Contingency Planning Gibraltar

Here we go again...
The WHO warns of the XBB 1.5 variant.
Not for the fear of the virus, but for the fear of the kneejerk draconian measures that have to be implemented, and how Gibraltar is subject to the externalities of the rest of the world...
If we do not prepare, we should be prepared to fail and suffer the economic hardships you now know are possible.

Prophylactic mitigation measures required, as we learn how to live with this, what is alleged (and appears evidenced) a 'Gain-of-Function' virus concocted in Wuhan, apparently funded by the US.

WHO warns of new COVID subvariant XBB.1.5 l GMA Early research shows this one may be more contagious and immune-evasive than other omicron subvariants.READ MORE: https://abcn.ws/3Qg54z0 ...

CBRN training...Well done to all who become qualified. Let's hope we never need it.
Chomical, Biological, Radioactive and Nuclear.

Chinese PM to meeting Putin.
Chinese fabricated drone shot down.
Poland sending Mig-29s to Ukraine.

Another lucky escape for our Nature Reserve. If this were to have happened a few months ago when everything was summer dry, it could have been nasty. It was also luckily parked next to a rockface and not next to vegetation.
This is exactly how Tarifa's fire started.
Well done again GFRS!

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝟭𝟵 𝗫𝗺𝗮𝘀. Thur 23rd 16:00hrs

I do not think there will be any type of lockdown announced on Thursday, but a reinforcement of the vaccine and booster campaign and whatever restrictions they want to put in place over New Year. Nothing we have not seen before. No large gatherings and the likes. Gibraltar does not have the fire power we had before for more rates reductions, BEAT and subsidies.

I feel the message will be more along the lines of... we've given you the tools, now protect those who need protecting and let's get back to business within the 'new normal' we must get accustomed to. But do not fall into complacency, as I can see Boris is allowing everyone to Xmas spend with no additional restrictions, but will likely implement restrictions at the end of the year or quieter January, subject to statistics. This is an economic decision rather than a public health one.

Sadly there will be businesses that will not be able to survive the lack of turnover and there is little more Governments can do for them when they are not imposing closures warranting economic help.

[19:32, 01/12/2020] 'By now you will have heard the Arcadia Group is going into liquidation and as a result of this there other franchises affected, Debenhams one of them, but also, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop...

I was hoping this would not have started till after Xmas. Sadly some of our shops will fall in the domino effect because their seasonal spikes in trade this year have not materialised and may not be able to hold their breath till summer '21.

I wish so much to be wrong in this'.

𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟮𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟭

'Tourism will not return to Gibraltar like we have become complacent to for months to come at best, but I believe cruises will not return in any significant numbers till 2022. Sadly (and I wish I was wrong), the roll out of the vaccine will not be the panacea solution we are all hoping for and C19 will not disappear overnight (𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆). I can only hope. But as a realist, we will only likely see some domestic tourism (i.e. from Spain and some from the UK), if and when they deescalate their control measures. Once again, Gibraltar is subject to externalities beyond our control, our only saviour, the size of our bubble and that we will likely reach the lost term of ‘heard immunity’ through inoculation and natural resistance before the rest of the world. All in hoping the vaccines give us sufficient protection that lasts'.

Gibraltar Vs C19: Instalment 12
https://www.facebook.com/FMgibraltar/posts/452994782743271

Gibraltar needs to upgrade the way we do business. Streamlining and improving the visitor experience so the few visiting spend more time and money rather than walking aimlessly down town. We need more innovative schemes like the BID and the likes of www.gib.shopping, which is helping bridge the information vacuum. All this as part of our lack in 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗺.

Gib.shopping – All your local stores & services in one plce! Welcome to Gib.Shopping You search, we find… you shop! Gib·shopping allows you to search Gibraltar’s stores and businesses for products and services you may be currently buying from out of Gibraltar, for not knowing we have it locally. We all compare and that’s why they call it ‘shopping ar...

Apparently the booster protects you against catching Omicron?
I would consider them revising the wording on that.

Source: UK Gov
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=430989582021706&aggr_v_ids[0]=430989582021706¬if_id=1639946495765281¬if_t=watch_follower_video&ref=notif

𝐁𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐁... 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐆𝐢𝐛? 😕
I posted this on the:
[11:51, 26/07/2021] 'I still feel we need to include that sector specific businesses are/ may be, willing to implement prophylactic mitigation measures that allows continuity and reduces the likelihood their industry may be vectors of infection.
Prophylactic mitigation measures to avoid this toing and froing, which is so damaging'.

We don't need another kneejerk closure or damaging restrictions. I hate to say it, but this is the new normal, at least for the time being.

I've been monitoring the progress of O micron (Oo) and the actions of various countries. It feels like we are back to square one again... but now the EU is discussing obligatory vaccination.

The UK embarked on the 'heard immunity' campaign with the 'take it on the chin' theory by Boris, which was then u-turned somewhat late. Now we are living through heard immunity by inoculation.

Our late receipt of Alpha and early reaction (due to Spain's restrictions), have been as a result of actions taken by others. That including the actions by parents pre-lockdown when only 27% of children were sent to school on Thur 19th March 2020 (after the CM's Fri13th speech).

We are clearly in a different place, but I feel the guidance should be a little more stern. Can we really afford Government to point the figure and give us the 'We told you so' speech?

Are we going to see schools close just before Xmas day when families are going to gather, if it is being reported that schools have become an important vector? i.e. we will likely see a spike in January with the known connotations this will bring... sick leave, high isolation numbers meaning reduced local public spending, reduced tourism in the low season dissuaded by high numbers etc.

I say this all as a result that O micron seems to be even more transmissible than Delta (already highly transmissible). South Africa is reporting exponential growth.

Meanwhile in the UK Boris is defending last year’s Xmas party where members of the Conservatives went against their own advice. There is much confusion about gatherings and Xmas parties and I keep hearing that Xmas dinners are being cancelled. I feel that some of the firm policy we have already seen needs to replace guidance. We did it before and the Catering Association was reporting that they were not a vector.

On a positive note, there are early reports that O micron symptoms may be less severe than Delta, but more transmissible, but can we afford more kneejerk restrictions by Government, or do we prefer Precautionary Measures to avoid them?
Why?... BEAT is unlikely to return and many will not have a job to come back to.

Austria plans to reward those unvaccinated with 500€ whilst Germany is discussing how to segregate by any means those unvaccinated.

C19 Vs Gibraltar: Instalment 13

Some appear shocked to hear that Austria is ordering mandatory vaccination and yet another lockdown after discriminating and actively hunting those unvaccinated. The US Federal Court has blocked this thus far, called the Employer Vaccination Mandate.
How long before vaccination becomes compulsory as a condition of employment?
At present, most countries are coercing its unvaccinated citizens, with restrictions and limitations, but mandating will inevitably put any liability of negative effects on the Governments that do so.
How this goes against your human rights, is surely being challenged in courts around the world, but may not get much airtime.

Vaccinating Children
It is widely agreed that the youth is least affected by the virus and will inevitably need to live with it. It is also evident that even those vaccinated are transmitters. The decision to vaccinate the young ‘at this time’ will remain with each parent and will surely create tension between separated parents with opposing opinions.
Is vaccinating children a last ditch attempt?

We want to avoid Lockdown and we don’t want to impose restrictions has been published.
The new Director of Public Health Dr. Carter stated on GBC (9th Sept ’21) that the hike in infections was foreseeable as early as post National Day.
Behind the scenes, I have been warning of this since March ’21 and was lobbying to see some sort of guidance after summer. In fact, I have advocated that the next test was this winter in which we find ourselves.

Most of us lived the beach lifestyle, in open air, sun and sea and relaxed the mask wearing etc. We saw numbers under control, but this was not going to last very long once our social behaviour changed (school, work, holiday return, etc).
What infuriates me is that if it was so foreseeable why has Guidance only been published yesterday (Nov 18th) when numbers surpassed 600 cases?

In the same breath, the CM mentions lockdown and a lack of appetite to impose the restrictions of the past.
I fail to see why we were once again not given a travel advisory at midterm, and why the Guidance campaign is about 6 weeks late.

Whilst I doubt another lockdown (on political grounds), it may take a little twisting of the arm, but our local Government will likely follow what other counties do and the advice given by the specialists, including the WHO. Like before, restrictions in Spain will do Gibraltar a favour as we lived through the height of restrictions in relative freedom, although our economy suffered as a result.
I have to ask, what happens to those businesses and jobs affected by any future restrictions?

Will we see the return of BEAT, which we are paying for through increases in SI, electricity and other fees?

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-57254915

Dominic Cummings: The seven most explosive claims The PM's former chief aide makes a series of allegations about the government's Covid response.