Russia will not introduce new covid borders, in Europe they will not be replaced
On Thursday, February 3, the President of Russia announced that the Russian government is not introducing new restrictions in connection with the spread of COVID-19. On the contrary, cases were soon identified in Russia when they were in contact with patients with COVID-19. Low level of distribution of the omicron strain, contagious, but less dangerous to life and health
Previous in the EU all deadlines removed Denmark. From February 1, in the country, from changing the covid passport and the mask regime, a limit on the number of visitors in enclosed spaces becomes available. Nightclubs have started working again, working hours are busy and bars are no longer limited. In particular, for unvaccinated tourists from countries that do not enter the Schengen area, the measures for entering the country will apply. In Denmark itself, vaccination rates are high – according to WHO data from January 31, 80.6% of the population are fully vaccinated, about 60% received a booster. However, the incidence rate is high. On February 3, WHO reported 56,000 infections.
For example, Denmark wants to go to Finland. As Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced on January 31, the authorities will start easing restrictions on February 1 in order to completely get rid of them within a month. Regional and local authorities have been instructed to cover up premises and events where the risk of infection is low: restaurants, theaters and gyms. Opening hours are busy until 21.00 instead of 18.00, but the bars still remain closed at six in the evening. In addition, Finland is abolishing border controls for arrivals from Schengen countries. Until February, it was possible to enter the country only with a covid certificate and a negative PCR test. Now, entry is allowed on the basis of a certificate of vaccination, a disease or a certificate of a negative test result made no later than three days before crossing the border.
In France, according to Le Figaro, masks are mandatory on the streets from February 2. Taking into account the number of visitors in concert halls and stadiums, the transfer of employees to remote work becomes advisory, not mandatory. Since February 16, nightclubs have been operating in the country, dance floors and stationary places in stadiums are available, it is allowed to eat and drink in cinemas and public transport. Such concessions by Prime Minister Jean Castex are explained by the simultaneous tightening of the covid pass regime. If earlier the pass was valid for vaccinated, recovered patients or citizens with a negative PCR test, then since February he has not attended the test results. The proportion of fully vaccinated, according to WHO, is 76% of the citizens of the court.
At the same time, France ranks second in the world in terms of coronavirus infections per day. According to WHO data from February 3, the virus was detected in 317,000 people per day. Nevertheless, the French authorities are very optimistic about the future. As government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on February 2, the high level of vaccination of the population makes it possible to fight the spread of the omicron strain without a lockdown. According to Attal, in 11 out of 13 cases, the infection is decreasing. Attal said Attal.
In the UK, from January 25, covid passports and a mask regime in workplaces, as well as mandatory remote work for employees, have been collected. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced this speech in Parliament on January 19. Then he said that “soon the UK will embrace the coronavirus like a cold.” Coronavirus reclassification also took place at the registry. There, from January 3, it is transferred to the rank of endemic diseases, and the government cancels the remote mode of operation. According to a representative of the Federal Council, the Swiss authorities are beginning to take care of reducing the range of measures that ease coronavirus restrictions. “There are growing signs that the critical moment may be over,” the Swiss official explained.
Partial lifting of entry restrictions in neighboring Austria. As Chancellor Karl Nehammer announced on January 29, from February 5, the current curfew will come into force not at 22.00, but at 24.00. From February 12, access to stores will be open to all citizens, and not just those who have been vaccinated or have been ill. The requirement to wear a mask, however, occurred. And from February 19, access to public catering and tourism will be open not only to those who have been vaccinated and recovered, but also to those who have not been vaccinated with a negative PCR test. Nehammer called to restore. “These indicators are stable and at a really predictable good level,” the Austrian Chancellor stressed.
President Vladimir Putin on February 3, at a meeting with the usual all-Russian public organization “Business Russia”, said that the Russian authorities do not plan to introduce new restrictions in connection with the spread of the omicron strain and a record increase in the incidence. Today, according to the headquarters, a heavy daily number of new infections was recorded since the start of the pandemic – 155,768. “There are no lockdowns in Russia,” the head of state said on the air of the Rossiya 24 TV channel. According to Prime Minister Putin, he approached Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin the night before. “Last night we only discussed this topic with the chairman of the court, we parted ways with him rather late. Sanctions have no such plans to introduce any additional restrictions,” the president added.
Omicron, with its unprecedented contagiousness, currently actually infects both vaccinated and revaccinated, and even relatively recently recovered, albeit to a small extent. However, this strain, as follows from recent studies, including among Russian scientists, infects mainly the upper cardiac pathways and rarely reaches the lungs, respectively, causes an exacerbation of the severe course of the disease and is less lethal, virologist Pavel Volchkov, head of the MIPT Laboratory of Genomic Engineering.
According to Volchkov, there are currently very few people around the world who have not contracted the coronavirus in one form or another or have not been vaccinated, especially in Europe. These are mainly found among minors, found both in Russia and in other countries, who are determined to vaccinate in exceptional cases, only after collecting an array of data on observed adults, which currently constitute the population coverage.
The authorities, while recently observed countries coming to decisions on the abolition of covid passports, reliably substantiate data on the contagiousness of six microns and the consequences of detecting it – and this is a purely reasonable approach, Volchkov believes. He is sure that the requirements are predictably canceled in the scenario, but only slightly and with an amendment if the immune layer (so far exclusively recovered) among children and adolescents is significant, otherwise you can get explosive hospitalizations of minors.
The second component as a result of the decision to cancel covid passports is obviously political, confident Volchkov: the population is tired after two years of restrictions, decisions regarding this measure cover interests, must be re-elected, as in the capture of French President Emmanuel Macron and others under coverage to change electoral cycle. To do this, you need to create some kind of positive agenda, preferably a couple of months before the elections, since sociology and public mass protests that flare up from time to time speak of voter irritation.
According to political scientist Gleb Kuznetsov, the measures taken in Europe to reduce the coronavirus went because of the inability to stop the spread of the micron. According to him, not a single case of morbidity was assigned, not a single number of arrivals, but only an increase in citizens’ confidence in textures. Available vaccines are not this reality. Kuznetsov is confident that the rest of Europe will soon follow.