[Skybird]

The UK's top health official Chris Whitty is quoted by German media with having confirmed (once again) on Saturday that there is a new strain of the virus circulating that has spread very fast and does so much faster indeed than earlier strains. It is unclear whether it also comes with a greater lethality, but due to its higher infection rate and speed it multiplies the risk by factors.

Meanwhile German politicians in the state of Saxony compare the situation in their state with the situation in the US. That is quite explosive because just weeks ago the government of Saxony was very busy with fighting off any measures to lock down and to limit the citizens' as well as businesses' degrees of action. When this laissez-faire started to explode them into their faces, the minister president ducked away and deflected responsibility for his own questionable political acting by accusing the people and holding them responbsible for his questionable and indifferent decisons. Today, of all German states Saxony is the worst off. Things changed there dramatically fast.

It becomes clear that the national lock-down will last beyond January 10th. The date was given by the national government anyway only for legal reasons, the legal situation is such that such measurements must be announced with inherent time stamps beyond which they become invalid again if not getting extended in a later separate decision - which again needs to be time-limited.

Some expect a lockdown right into March, and some especially optimistic even already talk of Eastern. The current lockdown and the beginning of the vaccination campaign after Christmas will not change the raise in infecitosn and deaths for the comming weeks.

This would eradicate signficant parts of small and medium businesses. I think they will not do it, therefore.

Statistics show that the lethnality of Corona 19 in germany now exceeds that of the seasonal flu by at least a factor of three. Similiar statements were given in other European nations as well.

More cases of complications with the vaccination in the UK get reported, more cases of secondary symptoms. This cnfirms me in my assunption that the vaccines have not been fully and properly tested, since there simply was not the needed time. This is not automatically to say we should not vaccinate, we probaly have no toher choice. But as I said earlier: too much steam in the kettle, too huge a gold treasure to win - it comes at a cost. Longterm consequences and implications will reveal themselves not before that longer time has passed.

German health ministre has instructed pharmacists and doctors to discourage patients and customers with critical questions and to water down their doubts, and not telling them the full truth for example about the signfivcantly raised risk for side effects. This was reprted by secindary media already ten days or two weeks ago. The people should get pushed.

Since not all people are completely stupid as that they would believe what politicians and authorities tell them, the willigness to get vaccinated has constantly dropped over the past 3-4 weeks. The halth expert of the SPD Lauterbach a few days ago critcices nurses and doctors in hospitals for showing an explicitly low willingness to get vaccinated, which of course is surpriosing. One must wonder what they maybe know what politicians do not tell us?

Myself, I stick to my chosen strategy, and with the annoucnement of the vaccination scheme I would not get called before late spring or even summer anyway. I am not principally against vaccinations, by far not, but in this case now I am suspiciuous about the enormous speed and lacking testing. And the official statements by national health authorities I give nothing for anymore. Too much drivel came from them in past months already. At some time I will get vaccinated, but I am absolutely in no hurry for it.

According to a report in the "Bild" newspaper, the number of vaccination doses for Germany is higher than expected. According to the Federal Ministry of Health, Germany has secured another 30 million doses of the Biontech vaccine at the national level. In addition, there are 55.8 million Biontech cans that go to Germany via the EU key. According to the newspaper, Germany will receive 50.5 million doses of the Moderna vaccine, which is due to be approved in early January, through EU purchases. The federal government is negotiating further doses at national level. Both the Moderna and the Biontech vaccine (together 136.3 million doses) will be delivered to Germany in full in 2021, according to the Federal Ministry of Health. This would allow 68.15 million citizens to be vaccinated against COVID-19. This would then achieve the goal of herd immunity. In addition, further vaccines, which are still pending approval, have been ordered. 42 million doses of the Curevac vaccine come to Germany via the EU, plus 20 million doses at national level. Germany receives 56.2 million doses from the AstraZeneca vaccine from the EU and 37.25 million from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.