Points from press conference

When do the cantons start vaccinating?
Jordi: «I can't say that. The cantons' vaccination plans were based on different scenarios and must now be adjusted. "

All vaccination doses will be delivered within six months
"In six months we will all have 15 million vials," says Lévy. One could also be positively surprised here.

You have to cut the numbers in half, right?
Aschenbach: "It takes two vaccinations, so only a little more than 50,000 people could be vaccinated in a first step" There are two million people in the first prioritization group, says Masserey.

What about quarantine?
“The quarantine will continue to apply to vaccinated people. The affected person is then vaccinated, but the virus could pass on to others. We don't have the data, ”says Lévy.

«In the red area»
Jordi: “Please be aware that this is a big challenge. The cantons work in the red zone. "

"We were taken by surprise"
Lévy: “Both the federal government and the cantons have been taken by surprise. But we are happy that we were taken by surprise. »The cantons are flexible enough to be able to administer the first vaccinations now

How big are the deliveries? How is this continuing?
Aschenbach: “We reckon with 107,000 vaccine doses. From January onwards, 250,000 vaccine doses a month »That is still unconfirmed, but based on verbal agreements with Biontech and Pfizer

Challenges
For example, in Lucerne there are 4,000 vials for every 100,000 and in smaller cantons perhaps only 500 vials, Jordi calculates. There are many challenges

The vaccination logistics have to be established and proven

The vaccine needs to be refrigerated and repackaged

The staff must be recruited and trained

The IT tool for distribution must be implemented and proven.

The vaccination centers and mobile teams must be set up and put into operation.

https://www.20min.ch/story/swissmedi...r-470139489008

Death rate of what group, of the population or those infected?

Bold added by me.

Six months with 250k vials each from Pfizer/Biontech add up to 1.5mln "only" by mid-year, 750k immunisations.

A US State Senator died from "COVID-19 complications" yesterday.

Minnesota State Sen. Jerry Relph dies from COVID-19 complications
He became infected at a Republicans Caucus meeting.

"The 76-year-old began serving in the Minnesota Senate in 2017 and represented the 14th district that includes St. Cloud."

https://abcnews.go.com/US/minnesota-...ry?id=74816583

Edit: I decided to add the word "State" in there after seeing 22Yards' comment below.

Just to be clear, he was a state Senator, not a US Senator. Had he been the latter, the whole balance of power question would be even more on a knife-edge.

Thanks. I just edited my post so that it didn't seem misleading.

this story will never end
some can squeeze out of different strains, variants new viruses more and more restrictions/vaccines etc

Christmas is effectively cancelled for a lot of people in the UK.

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-55376873

it is. its not IFR. not even close

70% more infectious. Probably not possible to contain Covid any more in England.

These vaccines better arrive quickly. It'll be in continental Europe in no time - probably is already.

Fanf---ingtastic. Is the 70% real / confirmed? Thank god nobody is travelling these days ...

influenza vs. covid19

more infectious should be less deadly

Why?

This is why I asked this morning about whether Brits might be stopped on entry to CH if they enter with a return date after 1st January when they will no longer be granted entry.

From what I have seen in Klosters today its probably too late. Loads of London accents here and not a single one with a mask even though masks are mandatory in the village. I voiced my concerns to a friend here who is hosting all her kids and their families over Christmas all from central London and was simply told that these are her "actual" children and she needs to see them and I need to think how she feels. Nothing on earth will stop them and their entitled attitudes doing whatever they please. I absolutely despair.

Personally, I think they should have closed the borders in October so that a new mutation would perhaps be more easily contained. If we want to get through this pandemic with the least number of deaths and transmissions as possible, governments really need to start "thinking ahead of the game."

Well nobodies grounded Santa yet, who's scheduled to fly on Christmas day with flight plan approved by NORAD.
He's already cleared to fly through Irish airspace this month.

No connection there, one way or the other.

Ah yes: the world’s biggest superspreader!

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...-idUSKCN25E08Y