DOOM: "Omicron Covid cases ‘doubling every two to three days’ in UK"

[AtW]

106k

My local stas are >1000 per 100k, YUGE number and it's only up to like 17th!

[d000hg]

Most people I'm friends with wouldn't do what you are doing until two weeks after their third vaccination dose. Too little is know yet about omicron and most people don't want to be guinea pigs when asked directly.

I've never had any great fears about catching it, except for the risk of passing it on and the inconvenience it brings. Most people don't need to be afraid.

Also, at the time we hadn't received the brunt of Omicron here. I'm not bothered at all being exposed to Delta with my miserly 2 jabs.

[agentzero]

93k cases today compared with 88k yesterday and ~80 the day before - 3 records in a row.

Rumblings of further restrictions but it seems so far, only in the devolved nations.
Tonight is a meal out with my choir ~20 people. We sang together yesterday and we're in the NE with small-O so far so this will be my last activity of the year I think. Doctor's appointment tomorrow, booster on Monday can both go ahead regardless, and we're not going away for Xmas (and my wife had her booster a few weeks back) so it's not the end of the world.

I did hum and haw quite a lot and was a little surprised the events both went ahead without any people pulling out. Let's see where I am in a week!

Most people I'm friends with wouldn't do what you are doing until two weeks after their third vaccination dose. Too little is know yet about omicron and most people don't want to be guinea pigs when asked directly.

It takes two to four weeks to get so unwell with covid 19 that hospital is required. The reporting of variant breakdown and ages for hospital admissions is another two weeks, so we won't know until late January what the effect of the forthcoming fortnight. Either way, saving Christmas day by not doing much the last week and this week. I think people that are not booster jabbed yet are taking a risk, maybe unknown, given that this omicron variant can or will infect people who have already had covid19.

Here's hoping that vaccinated people face minimal issues and that any serious issues, if they must exist, are only in the unvaccinated. Ideally nobody would be affected, but realistically it's the unvaccinated who are going to see the most issues. At least those with medical reasons who can't get vaccinated know enough to be more cautious.

[AtW]

91k

[Whorty]

So I’m back, and a very pleasant time was had by all. The Counting House had full tables, but you could swing a multitude of cats from the door to the bar.

On the Saturday I wanted to see London, but didn’t fancy being inside at the V&A so I walked from from East to West and completed 10+ miles by the time I got to St Pancras.

Points of note:

• Although it wasn’t a busy as the Saturday before Christmas, it was still reasonably busy. I was surprised at the numbers of families out to see the sights. The Disney store had ‘1 out, 1 in’ going on and Hamley’s elves were doing a roaring trade in selfies.
• The size of the anti-vax protest was pathetic, they had to spread out to fill Parliament Square (good social distancing, I thought) and the tourists were looking at them and taking photos the way they would a the monkey house at London Zoo.
• Almost everyone was wearing a mask around Borough Market but there was about a 50-50 split of masks worn outside. I put my mask on walking along South Bank and Regent Street and Oxford Street, but didn’t need it around St James Park.

Anyway, I’ve tested neg today, but will try again on Wednesday so we’ll see where we are then.

Went to the Counting House myself last Friday after bailing on the CUK drinks (actually, went to the Lamb tavern first, but then the Counting House). Love that pub ... was heaving last Friday when I was there.

[jamesbrown]

The Counting House, good choice.

[AtW]

I was surprised at the numbers of families out to see the sights.

Tourists from up North?

[cojak]

Well, I’m on the train to St Pancras and it’s rammed and while most have masked some don’t.

I’m wearing a FFP2 mask but I’m not confident at the moment. I’m going to be wary for the journey.

So I’m back, and a very pleasant time was had by all. The Counting House had full tables, but you could swing a multitude of cats from the door to the bar.

On the Saturday I wanted to see London, but didn’t fancy being inside at the V&A so I walked from from East to West and completed 10+ miles by the time I got to St Pancras.

Points of note:

• Although it wasn’t a busy as the Saturday before Christmas, it was still reasonably busy. I was surprised at the numbers of families out to see the sights. The Disney store had ‘1 out, 1 in’ going on and Hamley’s elves were doing a roaring trade in selfies.
• The size of the anti-vax protest was pathetic, they had to spread out to fill Parliament Square (good social distancing, I thought) and the tourists were looking at them and taking photos the way they would a the monkey house at London Zoo.
• Almost everyone was wearing a mask around Borough Market but there was about a 50-50 split of masks worn outside. I put my mask on walking along South Bank and Regent Street and Oxford Street, but didn’t need it around St James Park.

Anyway, I’ve tested neg today, but will try again on Wednesday so we’ll see where we are then.

[AtW]

The Netherlands locks down.

[AtW]

90,418 tested positive "today", probably at limits of testing capacity