Bit of a mockery of the "priority list" I know of someone else who just had their vaccine who was taken to the vaccine centre by her sister, a nurse, and was given the shot despite the fact she isn't in a priority group and is only 23 years old.
UK has banned travel to England from the Philippines. (it's a live link so this story will be way down the page by the time most of you get to it so I added a screen grab as well) Covid: More countries added to England travel ban list - BBC News
I wonder how long it will take for the Philippines tourist industry to recover? It was in poor shape even before the pandemic.
I can't afford a £1750 quarantine hotel Mike and my fear is that this is starting to look like the explosion of cases that people feared would happen last year and didn't. Right now July is a no hoper and I am worried that October is not going to happen either, I told James earlier that if it is still really bad in July/Aug that Christmas is probably off too. Given that they won't get a rapid national vaccine programme and that the problem right now looks like a homegrown new more infectious variant it could be years before I get back. So far the deaths have not been as massive a problem in the Philippines so the next few weeks will be crucial in terms of seeing how bad it could get, they are reporting 15,000 new cases today, last three days (approx) 6000, 8000, 15000.
I am hoping for you and your family (and for other members here too) that the infections stabilise and diminish over there, Jim, to the level that other governments will not see the Philippines as a hot-spot and that travel will be back to a similar situation as before. It is easier for me to say as my kids are in the UK, but staying hopeful and optimistic will help our spirits through this continuing dark cloud until "every cloud has a silver lining"
The disturbing thing is that it is summer now and cases are rising and that is surprising for the Phils, it's even possible that the ECQ lockdown is adding to this by keeping people confined in their homes instead of outside but still having family members travelling and mingling for work and bringing home the virus. Who knows, we will need to wait for further data. This thing will be over when it is over, vaccines will help but the AZ vaccine certainly is not a full coverage vaccine it was not designed to target the entire spike protein only parts of it, Pfizer and Moderna on the other hand were targeted at the entire spike protein and appear to have wider efficacy against variants at this time, all of these vaccines have plusses and minuses, Pfizer is more leaky overall compared to AZ, AZ appears to be 100% effective against Covid deaths while there appears to be some data that Pfizer is not 100% effective that way, boosters later this year will be the thing but right now that looks to be restricted to those over 70 all we can do is wait and see.
Duterte agrees he doesn't want the one currently on offer. https://mobile-reuters-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idUSKCN2AS09I?amp_js_v=a6&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQHKAFQArABIA==#aoh=16173864598273&csi=1&referrer=https://www.google.com&_tf=From %1$s&share=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-philippines-vaccin-idUSKCN2AS09I
Just had a Skype message from a feller livening in the Philippines.... “I am getting tired of all this to be honest. This is dragging on way too long. The Chinese drugs cause more damage than they help so they are off the shelves here now. I sometimes wonder what it's going to be like once this Pandemic is finally over. But then the stupidity of people here just gets me down. I see them walking around no masks on or face shields just begging to catch COVID. It utter madness everywhere mate.”
I have commented on this a few times, I know for a 100% fact in different locations in the PI it's business as usual, people going into each others houses, visiting friends, socialising etc, small wonder duterte said he will lock the country down till 2023 or that the PI is now on our red list.
This guy has been in the Philippines a number of years now. Approximately 8. He has always been very upbeat about the country, in the past. Loved it there. I asked him to clarify on the “Chinese drugs” and indeed he was referring to the vaccine.
We also know of a couple of Filipinos resident in the IoM who are quarantining in the Philippines right now having visited recently. Quarantining before they can leave the Philippines.