All,
The phrase "getting back to normal" is beginning to feel tired. I'm at the point where I groan whenever I hear someone say it.
To be clear, I am ready to get things back to normal, but I'm anxious for that time to start as soon as possible. Of course, that's a pipe dream, nothing ever stops completely all at once. That being said, I'm sure many of you have seen pre-pandemic habits and rituals come back since March.
I've seen a lot of things change since I got vaccinated in April. I've felt comfortable not wearing a mask in restaurants, at the gym or in other public spaces. I was with my extended family on July 4, for the first time since December 2019. The biggest change I noticed was seeing my parents without worrying I was going to give them COVID. I've lived a pretty similar life to the one I experienced pre-pandemic, and I consider myself lucky.
While the pandemic may be over for some, it's a different story for others. The manufacturing industry, service and food industry and many small businesses across the country are struggling to keep their doors open because of a lack of employees and materials. People simply do not want to work while they could be getting more money from the government. I see it first hand with my parent's hair salon business. All of their locations are running on restricted hours and employees have been quitting left and right. Hopefully they, and many other struggling businesses will push past these difficult times and continue providing jobs and opportunities.
Hopefully, that will be soon, here and around the globe. Let's focus on some good news from Europe highlighted in a recent Reuters article.
The European Union is on course to hit a target of fully vaccinating at least 70% of the adult population by the end of summer given that percentage of those 18 and over have now received a first dose, the European Commission said on Tuesday.
EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the bloc had reached an important milestone of 70% of adults having received a first dose and 57% fully vaccinated. Projections showed that the EU would reach its goal by the end of the summer, she said in a statement.
The EU's vaccine campaign got off to a slow start relative to the likes of Britain and the United States due to delays in deliveries of vaccine doses, notably those of AstraZeneca, against which it launched legal proceedings.
70% fully vaccinated in Europe would be impactful around the world. This massive rally to get vaccinated because of increased supplies and shipments of other brands of vaccines. The United States will most likely get to 50% fully vaccinated by the end of August, a long way off from 70% but we need to be vigilant and positive.
I don't want to go back to living in fear, so I will continue to be positive because of developments in Europe and around the world.
Jacob