Australian Reports of the Virus Spread

[ethernet]

The mask debate is tiresome. People at risk who accept self responsibility need to wear them properly AND get used to not touching eyes, nose and lips, incorrect fitment. And some will never get that right. We also had forged/fake certification items coming in, and little or no followup. Carpetbaggers made windfalls out of shortages and RAT tests. Remind me- was anyone shamed enough to hurt future sales? And a big dense population like China, all people all of the time is just not going to work. Same for medical workers who don' t always scrub down correctly, or unable to alternate soaps. Now I don't like it when someone has a coughing fit, or open sneeze on public transport but what can you really do? Calling the police or ejecting in the middle of nowhere. Does the driver risk a punch in the face for someone who must use public transport. Then there were mask excemptions for those incapable.. Given compliance issues - other tricks should have been used. No mask, no concession price. An extra $5 tacked onto your Bunnings or Woolies bill because cameras picked you up without a mask. Yes, Bunnings did have face-id running back then. Refuse service at the smokes counter, or add another $10 to ALL, and apply a fake $10 discount if the mask was fitted correctly, What was bad was a tuck shop at Sydney Central Station charging $2 for a paper surgical mask when inspectors were doing their job - at times. Corrected? by free mask handouts on weekdays, and none on weekends. In Portland USA, the bus and trains had mask dispensers free of charge as you boarded.

If you want scandal and shock - the cause of quarantine hotel or high rise apartment transfer has not been established, nor those unredacted findings published

 

[dairyfloss]

Instead of expecting everyone who leaves their home to wear a loose 3-ply surgical, Uniqlo cloth mask, or even a poorly fitted KN95 on the off chance that they might have a virus - perhaps only those who are genuinely vulnerable or concerned should wear the ultimate P100 masks; like these ones, all of the time. Problem solved, Australia! You're welcome


Cheers,
Matt.

 

[N860CR]

You have a lovely turn of phrase, I have to say. Quite compassionate and understanding. I'm speaking as someone that's had Covid twice, a fractured skull and heart issues over the last 3 months. But here I am and still going strong(ish), and perhaps having a measured view on life.

Perhaps if you became a little less extreme in your views more people would agree with you. It's not hard, really.

And as for those people staying home when they are sick, I wish they had've done so before they so obviously infected me (not just Covid, but flu).

Something about pot and kettle?!

I’d hardly say my views are extreme. We’ve been through two and a half years of this and are fully vaccinated and have the benefit of the virus reducing in severity. You’ve actually proven my point there. Covid twice, fractured skull, health issues etc etc. Yet still going strong.

Nobody is talking down peoples individual health issues. We’re talking about the controls being placed on individuals under the cover of COVID. I simply believe the ongoing social controls over something that has proven to no longer be of any serious concern is a significant overreach, and I think you’ll find the vast majority of the population has well and truly moved on from it.

 

[N860CR]

A Thai bride? LOL. My wife would love that one.

We understood covid better than most early on. Not seeing family is an inconvenience. Lockdowns are an inconvenience. Masks are an inconvenience. Social distancing is an inconvenience.

Understand that each of the above helps limit spread and the inconvenience is worth it. These are minor inconveniences. They're not life threatening but if you worry about them too much you'll end up worse than the virus itself.

Masks are not going. The only thing that's going is mask mandates for nonconformists such as you. The ones that understand the risks will continue wearing masks.

You're glad isolation is going? So you'll be covid positive and you'll continue going to work, shopping etc? I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Hope you don't kill anyone buy if you do I hope you know and it remains in your conscience.

By the way don't get too excited life is not going back to the normal you knew. Not for quite some time but maybe never.

Just keep ignoring facts and make up statistics that make you happy.

You’ve listed a whole lot of “inconveniences” that apparently don’t impact you. They do, however, impact others. You’ve said in one breath “the world is stuffed, nobody cares about anyone but themselves” then in the next “those restrictions don’t impact me so
I’m not concerned”. Don’t see the contradiction there?

Again, why are we focusing so much on this virus and no other.

I don’t know if I’ll be “shopping or going to work” when covid positive. How would I know? My whole life I’ve stayed home when sick and gone to work when not. I plan to continue with that (as the vast majority of the population does). Hope I don’t kill anyone? I suspect I won’t.

Hate to say it, masks are going (and as of Friday next will be as good as gone). “Nonconformists”? You mean basically everyone?

 

[JohnK]

There are many research papers that discuss how well masks work and just as many that say the opposite.

But reading this thread you'd think it was a waste of time wearing masks.

 

[N860CR]

I provided a link to a study, above, showing the direct and/or indirect effect of masks was a reduction in spread of between 10% and 35%.

And you’ve been provided with plenty of data showing they did not work in practice.

Doesn’t matter anyway, masks are as good as gone now. You should absolutely continue to wear yours if you feel it’s of benefit to you. I don’t think anyone is going to stop you. But equally, you can’t force anyone to do the same.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And you’ve been provided with plenty of data showing they did not work in practice.

Doesn’t matter anyway, masks are as good as gone now. You should absolutely continue to wear yours if you feel it’s of benefit to you. I don’t think anyone is going to stop you. But equally, you can’t force anyone to do the same.

Mask mandates still apply on public transport, and for entering most health services such as GPs.

 

[oz_mark]

Mask mandates still apply on public transport, and for entering most health services such as GPs.

You do have to wonder, in the scheme of things, how much difference it is making on public transport.

 

[jakeseven7]

Mask mandates still apply on public transport, and for entering most health services such as GPs.

Not all PT by any stretch of the imagination now. And airlines masks are gone next week as well.

 

[jase05]

Not all PT by any stretch of the imagination now. And airlines masks are gone next week as well.

Only domestic airlines at this stage unfortunately.
Hopefully inbound International next to fall

 

[drron]

But reading this thread you'd think it was a waste of time wearing masks.

And I have posted in the general covid thread the revelations coming out from the UK cabinet now that Boris has gone. The expert committee set up -SAGE- initially recommended no lockdowns and no compulsory mask wearing and with out any change in evidence then did a complete U turn.

General Discussion/Q&A on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

The mask and seat belt analogy is an interesting one. Seatbelts and other supplementary restraints have been conclusively shown to save lives. There are seatbelt standards (AS/NZ2596, ADR4). And only one type of seatbelt. The mask studies are less clear. Seatbelts are either on or off. No in...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[RooFlyer]

Not all PT by any stretch of the imagination now. And airlines masks are gone next week as well.

9 September

 

[N860CR]

Mask mandates still apply on public transport, and for entering most health services such as GPs.

Caught a train recently?

99.9% of people won’t encounter a health service in their day to day lives, so yes masks are over for the general population. You’re going to have to come to accept this.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Caught a train recently?

99.9% of people won’t encounter a health service in their day to day lives, so yes masks are over for the general population. You’re going to have to come to accept this.

Compliance in Melbourne is fairly high on public transport.

 

[N860CR]

Compliance in Melbourne is fairly high on public transport.

Certainly isn’t anywhere else. Regardless, it’s all as good as over. I hope you can find peace with that, I genuinely do.

 

[Pushka]

Our SA premier said tonight that Covid restrictions would be reduced even more in the next few weeks and removing iso for Covid completely if well.
"After more than two years of lockdowns and restrictions, and businesses being sent to the wall in the name of health, Premier Peter Malinauskas has signalled that those days are over.

“It’s important that South Australians understand that we are graduating out of the situation where the government is putting restrictions on people’s lives,” Mr Malinauskas said on Thursday.

“The days of mask mandates are numbered. I certainly fit in the category of again wanting people to make decisions and using their own wit and capacity rather than the state telling them what to do.”

He also flagged that compulsory Covid-19 isolation could be scrapped by the end of the month and foreshadowed the removal of masks on public transport within a week.

Bring. It. On.

 

[downgraded]

Our SA premier said tonight that Covid restrictions would be reduced even more in the next few weeks and removing iso for Covid completely if well.
"After more than two years of lockdowns and restrictions, and businesses being sent to the wall in the name of health, Premier Peter Malinauskas has signalled that those days are over.

“It’s important that South Australians understand that we are graduating out of the situation where the government is putting restrictions on people’s lives,” Mr Malinauskas said on Thursday.

“The days of mask mandates are numbered. I certainly fit in the category of again wanting people to make decisions and using their own wit and capacity rather than the state telling them what to do.”

He also flagged that compulsory Covid-19 isolation could be scrapped by the end of the month and foreshadowed the removal of masks on public transport within a week.

Bring. It. On.

A politician telling the electorate what they want to hear. Not sure there's any value there.

 

[N860CR]

A politician telling the electorate what they want to hear. Not sure there's any value there.

If the last two and a half years have proven anything it’s that the politician will do what the electorate wants (be it right or wrong).

Remember NSW re-introduced QR code checkins around Christmas time after winding them back? They never actually did any tracing, but just made it mandatory again (for absolutely no reason, other than to appease the panicked masses).

Clearly, reading the room tells them that people are over it. Virtually everyone has had covid, it was a non-event for the vast majority so the populous has seen through the panic. The politicians will capitalise on that. It’s the one thing they’re good at!

 

[Pushka]

A politician telling the electorate what they want to hear. Not sure there's any value there.

He follows through though.

Post automatically merged: Sep 1, 2022

If the last two and a half years have proven anything it’s that the politician will do what the electorate wants (be it right or wrong).

Remember NSW re-introduced QR code checkins around Christmas time after winding them back? They never actually did any tracing, but just made it mandatory again (for absolutely no reason, other than to appease the panicked masses).

Clearly, reading the room tells them that people are over it. Virtually everyone has had covid, it was a non-event for the vast majority so the populous has seen through the panic. The politicians will capitalise on that. It’s the one thing they’re good at!

Agree. He's had it. His kids had it. And he regards flu now, post vaccinations etc, as much worse. He continues to state 'why don't enforce isolation for flu so it doesn't make sense anymore'.

 

[JohnK]

I don’t know if I’ll be “shopping or going to work” when covid positive. How would I know? My whole life I’ve stayed home when sick and gone to work when not. I plan to continue with that (as the vast majority of the population does). Hope I don’t kill anyone? I suspect I won’t.

Hate to say it, masks are going (and as of Friday next will be as good as gone). “Nonconformists”? You mean basically everyone?

Not everyone. Still quite a lot of people wearing masks. Hope they don't get ridiculed.

With your posts it sounds like you don't give a damn but if you've been staying home when sick in the past then I think you'll do the same if you knew you were covid positive. There a quite a few that don't give a damn and they worry me. They don't belong in society.

As for what I've listed as minor inconveniences they are minor inconveniences.

I've read many times on AFF where people are making a huge deal about having to wear shoes instead of flip flops because shoes are uncomfortable. LOL.

What a burden it must be to wear a shirt instead of singlet.

Or wearing socks.

People make huge issues over nothing.