COVID-19 in Jamaica: Are we done with it now? – Petchary’s Blog

So are we in a good place right now? Can we all breathe a sigh of relief? Well, perhaps it is because we have gotten so used to the protocols over the past two years, but some of us are not so ready to throw caution to the winds, just yet. The new variant (whether it’s here or not, and we are in the dark on that) may be very contagious but “mild,” but my husband is recovering from a stroke and diabetic. He would, therefore, be considered “vulnerable,” like many others with underlying conditions and more advanced in years.

At least one financial institution has issued a statement that it will continue to enforce COVID-19 protocols for customers and staff. I am sure other firms, large and small, will follow suit.

So, we are taking no chances, personally. We will continue to wear our masks, especially indoors, and keep our distance from people.

Source: COVID-19 in Jamaica: Are we done with it now? – Petchary’s Blog

Coronavirus Self-Checker | CDC

The Coronavirus Self-Checker is an interactive clinical assessment tool that will assist individuals ages 13 and older, and parents and caregivers of children ages 2 to 12 on deciding when to seek testing or medical care if they suspect they or someone they know has contracted COVID-19 or has come into close contact with someone who has COVID-19.

The online mobile-friendly tool asks a series of questions covering topics such as isolation and quarantine, vaccination status, symptoms, test results, exposure, underlying medical conditions, etc. Based on the user’s responses, the tool then provides information about interpreting test results and when to quarantine and isolate, as well as recommended actions and resources.

Source: Coronavirus Self-Checker | CDC

200,000 Risk Losing Jobs in Moscow Over Sanctions – Mayor – The Moscow Times

Around 200,000 employees of foreign companies in Moscow could lose their jobs due to sanctions over Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, the city’s mayor said on Monday.

“According to our estimates, about 200,000 people are at risk of losing their jobs,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a blog post.

Source: 200,000 Risk Losing Jobs in Moscow Over Sanctions – Mayor – The Moscow Times

Out of Sight #Ukraine #portal #fiction

penned in moon dust

I ran, hopped down the hall away from the men pursuing me. I couldn’t afford the time to look back.

“Please God help them stumble.”

I double timed it up the back stairs to my room on the fifth floor. I pulled the key that my husband always held onto out of my pocket and opened my door. I closed it quietly, locking both bolts. I slid the secret panel away knowing it would be tight but I could fit. I grabbed a large bottle of water and closed the panel behind me. I slowed my breathing and was grateful for the thick walls around me.

I didn’t know how many days I was curled up in that secret closet. Fortunately, I had packages of biscuits and almonds. I ate at night so I sounded like a mouse scratching about in the walls. Though I didn’t know if old hotel…

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Russian invaders abduct 16-year-old son of a Zaporizhzhia regional head

Oleh Buriak is the Head of the Zaporizhzhia Raion Administration (in the Zaporizhzhia oblast).  He explains that his son was abducted in the late morning of 8 April at a Russian checkpoint in Vasylivka.  Vlad was in a car with two women he knows and with three small children.  They were heading, together with other cars, towards Zaporizhzhia when all were stopped by the Russian soldiers who came up to each of them, checking who was there and where they were going.  Oleh Buriak has learned that the Russians saw Vlad’s telephone and dragged him out of the car.

The car Vlad was driving in was held at the checkpoint for three hours, after which all were released, except the 16-year-old. The Russians “had tablets with them, and they found out that I’m the boy’s father,” Oleh Buriak explains.

The family spent the following 10 days trying privately to secure Vlad’s release.  All efforts have been in vain and on 17 April, Oleh Buriak issued an impassioned appeal to the international community to help save his son, whose whereabouts remain unknown.  His call was seconded on 18 April by Oleksandr Starukh, Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration.

The Russian invaders have been abducting public officials; civic activists and journalists since 24 February 2022, with many still missing.  This, however, seems to be the first time that they have seized a child.

Source: Russian invaders abduct 16-year-old son of a Zaporizhzhia regional head