Germany is now pretty exactly on the R=1.00 line and steady there for two weeks. Could be better, but at least it's stable.

There was a minor outrage in the press about 2 weeks ago - one of the bigger theme parks had announced they had had an infected visitor. They informed all roughly 15,000 who were in the park that day (with the assessment "very low risk") and specifically the few that had lunch in the same restaurant at the same time (some 50 ppl), who had a somewhat higher risk.

Now if that's been it for 3 months, I really want to be there every day. A week is roughly 100k visitors, so a case rate of 0.08 per week and 100,000 people (0.05 per day and million for those who use that measurement). Pretty safe I'd say

This country must be put into a total lockdown. Just curfews in the red areas, to which many people are not adhering, is not going to help. 4,429 new cases and 23 new deaths at 1130pm [which will not be the final figure] is just too much.

Well about time - Jersey's on island test lab has gone live. Previously, and during the trial period, test have been sent to the UK so results have been slow coming back.

Three week lockdown from 2pm Friday, covering all the High Holy Days and Festivals. Schools closed tomorrow although special education schools will stay open during lockdown.

Yesterday's figures horrendous. 5,223 new confirmed cases and 2,392 so far today at 6.30pm.

Will the ultra religious people obey or will they decide penalties are warranted?

The main red/red areas, that have been under curfew are hareidi [ultra Orthodox] and Arab areas as they had the highest number of confirmed cases due to large weddings and suchlike. Not that that stopped many of them. I do not know what will happen in the Arab areas although many of their mayors have been doing their best to make sure that the regulations are adhered to.

The hareidi areas? They seem to live in their own worlds under their own rules, so who knows.


Sigh. It is the secular who are saying that they will not obey the regulations, that they will go where they want even though the regulations will be that people must not go more than 500m from their homes except in certain circumstances, ie to buy food/medication/medical supplies and suchlike. Synagogue attendance to be in groups of ten inside synagogues, with a maximum number according to the size of the building and the number of doors, with people 2m away from each other in each group, and each groups ????m from another group. The ???? is because I have not the slightest idea everything changes by the hour. Outside services are for separated groups of 30, again each person 2m from the next. It will literally be chaos over Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur.

My Moshav should be OK as we have one very large synagogue with a massive areas outside, both at the front and side, next to which is a football field. And because the Moshav is so spread out there are a number of smaller synagogues sort of dotted around the place. Those are the ones men go to for normal daily services - this is is a religious Moshav but it is not ultra-Orthodox like the hareidim.


I was wrong about yesterday's confirmed cases - the number was 5,495 and not 5,223 - and at 11pm today the figures are 6,063 new cases and 18 new deaths. That is well over 3% more than yesterday and we will not have the final figures until tomorrow.

It is a disaster. A total absolute disaster.

I feel for you.

My granddaughter is waiting for her test results which means that the family are all in isolation. My son-in-law is a hospital doctor so has had to get colleagues to do his shifts until they get the negative result.

Someone has just posted the following on the dog forum of which I am a member, about all the people who are still denying that the virus exists and that it is all a conspiracy to control the world:

"I'd love to know who these conspiracy theorists is the mastermind that has managed to do the impossible and pull the wool over just about every governments eyes globally and got them all singing from the same hymn sheet where the virus is concerned. It must be one helluva guy or gal that can do that."

But we cannot all be wrong, can we. I mean Tikva and I are in our own little world and all I know of what is going on in the world is what I read in the press [I do not watch television} and what people talk about on various fora. And we cannot all be wrong, surely we cannot. We cannot possibly have imagined the last six, seven, eight, maybe more months.

I need to go to bed, it will be gone 2am by the time I manage it, if not even later.

Sucks to have a sinus infection during Covid. I've been dealing with an ear infection (which I've never had) which has slowly turned into an overall sinus infection. On a second type of antibiotics as I started getting worse with the first kind

And my heart has been beating fast. Ended up getting my thyroid checked to see if my medicine needs to be adjusted.

I'm becoming a pro with doctor's office procedures...

Sinus infections are never good. I can remember the pain of tipping my head forward, ouch.

I cost our health service a small fortune, it is just as well that all we pay for is to see a GP; all medication, hospital treatment, check ups and tests are paid for by the taxpayers but free at point of use. So far this year I have had a dental check, several types of x-ray, urologist, cardiologist and ENT specialists and my regular blood tests as I am on warfarin.

We do not have to pay to see a GP but we have to pay a certain amount monthly to whichever Health Fund we belong. They pay for all hospital charges and ambulance fees - the latter providing a person is admitted for over 24 hours, otherwise the patient has to pay for the ambulance]. ER visits also have to be paid unless the patient is admitted.

No free prescriptions for OAPs but a reduced rate, with different medications costing different amounts, and certain ones only if initially prescribed by a consultant/specialist.

Health Funds do have associated dental clinics where they pay 50% of the charges, although a yearly check-up and hygienist treatment is free. People over the age of 75 are charged nominal amounts for dental treatment according to what is done.

I keep well away from our little clinic - we have a peripatetic doctor who comes twice a week for a couple of hours - I just telephone the nurse when I need a repeat prescription and she asks the doctor to send it electronically to all pharmacies, and the prescription can only be filled by the patient's Health Fund card being put through the whatever-it-is-called-thing on the computer at the pharmacy. She [the nurse] comes round to all the elderlies/housebounds every so-many months to check BP although she knows I have a BP monitor so she just telephones me to ask me to check it - which I do monthly in any case.

Back on the subject of the virus - it looks like trouble as the latest information I have is that as of Tuesday
97% of the cities in Israel with a population of over 20,000 are experiencing a high infection rate such that each person is infecting more than one other person.

Not good news for Rosh HaShana, is it.

That is terrible news having an infection rate like that.

That was a direct quote Sue - I should have put it in inverted commas. As I said, it is not good.

It has been reported that one of the main causes of the current high rate of increase is asymptomatic cases in 14-18 year olds, due to the schools starting at the beginning of the month. They are asymptomatic but of course are still infectious so have been passing the virus on unknowingly.

OK so all schools were closed as from today. The lockdown starts at 2pm tomorrow. People will be restricted to 500m from their home - except for specific purposes.

Do you for one minute believe that people will follow the restrictions and not take advantage of the exceptions? Because I do not. Nor will they follow the restrictions regarding not having the usual large festival meals.

It is anticipated that there will be between 1,000-2,000 extra deaths from the virus during and after the festivals, due to people ignoring the restrictions.

And people still refuse to believe that the virus exists. Still say it is a world-wide hoax in order to frighten people into submission.

Our latest figures show 11,193 new cases since yesterday and 239 deaths. How can anyone think that this is a hoax.

Because they want to believe that. They don't want to give up control of their lives. They are spending too much time reading their Internet feeds that have been infect by dangerous, foolish conspiracies theorists. For reasons I cannot FTname, they very much like a highly visible, ratings loving politician in America.

The Moshav has been hit. My friend The Ninja has just been round in his IDF Home Front Command uniform to tell me that there have been ten cases confirmed on the Moshav. The news has obviously only just been sent to them and not yet passed here but he said there will be a dozen HFC soldiers on the Moshav tomorrow to do something or other.

Presumably the macolet will have to be closed for deep cleaning - in the meantime he said I must not telephone and ask them to bring anything over until he tells me it is safe.

It is crazy. We are in the middle of a country-wide lockdown but there are so many things permitted - demonstrations included while Synagogue attendances are greatly restricted - and yet everything seems to be carrying on as normal here. Until tomorrow that is, when people will be in for a rude awakening.

If one of those confirmed cases has been in the macolet over the last few days...... I dread to think what is going to happen here, because everyone goes there, if only for a litre of milk or a loaf of bread.

Oh my goodness, that is so scary for you.

The government must stop the demonstrations and put tight country-wide restrictions into place, not just this current lockdown with so many exemptions. Figures from midnight until 8pm are 9,762 new cases and 31 new deaths. In a country as small as Israel.

And in every online newspaper I read there are people screaming that it is all a hoax and that they are not going to wear "muzzles" or "face diapers" as many people call them. Or "I have had it, all my family have had it, all my friends have had it, and it is only a mild cold that lasts for just two days".

Oh, and that all the world governments are just pretending that there is a virus to control everyone because they want to frighten people into having a vaccination which will change their DNA. And that they are holding onto the vaccine until everyone is frightened enough. That is what I read in comments in all English-language newspapers that I read.

I want to scream "wake up people - it is not a hoax - it is a fact" but what good will that do? They will just say that I am paranoid, only I am not paranoid nor am I imagining a virus that does not exist. Because it does exist.

Well, my son's school lasted 4 weeks before a child had symptoms. Was last in school a week ago Wednesday, had symptoms Wednesday night and Thursday. We got the email Friday and started quarantining after talking with the pediatrician office Saturday morning. Found out yesterday the classmate was positive. Called pediatrician today, they suggested we get my son tested - especially because my husband and I have asthma and we had been to the grandparents last Thursday.

Got the rapid test result (negative), so we are waiting on the PCR result, which we should have Monday or so. The rapid test catches 85% of cases, the PCR they use to back up and really be sure (and catch the remaining 15%). So we're stuck at home for now.

So today I got a call from our county's health department regarding the exposure. So... they recommended we keep our distance from my son and wear masks.

Except he's 4. And this is day 8 of the exposure. It's not practical. Although one of my friends suggested putting him out in the backyard with the hose and some Cheerios.

Heh, he'd probably love it! my son at four would have really relished living like a feral little animal, peeing in the bishes and scavenging for easily located pop tarts.

My granddaughter tested negative last week so they came out of isolation, then next day she was sent home as had been taught in some club, by a teacher who was positive.

Actually got a call from our county health department today to check up on my son. I've been responding to the daily emails asking what symptoms he has/doesn't have. It came from a number I didn't recognize, so please answer your phones even if you think it's a telemarketer - it could be a contact tracer who needs to talk to you.

As from next Tuesday people from green areas will even have to have two tests if they come to the island.