From NewScientist, February 1:
The latest coronavirus news updated every day including coronavirus cases, the latest news, features and interviews from New Scientist and essential information about the covid-19 pandemic
Latest coronavirus news as of 11am on 1 February
Vaccinations will not be a condition of employment for NHS workers in England
NHS staff in England will not be required to have coronavirus vaccinations, health secretary Sajid Javid announced yesterday. The move will be subject to a government consultation.
Regulations for mandatory vaccines were due to come into effect for NHS staff on 1 April which would have made 3 Feb the last day an unvaccinated worker could start a course of vaccinations.
Javid says mandatory vaccines are now less important because omicron, which is currently the dominant variant, appears to be more transmissible and less severe than the earlier delta variant. “It’s only right that our policy on vaccination as a condition of deployment is reviewed,” Javid said.
Austria has moved in the opposite direction, as its policy of mandatory jabs for all over-18s comes into effect today. It is the first European Union country to impose such a mandate.
Denmark today became the first EU country to lift all of its coronavirus restrictions, despite daily cases of between 40,000 to 50,000, or 1 per cent of its population. Denmark’s health authorities hope that its high vaccination rates of about 81 per cent will prevent a spike in hospitalisations....
....MUCH MORE
So the question becomes, re: mandates: What the hell happened to Justin Trudeau?
And no, I'm not talking about this, although it does make what follows a bit ironic:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wearing blackface.
Youthful hijinks or something, right? Although the fact there are pictures of him on three separate occasions, in three different outfits, might lead one to believe he was sort of into it. No, I'm talking about this:
Wha?
(discerning reader will note I made it this far without a pot, kettle reference. so close)
