WHO, EU collaborating on global vaccine passport

The World Health Organization and European Union (EU) have signed an agreement and letter of internt to upgrade the EU digital Covid vaccine pass for global use in future pandemics.

EU and WHO Sign Global Vaccine Passport Deal | The European Conservative - Tamás Orbán:

June 7, 2023 - "Representatives of the World Health Organization [WHO] and the European Commission signed an administrative agreement and letter of intent at the WHO headquarters in Geneva on Monday, June 5th, for the upgrading of the EU system of digital COVID-19 certification to be used globally in future health crises, Euractiv reported. As expected, the announcement sparked instant backlash on social media, while experts and politicians weighed in to warn about the terrifying consequences that such a system could have in store. 'Are you seeing it yet? … Yet another "conspiracy theory" becoming reality!' German MEP Christine Anderson (ID) tweeted. She added:

If you don’t do as you’re told (get x amount of mRNA shots, get 'recommended' check-ups, procedures, whatever they will deem beneficial to “public health” (definition subject to change any given time) and are unable to provide proof, you will be labeled “a threat to society” and will be turned off with the flip of a switch, thanks to eID and CBDC!.... 

"According to EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, who was delighted that the WHO 'will take up the framework' of the EU’s existing vaccine passport system, the aim of the global system is not to restrict liberties, but to facilitate mobility and protect citizens from future health threats.... According to technology expert Michael Rectenwald, Ph.D., a global, digital health passport would be about anything but protecting freedom. As he told The Defender, such a passport system could only mean 'restraints on movement and living for the unvaccinated and forced vaccination to participate in life'....

"According to the WHO’s press release, the global vaccine passport will only be the first building block of the WHO’s Global Digital Health Certification Network (GDHCN), which is set to develop a wide range of digital products to track and deal with contagious outbreaks. According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the organization is hoping to radically expand the capabilities of the Network in the coming months, progressively introducing a whole range of planned products, including global certificates for vaccination, routine immunization cards, and even international 'patient summaries.'

"As of Tuesday, June 5th, the Certification Network is already operational, joined by nearly 80 countries so far. However, the EU and the WHO aim to 'encourage maximum global uptake and participation' in the long term, the press release states. 'The WHO will continue to work with all regions to ensure that the network is accessible globally,' the WHO chief added....

"This agreement on the two organizations’ joint Digital Health Initiative is merely a follow-up to a previous one in December 2022, when the EU and the WHO pledged to enhance strategic cooperation on global health issues, going much further than just a global vaccine passport. Although building on the EU’s existing infrastructure is a recent development, the idea of a global vaccine passport has been on the WHO’s agenda for some time now, as the organization already commissioned the telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom to build its global vaccine verification app back in February.

"In parallel with the development of this new digital certificate, the EU and the WHO are working together on a much larger project, the so-call Pandemic Treaty, which is a global framework of binding health regulations, set for adoption next year, which would make it mandatory for all 194 member states to follow the WHO’s guidelines during pandemics, including quarantine measures, border closures, and vaccine requirement. 

"Naturally, the Pandemic Treaty is also opposed by a growing coalition of MEPs in Brussels. During last month’s International COVID Summit in the European Parliament, Croatian MEP Mislav Kolakusic lashed out against the idea, saying the WHO should be declared a terrorist organization instead of being given unprecedented global powers. If adopted by next year’s 77th World Health Assembly, the pandemic treaty would make it possible for the WHO to mandate the adoption of the Certification Network, which, for now, is still voluntary."

Read more: https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/dystopia-eu-and-who-sign-global-vaccine-passport-deal/

Global leaders back vaccine passports for future international travel | GBNews - November 17, 2022:

Support for vax passes & mask mandates waning

by George J. Dance

According to scientists, vaccine efficacy against Covid 19 infection has waned. And so has Canadians' tolerance of Covid vaccine passports and other restrictions, according to a national polling firm. The Angus Reid Institute reported on July 20 that, while "many Canadians continue to be worried about the risk the virus poses to their own and their families’ health," and "while some are taking their own steps to prevent further spread, the appetite for government public health measures is minimal – and a fraction of what it was in previous waves."

"Last September, amid the fourth wave of the pandemic," Angus Reid reminds us, "seven-in-ten Canadians (70%) said they would support a vaccine passport in their community to require residents to show proof of inoculation to enter larger public spaces." That was the month that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau won re-election campaigning to bring vax passes in. Health matters, including vaccine passes, constitutionally are not the federal government's business; but Trudeau promised to give provincial governments a billion dollars to mandate them.  

By 2022, Canadians' support of Covid restrictions had dropped - a January Angus Reid poll found a majority in favor of "lifting restrictions" in general. However, vaccine passes remained popular. As late as mid-March, the pollster was reporting that 64 per cent - almost two Canadians in three - "supported proof of vaccination at places like restaurants and theatres in their community."

And today, now that we face a reported seventh wave of Covid? According to the latest Angus Reid survey, conducted July 13-17, the vaccine pass "concept is now supported by one-in-four (25%)." Vaccine passes no longer enjoy majority support in any region or among any demographic group.  

Public support for mask mandates has taken a similar tumble. The March Angus Reid survey found that "nationally, 73 per cent supported continuing masking requirements in public spaces" - almost three Canadians in four. By mid-July, that support has fallen to a bare majority; just "half say they would support mandating [masks] in public spaces (51%)."   

Enthusiasm for renewed mask mandates remains strongest in Atlantic Canada (at 62%), Ontario (55%), and British Columbia (also 55%). It is lowest in Alberta (36%) and Saskatchewan (38%). Support has fallen most among men under 55, of which "Just one-in-three would implement a mask mandate in their community compared to a majority of all other age and gender combinations."  

Canadians have not given up on facemasks; or have they?   Almost three-quarters (74%) of those polled say that masks are effective "at reducing the spread of COVID-19." Yet just 30% report "wearing a mask when they are inside places like grocery stores, banks or movie theatres 'most' or 'all of the time'." More than half (53%) say that they "rarely" or "never" wear one.

Only 14% of respondents want travel restrictions reinstated. Almost three times as many, 38%  – roughly two in five – told Angus Reid that no government action is needed in the event of a seventh wave of Covid.

The Institute surveyed a representative randomized sample of 1,602 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum. For comparison purposes only, a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. 

Sources:

"Canadians still hesitant to withdraw proof of vaccination measures, masking in indoor spaces," Angus Reid Institute, March 15, 2022.  https://angusreid.org/covid-restrictions-precautions-masking-trudeau/

"Canadians’ desire to implement mask mandates or vaccine passports plunges, Angus Reid Institute, July 20, 2022.  https://www.angusreid.com/intelligence/canadians-desire-to-implement-mask-mandates-or-vaccine-passports-plunges/

"As COVID BA.5 cases surge, Canadians’ desire to implement mask mandates or vaccine passports plunges," Angus Reid Institute, July 20, 2022. 
https://angusreid.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022.07.20_COVID_Restrictions.pdf

French Assembly votes down new vaccine pass

Macron’s government suffers first defeat in parliament after election setback | France 24:

July 13, 2022 - "France's government has suffered its first defeat in parliament after President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party lost its majority in elections last month. The National Assembly rejected a proposal on Tuesday night to give the government powers to demand travellers show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test when entering France. The defeat by 219 votes to 195 saw all the major opposition parties -- the far-right National Rally (RN), the hard left LFI, and rightwing Republicans (LR) -- unite against the minority government....

"Despite the setback on the border controls, a wider bill to tackle the seventh wave of Covid-19 infections passed the assembly with 221 votes in favour and 187 against."
Read more: https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20220713-macron-s-government-suffers-first-defeat-in-parliament-after-election-setback

The French are fed up with Macron’s Covid tyranny | Spiked - Charles Devellenes:

July 15, 2022 - "French president Emmanuel Macron has suffered his first parliamentary defeat of the new term. A bill intended to reinforce Covid restrictions ahead of the autumn was rejected by the three main opposition parties. This is a major setback for a president who has grown all too used to getting his way.

Macron in 2017. CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

"Macron was re-elected as president back in April. But just months later in June’s parliamentary elections, he failed to secure a majority.... The election results changed nothing in Macron’s eyes.... He is as determined as ever to push through his unpopular agenda.... In parliament, he can ally himself with the far-right Rassemblement National or the conservative Républicains on certain votes. And if parliament disagrees with him, he may try to turn to the anti-democratic Article 49.3 of the French constitution, which allows presidents to pass a bill through parliament without a vote. He can also issue presidential decrees.... 

"The defeated bill proposed reinstating certain Covid restrictions, particularly at the French border. Its main aim was to reintroduce the deeply unpopular ‘health pass’ (or vaccine passport) for travellers entering the country. Earlier in the pandemic, a health pass was required to enter cafés and public spaces.

"Macron, ever the ‘authoritarian liberal’, enacted some of the harshest Covid restrictions in the world during the pandemic. At times, all citizens were required to fill in a form every time they left the home. Medical professionals who refused the vaccination were fired. And an army of police officers was deployed to issue fines and enforce lockdowns. The opposition parties are right to recognise that the French are fed up with Covid rules, especially now that vaccines have been widely available for well over a year.

"Yet Macron has made a habit of turning ‘temporary’ infringements on civil liberties into permanent features of French life. When he took office in 2017, France was still under a state of emergency following the Paris terror attacks in November 2015. Although he officially brought the state of emergency to an end, he only did so after passing some of its restrictions on civil liberties into law.... A state of permanent emergency, administrative controls over everyday life and restricted liberties have defined the Macron regime since its inception. The heavy-handed Covid response was an outgrowth of this existing authoritarianism. But the defeat of the Covid bill in parliament this week shows that opposition to Macron’s rule is mounting. And he will find it increasingly difficult to impose his will....

"For five years, Macron has ruled France with impunity. This period is now officially over. Parliamentarians have shown that they can now defeat the president, derail his agenda and scrutinise his government. Macron may now have to call for new parliamentary elections, but the risks are high. Given his sinking popularity, he may well find himself with even less support after a new vote. Whatever happens next, Macron has finally been humbled."
Read more: https://www.spiked-online.com/2022/07/15/the-french-are-fed-up-with-macrons-covid-tyranny/

Unintended consequences of vaccine mandates

The unintended consequences of COVID-19 vaccine policy: why mandates, passports and restrictions may cause more harm than good | BMJ Global Health 7:5 - Kevin Bardosh, Alex de Figueiredo, Rachel Gur-Arie, James Doidge, Trudo Lemmens, Salmaan Keshavjee, Janice E Graham, Stefan Baral:

Abstract

Vaccination policies have shifted dramatically during COVID-19 with the rapid emergence of population-wide vaccine mandates, domestic vaccine passports and differential restrictions based on vaccination status. While these policies have prompted ethical, scientific, practical, legal and political debate, there has been limited evaluation of their potential unintended consequences. Here, we outline a comprehensive set of hypotheses for why these policies may ultimately be counterproductive and harmful. Our framework considers four domains: (1) behavioural psychology, (2) politics and law, (3) socioeconomics, and (4) the integrity of science and public health. 

While current vaccines appear to have had a significant impact on decreasing COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality burdens, we argue that current mandatory vaccine policies are scientifically questionable and are likely to cause more societal harm than good. Restricting people’s access to work, education, public transport and social life based on COVID-19 vaccination status impinges on human rights, promotes stigma and social polarisation, and adversely affects health and well-being. Current policies may lead to a widening of health and economic inequalities, detrimental long-term impacts on trust in government and scientific institutions, and reduce the uptake of future public health measures, including COVID-19 vaccines as well as routine immunisations. 

Mandating vaccination is one of the most powerful interventions in public health and should be used sparingly and carefully to uphold ethical norms and trust in institutions. We argue that current COVID-19 vaccine policies should be re-evaluated in light of the negative consequences that we outline. Leveraging empowering strategies based on trust and public consultation, and improving healthcare services and infrastructure, represent a more sustainable approach to optimising COVID-19 vaccination programmes and, more broadly, the health and well-being of the public.

[...]

Conclusion

The adoption of new vaccination policies has provoked backlash, resistance and polarisation. It is important to emphasise that these policies are not viewed as ‘incentives’ or ‘nudges’ by substantial proportions of populations  especially in marginalised, underserved or low COVID-19-risk groups. Denying individuals education, livelihoods, medical care or social life unless they get vaccinated — especially in light of the limitations with the current vaccines — is arguably in tension with constitutional and bioethical principles, especially in liberal democracies. While public support consolidated behind these policies in many countries, we should acknowledge that ethical frameworks were designed to ensure that rights and liberties are respected even during public health emergencies.

Vaccination policies can be an important tool in the promotion of the right to health, but they need to be proportionate and designed to achieve a clearly defined goal. Some of those supporting current restrictions based on vaccination status seem to accept too easily that these measures are indeed proportionate; that they are not more restrictive than necessary; that they are effective in preventing transmission and protecting the healthcare system from collapse; and that there are no options available other than punitive mandates, passports and segregated restrictions. As illustrated above, we believe that current vaccine policies have failed on these fronts and are no longer fit for purpose.

We encourage social and behavioural scientists, bioethicists, epidemiologists, legal scholars, and others to assess the benefits and harms of COVID-19 vaccination policies, along with wider open multidisciplinary discussion and debate. Empirical assessments may or may not validate the concerns presented in this paper—but their generation is critical in engagement with politicians, scientists, and organisations to reconsider current policies affecting those who remain unvaccinated as well as those who vaccinated due to threats and pressure. COVID-19 will not be the last public health emergency and it remains critical that we understand the reasons these approaches were adopted and provide robust evidence to improve future policymaking in times of health emergencies.135 If not, the proclivity for mandates, passports, restrictions, fines and punishments is likely to become an accepted policy response for the next pandemic irrespective of whether such policies are truly effective, ethical and socially harmful.

If current policies are to continue, public health-associated bureaucracies and society will have to increase coercion to address current and future resistance and, in the process, come to leverage strategies more consistent with policing than public health. We may also see political forces double down and use people who have chosen not to get vaccinated as a collective, psychological and political tool to scapegoat and reinforce a false notion of safety among vaccinated people as they yearn to resume social and economic life. Policymakers should reflect on the necessity of enforcing what is essentially a new two-tier, segregated social system and how this will affect different social groups now and into the future—behaviourally, politically and socioeconomically—as well as the impact of such policies on the integrity of science and public health itself.

There are other options to address the pandemic and it is not too late to return to non-coercive public health measures, including pro-social language and community leadership for vaccination, especially to protect high-risk groups. Future investments in public health capacity, especially health providers who build relationships of trust working in communities, will be essential to engage in positive reforms. Improving data transparency, media independence and broad public debate and scrutiny about COVID-19 vaccine policies will also be essential to maintain population trust, help people better understand the risks and benefits of the continued use of current vaccines, and to inform research on improvements and future policies.

Read more: https://gh.bmj.com/content/7/5/e008684
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2022-008684

This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited, appropriate credit is given, any changes made indicated, and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 

Austria and Italy end most Covid restrictions

Austria’s Capital to Lift Vaccination & Recovery Certificate Requirement for Access to Public Places | Schwengen Visa Info:

April 15, 2022 - "The Austrian authorities have announced that the capital of the country, Vienna, will no longer apply COVID-19 restrictions starting from April 16. Vienna was the only Austrian region to keep in place the vaccination and recovery certificate requirement, as the other parts of the country already dropped them on March 5, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports. Speaking at a press conference, the city councillor Peter Hacker said that the authorities have decided to go along with the steps that have been taken throughout the whole country. This means that from tomorrow, citizens of Vienna, as well as visitors, will no longer be required to present a valid vaccination or recovery certificate when attending bars, restaurants, museums, theatres, and other public places and events.

"In addition, it has been revealed that the mask requirement will also be dropped tomorrow for the majority of places. However, Hacker emphasised that the requirement will still remain in place for those who wish to enter healthcare institutions, essential shops, and public transport."

"Despite facilitating its domestic restrictions, Austria still keeps in place its entry rules. The Austrian authorities explain that all travellers, regardless of their country of origin, need to present a valid vaccination, recovery, or test certificate in order to be permitted restriction-free entry."
Read more: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/austrias-capital-to-lift-vaccination-recovery-certificate-requirement-for-access-to-public-places/

Image courtesy ETIAS

Italy bids farewell to covid Green Pass | Wanted in Rome:

Apr 30, 2022 "The Italian government is to drop practically all requirements for the Green Pass - the digital certificate proving the holder has been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from covid - with effect from Sunday 1 May. The lifting of these restrictions also includes those relating to the so-called Super Green Pass which can only be obtained by those who have been vaccinated or recovered from covid. The Super Green Pass system will however remain in force until 31 December for those visiting hospitals and nursing homes, as well as for healthcare workers and employees of care homes.

"When it was first introduced last June, a few weeks before the EU digital covid certificate, the Green Pass was designed primarily to allow people to attend large events, such as weddings, or to visit nursing homes. However its scope was expanded progressively by the Italian government, steered by health minister Roberto Speranza and prime minister Mario Draghi. .... Over recent weeks however the Green Pass system has been gradually wound down following the expiry of Italy's covid state of emergency - after more than two years - at the end of March.

"Also from 1 May the obligation to wear masks will no longer apply in restaurants, bars, shops, supermarkets and museums. [U]ntil 15 June masks will continue to be required on all forms of public transport, in hospitals and nursing homes, in cinemas and theatres, at concerts and indoor sporting events, and in schools and universities."
Read more: https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/italy-bids-farewell-to-covid-green-pass.html

New Zealand gov't to end most Covid restrictions

‘A new beginning’: New Zealand to drop Covid vaccine passes and mandates | The Guardian - Eva Corlett:

23 Mar 23, 2022 - "New Zealand will do away with vaccine passes and vaccine mandates for some of the workforce in early April, in a major loosening of the country’s tough Covid-19 restrictions. The prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, announced the changes on Wednesday morning, citing high vaccination rates, better data to identify which environments are high risk, and modelling that suggests the country’s Omicron outbreak would peak in early April.

"The country reported 20,087 new cases on Wednesday, 960 people in hospital and a further 11 deaths, bringing the total number of Covid-19 deaths since the start of the pandemic to 210. New Zealand has officially recorded more than 500,000 cases of Covid-19 – nearly all of them during the Omicron wave – but modellers expect the true figure could now could be as high as 1.7 million. Modelling suggests Auckland has now reached peak cases, with numbers slowly dropping, and the rest of the country is expected to reach its peak by 5 April....

"The changes include scrapping all gathering limits in outdoor settings and removing requirements for people to use the Covid-19 tracer app to scan in when entering businesses. Hospitality and other venues can increase their indoor gathering limit from 100 to 200 from Friday. From 4 April, vaccine passes will no longer be needed to get into shops and venues, and vaccine mandates will be dropped for workers in education, police and the defence force. Those working in health, corrections, aged care and at the border will still need to be vaccinated to work.

"Ardern said she was initially not in favour of vaccine passes and mandates, but following the Delta outbreak that lead to a three-month lockdown in Auckland, it became clear mandates were needed to boost vaccination levels.... The mandates were 'undoubtedly' one of the reasons New Zealand reached a 95% vaccination rate for the eligible population and achieved the near-elimination of Delta over summer, she said.

"Today’s decision to loosen the mandates were not because of a weeks-long protest outside parliament ... Ardern said. The Covid protection framework, known as the traffic-light system, will stay in place but will remain flexible to change, including if new variants of the virus emerge. Mask-use will also remain to keep vulnerable communities safe, she said. 'This is not the end, but in some ways it is also a new beginning'....

"Leading health professionals and modellers have cautiously welcomed the announcement, saying that while vaccine passes made sense with Delta, Omicron has changed the game. 'Vaccines are still hugely effective at preventing severe illness, but less effective at stopping people catching and spreading the virus,' said Covid-19 modeller Michael Plank, from Te Pūnaha Matatini and the University of Canterbury. '“At the same time, we now have increasing levels of infection-acquired immunity in the population. This means that allowing unvaccinated people into places like cafes and bars doesn’t substantially alter the risk of catching Covid there.'"

"While Omicron may be nearing its peak, there is still 'a difficult journey ahead', he said. 'At least as many people will be infected on the way down the mountain as on the way up, and pressure on our healthcare system is likely to remain high. Keeping mask rules is crucial to limit transmission.'"

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/23/a-new-beginning-new-zealand-to-drop-covid-vaccine-passes-and-mandates

Scotland's Covid pass broke data protection law

Scottish ministers reprimanded after Covid passport scheme broke data law | HeraldScotland - Tom Gordon:

February 25, 2022 - "The UK information watchdog has reprimanded the Scottish Government for launching its Covid vaccine passport despite being warned the app broke data protection law. Ministers also struck an 'unlawful' deal with the firm behind the app to let it use people’s passport pictures to improve its own algorithm despite this being of no benefit to the public. The UK Information Commissioner (ICO) said it was publicising its reprimand of the Government and an NHS quango because of the significant issues involved. The ICO said it now expected the Government and NHS National Services Scotland to fix 'ongoing' problems with the Covid status app or face 'further regulatory action'. 

"Launched last autumn, the app let people prove their vaccination status for mandatory Covid checks for large events and nightclubs. The mandatory scheme is now due to end this Monday, but Nicola Sturgeon said this week that the app will remain operational if any venues still wish to check people. The ICO asked both the Government and its quango to provide adequate privacy information within the app when it launched to explain how people’s information was being used. It said there has also been an ongoing failure to provide concise privacy information so that the average person could realistically understand how the app used their information.

"The ICO said it had ... received the full details of how the Scottish app would work only three days before the scheme was due to go live on September 30 and found 'a number of concerns'.... Its summary of the case said: 'The ICO provided comprehensive feedback on the [app] on 29 September 2021, and advised Scottish Government and NHS NSS to delay the app launch until our most serious concerns were addressed in full. This included revoking permission for the third party’s retention and re-processing of data to train their algorithms. It is important to note that the App would not have been the only way to obtain proof of COVID vaccination.... Delaying the launch of the app would therefore not have prevented the implementation of the Scottish Government’s policy on mandatory COVID certification'....

"On September 30, the Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham met Deputy First Minister John Swinney and stressed the need for the app to meet data protection law. However the app was launched that evening regardless. Although the planned sharing of data, including passport images, with the software firm was suspended prior to launch, other aspects of the app remained 'non-compliant' with the law. That prompted Ms Denham to meet Mr Swinney again and tell him that the ICO had launched a 'formal investigation' into the app’s compliance.

"ICO deputy commissioner Steve Wood said: 'People need to be able to share their data and go about their lives with confidence that their privacy rights will be respected. The law enables responsible data sharing to protect public health. But public trust is key to making that work. When governments brought in Covid status schemes across the UK last year, it was vital that they were upfront with people about how their information was being used. The Scottish Government and NHS National Services Scotland have failed to do this with the NHS Scotland Covid Status app'....

"After the app launched, the ICO raised concerns about the lack of a privacy notice telling users how their data would be used. This led to a link being added to the NHS Inform website, but it was 'not easily accessible' and ... also complex, 'unneccessarily long and difficult to navigate'. Despite being updated several times, the ICO said this privacy notice remained defective. It has therefore ruled that the app is still failing to comply with the transparency principle set out in UK data protection law.... The Government and NHS NSS must now rectify the privacy notice within 30 days or face enforcement action."

Read more: https://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/19951936.scottish-ministers-reprimanded-covid-passport-scheme-broke-data-law/

Manitoba announces plan to end Covid restrictions

Manitoba to drop capacity limits next week, eliminate mask mandates by mid-March | CBC News - Darren Bernhardt:

February 11, 2022 - "Manitoba will eliminate capacity limits for many businesses and other venues starting Tuesday as the province aims to abolish all restrictions, including mask mandates, on March 15. The province also intends to remove all proof of vaccination requirements on March 1, which means vaccination cards will no longer be needed. All restrictions will end March 15, Premier Heather Stefanson said at a Friday morning news conference....

"'Today we offer hope to those who have been waiting for a long time to see that light at the end of the tunnel,' she said. 'The restrictions have placed many burdens on Manitobans, and now that we see the pressure of our hospital systems starting to ease, it's our responsibility of government to ease those restrictions on Manitobans.' Stefanson, who has stressed the importance of getting vaccinated, toned that message down on Friday. While she said she and her family are fully vaccinated, she added that 'the choice to get vaccinated is yours'.... 

• On Tuesday, pandemic capacity limits will be dropped for restaurants, licensed premises, entertainment venues, indoor and outdoor sporting events and casinos and gatherings at private residences. 
• They will also be removed for outdoor public gatherings.
• Indoor public gathering limits will be removed if proof of vaccination is required to enter. If not, the limit will be 50 people.
• Anyone age 12 to 17 who is participating in indoor sports and recreation will no longer be required to provide proof of vaccination or recent testing.
• There are no changes to retail and personal services until March.
• Public health continues to recommend self-isolation for people who live in a household with someone who has symptoms or tests positive for COVID-19, but it will no longer be required.
• Self-isolation requirements for people entering the province will also be discontinued. However, anyone travelling from international destinations will continue to be required to meet requirements under the federal Quarantine Act.
• Public health orders restricting travel to northern Manitoba remain in place....
• Masks are required indoors for staff and students but will not be required during physical education classes. Medical masks will be recommended but no longer required for school staff.
• Schools will continue to send out community notification letters if public health officials have identified increased transmission or recommended remote learning for a class, cohort or entire school. As well, Manitoba's online dashboard will continue to post this information but will no longer include case numbers, the province said in a release.
• Children, school staff and child-care staff will only be eligible for PCR testing if medically indicated, in line with eligibility criteria for all Manitobans.
• In some settings, such as personal care homes, shelters and health-care facilities, public health officials have continued to work with facilities to notify close contacts of people who test positive, but that will end on March 8, the province said in a news release.

"The Manitoba Health Coalition, a non-profit health-care advocacy group, released a statement on Friday expressing its disappointment with the changes. It suggested the province is responding to the anti-restrictions convoy set up outside the legislative building and international border."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/manitoba-covid-19-pandemic-restrictions-1.6347862

Sweden ends vaccine pass, most Covid testing

Sweden ends COVID-19 testing as pandemic restrictions lifted | CTV News - David Keyton, Associated Press:

Image courtesy Al Jazeera

February 9, 2022 - "Sweden has halted wide-scale testing for COVID-19 even among people showing symptoms of an infection, putting an end to the mobile city-square tent sites, drive-in swab centres and home-delivered tests that became ubiquitous during the pandemic and provided essential data for tracking its spread. The move puts the Scandinavian nation at odds with most of Europe, but some experts say it could become the norm as costly testing yields fewer benefits with the easily transmissible but milder Omicron variant and as governments begin to consider treating COVID-19 like they do other endemic illnesses. 

"'We have reached a point where the cost and relevance of the testing is no longer justifiable.' Swedish Public Health Agency chief Karin Tegmark Wisell told the national broadcast SVT this week. 'If we were to have extensive testing adapted to everyone who has COVID-19, that would mean half a billion kronor a week (about US$55 million) and 2 billion a month ($220 million),' Tegmark Wisell added.

"Starting Wednesday, only health care and elderly care workers and the most vulnerable will be entitled to free PCR testing if they are symptomatic, while the rest of the population will simply be asked to stay home if they show symptoms that could be COVID-19. Antigen tests are readily available for purchase in supermarkets and pharmacies, but those results aren't reported to health authorities. Private health care providers can also perform tests and offer certificates for international travel, but the cost won't be reimbursed by the state or health insurance.

"High vaccination rates in Sweden are creating optimism among health officials and a late 2020 study released Tuesday show[ed] antibodies present in 85% of samples.

"Dr. Bharat Pankhania, a senior clinical lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School in Britain, said that with a substantial percentage of people vaccinated, 'an informed, educated and knowledgeable population' can be trusted to isolate if they show symptoms without the need for 'wholesale testing that is not going to be value for money.... Sweden is leading the way, and other nations will inevitably follow,' Pankhania said. 'We don't need extensive testing for the sake of testing, but we must look nevertheless in sensitive settings such as hospitals, nursing homes and other sensitive places where there are very vulnerable people.'

"In 2021, the region of Stockholm alone spent the equivalent of more than US$320 million on PCR tests, money the government says could be better spent elsewhere.

"For most of the pandemic, Sweden stood out among European nations for its comparatively hands-off response. It never went into lockdown or closed businesses, largely relying instead on individual responsibility to control infections. While coronavirus deaths were high compared with other Nordic countries, they were lower than many other places in Europe that did implement lockdowns.

"Also Wednesday, the country scrapped as of midnight its limits on how many people may gather at events or in restaurants, vaccine certificates can no longer be required and reduced operating hours have been cancelled for bars and eateries. Announcing the reopening last week, Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said that 'the pandemic is not over but has entered a totally new phase,' and while infection rates have risen, it is not overly burdening hospitals. That tracks with what's been happening in countries across Europe recently as authorities relax coronavirus restrictions that have dominated the continent for the past two years."

Read more: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/sweden-ends-covid-19-testing-as-pandemic-restrictions-lifted-1.5774210

Alberta, Saskatchewan to end all Covid restrictions

Sask. to end COVID-19 proof of vaccination policy on Feb. 14, mandatory masking to remain until end of month | CBC News - Alexander Quon:

February 8, 2022 - "Saskatchewan will end its vaccine passport policy on Monday, Feb. 14. That means businesses, workplaces and other public venues will no longer be mandated by the province to require proof of vaccination or a negative test. Currently, all Saskatchewan residents must show proof that they have received two shots of the COVID-19 vaccine to enter restaurants, bars and many other businesses. They also have the option to provide a negative COVID-19 test. Those requirements will be removed Monday....

"The provincial government confirmed that other current public health orders, including a requirement to mask in indoor public spaces and a requirement to self isolate after contracting COVID-19, will remain in effect until the latest public health order expires at the end of February.  Moe said the public health order will not be renewed. He said that means rules like mandatory self-isolation for those with COVID-19 will also be over at the end of the month. Moe and Dr. Saqib Shahab, the province's chief medical health officer, laid out the plan at a COVID-19 update on Tuesday....

""The province says eHealth Saskatchewan will continue to make proof of vaccination records and QR codes available to Saskatchewan residents to use where needed, including for travel and in other jurisdictions. Saskatchewan also announced that all Saskatchewan residents 12 to 17 years old are now able to receive a Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine ... five months or more after the child has received their second dose....

"Health officials have already reduced some restrictions, saying they want to begin treating COVID-19 like any other communicable disease. As part of that policy shift, the province stopped providing daily COVID-19 updates as of Monday.... Saskatchewan now requires all PCR tests for COVID-19 to be booked in advance via the 811 HealthLine and has reserved the tests for "priority populations at elevated risk to severe outcomes."
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/covid-19-update-feb-8-2022-1.6343563

Image courtesy CBC News

Alberta lifts COVID-19 measures, with restrictions exemption program now over | CBC News:

February 8, 2022 - "Albertans will no longer need to show their QR code to dine in restaurants or sit at entertainment venues. The changes took effect at midnight Tuesday. Premier Jason Kenney announced the three-step plan to ease public health measures in the province on Tuesday. As he'd previously promised, the restrictions exemption program — Alberta's version of the vaccine passport — was first to go....

"Effective midnight Tuesday, capacity limits were removed for smaller venues, including libraries and places of worship with a capacity of less than 500. Food and beverage consumption will be allowed in venues where audiences are seated. Larger venues will still have some limits: facilities with a capacity of 500 to 1,000 will continue to be limited to 500, while those with capacity for 1,000-plus people will be limited to 50 per cent. Also part of the first phase, children aged 12 and under will be exempt from all masking requirements; in schools, masking requirements will be lifted for students of all ages. Both those measures take effect on Monday....

"Step 2 comes into effect on March 1, if hospitalization numbers continue to trend down. Those changes include:

• Any remaining provincial school requirements (including cohorting) will be removed.
• Screening prior to youth activities will no longer be required.
• Capacity limits will be lifted for all venues.
• Limits on social gatherings will be removed.
• Provincial mask mandate will be removed.
• Mandatory work from home removed.

"The timing of Step 3 will be determined by hospitalization rates, Kenney said. This phase will see COVID-specific measures in continuing care removed and mandatory isolation becoming a recommendation only."
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/covid-alta-edmonton-kenney-1.6343576

Plan B controls ending in England by month end

England rolling back COVID-19 restrictions, PM Boris Johnson says | CBC News:

January 19, 2022- "British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the end of COVID-19 measures introduced to curb the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in England.... Britain was the first country to limit international travel over the Omicron variant ... and in December introduced work-at-home advice, more mask-wearing and vaccine passes to slow its spread. But while cases soared to record highs, hospitalizations and deaths have not risen by the same extent, in part due to Britain's booster rollout and the variant's lesser severity.

Johnson speaking at press conference, July 2020. Wikimedia Commons 

"Johnson's approach to avoid lockdowns and live with the virus contrasts with a zero tolerance approach to COVID-19 in China and Hong Kong, and tougher restrictions in many other European countries. 'Many nations across Europe have endured further winter lockdowns ... but this government took a different path,' Johnson told lawmakers, saying the government had got the toughest decisions right and that numbers going into intensive care were falling.

'Our scientists believe it is likely that the Omicron wave has now peaked nationally ... because of the extraordinary booster campaign, together with the way the public have responded to the Plan B measures, we can return to Plan A.' Johnson said that none of the so-called Plan B measures would remain, as face masks would not be legally enforced anywhere, COVID passes would not be mandatory and advice to work from home would end.

"The bulk of the changes will take effect late next week, U.K. media outlets reported....

"The prime minister hopes to reset his agenda following furor over the lockdown gatherings at his office, which has some in his party plotting to remove him. Johnson admitted he attended a party in the garden of his Downing Street office and residence in May 2020 while social mixing was banned. The lifting of Plan B measures, along with Johnson's navigation of Omicron without resorting to a stringent lockdown, could help him appease vocal opponents of restrictions in his own caucus amid the party unrest.

"He said that if data supported it, he may end the legal requirement for people to self-isolate if they test positive before the regulation lapses in March. 'But to make that possible, we must all remain cautious during these last weeks of winter,' he said, warning of continued pressure on hospitals. '"The pandemic is not over."'

"A third of Britain's 15 million cases have been reported since the onset of Omicron. By contrast, Britain has reported five per cent of its COVID deaths since the variant was identified in late November."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/uk-pm-boris-johnson-england-covid19-restrictions-1.6320082

Thousands protest Covid controls in Europe

Thousands protest against France COVID vaccine pass | Al Jazeera:

January 15, 2022 - "Protesters have taken to the streets in cities across France to reject a law that would see the implementation of tighter restrictions on people not vaccinated against COVID-19, as Parliament continues to debate the draft bill. Thousands took part in demonstrations on Saturday.... In the capital, Paris, where the largest single gathering set off from near the Eiffel Tower, the protest was called by anti-EU presidential candidate Florian Philippot. Other protests harked back to the 'yellow vests' movement of 2018-19 ... and there were further gatherings in big cities including Bordeaux, Toulouse and Lille.

"In Paris, demonstrators bore French and regional flags, with banners bearing messages like 'it’s not the virus they want to control, it’s you'.... Demonstrators were hoping to outstrip the 105,000 who hit the streets last weekend, some possibly mobilised by Macron’s declaration in a newspaper interview that he wanted to “p**s off” the unvaccinated with new restrictions"
Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/15/covid-france-thuosands-protest-against-vaccine-pass

Thousands protest against Dutch COVID restrictions | Al Jazeera: 

January 16, 2022 - "Thousands of protesters have packed Amsterdam’s streets in opposition to the government-imposed COVID-19 restrictions and vaccination campaign as virus infections hit a new record. Authorities were granted stop and search powers at several locations across the city and scores of riot police vans patrolled neighbourhoods where the demonstrators marched with banners and yellow umbrellas.

"Regular protests against COVID measures are held across the country and Sunday’s large gathering was joined by farmers who drove to the capital and parked tractors along the central Museum Square. The crowd played music, chanted anti-government slogans and then marched along thoroughfares, blocking traffic. Al Jazeera’s Step Vassen said while the mood at the rally was 'quite heated', the protests were peaceful. 'There’s a wide range of people against government measures and a general distrust of politics,' she said. 'A lot of people are now not obeying the rules and are violating many of the rules that are still in place'....

"The Netherlands had one of Europe’s toughest lockdowns for a month through the end-of-year holidays.... Rutte’s government ordered the lockdown in mid-December as a wave of the Delta variant forced the health system to cancel all but the most urgent care...."Non-essential stores, hairdressers, beauty salons and other service providers were allowed to reopen on Saturday under strict conditions. Bars, restaurants and cultural venues have been instructed to remain closed until at least January 25."
Read more: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/1/16/thousands-protest-dutch-covid-19-lockdown-measures

Covid cases, restrictions roil western Europe

Europe faces its second covid Christmas with lockdowns, cancellations and rising cases | Washington Post - Perry Stein & Rick Noack: 

December 23, 2021 - "[W]ith the Netherlands in a national lockdown once more, ... [t]he mood in much of Europe reflects hopes briefly glimpsed — and then dashed. As in the United States, new cases of the omicron variant are quickly overtaking previously dominant delta variant. But many European governments have gone further than the United States in reimposing curfews, closures and travel restrictions. Ireland is shutting pubs at 8 p.m. Greece, Italy and Spain have reintroduced outdoor mask mandates. In Austria, people without proof of vaccination or covid-19 recovery can leave home only for essential reasons....

"Britain’s National Health Service reported Thursday that staff absences due to covid were up 50 percent from the previous week. Transport for London announced it was closing a Tube line until the end of the year over a lack of drivers. And the education secretary is calling for former teachers to return to classrooms, in anticipation of omicron-related staff shortages in January....

"Covid health passes — documenting vaccination, recovery or a recent negative test — have become routine in much of Europe and helped boost vaccination rates. Some countries are now tightening the rules: adding a booster requirement, dropping testing as an alternative. Italy on Thursday said unvaccinated people would no longer be able to partake in the ritual of having an espresso at a cafe counter. 

"Announcing that the French government intends to add more restrictions for the unvaccinated, Prime Minister Jean Castex lamented that hospital intensive care units 'are filled for the most part with unvaccinated people.' France has seen a problem with fake vaccination cards, too. Carole Ichai, a senior official at a hospital in Nice in southern France, said about 30 percent of patients in her hospital’s intensive care unit last week had counterfeit vaccination certificates....

"The Netherlands has the most all-encompassing restrictions at this point, with all but essential shops shut until at least Jan. 14. The sense that the worst of the pandemic is back may be most acute here.... In Amsterdam, the canalboats are docked. Dam Square is empty. Stores that were counting on strong Christmas sales are instead sending products back to their wholesalers, knowing they stand no chance of selling them now.... Some tourists, stuck with nonrefundable tickets, arrived in the city anyway this week but were disappointed they could no longer go to museums, restaurants or the famed Christmas markets....

"The restrictions across Europe have ruined yet another much-needed tourism season, said French travel agency operator Marie Vendroux-Deppe, who works with U.S. travelers. Most of her clients canceled their trips in the past few days, and now she doesn’t expect a return to normal until 2023."

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/12/23/covid-europe-lockdown-netherlands/

NB gov't drops Covid-vax pass for food stores

NB Government and farmer’s market back down on mandating vaccines for grocery shopping | Lake Superior News - Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (news release): 

Art: Lake Superior News

December 21, 2021 - ""On December 7, 2021 the Justice Centre sent a demand letter to the Minister of Justice of New Brunswick warning that the government’s new December 4 public health Order, which allowed private businesses to deny services to Covid vaccine-free Canadians, was unconstitutional. The Order implicitly invited grocery stores to make any conditions of entry including requiring vaccination of customers as a condition to shop for food and essentials. The ... letter also noted that the right to food is a fundamental human right enshrined in various international instruments including Article 25 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights amongst other human rights instruments.

"On December 15, the Justice Centre sent the City of Fredericton a demand letter in relation to its vaccinated-only policy at the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market demanding it be immediately reversed for its unprecedented unconstitutional and human rights violations. These warning letters were the first step in what would have proceeded to legal action, had the government not immediately reversed what the Justice Centre views as discriminatory and unconstitutional policies.

"As of today, the New Brunswick public health order has been revised. The government news release announcing this change states: 'An option allowing stores that sell groceries to ask patrons 12 and over for proof of vaccination, instead of implementing distancing requirements, is being removed from the province’s mandatory order.' In the news release, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard now states that “the original intention was to give stores a choice, and that those choosing the proof-of-vaccination option would offer delivery or curbside pickup; it was never the intention for anyone to believe they could not access groceries.'

"The Justice Centre is pleased to report that the Fredericton Boyce Farmer’s Market also following the province’s reversal in Order and made their own announcement today on Twitter, rescinding its mandatory vaccination policy. The market, owned by the New Brunswick Government, and leased to the City of Fredericton at a nominal rate announced a mandatory vaccination policy on December 11, 2021, stating, 'proof of double vaccination (or medical exemption) will be required to shop indoors, for all visitors 12 and over.' No offer for delivery or curbside pickup was offered when this policy was announced....

"'This Order which served to segregate citizens ... would have been the first attempt by a government to  deny essential services and food to Canadians who decide against receiving a Covid vaccine, as is their constitutional right,' states Andre Memauri, Justice Centre Staff Lawyer. 'Today the Government of New Brunswick and the City of Fredericton have corrected their vaccination policies in relation to grocery sales to accord with the Charter and Human Rights legislation and this is a positive step. However, there is work to be done as the revised New Brunswick Order still infringes the Charter as it relates to faith-based venues, by requiring anyone that attends religious services to be fully vaccinated with the new Covid shots for certain events. We will continue our legal work in this regard. The Government has no legal or scientific justification to tell churches and faith based groups who can be allowed to attend services and on what grounds,' adds Mr. Memauri.

"'The Justice Centre will continue to ensure that vaccine-free citizens are not discriminated against by being denied essential services, such as purchasing food at markets and grocery stores. Denying a minority population in this manner is a reprehensible and unlawful act of cruelty and discrimination.'"

Read more: https://lakesuperiornews.com/Public-Safety/nb-government-and-farmers-market-back-down-on-mandating-vaccines-for-grocery-shopping

UK government flip-flops on vaccine passes

England vaccine passport plans ditched, Sajid Javid says | BBC News - Marie Jackson:

September 12, 2021 - "Plans to introduce vaccine passports for access into nightclubs and large events in England will not go ahead, the health secretary has said.... No 10 stressed the plan – which had been set to be introduced at the end of this month – would be kept 'in reserve' should it be needed over autumn or winter.... The Night Time Industries Association ... welcomed Sunday's announcement, saying it hoped businesses could now plan with some certainty and start to rebuild the sector. The Music Venue Trust, which aims to protect grassroots venues, also said it was glad vaccine passports would not be going ahead, describing them as 'problematic'....

"Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show, Mr Javid said: 'We just shouldn't be doing things for the sake of it or because others are doing, and we should look at every possible intervention properly.' He said he had 'never liked the idea of saying to people you must show your papers' to 'do what is just an everyday activity.... We've looked at it properly and, whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I'm pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports,' he added."

"The move to scrap vaccine passports appears to be a sharp U-turn by the government. On the same TV programme last week, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi said the end of September was the right time to start the vaccine passport scheme for sites with large crowds because all over-18s would have been offered two jabs by then and it was the 'best way' to keep the night industry open."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-58535258

Brits will need three jabs for a vaccine passport: Javid says booster shots will be needed for passes once Brits have had a 'reasonable chance' to get them | Daily Mail - Jack Wright & James Tapsfield: 

December 13, 2021 - "From 6am on Wednesday, people will need to show proof of two jabs or a negative lateral flow test in order to enter nightclubs and large venues. Under the new regulations, published barely 24 hours before tomorrow's vote, people could be fined £10,000 if they try to falsify a Covid pass or test result....

"Mr Javid told Parliament that it is the Government's intention to include proof of a booster jab, once all adults have had a chance to get theirs. He said: 'From Wednesday – subject to this House's approval – you'll need to show a negative lateral flow test to get into nightclubs and large events, with an exemption for the double vaccinated. Once all adults have had a reasonable chance to get their booster jab, we intend to change this exemption to require a booster dose'....

"He said it is 'misleading' to say MPs are being asked to vote on 'vaccine passports'. He told the Commons: 'The Government has been absolutely clear ... when it talks about access to nightclubs or to very large gatherings ... that the requirement is to take a free lateral flow test and make sure it's negative. And if you don't want to do that then you can prove your vaccine status. It's up to that individual. That's not a vaccine passport and the sooner we get rid of this misleading description of what the Government is proposing, the better.'.... 

"NHS Covid passes showing full vaccination or a recent negative test will be required for entry to indoor venues containing more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people, and any venue with more than 10,000 people, from Wednesday."

Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10305373/Javid-warns-change-fully-vaccinated-status-New-Year.html

MPs back Covid passes in England amid large Tory rebellion | The Guardian - Heather Stewart & Aubrey Allegretti:

December 14, 2021 - "Boris Johnson has suffered a humiliating rebellion ... with 99 Conservative MPs rejecting plans for vaccine certificates.... The vaccine certificates measure passed comfortably by 369 votes to 126 – but only with the backing of Labour. The number of rebels far exceeds Johnson’s parliamentary majority of 79 – and the 56 MPs needed to trigger a vote of no confidence in his leadership. Thirty-five Tory MPs abstained though only 19 were authorised, meaning a further 16 appeared to have refused to vote – a number that included the former prime minister Theresa May. Rebel MPs suggested the final tally voting against could have been 100, suggesting at least one vote had initially been missed....

"Votes on all four Plan B measures proposed by the government passed on Tuesday night. There was a more modest rebellion on the reintroduction of mandatory mask-wearing in shops and on public transport, with 40 Conservative MPs voting against. MPs also voted to make vaccinations compulsory for NHS workers, with 61 Conservative MPs voting against.... Keir Starmer suffered his own rebellion on this issue, with 22 Labour MPs voting against, including frontbencher Rachael Maskell.... 

"Sajid Javid insisted the measure did not amount to a 'vaccine passport', saying it was 'really important to me as a point of principle that people have a range of different routes to show that they are eligible'."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/14/covid-plan-b-mps-back-tougher-rules-face-masks-england-omicron

Most NB food stores not banning Covid-unvaxxed

Raysonho, Sobeys, Richmond Hill, Ontatio, 2020. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

N.B. COVID-19 roundup: Single-day high of 174 new cases, 2 more deaths | CBC News - Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon:

December 09, 2021 - "All major retailers in New Brunswick ... plan to enforce physical distancing instead of starting to require proof of COVID-19 vaccination, says Public Health. Under the new COVID-19 Winter Action Plan, physical distancing is required in public spaces where proof of vaccination is not required.... 

"[G]rocery stores, retail stores and salons must now enforce physical distancing between patrons, Health Minister Dorothy Shephard announced last Friday. 'Alternatively, they also have the option of requiring proof of vaccination from all patrons, but we will leave that decision up to individual businesses,' she said.... But 'at this time, all major retailers have indicated they will enforce physical distancing instead of requiring proof of vaccination,' Public Health said Wednesday.

"Sobeys will not be asking customers for proof of vaccination at its New Brunswick stores, confirmed spokesperson Paul Wyke. 'We have followed Public Health requirements and mandates every step of the way, and should the rules from provincial governments change we will always adjust,' he said in an emailed statement. 'The health and safety of our customers and store teammates continues to be our top priority and we have many health and safety measures in place to help keep our customers and teammates safe.'

"Retail businesses can ensure physical distancing of two metres is enforced through measures such as using directional arrows, reducing their capacity and preventing groups from congregating, Public Health said. They can further reduce contacts by offering delivery and curbside pickup options."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/covid-19-new-brunswick-stores-proof-of-vaccination-physical-distancing-1.6279253

Pandemic restrictions are due for a rethink, civil liberties group says | CBC News:

December 14, 2021 - "Cara Zwibel, ​director of the fundamental freedoms program with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association, said the suggestion that the unvaccinated won't have access to essentials such as food and medicine is worrisome. 'We've been concerned for a long time about premising access to public spaces on vaccination status and what the objective has been throughout,' Zwibel told Information Morning Moncton on Monday.... 'I don't know whether these changes are going to increase vaccination rates or just cause the people who are still hesitant … to dig in and be more resentful,' Zwibel said. 

"'I also wonder at what point people are not going to be willing to live under these conditions,' she said. 'We do still have a situation where governments are dictating how many people we can have in our homes. That's a big departure in a liberal democracy … and I think people may be starting to lose patience with that and really wonder how much longer we can do this.' Given that it seems clear that the virus isn't going away anytime soon, Zwibel said, people should be thinking about 'what we're willing to live with for the long haul'.... 'We have to give people the tools to protect themselves,' she said. 'And we do need to put more power in people's own hands to make decisions for themselves.'"

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/pandemic-rules-civil-liberties-association-1.6284670

Justice centre demands NB grocery store reverse ban on unvaxxed customers | Western Standard:

December 16, 2021 - "The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms is demanding a New Brunswick grocery outlet reverse its policy that bans unvaccinated people from shopping there. The JCCF sent the City of Fredericton a demand letter in relation to its vaccinated-only policy at the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market. The New Brunswick government owns the landmark farmer’s market and leases it to the city at a nominal rate. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms applies because this is not private property, but property owned and managed by government, said the JCCF in a release.

"The farmer’s market announced that as of Dec. 11, 2021, 'proof of double vaccination (or medical exemption) will be required to shop indoors, for all visitors 12 and over.' The policy, which is the first of its kind in Canada that excludes citizens from purchasing grocery essentials on the basis of vaccination status, claims it relies on 'public health guidelines.' The JCCF already sent a demand letter to the Minister of Justice of New Brunswick warning the government’s new public health order of December 4 — allowing private businesses to deny services to vaccine-free Canadians — was unconstitutional....  

"'Our position remains the same in relation to any government denying or inviting private businesses to deny Canadians who have not taken the COVID vaccine to an essential service, such as the purchase of food. Any such act is an unconscionable violation of the Charter and has no scientific or legal justification,' said JCCF lawyer Andre Memauri. 'Vaccine-free citizens have a right to purchase food, including at markets and grocery stores, and the denial of such essential service is a reprehensible and unlawful act of cruelty and discrimination.'

"The three [Conservative] Members of Parliament representing New Brunswick, John Williamson, Rob Moore, and Richard Bragdon, released statements condemning the province’s winter action plan which gave retailers and grocery stores permission to refuse vaccine-free Canadians."

Read more: https://westernstandardonline.com/2021/12/justice-centre-demands-nb-grocery-store-reverse-ban-on-unvaxxed-customers/

Natural immunity should be legally recognized, say some lawmakers and doctors

GOP embraces natural immunity as substitute for vaccines | Denver Post - Anthony Izauirre, Associated Press: 

Illustration: Chad Crowe, Wall Street Journal

November 21, 2021 - "Republicans fighting President Joe Biden’s coronavirus vaccine mandates are wielding a new weapon against the White House rules: natural immunity..... Florida wrote natural immunity into state law this week as GOP lawmakers elsewhere are pushing similar measures to sidestep vaccine mandates. Lawsuits over the mandates have also begun leaning on the idea. Conservative federal lawmakers have implored regulators to consider it when formulating mandates.... 

"The immunity debate comes as the country is experiencing another surge in infections and hospitalizations and 60 million people remain unvaccinated in a pandemic that has killed more than 770,000 Americans. Biden is hoping more people will get vaccinated because of workplace mandates set to take effect early next year but which face many challenges in the courts. And many Republicans eager to buck Biden have embraced the argument that immunity from earlier infections should be enough to earn an exemption from the mandates.

"'We recognize, unlike what you see going on with the federal proposed mandates and other states, we’re actually doing a science-based approach. For example, we recognize people that have natural immunity,' Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican who has been a chief critic of virus rules, said at a signing ceremony for sweeping legislation to hobble vaccine mandates this week. The new Florida law forces private businesses to let workers opt out of COVID-19 mandates if they can prove immunity through a prior infection, as well as exemptions based on medical reasons, religious beliefs, regular testing or an agreement to wear protective gear. The state health department, which is led by Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who opposes mandates and has drawn national attention over a refusal to wear a face mask during a meeting, will have authority to define exemption standards.

"The Republican-led New Hampshire Legislature plans to take up a similar measure when it meets in January. Lawmakers in Idaho and Wyoming, both statehouses under GOP-control, recently debated similar measures but did not pass them. In Utah, a newly signed law creating exemptions from Biden’s vaccine mandates for private employers allows people to duck the requirement if they have already had COVID.

"And the debate is not unique to the U.S. Russia has seen huge numbers of people seeking out antibody tests to prove they had an earlier infection and therefore don’t need vaccines.... [Russia, the European Union, and virtually all European governments recognize natural immunity as equivalent to vaccination in their health passes and mandates. - gd]

"'The shot is not by any means the only or proven way out of the pandemic. I’m not willing to give blind faith to the pharmaceutical narrative,' said Idaho Republican Rep. Greg Ferch. U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall, a Kansas Republican and physician, along with 14 other GOP doctors, dentists and pharmacists in Congress, sent a letter in late September to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, urging the agency, when setting vaccination policies, to consider natural immunity.

"The White House has recently unveiled a host of vaccine mandates, sparking a flurry of lawsuits from GOP states, setting the stage for pitched legal battles.... In separate lawsuits, others are challenging local vaccine rules using an immunity defense.

"A 19-year-old student who refuses to be tested but claims he contracted and quickly recovered from COVID-19 is suing the University of Nevada, Reno, the governor and others over the state’s requirement that everyone, with few exceptions, show proof of vaccination in order to register for classes in the upcoming spring semester.... Another case, filed by workers of Los Alamos National Laboratory, challenges their workplace vaccine mandate for civil rights and constitutional violations, arguing the lab has refused requests for medical accommodations for those workers who have fully recovered from COVID-19. A similar lawsuit from Chicago firefighters and other city employees hit a bump last month when a judge said their case lacked scientific evidence to support the contention that the natural immunity for people who have had the virus is superior to the protection from the vaccine."

Read more: https://www.denverpost.com/2021/11/21/republicans-natural-immunity-vaccine-mandate/

Redefining "fully vaccinated"

 COVID boosters: Is the definition of 'fully vaccinated' about to change to 3 vaccine doses? | Euronews - Julie Gaubert: 

November 21, 2021 - "Across Europe, the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of abating with several countries announcing further restrictions in recent days to contain a surge in new cases. As well as a new lockdown, Austria announced this week that vaccination will be made compulsory from February 1, making it the first EU country to issue such a mandate. But ... it is now becoming apparent that a third dose, or booster, will now be needed to keep COVID-19 cases numbers down. 

"On Monday, British prime minister Boris Johnson admitted that to be fully vaccinated no longer meant having two COVID jabs but rather three doses in order to prevent pandemic restrictions from being reinforced in the UK.... In the UK, the third dose has already been authorised for the over-50s and frail people since the beginning of September, with the goal of administering '10 million booster doses before Christmas,' Johnson said.

"Many European countries have launched their booster campaigns in recent weeks, but only 3.7 per cent of the continent's population has received a third injection, according to AFP.... Iceland is leading the way. Nearly 1 in 5 people have already received a booster dose in a population that is already 90 per cent vaccinated. Faced with the resurgence of cases, the Icelandic government announced last Friday new health measures for its citizens, including the wearing of masks and the third dose for all those over 16.

"Further to the east, Hungary and Serbia are in second place with 14 and 16 out of every 100 inhabitants respectively being triple vaccinated, according to data compiled by the OurWorldinData website.

"The United States announced on Friday health authorities have given the green light for a third dose of COVID vaccine for all adults who were fully vaccinated at least six months ago.

"In France, the over-65s have been called upon since September to receive a third jab or risk having their ‘passe sanitaire’, or COVID health pass, suspended in mid-December.... Is making a third dose a condition for obtaining a health pass becoming widespread? In France, the Academy of Medicine rejected the idea. The organisation said on October 29, that it was opposed to the possibility, which it said 'goes beyond' the objective of the document. This measure 'transgresses the role of the health pass, which was to limit the risk of transmission of the virus and to encourage the population to be vaccinated', the institution said in a statement.

"In Israel, on the other hand, unless you received your second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine within the last six months, you will now need a third dose to become eligible for a green pass, which allows entry to gyms, restaurants, and other venues.

"World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said it was 'a scandal' that six times more booster shots are being administered around the world daily than primary doses in low-income countries, adding that 'it must stop now'. 'It makes no sense to give boosters to healthy adults, or to vaccinate children, when health workers, older people and other high-risk groups around the world are still waiting for their first dose,' the WHO chief warned at a media briefing on November 12.

"For Dr David Nabarro, the WHO's special envoy on COVID-19, relying only on a full vaccination strategy is a gamble for rich countries. 'It has never been done before and it would really be an inappropriate public health strategy to do so,' he told the UK parliament’s All-Party Group on vaccines. The main threat is the reliance on existing vaccines, Nabarro warned." [stress added]

Read more: https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/11/21/covid-boosters-is-the-definition-of-fully-vaccinated-about-to-change-to-mean-3-vaccine-dos

We may soon need a fourth COVID vaccine dose because of the Omicron outbreak, says Pfizer CEO | Euronews - Pascale Davies: 

December 10, 2021 - "People may need a fourth COVID-19 shot sooner than expected, Pfizer’s CEO said on Wednesday. Albert Bourla told CNBC that preliminary research shows the new Omicron variant can undermine protective antibodies generated by the vaccine developed with BioNTech. The comments come after the company released the results from an initial lab study on Wednesday that showed a three-shot course of their COVID-19 vaccine could significantly protect against the new variant and said they could deliver an upgraded vaccine in March 2022 if needed.

"'When we see real-world data, it will determine if the omicron is well covered by the third dose and for how long. And the second point, I think we will need a fourth dose,' Bourla told CNBC, adding, it was still unclear when a fourth dose would be needed....

"As countries scramble to rollout COVID-19 vaccine boosters, a World Health Organization (WHO) advisory group on Thursday decided against endorsing a broad-based rollout of booster shots. The Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) said poor countries are subject to vaccine inequality and that the first dose should be the priority. The WHO has endorsed third vaccines or booster shots for those who are immunocompromised or received an inactivated COVID-19 vaccine. But WHO experts have said there is not enough data on the Omicron variant to demonstrate that boosters are necessary."

Read more: https://www.euronews.com/next/2021/12/10/we-may-soon-need-a-fourth-covid-vaccine-dose-because-of-the-omicron-outbreak-says-pfizer-c

UK government moves to Covid "Plan B"

Boris Johnson confirms return of working from home as England moves to Plan B | The Telegraph - Maighna Nanu & Sam Hall:

December 8, 2021 - "Boris Johnson has confirmed that the Government is moving to its coronavirus Plan B in the wake of rapidly increasing cases of the omicron variant. Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, the Prime Minister issued new guidance for Britons to work from home where possible from Monday.

"Face masks will also be compulsory from Friday in most indoor public venues such as cinemas, theatres and places of worship, with exemptions for certain hospitality venues such as pubs and restaurants. Mr Johnson added that vaccine passports will be required for nightclubs and other venues with large crowds as of Wednesday, with negative lateral flow tests also accepted. He also announced that daily testing would be introduced instead of isolation for those who come into contact with infected people. 

"The Prime Minister stressed that Plan B measures 'do not amount to a lockdown'.... He said his aim was for restrictions to be in place 'no later than early January and possibly before'."

​​Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/global-health/science-and-disease/covid-news-coronavirus-omicron-stealth-variant-cases-vaccine/

Why Plan B is a mistake | Unherd - Freddie Sayers: 

December 9, 2021 - "Just as an experiment, let’s take the Government at face value. They’re worried about the new Omicron variant, which is ... already spreading rapidly in England, doubling every couple of days; the UK Health Security Agency estimates it could be the dominant variant in as little as 2-4 weeks. A big new wave like this, if it passes through the population, will always hit a small minority of vulnerable people badly who will then need hospital care — and ... this wave looks like it might peak in the beginning of January which is the busiest week of the year in UK hospitals, and an annual pinch point at which (because of bad resourcing and planning) we have almost no spare NHS capacity. So they are worried, as ever, about terrifying footage of overflowing hospitals....

"The first thing to make clear is that if the underlying premise is correct — that Omicron spreads like wildfire and will lead to significantly more reinfections and breakthrough cases — it is going to be very hard to stop it. You’d have to go for a full-on nationwide lockdown to seriously attempt to slow it down — and even that may only delay the peak by a couple of weeks. But there is no appetite for another full-on lockdown, especially as it would ruin Christmas again, and the Government is already unpopular. They simply don’t have the political strength to do it — and there are doubtless many people who wouldn’t obey it. 

"Meanwhile, a small selection of minor rule-changes such as 'Plan B' entails will not make much meaningful difference. Advising working from home but still going to parties, increasing the wearing of masks in shops but not in pubs and increasing use of vaccine passports for a variant that spreads easily among the vaccinated is not a serious policy response to Omicron. Might it push the peak of the wave out by a day or two? Who knows, but if we are going to be at a million cases before Christmas, it’s a meaningless difference.

"So why do such a pointless thing? The answer, as always, is politics.... The first calculation is within parliament: No 10 figures they can afford to upset their own backbenchers and that Boris Johnson’s position is not genuinely vulnerable (despite media stories). In any case, Keir Starmer will blindly support any restrictions, so they will win any vote. Within the wider electorate, they calculate that the voters who will be most upset by such a move are in the minority, and will either vote for them anyway or not vote at all.... Most important, they imagine a bad scenario in early January with hospitals really under pressure, and they don’t want to be vulnerable to the charge that they 'did nothing'.... This way, they can at least say that they took action."

Read more: https://unherd.com/2021/12/new-lockdown-restrictions-are-pointless/