# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2020 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758 "2020-02-11T01:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 295
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2020, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5906 "2020-12-03T21:20:22Z")
A little more information on the UK “Authorisation” of the Pfizer vaccine: > This **temporary Authorisation** under Regulation 174 [of the Human Medicine Regulations 2012 (as amended)] permits the supply of identified COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine BNT162b2 batches, based on the safety, quality and efficacy data submitted by Pfizer/BioNTech to MHRA in the period from 1st October to 2 December 2020; > **This authorisation is not a marketing authorisation** ; My bolding. [Source.](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/940975/Conditions_of_Authorisation_for_Pfizer_BioNTech_vaccine.pdf) -which begs the question, what is “Regulation 174”? Well, I’m delighted to oblige: it’s a derogation from having a marketing authorisation under certain circumstances. > #### Supply in response to spread of pathogenic agents etc > > 1. The prohibitions in regulation 46 (requirement for authorisation) do not apply where the sale or supply of a medicinal product is authorised by the licensing authority on a temporary basis in response to the suspected or confirmed spread of— > > (a)pathogenic agents; > > (b)toxins; > > (c )chemical agents; or > > (d)nuclear radiation, > > which may cause harm to human beings. So to be clear, what has happened in the UK is that the regulatory agency has not granted a Marketing Authorisation (licence); rather it has, in response to the pandemic and based on an evaluation of the data currently available, decided to make the product available on a temporary basis (presumably until they decide that a Marketing Authorisation can be granted, and the situation can be thus regularised). j ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5907 "2020-12-04T00:52:45Z")
The darkest days are yet to come. > **[Millions may resist even taking a COVID vaccine, thanks to conspiracist...](https://www.dailykos.com/stories/1999548)** > > If you celebrated the pending arrival of COVID-19 vaccines as a kind of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, you had ample cause. Unfortunately, a rising tide of conspiracist resistance to any vaccine may well mean that the tunnel is going to... ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5908 "2020-12-04T05:11:51Z")
65,536,041 total cases 1,511,915 dead 45,376,605 recovered In the US: 14,535,196 total cases 282,829 dead 8,561,427 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 64,845,144 total cases > 1,499,350 dead > 44,941,891 recovered > > In the US: > > 14,313,941 total cases > 279,865 dead > 8,462,347 recovered ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5909 "2020-12-04T15:50:23Z")
Are there any COVID stats coming out of Russia these days? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5910 "2020-12-04T17:44:58Z")
Panama, like many other places, has been experiencing a second surge lately. Yesterday we topped 2,000 in daily new cases for the first time. During the first surge in April, we were running at about 1,200 new cases day. We then leveled out at about 600-700 per day for several months, and the economy was reopened. A new surge started in early November, and we are now at over 1,500 new cases per day, with no sign of it leveling off. Curfew has been made earlier in some provinces (starting at 9 PM instead of 11 PM) but otherwise I haven’t seen much talk of shutting down again. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5911 "2020-12-04T18:06:14Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 14,535,196 total cases > 282,829 dead > 8,561,427 recovered > > In the US: > > 14,313,941 total cases > 279,865 dead > 8,462,347 recovered Nearly 3,000 dead, in the USA alone, in one day? Gaah. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5912 "2020-12-04T19:44:50Z")
We’re losing a 9/11 attack’s-worth every single day. And still the denial continues. As I said in another thread: > [@Am I missing something here? (re: reopening of bars, etc... now)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-missing-something-here-re-reopening-of-bars-etc-now/922356/844): > > As Pogo almost said: > > > We have met the enemy. And it’s not a virus. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5913 "2020-12-04T20:09:14Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Nearly 3,000 dead, in the USA alone, in one day? Probably not really. There was a good article last week about how the numbers would be all over the place until next week : first artificially low due not only less timely reporting from Thanksgiving through Sunday but also less testing due to the holiday weekend, and then later this week we’d see numbers that are higher because of the data and testing catch ups. It’ll be Tuesday before they are likely showing the real picture. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2020, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5914 "2020-12-04T21:07:42Z")
Premier of Manitoba is getting a lot of press coverage for comments he made yesterday. I’ve seen him quoted by Washington Post (paywalled), and also on Yahoo and Newsweek. Here’s link to the Newsweek article: > **[Premier's Plea: 'If You Don't Think COVID-19 Is Real, You're an Idiot'](https://www.newsweek.com/canada-coronavirus-cases-prime-minster-1552433)** > > "I'm the guy who's stealing Christmas to keep you safe because you need to do this now," Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister told citizens. > [@](#): > > Manitoba’s Prime Minister Brian Pallister delivered a harsh holiday message to residents: “If you don’t think that COVID is real right now, you’re an idiot.” > … > “I’m the guy who’s stealing Christmas to keep you safe because you need to do this now, you need to do the right thing because next year we’ll have lots to celebrate,” Pallister said. > > Pallister indicated that he was aware of the latest [polls](http://angusreid.org/premier-approval-december2020/), which revealed he only had a 32 percent approval rate, the lowest of Canadian primers at the moment. However, he was willing to sacrifice being likable in effort to save lives, saying at the conference, “You don’t need to like me.” > > “I hope in years to come you might respect me for having the guts to tell you the right thing, and here’s the right thing, stay safe, protect each other, love each other, care for each other… but don’t get together this Christmas,” he said. “I am the person who has come forward here in front of you 75 times and has asked you to do things you have never done before and has asked you to do that every day. I don’t like saying it but it’s got to be said, someone has to say it and so I’m the one who took on this job to say it.” Manitoba is facing a real increase in covid cases - they were very low for most of the summer, but their numbers have climbed steadily over the past couple of months. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5915 "2020-12-05T00:13:25Z")
And in other Canadian covid news: > **[Tweetstorm erupts after Ottawa prof says Alberta should not get federal...](https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/tweetstorm-erupts-after-ottawa-prof-says-alberta-should-not-get-federal-assistance)** > > A University of Ottawa professor was drawing heavy criticism from citizens across the country after suggesting the federal government should not help Alberta… > [@](#): > > A University of Ottawa professor was drawing heavy criticism from citizens across the country after suggesting the federal government should not help Alberta in the fight against COVID-19. > > Amir Attaran is a professor of Law and Medicine at the University of Ottawa. On Wednesday evening he caught a lot of attention with a Twitter thread suggesting it would be wrong for the federal government to [provide field hospitals if needed](http://calgaryherald.com/news/canada/alberta-requests-field-hospitals-from-ottawa-and-red-cross-as-rising-covid-cases-overwhelm-capacity/wcm/21b004d7-b85b-4c9d-9fa6-87f9a1735bea). ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5916 "2020-12-05T05:14:56Z")
66,230,912 total cases 1,524,457 dead 45,812,406 recovered In the US: 14,772,535 total cases 285,550 dead 8,658,882 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 65,536,041 total cases > 1,511,915 dead > 45,376,605 recovered > > In the US: > > 14,535,196 total cases > 282,829 dead > 8,561,427 recovered The US has for past 3 days had increasing record high numbers of new cases; today was over 235,000 new cases. ---
**Author:** ![icon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c6cbf5/32.png) [@icon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/icon)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5917 "2020-12-05T12:03:13Z")
The UK will apparently start immunizing people next Tuesday: > **[U.K. Will Start Immunizing People Against COVID-19 On Tuesday, Officials Say](https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/12/04/942933991/u-k-will-start-immunizing-people-against-covid-19-on-tuesday-officials-say)** > > Mass vaccinations will start less than a week after the U.K. approved the new drug. Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford says it could start "a long path back to normality." `//i\\` ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5918 "2020-12-05T16:14:09Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > On Wednesday evening he caught a lot of attention with a Twitter thread suggesting it would be wrong for the federal government to [provide field hospitals if needed](http://calgaryherald.com/news/canada/alberta-requests-field-hospitals-from-ottawa-and-red-cross-as-rising-covid-cases-overwhelm-capacity/wcm/21b004d7-b85b-4c9d-9fa6-87f9a1735bea). To be fair, it’s a bit more nuanced than that. He’s saying Alberta fucked this up despite being forewarned and that they should both pay for this request and that fulfillment should require Alberta to actually start following the recommendations of the scientific community. One can obviously disagree\*, but it’s not quite as binary as the statement above. \*I’d be more inclined to agree with him if I thought that all Albertans were science-denying dickheads. As a bleeding heart, social justice warrioring, democratic socialist liberal who has more often than not lived in red states, I think he should probably show a bit more sympathy. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5919 "2020-12-05T20:33:00Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > As a bleeding heart, social justice warrioring, democratic socialist liberal who has more often than not lived in red states At least there is two us. Welcome aboard. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5920 "2020-12-05T21:15:10Z")
> [@DMC](#): > > To be fair, it’s a bit more nuanced than that. From his tweet: > [@](#): > > Ottawa should not provide Alberta field hospitals. No way. I’m not seeing any nuance there. And that’s all I will say, since we’re in the Zone. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5921 "2020-12-05T22:52:28Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > From his tweet: > > > [@](#): > > > > Ottawa should not provide Alberta field hospitals. No way. > > I’m not seeing any nuance there. And that’s all I will say, since we’re in the Zone You’re not seeing nuance as you only copied a subset of a single tweet. Not only did you cut off the tweet, you left out the rest of the thread. I can remedy that omission: > Ottawa should not provide Alberta field hospitals. No way. **There are several reasons … in this thread.** > First, the COVID mess is Alberta’s own making, after ignoring mountains of advice. Kenney, Shandro, and Hinshaw chose this. > > The UCP preached “personal responsibility”, rather than order disease controls. Very well: let Kenney, Shandro, and Hinshaw be personally responsible. > **Second, Alberta is the richest province in Canada, so if it needs a bailout, it should pay 100%. This disaster, was made in Alberta, by Albertans, ignoring common sense. It is unjust for poor Atlantic Canada, a COVID success, to subsidize rich Alberta’s cocky failure.** > Third, Kenney and Shandro never miss a chance to say that healthcare is a provincial, not federal, responsibility. Nothing embodies healthcare more than a hospital. Unless they swallow several plates of crow, and admit it is a federal jurisdiction too, let the province do it. > **Fourth, if Ottawa will provide field hospitals, there must be a quid pro quo that the UCP imposes minimum standards of disease control. It is absurd to provide hospitals without also reducing the infections that send people to hospital. The UCP must offer that, or no deal.** > I realize Albertans are in danger, which is awful. I would have liked Ottawa to impose minimum standards of disease control on all provinces sooner. But Alberta rejected that. This is a good moment to remember: if you don’t “bail in” nationally, you might not get bailed out. > To close: this isn’t a natural disaster that nobody saw coming, but a made-in-Edmonton disaster that everyone saw coming. > > **Before Ottawa offers help, Alberta MUST agree to pay 100%, and MUST implement a hard lockdown—or no deal because there is no free lunch. _end_** A bit more nuance there than in that single statement you quoted. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5922 "2020-12-05T23:06:12Z")
That’s not nuance. You should look up the word. Those are all broad sweeps of attacking Alberta government policy and moral reasoning for Ottawa to punish Alberta’s population for it. Attacking Alberta policy is reasonable but this guy wants to make sure Albertans suffer for it. ---
**Author:** ![DMC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dmc/32/18049_2.png) [@DMC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMC)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5923 "2020-12-05T23:27:02Z")
Okay, cloudy. ---
**Author:** ![FigNorton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fignorton/32/5619_2.png) [@FigNorton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FigNorton)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5924 "2020-12-06T00:17:57Z")
Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about but kudos on keeping swear words out of your post. It’s a good practice for calming yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2020, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/5925 "2020-12-06T02:50:57Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#): > > Malaysia […] neighboring Nepal That _is_ breaking news 🙂 You heard it here first… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=294) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=296)