The first hints of a Coronavirus policy sea change appear to be underway in Europe, as both Ireland and France look set to follow England in easing restrictions.
Both France and Ireland look set to begin easing COVID restrictions, with officials in both countries outlining plans for an escape from lockdown rules in the wake of the UK’s government announcing a bonfire of regulations for England.
Movement in both nations comes just days after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that a wide variety of measures — including the mandatory wearing of masks in a multitude of public places — would be imminently scrapped.
According to a report by the Irish Independent, Ireland is now also looking at dumping a wide variety of lockdown rules, including scrapping all measures to do with the nation’s embattled hospitality sector.
The paper reports that the nation’s National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has also recommended the end of the nation’s internal system of vaccine certs, potentially putting to an end the banning of unjabbed individuals within Ireland from indoor dining, among other amenities, unless they can prove that they have recovered from the Chinese Coronavirus.
A negative COVID test has never been sufficient within the country as a method to bypass such restrictions.
France, meanwhile, has also published its plan to escape from lockdown, with the nation’s Prime Minister Jean Castex unveiling the timetable for scrapping restrictions on Thursday, according to Le Monde.
Starting from February 2, the country will begin rolling back some of its more draconian restrictions, such as the mandatory wearing of masks in outdoor locations.
Nightclubs are also set to reopen from February 16, according to the publication’s report.
Castex noted that the government may even consider suspending its regime of vaccine passes, should the situation surrounding the coronavirus further improve within the country.
French National Assembly Approves Twice-Blocked Vax Pass Law Despite Controversy https://t.co/HgHM3NuDhf
While the sudden announcements from both the French and Irish governments may represent a sea change in European attitudes towards COVID, there remain reasons to be doubtful.
For example, France is continuing to roll out its new regime of vaccine passes, the system due to come into effect from January 24.
Under the new rules, many unvaccinated in the country will be completely unable to avail of a wide variety of amenities within the country, such as bars, restaurants, and interregional public transport.
The Irish government meanwhile has a nasty habit of u-turning on promises regarding the easing of restrictions within the country.
Ireland’s regime of vaccine passes, first implemented on June 26 2021, was initially promised to only be a temporary measure, having a set expiry date of October 9.
However, the government later extended the passes, setting a new October 22 expiration date for the measure.
This date was also missed, with the measures being extended once again, but this time with no set end date.
Other European nation-states meanwhile show absolutely zero sign of loosening measures, with Austria’s parliament voting on Thursday to make vaccination against the Chinese Coronavirus mandatory for all over-18s.
Those in the state who refuse to take the jab will soon face fines of up to €3,000.
In Italy, lockdowns are also intensifying, with the ‘green pass’ keeping the unvaccinated out of public places seeing an intensification this week.
Austrian Parliament Votes Overwhelmingly To Introduce Mandatory Vaccination for All Adultshttps://t.co/7O3dEMLCjX
Democrat Super PACs are shelling out millions in an effort to stop Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate Joe Lombardo in Nevada. Democrat donors have contributed to numerous newly registered PACs that have been attacking the Clark County Sheriff.
Lombardo, who recently received a Trump endorsement, leads the GOP primary field by about 20 points, according to a recent poll.
“As Governor, Joe will fiercely Protect our under-siege Second Amendment, Oppose Sanctuary Cities, Support our Law Enforcement, Veto any Liberal Tax Increase, Protect Life, and Secure our Elections,” former President Trump wrote in an endorsement statement. “Joe Lombardo is the leader Nevada needs, and he has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Governor!”
NEW!
President Donald J. Trump announces his endorsement of Joe Lombardo for Governor of Nevada pic.twitter.com/5tBkGNVM79
Since Trump announced his endorsement of Joe Lombardo in late April, Democrats have poured millions into newly registered super PACs geared towards attack campaigns. One example would be the “Stronger Nevada” PAC, has pledged to spend $2.1 million on Lombardo down the stretch of the primary campaign.
Stronger Nevada has no social media presence or website but is reportedly linked to the Democrat Governors Association, according to Breitbart News. In addition, the PAC’s staff includes two Democratic party operatives in Andrew Whalen and Jillian Edelman.
Another PAC, “Patriot Freedom Fund”, is run by the husband of progressive Nevada Assemblywoman Sandra Jauregui. Patriot Freedom Fund sends mailers to Nevada Republicans falsely accusing Joe Lombardo of being soft on the Second Amendment, Breitbart News reported.
Both PACs were registered with Nevada’s Secretary of State after the first quarter fundraising deadline, which means their financial information will not be revealed until after the election.
Nevada GOP Chairman Michael J. McDonald condemned state Democrats for using “sleazy, shady stunts to sow chaos in our Republican primary.”
“Truman Fleming is the husband of the biggest advocate for gun control in the legislature,” McDonald said. “If Assemblywoman Jauregui was aware of this attack and gave her husband her blessing, she’s proven to no longer be fit to serve in the legislature.”
Nevada Governor Brian Sisolak, a Democrat, is seeking his second term in November.
The state has voted for the Democratic candidate in presidential elections since 2008, when Barrack Obama flipped the state. That may soon change, however, as Donald Trump leads Joe Biden by 10 in a hypothetical 2020 rematch, according to a recent poll.
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza plans to use the city’s federal COVID-19 relief funds for racial reparations. On Friday, the mayor signed a spending plan for $124 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding that will pave the way for the city to invest tens of millions of dollars into housing and infrastructure projects. Elorza has not ruled out direct payments for eligible individuals, which would include black Americans, as well as those who can prove Native American heritage.
“As a housing crisis persists across the state, the city is allocating $30.7 million to the issue, $17 million of which will go toward developing affordable units,” reported The Providence Journal. “The remainder of the category will be spent on rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing, emergency housing, a home repair program and other initiatives.”
During a news conference on Friday, Esparza said spending decisions were driven by public input sought by the city’s COVID-19 Recovery and Resiliency Task Force, which was commissioned in January.
Addressing housing and homelessness was identified as a top priority by Providence respondents in a survey asking how American Rescue Plan funds should be spent, according to the city government. Input from “residents who participated in community meetings” was also weighed heavily.
Esparza justifies his city’s use of American Rescue Plan funds — which were allocated to states and municipalities by the federal government in order to deal with the economic fallout of pandemic lockdowns — by claiming the money is going to communities that were “hardest hit” by the virus. The “hardest hit” communities, according to the Providence city government, are populated by African Americans.
“We made it a point to go to those hardest hit neighborhoods and hardest hit communities and get an over-representative sample from those folks as well,” the mayor said. “But it still did not change the fundamental reality that regardless of where you are throughout the city, we have the same priorities.”
$10 million of the $124 million spending package will be going towards a racial reparations program in Providence. A committee will decide how exactly the funds will be spent, but the mayor has not ruled out direct payments to eligible recipients.
A 13-member panel has been tasked with examining reparation work being done in other municipalities and creating recommendations for ways the city can distribute the funds. NAACP Providence President Jim Vincent is among those already tapped to serve on the board, Elorza said.
“While we know the city alone cannot repair the full scope of harm, today’s action brings us another step closer to addressing the disparities our African heritage and Indigenous residents continue to face,” the mayor said in a written statement.
The Providence city government commissioned the reparations committee in 2020.
Orange County, California – Huntington Beach jewelry store employees on Sunday repelled smash-and-grab thieves with their own bare fists.
Surveillance footage shows thieves armed with hammers entering Princess Bride Diamonds at the Bella Terra mall at about noon.
The brave employees jumped into action immediately after one of the hooded thieves smashed a display case with a hammer and began punching and kicking the robbers.
Two of the employees are a brother and sister who work for the family business, KTLA 5 reported.
One of the female employees hit a robber over the head with a chair.
The thieves were stunned and eventually forced to retreat.
It is unclear if they took off with any stolen merchandise.
KTLA 5 interviewed the jewelry store employees after the melee.
“At some point while I was fighting them, one of them actually hit me in the head with a hammer, on the side of my left temple, but I didn’t even register it until after they left because there was so much like adrenaline going on,” employee Dallas Baca said.