#AUSTRIA: High Court Questions Covid Count

[world politics news]

 

There are explosive questions that the Constitutional Court is now asking the Ministry of Health. The supreme judges want to know how justified regulations such as lockdown and the 2G rule were. Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein's department has until February 18 to respond.

The Constitutional Court is asking for information as to whether the hospitalization or death numbers given in the ordinance files "include all people infected with SARS-CoV-2 who are housed in hospitals on normal or intensive care units or who are 'on or with' SARSCoV-2 died? If so, why is this counting chosen?"

Meanwhile, the nation's Conservative-Green coalition government lifted the lockdown for the unvaccinated on January 26.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#JAPAN: PM Apologizes After Party Members Caught In Bars After Covid Curfew

[world politics news] 

Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide apologized Wednesday after lawmakers from his ruling party admitted to visiting Tokyo bars late at night during the capital’s coronavirus state of emergency, which discourages unnecessary outings and urges bars and restaurants to close by 8:00 p.m.

“I’m terribly sorry that this happened when we are asking people not to eat out after 8:00 p.m. and to avoid non-essential, non-urgent outings,” Suga said at a meeting in the Japanese parliament January 27.

[FULL STORY HERE] 

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world. 

 

#BARBADOS: Gov't Announces 15-Day Lockdown, Nationwide Covid-19, Dengue Fever Testing

[world politics news]

Barbados today begins a 15-day mandatory lockdown during which all citizens will be screened for covid-19 and dengue fever.

During house-to-house contact, government officials will administer antigen and PCR testing, and gather geo-tagging information for every residence, said prime minister Mia Amor Mottley during a televised address this morning.

She assured citizens that there was "more than enough food in Barbados," and that supermarkets and mini-markets around the country would remain open during the 15-day shutdown.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CANADA: Gov't Considers "Quarantine Hotels" For Returning Air Passengers

[world politics news] 

The Canadian government of Justin Trudeau is considering a mandatory quarantine in hotels for returning travellers as the country's top doctor warns that easing COVID-19 restrictions too quickly could cause case numbers to shoot up again.

The federal government says it is looking at options that would make it harder for people to return from foreign trips, after several returnees have tested positive for the Coronavirus in recent weeks.

Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said the tools already in place must also be fully utilized. That includes more police enforcement of two-week quarantine rules for arriving travellers.

Canadian citizens are required to pay for the expensive the hotel confinement.

Christine Van Geyn, litigation director at the Canadian Constitution Foundation, took to Twitter to voice her opposition to what she labelled, "prison hotels."

"Just my opinion, but the PM should spend more time getting the vaccine to Canada and less time creating prison hotels.

She said some are "terrified about how they will manage this new cost and isolation. None of this makes sense when the government already required quarantine at home."

The Foundation's Twitter feed also condemned the proposal as going against Canada's Constitution, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

"Forcibly confining Canadians at their own expense is an unjustified infringement on our fundamental mobility rights. This is pandemic theatre and not sound policy."

On January 20, World Politics News reported on the German state of Saxony's plans for a Corona prison to house quarantine patients who refused to stay quarantined.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#AUSTRALIA: Pranksters Signing Into Restaurants As "Donald Duck" Thwarting Contact Tracing

[world politics news] 

At a news conference, New South Wales Minister for Health Brad Hazzard slammed individuals who pull ‘pranks’ when signing into venues, putting their names down as cartoon characters. This has made contact tracing incredibly difficult to do.

Hazzard stressed the importance of signing a real name into venues and using QR codes to help make contact tracing easier. Apparently, there have been quite a few Donald Ducks roaming around Sydney.

“That must stop. This is a worldwide COVID pandemic. And thinking it’s smart to call yourself Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse is about as stupid as it gets," he said.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: PM Johnson Bans Christmas Gatherings With Tough Lockdown

[world politics news]

 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has cancelled Christmas for a third of England - with London and the South East to be moved into a new Tier 4 lockdown.

Travel and different households mixing will be banned under the new highest level tier - with families elsewhere only allowed to form ‘Christmas bubbles’ on December 25 itself.

The drastic move will dash families' hopes of Christmas together after a torrid year, and force millions of people to stay home for weeks to come.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#CANADA: Ontario Medical Chief Says Those Not Taking Vaccine Won't Have "Freedom To Move Around"

[world politics news] 

Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer says that those who refuse to take the COVID vaccine won’t have “freedom to move around” and will have to continue to wear masks.

Dr. David Williams acknowledged that “we can’t force someone to take a vaccine,” but when on to explain how people who didn’t take it would have their freedom of mobility severely restricted.

“What we can do is to say sometimes for access or ease of getting into certain settings, if you don’t have vaccination then you’re not allowed into that setting without other protection materials,” said Williams.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#UK: Parliament Approves Tough New Lockdown Measures

[world politics news] 

Britain's House of Commons has approved a new toughened system of tiered coronavirus restrictions for England as the second national lockdown ends.

But Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced a damaging Conservative Party rebellion, with over 50 of the party’s members voting against the measures, which will affect 99% of the country and put some constituencies under tighter controls than before the lockdown.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.

#NEWZEALAND: High Court Rules First Gov't-Ordered Lockdown Was Illegal

[world politics news]

New Zealand’s High Court has ruled that the country’s first nine-day, Covid-19 lockdown from March 26 to April 3 was unlawful as it infringed on people’s rights and freedoms without a legal basis.

The High Court of New Zealand ruled on Wednesday that the country’s stay-at-home orders, under threat of punishment, were in breach of civil liberties after lawyer Andrew Borrowdale launched a suit against the government in July.

[FULL STORY HERE]

World Politics News is dedicated to raising Americans' knowledge of political events, elections, and legislation throughout the world.