San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Epicenter city marks 1 year since isolation
A year ago, a notice sent to smartphones in Wuhan at 2 a.m. announced the world’s first coronavirus lockdown, bringing the bustling central Chinese industrial and transport center to a virtual standstill almost overnight. It would last 76 days.
On Saturday morning, however, residents of the city where the virus was first detected were jogging and practicing tai chi in a fogshrouded park beside the mighty Yangtze River.
Life has largely returned to normal in the city of 11 million, even as the rest of the world grapples with the spread of the virus’ more contagious variants. The scourge has killed more than 2.1 million people worldwide.
Traffic was light in Wuhan, but there was no sign of the barriers that a year ago isolated neighborhoods and confined people to their homes and apartments. Wuhan accounted for the bulk of China’s 4,803 deaths from COVID19, a number that has mostly stayed static for months.
The city has been largely free of further outbreaks since the lockdown was lifted, but questions persist as to where the virus originated and whether Wuhan and Chinese authorities acted fast enough and with sufficient transparency to allow the world to prepare for a pandemic.
HONG KONG
Thousands put in lockdown
Thousands of Hong Kong residents were locked down in their homes Saturday in an unprecedented move to contain a worsening coronavirus outbreak in the city.
Authorities said 16 buildings in the city’s Yau Tsim Mong district would be kept in isolation until all residents were tested. Residents would not be allowed to leave their homes until they received test results.
The restrictions, announced at 4 a.m., were expected to end within 48 hours, the government said.
Hong Kong has been grappling to contain a fresh wave of the coronavirus since November. Over 4,300 cases have been recorded in the last two months, making up nearly 40% of the city’s total.
FRANCE
Transit advice: Please shut up
French doctors have new advice to slow the spread of the virus: Stop talking on public transportation.
The French Academy of Doctors issued guidance saying people should “avoid talking or making phone calls” in subways, buses or anywhere in public where social distancing isn’t possible. Masks have been required since May, but travelers often loosen or remove them to talk on the phone.
Other French experts are urging more dramatic measures — notably a third lockdown.
Infections in France are gradually rising this month, at more than 20,000 per day. France currently has the longest virus curfew in Europe, from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and restaurants and tourist sites have been closed since October. BRITAIN
Shared drinks draw scorn
A leading politician in Wales has resigned from a senior post after he and colleagues had a drinking session inside the Welsh parliament buildings while pubs and bars are closed during a coronavirus lockdown.
Paul Davies says he was stepping down as leader of the Welsh Conservatives “for the sake of my party, my health and my own conscience.” OREGON
Teachers get shots priority
Gov. Kate Brown defended her decision to reject federal guidelines and prioritize teachers for the COVID19 vaccine before the elderly, stating that if all of Oregon’s seniors were vaccinated first teachers would likely not be vaccinated before the school year and many students would not return to inperson learning.
Oregon officials announced that instead of vaccinating teachers and seniors at the same time, teachers would be vaccinated beginning Jan. 25 and people 80 or older beginning Feb. 8.
The Oregon Health Authority presented a new vaccination timeline that delays the eligibility for seniors 65 to 69 years old to be vaccinated until March 7, and those 70 to 74 pushed back to Feb. 28.
OHIO
State expands athome tests
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Ohio will use $50 million in federal pandemic aid dollars to buy 2 million athome rapid coronavirus tests to help local health departments respond faster to testing needs.
The Republican governor also said the state’s 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. pandemic curfew, due to expire soon, will be extended.
The test kit deal involves a partnership between the state, digital health company eMed and medical device company Abbott Laboratories. Users can administer the BinaxNow athome antigen tests with results available in about 15 minutes.
Users will receive online guidance on how to administer the tests, and the results will be recorded with the Ohio Department of Health. Devine said local health departments have been asking for this type of rapid testing.