Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[The Larch]

It seems that Australia is going full Madagascar, closing its borders for all kinds of travel until the end of 2021.

TRAVEL TO AUSTRALIA NOT POSSIBLE UNTIL 'LATE NEXT YEAR'
International borders expected to remain closed until Covid-19 vaccine is available

Australia is unlikely to open its borders for international travel until the end of 2021, the country's government has confirmed.

The rule applies both ways, meaning Australians will be largely unable to travel overseas, while tourists will be unable to enter Australia.

Josh Frydenberg, the Treasurer, confirmed the decision to wait until a vaccine is available after handing down the Federal Budget, reports News.com.au.

He said: "International travel, including by tourists and international students, is assumed to remain largely closed off until late next year and then gradually return over time, and a vaccine to be available around the end of 2021 is one of the assumptions in the budget.

[Syt]

In the last 14 days, cases in Vienna have gone from 11600 to 16000 total (4480 active to 5544). Deaths have increased from 252 to 279 in the same period.

[Syt]

[The Brain]

He has his own Boris?

[Syt]

Vienna funeral services have a new item in their shop:



"Corona denial saves jobs - Vienna Funeral Services"

Not sure I like the layout/design of the mask.

[HisMajestyBOB]

Corona sichert leugnen arbeitsplaetze?

[Sheilbh]

Multiple people at the European Commission/Council meeting have to self-isolate due to positive tests in their teams including Borrell and von der Leyen. Von der Leyen was actually welcoming leaders this morning but has since been informed a staff member has tested positive so is now in self-isolation.

It's one of those slightly interesting thoughts of how diplomacy works in a pandemic. Especially at an organisation like the EU where a lot of the important action isn't in the meetings that decide issues but the side-meetings, or quick bilaterals by different ministers and the Commission. It's one of the few arenas (because you've basically got 27 people making a decision) where the ability to meet in person is probably far, far better than video conferencing.

[Eddie Teach]

This sounds like a... shaggy dog story.
<rimshot>

[Sheilbh]

Shagging My Dogs was a bold title for Lynne Truss's follow-up to Eats, Shoots and Leaves, but it made its point well.

[The Brain]

It wasn't me.

[The Larch]

It wasn't me.

[DGuller]

I googled the phrase to see if it can mean something else.  I think that put me on some kind of a list.

[Sheilbh]

I googled the phrase to see if it can mean something else.  I think that put me on some kind of a list.

And rightly so you pervert

[Sheilbh]

New ECDC map measuring number of cases and % of postives of tests done - basically almost everywhere's looking bad:

[DGuller]

Here's another risk/reward discussion that I don't recall we've had before:  does it really make sense to test the potential vaccines with the same rigor as usual?  I see some stories about vaccine trials being paused because of some adverse effects or something, and it's followed by "it's normal for trials to pause".  My questions is, should we be acting as normal?  The protocols are there to balance risks and rewards, but in times of war the risk/reward balance tends to shift radically, and we're essentially in a state of war while Covid is not contained.