All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

UK PM Boris Johnson postpones easing of coronavirus lockdown measures in England

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday announced a delay to the further easing of coronavirus restrictions in England for at least two weeks.

A relaxation of restrictions had initially been scheduled to take place over the weekend.

The move comes shortly after the government imposed restrictions across swathes of northern England following a rise in the rate of transmissions.

Among the changes, Johnson said wedding receptions of up to 30 people will no longer be allowed to happen from August 1, with bowling alleys, casinos and skating rinks to remain closed.

Face coverings, which are already required in shops and indoor transport hubs, will also soon be mandatory in more settings.

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The move comes after the government imposed restrictions across swathes of northern England following a rise in the rate of transmissions.

DeSantis approval plummets amid coronavirus surge: poll | TheHill

poll by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy released Friday shows that 45 percent of respondents said that they approved of DeSantis’s job performance, while 49 percent disapproved.

This is a stark contrast from the last iteration of the survey in March, when 62 percent of Florida voters said that they approved of the job DeSantis was doing, with just 24 percent saying they disapproved.

 

Source: DeSantis approval plummets amid coronavirus surge: poll | TheHill

Pelosi says testing lawmakers is up to Capitol physician | TheHill

“There are many people in the country who should be tested, should have access, in order to quantify the problem, but also to trace and to treat, so that people don’t die. And I don’t think it’s a good idea for members of the Congress to say, ‘We should have it, but maybe not necessarily the people who work here at the expense of others,'” she said.

“It comes back to equipment,” she added. “We would probably have to do thousands of people — some would say every day, some would say every week. It’s not up to Sen. McConnell or me. As far as I’m concerned it’s up to the Capitol physician.”

 

Source: Pelosi says testing lawmakers is up to Capitol physician | TheHill

India’s coronavirus cases rise by a daily record of 55,078

India reported another record surge in daily Covid-19 cases on Friday (July 31), taking the total to 1.64 million, as the government further eases virus curbs in a bid to resuscitate the economy, while also trying to increase testing.

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BANGALORE (REUTERS) – India reported another record surge in daily Covid-19 cases on Friday (July 31), taking the total to 1.64 million, as the government further eases virus curbs in a bid to resuscitate the economy, while also trying to increase testing.

Infections jumped by 55,078 in the past 24 hours, while the death toll rose by 779 to 35,747, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on its website.

The ministry also said it aimed to raise the country’s capacity to one million coronavirus tests per day in the medium term, from a record 600,000 on Friday.

The federal government this week announced the reopening of yoga institutes and gymnasiums, and removed restrictions on the movement of people and goods.

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Thanks to outsourcing, England’s test and trace system is in chaos | Allyson Pollock

NHS services have been sidelined in favour of private giants with a poor track record – and billions are unaccounted for

We all know that an effective and integrated find, test, track and trace system is hugely important in tackling the coronavirus outbreak. It’s crucial if we’re going to come out of lockdown safely, prevent a second wave of suffering and see our loved ones again.

Yet Britain’s test and trace programme – lauded by the government as “world-beating” – is about as far from integrated or effective as you can get.

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NHS services have been sidelined in favour of private giants with a poor track record – and billions are unaccounted for

We all know that an effective and integrated find, test, track and trace system is hugely important in tackling the coronavirus outbreak. It’s crucial if we’re going to come out of lockdown safely, prevent a second wave of suffering and see our loved ones again.

Yet Britain’s test and trace programme – lauded by the government as “world-beating” – is about as far from integrated or effective as you can get.

Continue reading…

Algeria needs an apology and reparations from France – not a history lesson | Nabila Ramdani | Opinion | The Guardian

Macron already has plenty of evidence highlighting the evil nature of l’Algérie française. Academically rehearsing what we know won’t achieve much. If anything, it could exacerbate grievances. What is needed are an apology, reparations and – yes – even prosecutions.

Source: Algeria needs an apology and reparations from France – not a history lesson | Nabila Ramdani | Opinion | The Guardian

Tory MP condemned for claim BAME people breaching lockdown most

Racism in UK is always waiting to explode – even when most know better.

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Craig Whittaker accused of baseless claims after Covid-19 comments aimed at Muslim community

A Conservative MP has been accused of making baseless allegations after he said the “vast majority” of people breaching coronavirus lockdown rules were from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, particularly those from Muslim backgrounds.

Craig Whittaker, the MP for Calder Valley, West Yorkshire since 2010, told LBC radio there were “sections of our community that are just not taking the pandemic seriously”.

Continue reading…

India arrests dozens of journalists in clampdown on critics of Covid-19 response | Global development | The Guardian

The majority of those facing action are independent journalists working in rural India, home to more than 60% of the 1.35 billion population.

“The indirect message is that we cannot show the government in poor light. It does not matter if we have to turn a blind eye to issues we witness,” said Om Sharma, a journalist with a Hindi daily in Himachal Pradesh, a mountain state in north India. Police had charged him over a Facebook live report that showed stranded workers in need of food during the lockdown.

Sharma faced charges of spreading false information, disobeying the order of a public servant and acting negligently to spread infection of a dangerous disease.

 

Source: India arrests dozens of journalists in clampdown on critics of Covid-19 response | Global development | The Guardian

(Medical) Brain Gain – GERMAN-FOREIGN-POLICY.com

Germany is among those countries, which is benefiting most from the influx of highly qualified workers from poorer European regions, according to a recent study of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW). The number of professionals coming from Eastern and Southeastern Europe is rapidly increasing, particularly in the health sector. This brain drain is creating huge problems in their countries of origins – also in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. For example, in Poland, the ratio of medical doctors and nurses per 100,000 inhabitants is about half as high as that in Germany, in Albania it is even lower. The German government, denying that this is having a negative impact on the countries of origin, speaks of an alleged win-win situation. However, resistance is growing at the European level against the drain of professionals. The countries of origin usually had to invest large sums for their training – investments from which the wealthy western and northern EU countries, particularly Germany, are profiting.

Source: Brain Gain – GERMAN-FOREIGN-POLICY.com

“Not What I Signed Up For”: De Blasio Staff Exodus Continues, As Mayor Stands By Police

“He is now completely letting the cops run over him and the entire city — and that is not what I signed up for,” said one former staffer who exited this month. De Blasio at a press briefing

“He is now completely letting the cops run over him and the entire city — and that is not what I signed up for,” said one former staffer who exited this month. [ more › ]