COVID-19 Update

World:

• 7-Day Average for Daily New Cases peaked 1-27-22 at 3.363M
• Today, the world shows a 62% drop in that 7-Day Average Daily New Cases

• 7-Day Average for Daily New Deaths peaked 2-22-22 at 10.7K
• Today, the world shows a 40% drop in the 7-Day Average Daily New Deaths

It looks pretty decent right now, and I guess we'll see what we see, but some of the decisions to throw it all open again seem pretty iffy.

WaPo: (freebie)

U.K. ends all restrictions, Australia reopens borders after nearly two years

England ended all remaining covid restrictions Monday amid falling cases, and Australia reopened its borders to overseas travelers, as countries around the world seek a way to “live with the virus.”

Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s message of a return to normalcy was partially blunted since Queen Elizabeth II tested positive for the coronavirus over the weekend and was experiencing “mild cold like symptoms.” Lawmakers from the opposition Labour Party and some public health experts have also criticized Johnson’s move as premature — and even reckless — as the country reported more than 1,000 deaths in the past week.

Australia was expected to receive more than 50 international flights within the first 24 hours of reopening, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Sunday. The country had earned the nickname “Hermit Kingdom” after barring nearly all visitors for the first 18 months of the pandemic. Coronavirus cases there fell nearly 20 percent in the past week and are far lower than their January peak.

Here’s what to know

• Canada’s legislature on Monday affirmed the use of the special emergency powers invoked last week by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has warned that the self-styled “Freedom Convoy” protesters who mostly left Ottawa this weekend may reposition and organize new blockades elsewhere.
• As crucial parts of the U.S. workforce continue to be strained by the omicron variant, National Guard members in some states are now filling in as health-care workers, teachers, janitors and more.
• Parents of children younger than 5 say they feel forgotten and left behind, as the wait for a coronavirus vaccine for their children drags on. Federal health agencies this month delayed authorizing and recommending the shot until more data on the vaccine’s efficacy is collected.