet? Are things under control? Not really, says Dr. Fauci. "Control means you're not eliminating it, you're not eradicating it, but it gets down to such a low level that it's essentially integrated into the general respiratory infections that we have learned to live with. ... We'd like to get it down to that level where is doesn't disrupt us, in the sense of getting back to a degree of normality. ... That's the best-case scenario. We have got to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but we have to be prepared, which is, I think, that we get yet again another variant that has characteristics that would be problematic, like a high degree of transmissibility or a high degree of virulence."
To date myself, I'll offer that we're not all Bozos on this bus. As long as we keep scientists driving, I'm cool with going a bit farther.
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