It’s finally nice and hot for real, almost back to normal for real, and I’m tempted to call the cops on my neighbours for real—nothing to do with COVID, but I’m kind of tired of weekly Thursday-Saturday loud parties that go on until 6 a.m. and for fuck’s sake, learn to hold your liquor. Pro tip to government officials, people don’t stop partying just because nightclubs are closed, duh.

Anyway…

Just as planned, France entered stage 3 of reopening last Wednesday. Curfew is now 11 p.m. (Curfew? What curfew? Police stops patrolling at midnight!), indoor dining can resume, gyms can reopen and capacity limits were increased. Borders are open to vaccinated travellers and the EU Covid vaccine passport was implemented for quarantine-free travel between member states (recent recovery from Covid-19 or a negative test result is also accepted).

Except for masks, it feels pretty normal in Nantes. And unlike last year, you can safely assume most people are vaccinated or already got COVID and recovered.

Meanwhile, Canada is apparently considering lifting the mandatory hotel-quarantine requirement for vaccinated Canadians (i.e. not for tourists yet). Many of my friends emailed me the news on Wednesday but I’m waiting for details, none so far. According to CBC, “The government has not yet set a date for the rule change but says it ‘hopes’ to implement it by early July”, vaccinated travellers will “have to show proof of a negative pre-departure COVID-19 test, take another test upon arrival, and self-isolate until that test comes back negative” (okay, where and how?) and “The government said it doesn’t have a set timeline for when further travel restrictions will be eased.”

Ontario has just entered stage 1 of reopening, Feng won’t get his second dose before September and most restrictions remain in place (you can’t even cross the bridge to Quebec, minutes away).

Wait and see… as usual.