Here’s What Happens When You Do Everything Right

October 23, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hypochondria, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Face Masks, Hysteria, Pandemic, Panic, Social Distancing, Toilet Paper Leave a comment

Corona-wise, I mean (around 12,000 new infections a day now in Germany these days – highest rate here yet). You know, face masks, social distancing and all that?

Germans Are Panic Buying Toilet Paper And Disinfectants As Covid-19 Surges Again – Unlike the April lockdown, where massive hoarding led to empty store shelves, German retailers claim that they are better prepared this time.

“After the events we saw earlier this year, we are monitoring changes in demand more closely than ever to ensure that nothing is in short supply.”

“Work Again?”

October 20, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Health, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hype, Hypochondria, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Experts, Face Masks, German, Germans, Germany, Pandemic, Restrictions, Social Distancing 2 Comments

Is this German humor? In a British tabloid?

“Will Germany’s effective Covid strategy work again as it enters a second wave?” It didn’t work the first time, folks (they’re up to 7,000+ new infections a day now, and climbing). Even though the Germans, as Klassenbeste (best in class), did everything right. Right? Face masks, social distancing, etc.

It could almost make one think that these face masks don’t help.

“The first wave taught us that if politicians and scientists work together, they have more chance of beating this virus.”

But Everybody’s Wearing Masks Here Already

October 18, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Health, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypochondria, Hysteria Tags: Angela Merkel, Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Face Masks, German, Germans, Germany, Infections, Lockdowns, Masks, Restrictions Leave a comment

And the masks work, right? So why does the number of COVID-19 infections in Germany keep rising?

Coronavirus in Germany: Angela Merkel urges people to stay home ‘whenever possible’ – Angela Merkel has called for solidarity as Germany enters a “very serious phase” of the pandemic. Germany has again set a new daily case record, as ministers call for thousands of additional contact tracers.

“The comparatively relaxed summer is over; now we are facing difficult months. How winter will be, how our Christmas will be, will be decided in the coming days and weeks.”

Flatliners

October 12, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hypochondria, Hysteria Tags: Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Face Masks, Hysteria, Masks, Mortality Rates, Panic, Regulations, Restrictions Leave a comment

Coronavirus mortality rates: Germans continue to keep not dropping like flies.

They forgot to add the panic level here though. It’s also still as flat as ever. At a much higher level, of course, but still.

Coronavirus digest: Germany mulls restrictions on traveling, partying – Chancellor Angela Merkel’s aide has called for restrictions on social gatherings and travel to deal with the rising number of COVID-19 cases. Germany has reported a surge in daily infections…

While the number of cases and deaths in Germany is lower than in many neighboring countries, the country has been reporting more than 4,000 daily cases since Thursday, the highest since April.

German Of The Day: Sperrstunde

October 11, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings, Hysteria Tags: Berlin, Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Curfews, German, Germans, Germany, Language, Pandemic Leave a comment

That means curfew.

The first one in Berlin in 70 years. It’s a good thing that Germany (and the German capital) has this corona thing under control, right?

Coronavirus: Berlin’s first curfew in 70 years kicks in – The German capital has implemented a nighttime curfew in response to a dramatic increase in COVID-19 cases. On the first night of the new regulations the mood was somber in the Friedrichshain district, a virus hot spot…

Leaving a Späti — the Berlin colloquialism for a kiosk — a group of friends is struggling to haul a crate of beer outside into the heavy drizzle, joking that they need to stockpile supplies — or, as Germans would say “hamster” — before the new curfew kicks in.

It’s Reassuring To Know That The Germans Always Have Everything Under Control

October 9, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hurt Feelings, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Control, Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Face Masks, German, Germans, Germany, Lockdowns, Masks, Pandemic, Restrictions, Risks, Thresholds Leave a comment

Especially when you live in Germany. Take the “coronavirus risk threshold,” for instance. Please.

Hmmm. No longer head of the mask class, Germany? 4,500 new infections yesterday, and rising. Do you have this under control? Does anyone?

Berlin and Frankfurt both hit German coronavirus risk threshold – Germany’s capital and financial capital have both hit the level defined by the government as risky — 50 new cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period. It could lead to travel restrictions at home and abroad.

“We must avoid reaching the point where we lose control.”

German Measles?

October 8, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Animals, Bats, China, Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, German, German Measles, Germans, Germany, Racism, Wuhan Leave a comment

How racist is that? Next they’ll be calling it the Spanish Flu.

Or, heaven forbid, the China Virus (try googling that, you won’t find it).

Newly discovered viruses suggest ‘German measles’ jumped from animals to humans – The virus that causes rubella, or German measles, finally has company. Scientists had never identified close relatives of the virus, leaving it as the only member of its genus, Rubivirus. But with a report in this week’s issue of Nature, rubella has gained a family. One of its two newfound relatives infects bats in Uganda; the other killed animals from three different species in a German zoo and was found in wild mice living nearby as well.

“Now we know that every disease in the letters of the MMR vaccine has a zoonotic origin.”

Number Of Germans Reporting In Sick Has Fallen To Dangerously Low Levels

October 5, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Health, Heconomy, Helplessness, Hideology, Home Cooking, Humor, Hurt Feelings, Hypochondria, Hysteria Tags: Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Employment, German, Germans, Germany, Home Office, Sick, Work Leave a comment

This is a real German dilemma. How do you gracefully call in sick to stay home when you’re already home playing sick in the first place? OK, to avoid being sick. But still.

Coronavirus: Fewer Germans call in sick during pandemic – With many avoiding the doctor’s office and working from home during the coronavirus pandemic, the number of German workers reporting in sick has fallen to below average levels.

“After a record high at the end of March, the number of sick employees insured by TK dropped to a below-average level.”

PS: And this at a time when other folks refuse to call in sick when maybe they ought of sort of should.

€3 Million Might Sound Like A Humble Beginning

October 4, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Hard Facts, Heconomy, Home Cooking, Hurt Feelings Tags: Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Fines, German, Germans, Germany, Language, Regulations, Rules Leave a comment

But the German state governments have only just begun collecting the money. It’s a sum that is certainly ausbaufähig (capable of being developed, i.e. increased).

Coronavirus: German cities issue 35,000 fines to rulebreakers – Germany’s biggest cities have collected more than €3 million in penalties from violators of coronavirus restrictions. Munich and Hamburg, which have been hit hardest by the pandemic, have doled out the most fines.

Germany Extends Coronavirus Red Zone List To Include Every Place That Isn’t Germany

September 27, 2020 By Hermann Observer in Habitudes, Hard Facts, Helplessness, Hideology, Hypochondria, Hypocrisy, Hysteria Tags: Corona, Coronavirus, COVID-19, German, Germans, Germany, Language, Lockdowns, Red Zones, Restrictions, Travel 1 Comment

In another breathtaking German Alleingang that Germany promised never, ever to do again under any circumstances we promise this time really, Germany has now declared the rest of Planet Earth a Coronavirus Red Zone.

For those unfamiliar with what that means, a Coronavirus Red Zone is a place the German Foreign Ministry recommends Germans not to visit. You can if you want to but you shouldn’t, as a German. That you are exposed to more Coronavirus in the Berlin subway system than you will find in most of Spain, for example, makes no difference. A recommendation is a recommendation and red zones are red zones.

Germany’s Foreign Ministry has warned against non-essential travel to the new red zones, where new COVID-19 infections have exceeded 50 cases per 100,000 inhabitants in seven days. Anyone travelling back from such areas will need to undergo a test and go into quarantine pending the results.

In recent weeks, the German authorities have repeatedly warned of a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases. About 15 European Union countries are now on Bonn’s restricted-travel list. In some cases, such as Spain, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic, the entire country is coded red, while in others, only some zones are listed.

Observing Hermann

“Was interessiert mich mein Geschwätz von gestern?”

Tag Archives: COVID-19