Little Bennett Regional Park – Ongoing protest in Ottawa – Full approval of the Moderna COVID vaccine – Austria’s mandate – Evening statistics
I went down with LM and others to Little Bennett Regional Park, where we meandered about 7 miles over the trail network. It was a lovely day, not cloudless but sufficiently sunny for the snow to reflect some of the light and brighten up the scene. Little Bennett is at a lower elevation than the other areas I’ve recently visited, and the snow cover was only about ¼ inch thick. I did not use microspikes, although most of the others in the group did. Outside of one trail that was paved instead of dirt there were not many icy patches and I experienced little difficulty in making my way. The temperature rose above freezing, but happily not enough to cause the snow to melt and make the trails muddy. Afterwards we went to the winery at Sugarloaf, which I have often passed by on the way to the mountain but which I have never before visited on its own. It is rather small and sparsely furnished, but pleasant and fairly comfortable. The hot mulled wine that was one of the options was very cheering after a hike on a wintry day. Here we sipped wine and lunched on various snacks (mainly provided by LH) and conversed comfortably together. It was the first shared meal indoors that I have experienced since New Year’s Day.
The anti-vaxxer protest in Ottawa is continuing, but the reaction of the government is rather puzzling. No one appears to be taking action against these invaders. The only action that Ottawa mayor Jim Watson has taken is to plead with the demonstrators to move away: “Quite frankly, [residents] feel they’re prisoners in their own home. And so my hope is that at some point, the police reach the conclusion that it’s time to have a serious discussion about moving these people on. You have the right to protest, you’ve had your protest, please move on. Our city has to get back in normal stead.” But police, it seems, have not advanced beyond the stage of discussion. They have made no arrests; they have even refrained from issuing tickets and towing vehicles to avoid confrontation with the protestors. With such spinelessness in response to their misbehavior, the protestors are naturally much too wise to quit the field.
The Moderna COVID vaccine has now received official approval from the FDA. Up to this point it was contingent on emergency use authorization (EUA), but it is now the second vaccine to approval without any qualifications. The FDA has expressed a hope that such an endorsement will overcome some people’s reluctance to take the vaccines. As of today, 74.1% of all American adults are fully vaccinated and 44.7% have received boosters.
In Austria, at least, the government has issued a sterner mandate than that of any other country. Everyone is required to get vaccinated, with the exception of two groups: pregnant women and those who cannot receive the vaccine for medical reasons. Anyone who refuses to comply will receive periodic fines ranging from €600 (equivalent to about $670) to €3,600. The mandate goes into effect tomorrow, but officials will not be verifying people’s vaccination status until mid-March. It is unclear how strictly it will be enforced. Many Austrians are hoping that the pandemic will recede by the end of winter; if so, the mandate will no longer be necessary. It is set to expire in January, 2024 in any case. Many other European nations are monitoring the progress of the mandate in Austria closely, for obvious reasons.
Today’s statistics as of 8:00 PM – # of cases worldwide: 377,611,034; # of deaths worldwide: 5,690,813; # of cases U.S.: 76,122,940; # of deaths; U.S.: 909,731.