Example of COVID’s dramatic swiftness – How various nations are bearing down on the unvaccinated – A novel method for evading vaccination requirements – The Fulton County investigation against Trump comes to light – Trump and the Screen Actors’ Guild – Evening statistics
I came across a particularly grim story today about a COVID vaccine “skeptic,” one that illustrates, among other things, how rapidly the virus can do its work. Hanka Horkà, a popular folk singer in the Czech Republic, deliberately contracted the disease in an attempt to acquire natural immunity. Many public places in the Czech Republic, such as theaters and bars, require either proof of vaccination or proof of recovery from recent infection. She did not wish to take the vaccine, so when her husband and son (both vaccinated) became infected during the Christmas holidays, she stayed in the same house with them for the express purpose of exposing herself the virus in order to contract it and afterwards to obtain proof of recovery. While her husband and son did indeed both recover, her story ended differently. On January 14th, she posted on social media that she had recovered without any ill effects, adding “Now there will be theatre, sauna, a concert.” Two days later she was getting dressed for a walk and felt her back hurting. She went to lie down and in “about 10 minutes it was all over,” her son said. “She choked to death.”
The bill to make COVID vaccines compulsory in Austria has been passed by the lower house of parliament. Currently, about 72% of Austria’s population is vaccinated, one of the lowest rates in Europe, which has motivated its government to take stern measures. The bill imposes fines of up to 600 euros ($680) on holdouts once checks begin on March 15. Those who challenge that initial fine unsuccessfully face a maximum fine of 3,600 euros. The bill must now pass the upper house and be signed by President Alexander Van der Bellen, but these steps will largely be formalities.
Austria’s policy may be extreme but other nations have similar measures. Italy has made COVID-19 vaccinations compulsory for those aged 50 and older, while Greece has done the same for those over 60, and various other European countries have made vaccines compulsory for certain professions such as medical staff. The province of Quebec in Canada has confirmed that a tax on the unvaccinated will be going into effect shortly, possibly as early as next month, although the exact amount has not yet been determined.
In another Canadian province, people have been subverting the vaccination regulations in a manner that is, I must admit, rather ingenious. Alberta has set down a strict law that various organizations, including restaurants, must require proof of vaccination, negative COVID test results, or medical exemption for anyone entering their premises. They are also required to enforce masking. However, health officials received a complaint that The Granary Kitchen, in the town of Red Deer, was not conforming to the regulation. They investigated the matter and found that while customers were indeed submitting photos before entering, some customers were submitting a photo of their pet dog instead of one of their vaccination card along with their personal identification. The facility staff, in turn, were going through a pantomime of using a tablet in a manner that appeared to be scanning a QR code to prevent onlookers from suspecting the truth. Like Queen Victoria, the Alberta Health Service was not amused. It directed the owners to immediately close the restaurant’s indoor dining services temporarily, submit a written plan and commitment to implement a restrictions exemption program, train staff to ask for proof of vaccination or a negative test, and provide a written statement that all staff are then fully trained.
The investigation into Donald Trump’s attempts to falsify the votes in Georgia in his favor is now heating up. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has requested a special grand jury as part of her investigation. A special grand jury cannot issue indictments but may subpoena witnesses, produce documents, and investigate other offices as part of the probe. This step is part of a larger process that may determine whether Trump will be formally charged in the first half of 2022. Words cannot express how relieved I am to find, in spite of my fears over the past several months, that this effort has not fallen by the wayside.
Among the many notable activities that Trump has done since he left office was to write a letter tendering his resignation from the Screen Actors’ Guild after its union notified him that he faced a disciplinary hearing for his role in the Jan. 6 riot and “reckless campaign of misinformation.” His notice is marked by that candid, uninhibited tone for which he is justly famous and concludes as follows: “this letter is to inform you of my immediate resignation from SAG-AFTRA. You have done nothing for me” – which, if true, is very much to the Guild’s credit, it seems to me.
Yesterday’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 339,025,537; # of deaths worldwide: 5,582,237; # of cases U.S.: 976,394,259; # of deaths; U.S.: 880,323.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 342,821,269; # of deaths worldwide: 5,592,617; # of cases U.S.: 70,465,555; # of deaths; U.S.: 883,755.