© Steven HirschNYC could face 'full shutdown' beyond indoor dining, de Blasio warns
As vaccines began being put into arms in New York City and
indoor dining was shut down again Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio warned that additional restrictions could be coming — potentially including a return to a full shutdown.
"There's the potential of having to do a full pause, a full shutdown, in the coming weeks, because we can't let this kind of momentum go," de Blasio said on CNN when asked about comments made by Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week, in which the state's top executive said a fuller shutdown could be in the offing this winter.
"We're seeing the kind of level of infection with the coronavirus we haven't seen since May and we have got to stop that momentum — or else, our hospital system will be threatened," de Blasio said.
"This kind of momentum that the disease has right now? We've got to stop it. We've got to stop it before it causes too much damage, too much pain," Hizzoner told CNN. "And we have to stop it to give time for the vaccine to really be properly distributed."
He made the remarks as he announced that front-line employees in the city's hospital system
would be among the first in Gotham to receive the first doses of the newly approved COVID-19 vaccines.
Officials believe a massive inoculation effort can finally put an end to the pandemic that's claimed more than 24,000 lives — but
have warned that it will take months to manufacture and distribute enough vaccine to stop the coronavirus's spread.
However, any decision on
a full shutdown is ultimately Cuomo's to make under the emergency public health orders the governor issued in the spring, during
a slew of disagreements with Hizzoner over the initial imposition of coronavirus restrictions.
Local governments — including City Hall — are tasked with enforcing the governor's rules, which has proven
to be another frequent flash point between Cuomo and de Blasio.
Comment: RT reports that a number of other countries are, rather suspiciously, enforcing similar restrictions:
London to move into highest tier of Covid restrictions, health secretary tells MPs
Speaking on a call with MPs, Matt Hancock said that, in consultation with health experts and officials, due to the rapid increase in daily Covid-19 infections, the government is moving London to the highest level of coronavirus restrictions. A number of other covid-impacted areas will also be placed under additional restrictions.
Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq tweeted about the health secretary's revelation, calling it the "worst kept secret ever confirmed" and warning her constituents that London, Essex, Watford, Hertsmere and Broxbourne will all face the stricter measures.
© REUTERS / John SibleyFILE PHOTO: A bus drives past a sign displaying the measures imposed by the government against the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), on the first day of a newly imposed lockdown, in London, Britain, November 5, 2020.
It is not currently clear how the London Tier 3 move will impact the government's plans to relax coronavirus restrictions over the Christmas period, due from December 23 to 27, which would allow three households to form a so-called bubble, mix indoors and stay overnight.
However, NHS providers have urged people to think "really carefully" about travelling home for Christmas and increasing their social contacts.
South Korea closes schools in capital region, prepares to raise social distancing curbs to highest level
Schools will have to move classes online in Seoul and outlying areas until the end of December. "The government will not hesitate to make the decision to upgrade to Phase 3 if it is considered necessary as it takes into account the opinions of related ministries, local governments, and experts," PM Chung Sye-kyun said.
On Monday the country registered 718 new coronavirus cases, and 682 cases were locally transmitted. Total infections now stand at 43,484, with 587 deaths, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Most of the new cases were reported in the capital, the neighboring port city of Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, home to over 25 million people.
© Reuters / Heo RanAn ultra-cold storage facility at the Korea Superfreeze company prepares to store Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, December 10, 2020.
Authorities have already introduced a five-tier social distancing scheme, and the greater Seoul area is currently at 2.5, the second-highest level. The rest of the country is currently at level 2.
The highest level may be implemented when locally transmitted cases surge to between 800 to 1,000 cases or the tally doubles from the previous day. On Monday, after fewer tests, daily new coronavirus cases fell to 718. While the largest number of new cases - 1,030 - was reported on Sunday.
President Moon Jae-in said on Monday that the government will work to support owners of small businesses and self-employed people hit by the coronavirus crisis. He confirmed a plan is in the works to create more than 1 million public-sector jobs.
Poland's health minister suggests extending restrictions, warns of 'third wave'
Poland may face a third wave of Covid-19 between January and February, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski has warned, saying it would be "much worse" than the previous ones as he called for a lockdown extension.
"In order to avoid a third wave I will recommend that the restrictions remain at the current level... I will recommend that they are extended until at least Jan 17," Niedzielski told reporters after a meeting with Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and President Andrzej Duda.
The health minister warned that Poland faces a "real risk" of a third wave, which he predicted would hit the nation hard.
"The third wave starting at the level of about 10,000 [daily] cases would be much worse than the second one, which started at the level of about 1,000 cases [a day] and had its peak at around 28,000 [cases]," he wrote in a Twitter post, adding that "the decline in the daily cases number is slowing down."
Poland previously shut down schools, restaurants and sports centers amid record rising infection numbers in November. The final decision on the extension of restrictions would be taken by the Government Crisis Management Team headed by the prime minister.
The nation also plans to launch its vaccination programme early next year and has already purchased over 60 million jabs, according to PM Morawiecki. The plan is to vaccinate the entire adult population of around 30 million people and authorities want to set up some 8,000 vaccination points across the country.
Poland was only mildly affected by the coronavirus pandemic in spring 2020, but saw the infection cases skyrocketing in October. The peak was reached in the second half of November and the number of new cases has been gradually falling since.
The latest government data shows 4,896 new cases over the last 24 hours. The nation reported a total of 1,140,572 coronavirus cases and 22,960 deaths as of Monday.
For governments that are dealing with different numbers and different situations, their actions regularly appear to acting in concert with each other - as if they're not really the ones making the decisions:
Also check out SOTT radio's:
Comment: RT reports that a number of other countries are, rather suspiciously, enforcing similar restrictions: For governments that are dealing with different numbers and different situations, their actions regularly appear to acting in concert with each other - as if they're not really the ones making the decisions:
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