Good morning,
European Covid
In Italy, France, Germany and Spain a third wave of covid is creating strict lockdowns and a new wave of deaths, but here in the UK where we have been in lockdown since a few days before Christmas the Government is slowly easing restrictions. In many ways people are fed up and stores and restaurants and gyms are slowly dying, and you just have to walk along the street to see shops that have not just been closed, but signs have been taken down and tenants have given up.
The danger is as England opens, European neighbours are doing the opposite, and the wave will move across the channel. In fact because schools are open, the R rate, the rate at which one person infects another is moving up and that will bring more infections, more hospitalizations, and critically the variants will threaten the vaccination program.
On top of the infection spread, vaccinations which has been successful here, are being slowed because of a supply problem in India, and the EU has demanded a greater share of Astra Zeneca supplies, so the importation of Astra is slowing and there are many questions if British people waiting for their second dose will get them on time!
The fact is we are not out of this crisis yet, and while summer months may bring some relief, we will have more restrictions again, and again and again…
Russia
Russia meantime has tried to push its Sputnik vaccine in exports to win friends and influence other countries, but oddly enough it hasn’t supplied its own nation with enough vaccines. In fact there is a shortage in Russia which is now importing vaccines from other countries.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/28/world/europe/sputnik-vaccine-russia.html
George Floyd
The trial begins in a fortified Minneapolis today and the officer charged in his death, Derek Chauvin has a real defense despite the horrendous video of him kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 9 minutes. Floyd had a drug history and heart issues and that will come into play in the police officers defense, but none of that will mitigate the demand for justice in a trial that will be historic.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/when-is-george-floyd-trial-b1823462.html
George Floyd’s sister LaTonya spokes this morning on TV to say its “scary”, “horrific”, “its intense”, it’s painful she said. Hopefully there “is justice” she sobbed.
Suez Canal
The Ever Given ship has been unstuck from the bank of one of the busiest shipping canals in the world, and the Suez which handles 1/10th of the worlds shipping reopening to over 10 billion dollars in back logged cargo.
Shippers say this crisis will change the ‘just in time’ shipping practices going forward.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-56559904
Myanmar
The military coup simply won’t be accepted by Myanmar and over the weekend soldiers used bloody tactics of live fire to silence protesters. More than 100 people were killed by the army on Saturday.
“It’s absolutely outrageous and based on the reporting I’ve gotten, an awful lot of people have been killed totally unnecessarily,” Biden told reporters on Sunday.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/29/biden-and-eu-condemn-myanmar-bloodshed-as-outrageous-and-a-day-of-shame
Have a good Monday everyone! Share this letter and subscribe if you want to be part of the comment section.
Dana