France: Despite the empty bluster by French President Emmanuel Macron to resist ordering new lockdowns due to rising coronavirus cases, the country said Paris and other regions have been ordered to close up.
The Financial Times reported that the newly announced measures went into effect on Friday and are expected to last at least four weeks. The paper reported the country of 67 million has seen 30,000 new infections in recent days. Prime Minister Jean Castex, who has warned that the country is on the precipice of a third wave, said last week that 1,200 patients are in ICUs, which is higher than the peak at any time during the autumn’s second wave.
The new lockdowns affect about a third of the country’s population. France 24 pointed out that the world has seen infections rise by 14 percent in the past week.
After the announcement of new lockdowns, Parisians were seen packing into trains to leave the city before the implementation. Trains bound for parts of the country where lockdown restrictions do not apply, like Brittany and Lyon, were booked, the BBC reported. There were also traffic jams heading out of the city despite traveling to other parts of the country being banned.
The French news station spoke to the mayor of a small town outside Paris who told businesses in Yerres to disregard the new orders, which he called “totally incomprehensible.”
“Why would we catch COVID more in a shoe store than a bookshop?” he asked. The report pointed out that bookshops have been deemed essential during the lockdown and shoe stores nonessential.
The FT reported that some of the new guidelines include a strict 6 PM to 6 AM curfew, which has been in place for months, and the banning of travel between regions in the country. Schools will be able to stay open, the report said.
TRENDPOST: As we have continued to detail since the COVID War was launched last March, we noted the infection rate for each country and the age and pre-existing health conditions of those who died from the virus. Essentially, the victims are elderly and those with 2.6 pre-existing chronic health conditions, as the CDC verifies.
But these facts and data are ignored by the mainstream media, intent on selling fear and hysteria to boost their ratings and power-hungry politicians who launched the COVID War to gain Executive Order control.
Austria: Despite thousands of protesters demonstrating against the government’s draconian lockdown rules, on Saturday, the Austrian government declared yesterday that most of the nation will stay locked down through Easter.
Switzerland: About 8,000 protesters took to the streets in the Swiss town of Liestal to voice opposition to coronavirus lockdowns that have shuttered restaurants and bars in the city for months.
The city, which is about ten miles south of Basel, was home to a “silent protest” that included many without masks. Some wore all-white jumpsuits (similar to those you would see in a chemical lab), and “they walked in unison to somber funeral music playing in the background,” according to the AFP.
Protesters held signs that slammed vaccines and equated mask-wearing to modern slavery. “Mask mandatory, shut your mouth,” one sign read, according to the report.
Reports indicated that police did not try to confront these demonstrators.
Reuters reported the protest broke out just a day after Switzerland said it would delay plans to ease COVID-19 restrictions due to an increase in cases and a lackluster vaccine rollout.
“The risk of an uncontrolled increase in the number of cases is currently too great for further openings,” the Swiss government said in a statement. “In addition, too few people have yet been vaccinated to prevent a sharp rise in hospitalizations.”
The country was planning to reopen outdoor terraces for bars and restaurants on 22 March. Swissinfo.ch reported the only measure that has been eased in the country is the limit on household gatherings. The number of people permitted inside homes increased from five to ten last Friday.
The Reuters report stated the country of 8.5 million has had a seven-day average of 1,285 cases, and new variants make up 80 percent of all new cases. Reports said the two-week running average is about 207 new cases per 100,000.
“We will have to be a bit more patient, unfortunately. We cannot justify another decision,” Alain Berset, the country’s health minister, said. “The situation is getting worse and we are at the start of a possible third wave.”
Iceland: Reykjavik, the country’s capital, announced it is back open for business for any tourist who has been vaccinated for the coronavirus.
The Financial Times reported that Iceland will demand all visitors prove full vaccination, which includes the vaccines from Russia and China. The report said the country is one of the first to reopen to global tourism.
France 24 reported the country’s economy relies on tourism, and the industry has been decimated. The report noted dozens of flights used to arrive daily at the country’s Keflavik International Airport, but on Thursday, only one flight from Frankfurt landed in the country with 150 passengers.
The report said tourism normally accounts for about 8.1 percent of its GDP. France 24 reported that the country’s largest hotel chain has been forced to close six of its eight locations, and the current occupancy volume at the two is “currently lower than 10 percent.”
The country, which is a non-European Union member, already allowed vaccinated tourists to visit, and the current move is seen as an invitation to Americans and those in the U.K.
U.K.: Protesters in London gathered on Saturday to lash out at the city’s coronavirus lockdown orders despite pleas from the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Sun reported that hundreds took to the streets and blocked traffic. The report said some of the signs read, “Stop destroying our kids’ lives,” and, “Yes sex is great, but have you ever been f***ed by the government?” Some of the protesters also lit flares. The protests were seen, in part, as a response to a new bill critics say will limit the rights of these kinds of demonstrations in the city.
About 60 lawmakers signed on to a letter that urged the government to allow protests during the coronavirus outbreak and called any restrictions an infringement on their freedoms, the Associated Press reported.
The report said the protest marks the first anniversary of when the British were told to lockdown, which was 23 March 2020.
The Independent newspaper reported there were 36 arrests as demonstrators clashed with city police officers. Scotland Yard told the paper that most of the arrests were due to COVID-19 infringements. The paper reported that a police official said “several” officers were injured in the clashes.
The Independent reported that, under the current guidelines, protesting is not an acceptable excuse to leave home.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Laurence Taylor told the Sun that those who protest put all those in the city in danger of infection. He said punishment will not be limited to organizers of the protests “but participants, too.” According to the Sun, the Commissioner said,
“By now everyone knows their part to play in stopping the spread of the virus and thousands have sacrificed much over the last 12 months to do so… We do not want to be in a position where enforcement is necessary— we would rather our officers be in London’s communities, tackling local issues. That is why I would urge people to reconsider joining a protest and stay at home.”
TRENDPOST: We warned that governments would use coronavirus restrictions to enforce a power grab on every single aspect of citizens’ lives.
It is particularly disturbing to witness police crack down at a vigil for a woman who was allegedly murdered by Wayne Couzens, a Metropolitan Police officer. The clash at Sarah Everard’s memorial showed officers physically removing women during the vigil, and there were subsequent calls for the chief of the department to resign. She did not.
On Sunday, thousands of protesters took the streets in the British city of Bristol over a crime bill that would rob the people of their liberties and give sweeping,=- new broad powers to the police to crack down on peaceful demonstrations and protests.
Germany: Hamburg announced last week it would enforce a citywide lockdown due to a recent surge in COVID-19 cases, according to reports.
The country’s second-largest city has experienced over 100 new cases per 100,000 over the past seven days, Deutsche Welle reported. The report said the city’s mayor, Peter Tschentscher, reversed plans to reopen the city. He said it is becoming evident that the city is dealing with its third wave of infections. He justified the lockdowns by saying they have proven to be effective in slowing the virus in the past.
The report pointed out that some of the guidelines include mandatory mask-wearing of only FFP2 masks or medical-grade coverings – not the ubiquitous cloth coverings.
TRENDPOST: Tschentscher continues to ignore the fact that the city of 1.7 million had been reemerging from its previous lockdown, which, evidently, did little to stop the spread of the virus.
This is a trend we have been reporting, as evidenced by the no-lockdown-laws in the state of Florida compared to the strict lockdown orders imposed on the citizens of New York State. To date, Florida, with a population of 21.5 million, has registered 32,700 virus deaths compared to New York State, with a population of 19.5 million and 49,700 virus victims since the COVID War broke out over a year ago.
German Protests
Tens of thousands took to the streets on Saturday in the German city of Kassel to express their dismay over measures imposed by the government to slow the spread of the coronavirus, according to the Associated Press.
The report said the protest occurred just a day after German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced the country may have to implement new restrictions due to an increase in cases.
“I had hoped that we would manage without using this emergency brake, but that won’t be possible if I look at the development of the past days,” Merkel said at a news conference on Friday.
A draft plan obtained by news agencies on Sunday said several states want to extend restrictions into April, DW.com reported.
“As long as testing and vaccinations aren’t in full swing, we have to postpone planned openings and take another step back into the lockdown,” Saskia Esken, the co-leader of the center-left Social Democrats said.
Markus Söder, the minister-president of Bavaria and leader of the Christian Social Union, reportedly said the pandemic could turn into an “endless wave,” the DW report said.
The country of 83.02 million has had a total of 74,565 deaths since the start of the outbreak and recorded 16,033 new cases on Saturday.
The report said the protest turned violent when demonstrators clashed with police and counter-protesters. The wire service, citing local news outlets, reported many of the approximately 20,000 marchers flouted mask rules and some attacked police.
Finland: Protests broke out in Helsinki to voice outrage over COVID-19 restrictions in the country, and many held placards, including one that read, “Facts and numbers don’t add up,” according to the Associated Press.
The small Scandinavian country, with a population of about 5.5 million, has a total of 805 deaths from the virus since the start of the outbreak. Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin, who warned last year she was concerned lockdowns could lead to a societal shift to populist parties, announced earlier this month that the virus is a “bad situation and deteriorating.” (See our 1 December article, “FINNISH LEADER: BEWARE OF ‘POPULISTS.’”)
TRENDPOST: Matti Reinikainen, a health care expert in Finland who heads anesthesiology and intensive care at Kuopio University Hospital, said he noticed that less-invasive care has helped speed patients’ recovery, according to YLE.fi. This raises the question: how many COVID-19 deaths were the result of overzealous medical intervention?
Reinikainen said doctors in the country have, at times, turned away from ventilators, and they have tried to treat patients with the corticosteroid dexamethasone to stop inflammation and prevent lung damage. (The report pointed out that this drug was also used by former President Trump.)
About 25 percent of the new ICU patients are between the ages of 70 and 79.
As the Trends Journal has noted, COVID has a very low mortality rate for the very young, who have been very punished with the lockdowns. Also, there are conflicting data as to whether those who are considered asymptomatic can spread the virus.
Romania: Bucharest was hit with anti-vaccination protests on Saturday as the country recorded its highest number of patients in ICUs since the start of the coronavirus outbreak.
The Associated Press reported that some of the placards read, “Parents, protect your children!” and “Block vaccination.” The report stated the far-right AUR party threw its weight behind these demonstrations against vaccines.
The country of 19.41 million currently has 1,334 patients in ICUs, according to the AP, and it has been seeing its highest amount of new cases in months, the report said. The country has had nearly 900,000 infections since the start of the outbreak and 22,208 deaths.
Prime Minister Florin Citu vowed that the country will not go into any national lockdowns despite the increase in cases. He said his “very clear answer is: NO.”
Bulgaria: The top health official in Bulgaria announced a new lockdown in the country due to an increase in coronavirus cases, EuroNews reported.
Kostadin Angelov, the health minister, said last week that hospitalizations in the country are reaching an all-time high, and 670 people are currently in ICUs. The report said all COVID wards are full, and about 50 percent of hospital beds are occupied. Just a week before announcing the new lockdowns, he called the situation in the country “serious but under control.”
He said restaurants, schools, and malls will be forced to close and stay shuttered for at least ten days. The report said only businesses deemed essential (grocery stores and pharmacies) can remain open. Angelov admitted the public may look at the guidelines as “inconsistent,” but he assured them that “all the decisions we have made up until now have been based on science and on everything that is happening around us.”
The country, which is the EU’s poorest member state, has a 4 April election, and observers have considered how politics may have played a role in the new restrictions. Prime Minister Boyko Borisov could “take advantage of this anxiety-provoking context to win the elections,” the report said, citing analysts. The country expects a low turnout and an embrace of the familiar leadership.
The report said Borisov’s GERB party is leading in polls by about five percent against its socialist opposition. Reuters reported that a poll by Trend, an independent research group, showed 28.8 percent of Bulgarians plan to support GERB and 23.6 percent would support the Socialist Party.
