Submitted by Nathan J Green
When the Russian built Sputnik became the first artificial satellite to enter space on Oct. 4, 1957, its alien beeping shocked America. Its signal stopped after just three weeks, and three months later, sky gazers could no longer see a little moving dot. It was the sputnik failure. Now there is another Sputnik failure.
An announcement appeared in the Russian publication ‘Tass’ and most regional press and online media sites. “Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was the first island nation of the Caribbean to register Sputnik V,” the statement said. “The vaccine was approved in Montenegro, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines under the emergency use authorization procedure without any additional local clinical trials.” They accepted it face value and commenced dishing it out.
Remember how the SVGs PM rushed to have his virus shots, said he was setting an example, hoping Vincentians would follow his example.
He chose to import the Russian ‘Sputnik V Vaccine’, which many, including myself, said was the worst of the batch. It was said initially at the time, it was only 50% effective. The Russians changed that, later announcing it was 80% effective.
Well, now it turns out it is hardly effective at all against the new variation of the virus, as Russia battles the surging Delta variant.
Vaccinated Russians are catching the Delta virus as Russia reported 24,353 new coronavirus cases on Monday, the third-highest number of daily infections since early January.
Moscow will start offering booster shots of the Sputnik V vaccine for individuals vaccinated more than six months ago, Moscow’s Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced last Thursday.
Germany started to close its borders to Russians starting Tuesday to prevent the importation of mutated Covid-19 strains, the German Embassy in Moscow announced.
Russia has confirmed the first Delta Plus coronavirus variant infections within its borders days after media sounded the alarm about the presence of the potentially more dangerous new strain.
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said Tuesday that 151,000 people in Russia are currently in hospital with the coronavirus.
Vincentians who have had the Sputnik Vaccine should ask him/it when they get the required booster shot. Let us hope this is not left until it is too late. Venezuela has lots; it was their leading choice because it was free, a gift from Russia.
At this very moment, it is probably more important than ever to seal SVGs borders, yes right now, follow the science, follow Germany’s lead, who closed her borders yesterday. Every Vincentian is at risk again due to a wrong choice by him/it.
Germany partially closed its borders with the Czech Republic and Austria’s Tyrol on Sunday over a troubling surge in coronavirus mutations. A thousand police officers have been mobilized to ensure strict border checks, which recall the much-criticized early days of the pandemic when EU countries hastily closed their frontiers to each other. That action has since been proven to be the correct procedure. When in doubt keep them out.
Every choice made by him/it has been the wrong choice, just as Vincentians’ wrong choice was in choosing a know all no nothing, such a fat liability. Now it is time to follow the science and make the right choice. Lock down the borders and give all those Vincentians previously vaccinated with the Sputnik V vaccine a booster shot.
Countries like Singapore are preparing to “live with Covid.”Eventually, they hope, Covid-19 will be treated as a less severe disease, like influenza or chicken pox. Weeks later, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson struck a similar note, predicting that Covid-19 would “become a virus that we learn to live with as we already do with flu.” Johnson announced plans to lift almost all coronavirus restrictions, including the mask mandate and social distancing rules, in England on July 19. He said the country’s successful vaccine rollout — under which 
Mask mandates in England will end on July 19.Ong told Bloomberg that “the balance will shift,” but mitigation and containment measures would not be abandoned. Instead, he said, Singapore’s reopening would be gradual, “package by package — nothing ‘big bang’ — and each step of the way, make sure we keep populations safe.” Back in England many are watching Boris Johnson’s reopening gamble with alarm. More than 
Prime Minister Boris Johnson would not ruled out reimposing restrictions if a new variant emerges that evades vaccinations. As more people are vaccinated in Singapore, the number of infections will be less of a concern, said infectious diseases expert Fisher. Instead of reporting daily infections, the focus should be on how many of those infections translate into hospitalizations and deaths, he added. “It does change the game, because what a case meant a year ago when there was no vaccine, is quite different from what a case means now,” Fisher said. Still, Singapore’s reopening “won’t be the UK-style ‘take off your masks and let’s party,’” he said. The finer details of Singapore’s roadmap are still being drawn up by its health agencies, but Fisher reckons the reopening may see Singaporeans allowed to travel more freely, and to quarantine at home if they are vaccinated, rather than at dedicated facilities. People infected with Covid-19, and occasionally some of their close contacts, are isolated
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