Steve McGookin‘The War Has Changed…’
How the world thinks about Covid appeared to be evolving this week, with increasingly urgent warnings about the power and transmissibility of the Delta Variant and a realization that the pandemic is far from over.
In the US, some mask mandates were restored and President Biden moved to require vaccinations for federal employees. Private companies are doing the same. As Florida recorded the most new daily cases since the pandemic began, the leading US infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci warned that “things will get worse”.
And in the middle of it all, there’s Lollapalooza…
In Australia, the military was deployed to help with the lockdown in Sydney as cases continue throughout the country. There were also warnings of how the virus appears to be spreading through “fleeting contact.”
In the UK and Germany, booster shots for more than 30 million people are reportedly set to begin next month.
Here in Northern Ireland, thirteen Covid-related deaths were reported over the weekend, in what Health Minister Robin Swann said was a “stark reminder” of the impact of the pandemic.
See Also:
Lobbying For Lung Health In The Time Of Covid
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Protocol Row Rumbles On Relentlessly
The EU this week published its proposals for simplifying the Brexit Protocol which has stoked tensions among some in Northern Ireland. The British government’s initial response was to say they do not go far enough. And the “blame game” campaign appears to be working.
Meanwhile, there were some different economic indicators this week from different parts of the UK…
And the British government’s proposed “trade yacht” has a new price tag.
At home this week, despite the celebrations around the Belfast Pride events, some of the news from here was just as miserable as you can possibly imagine.
See Also:
Genuine Progress On Legacy Remains Elusive
Don’t Let Border Poll Become The Irish Brexit (2019)
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‘Just say the election was corrupt and leave the rest to me…’
Former President Trump was implicated by Department of Justice notes released this week in possibly pressuring the then acting-Attorney General to help Trump overturn the result of the 2020 election.
The revelations came the same week as the Congressional inquiry hearings began into responsibility for the Jan 6th attack on the Capitol, with dramatic personal accounts by four Capitol Police officers who had been attacked by the pro-Trump mob. The members of the Commission are currently weighing which, if any, political figures might be called to give evidence.
And…
Meanwhile, Congress inched closer at the weekend to possibly voting on a bipartisan infrastructure bill that has been a subject of contention among Republicans and Democrats alike. Both houses are set to leave for their summer recess without extending a moratorium on evictions caused by the Covid pandemic.
See Also:
As Trump’s Legal Woes Mount, The GOP Doubles Down
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100 days from COP26, climate pressure grows
A big part of the proposed infrastructure package in the US will be how to address climate change and what levels of expenditure will be necessary to create jobs in a new green economy. But it’s not just an issue for the US alone. As preparations continue for the UK to host the COP26 conference in November – just 100 days away now – the scale of the challenge is putting pressure on the participating governments.
And while this may seem like good news, I’ll remind you only that a couple of years ago, people called the police when KFC ran out of chicken…
See Also:
Weather Extremes Prompt Urgent Climate Warnings
Build Back Differently – How NI Can Tackle Climate Change (2020)
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Olympics heading into final stretch
As if staging an Olympics in the midst of a global pandemic wasn’t hard enough, there was as much attention this week on the psychological well-being of the athletes as on their physical performance; after American gymnast Simone Biles dramatically withdrew from competition citing the need to preserve her mental health.
The Games, which have undoubtedly produced a fair share of dramatic moments, come to a close next weekend.
And there has been plenty to cheer nearer home…
*Keep track of the Northern Irish track and field Olympians as they compete this week here, and for the latest Olympics news from The Guardian, click here…
Meanwhile, in other local sports news, final planning approval was granted this week for the development of Casement Park as a 34,500-capacity GAA stadium.
See Also:
We’re A Diverse Bunch: My East Belfast GAA Story
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See Also Last Week’s Five Points:
Also published on Medium.
