Masks rules - Airline Enforcement?

[cwphoto]

Are airline staff and AFP enforcing this still? If I don’t wear one from kerbside to arriving at the baggage belt at the destination, are they going to arrest or challenge me?

If you claim an exemption there's not much they can do. You can ask to have it added to your booking to save issues at lounge/gate/onboard etc.

Security and law enforcement seem to be largely indifferent in and around the general terminal (at least SYD T1 and T3) from what I observed recently.

 

[Saab34]

Genuine question. Last year they were ruthless with mask wearing even CC having a crack for those with it below the nose.

I assume nobody gives two coughs now? I have not flown for a while.

 

[cwphoto]

Genuine question. Last year they were ruthless with mask wearing even CC having a crack for those with it below the nose.

I assume nobody gives two coughs now? I have not flown for a while.

I think even CC are weary of the mask rubbish these days - but still YMMV.

 

[N860CR]

As I said, you will always find some reason why science is wrong and Clive Palmer is right. Not clustered enough; not recent enough; not the same strain of Covid; the masks were a different colour...

Was Clive Palmer mentioned anywhere? Genuine question, as I haven’t read it all.

This is going down the lines of cancel culture; “agree with me or I’ll denigrate you and compare you to a politician who I don’t care for”.

Going from somebody making the assessment that masks in their current form are ineffective to a comparison to a particular politician is naive, at best. Bullying at worst.

 

[Must...Fly!]

When I was growing up, I recall science was as much about open debate and sharing of views than it was shouting down your opponent.

Perhaps I was just naive.

 

[N860CR]

When I was growing up, I recall science was as much about open debate and sharing of views than it was shouting down your opponent.

Perhaps I was just naive.

Welcome to the new woke world

 

[drron]

Genuine question. Last year they were ruthless with mask wearing even CC having a crack for those with it below the nose.

I assume nobody gives two coughs now? I have not flown for a while.

You mean like this?

 

[Quickstatus]

To be fair, not all approved medical treatments are ever subjected to a properly designed trial. There are many medical treatments and practices which have never been through a randomised trial - but they are accepted through long periods of clinical observation.

A pandemic on the other hand, requires rapid decision making in the Executive arm of Government without the benefit of scientific scrutiny - and properly so.

However, the difference between a medical treatment and a public health mandate where both are not underpinned by scientific evidence is that medical treatment is voluntary but public mandates are often imposed with enforcement power of the State.

When a health policy/mandate is enforceable by the State, it is my opinion that such policies by subjected to scientific analysis during the implementation period to see if they can be backed up by proper scientific evidence.

In my view, there has been 2 years to properly study the various facets of Covid public health policy. There have been various observational analysis - some even at a population level, but nothing robust has ever been carried out - especially in the area of masking, social distancing, lockdowns. It is sad though because there is always going to be another pandemic of an airborne virus, and I fear we have lost a precious opportunity to fully test all the health decisions. We head into the next airborne virus pandemic without rigorous scientific data on the best way to conduct public policy

The best I can tell is that N95 is the best mask to use. Mask use indoors make sense especially around medically vulnerable people. But at the moment, I can’t say that an enforceable masking mandate has the backing of rigorous scientific analysis.

The reason that people still don’t agree on masking and debates rage on in forums like this, is because there is no convincing scientific data one way or another. And maybe even with proper scientific analysis there is no convincing data - if so, should the enforcement power of the State be used in that circumstance?

And I write this wearing an N95 and have been since 7am this morning

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I’m in a slightly different camp… to me the overwhelming advice is that masks do work. And that a mask, any mask, is better than no mask at all. While masks are best at stopping an infected person spreading it, they also provide some protection, however limited, for the wearer.

The only ‘confusion’ seems to arise from those who don’t want to wear masks, who present all sorts of commentary, arguments, statistics or whatever else to support their view. Which may be politically based rather than medical.

My recent trip of a month away in the US and UK/Europe showed that getting covid was not inevitable. Wearing masks, social distancing, hand sanitising, plus vaccination can work to stop the spread.

Delaying all those steps pending full medical research could be detrimental.

 

[stryker]

My recent trip of a month away in the US and UK/Europe showed that getting covid was not inevitable.

Have you considered that you may be one of those people who have natural immunity?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Have you considered that you may be one of those people who have natural immunity?

Lol, yes. But I am totally NOT one of those people! Neither am I that lucky, nor do I have an immune system like that (I usually get my fair share of whatever’s going around!)

 

[justinbrett]

My recent trip of a month away in the US and UK/Europe showed that getting covid was not inevitable. Wearing masks, social distancing, hand sanitising, plus vaccination can work to stop the spread.

I think you’re right that getting covid isn’t inevitable - but not for the reasons you say.

I’ve never had covid. I don’t wear masks unless legally required. I’ve travelled in the US during the Omicron peak mostly in states without a mask mandate.

Most of my workplace have had covid.

I think there’s a large component of luck and chance.

I know plenty of people who are super careful, wear masks all the time, many of them got covid.

 

[N860CR]

My recent trip of a month away in the US and UK/Europe showed that getting covid was not inevitable. Wearing masks, social distancing, hand sanitising, plus vaccination can work to stop the spread.

Delaying all those steps pending full medical research could be detrimental.

Using the identical logic, one can say those measures don’t work as plenty have “caught covid” behaving exactly as you have.

It’s a moot point anyway. Covid testing is fast on its way to becoming a thing of the past. We know it’s no longer a virus of serious concern following our vaccination program so moving away from these measures is inevitable. It’s just a matter of the general populous coming to accept that (as they have in many places already).

 

[stryker]

I think there’s a large component of luck and chance.

I know plenty of people who are super careful, wear masks all the time, many of them got covid.

None of my close relations or me have had it either. Wearing masks probably won't protect you very much.

 

[Saab34]

I know plenty of people who are super careful, wear masks all the time, many of them got covid.

I wore a mask, and above the nose might I add. At the time I was busy head down in books on annual leave finishing off a degree. I pretty much came in contact with next to nobody yet still got it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Using the identical logic, one can say those measures don’t work as plenty have “caught covid” behaving exactly as you have.

It’s a moot point anyway. Covid testing is fast on its way to becoming a thing of the past. We know it’s no longer a virus of serious concern following our vaccination program so moving away from these measures is inevitable. It’s just a matter of the general populous coming to accept that (as they have in many places already).

People I know that have got it can generally point to a situation, perhaps where they have relaxed their protocols, and contracted the virus.

It’s not necessarily a moot point for those travelling. We may not need to pass testing requirements… but who wants to possibly spend three or four days feeling sick instead of being out and about? Or those of us visiting elderly friends and family… I didn’t want to miss out on that while away.

 

[N860CR]

People I know that have got it can generally point to a situation, perhaps where they have relaxed their protocols, and contracted the virus.

It’s not necessarily a moot point for those travelling. We may not need to pass testing requirements… but who wants to possibly spend three or four days feeling sick instead of being out and about? Or those of us visiting elderly friends and family… I didn’t want to miss out on that while away.

Again, you’re using your personal experiences as a definitive data point. Sadly, it doesn’t work like that. The majority of people would have no idea where they “caught it”. Similarly, the majority of people wouldn’t spend “3 or 4 days feeling sick instead of being out and about”. Without testing, it’s just a cold in the vast majority. Quite a common occurrence when traveling.

In many ways, you’re using the argument that “I prayed last night that the sun will come up in the morning and it did, so my prayer did it”.

 

[MelMel]

To be fair, not all approved medical treatments are ever subjected to a properly designed trial. There are many medical treatments and practices which have never been through a randomised trial - but they are accepted through long periods of clinical observation.

A pandemic on the other hand, requires rapid decision making in the Executive arm of Government without the benefit of scientific scrutiny - and properly so.

However, the difference between a medical treatment and a public health mandate where both are not underpinned by scientific evidence is that medical treatment is voluntary but public mandates are often imposed with enforcement power of the State.

When a health policy/mandate is enforceable by the State, it is my opinion that such policies by subjected to scientific analysis during the implementation period to see if they can be backed up by proper scientific evidence.

In my view, there has been 2 years to properly study the various facets of Covid public health policy. There have been various observational analysis - some even at a population level, but nothing robust has ever been carried out - especially in the area of masking, social distancing, lockdowns. It is sad though because there is always going to be another pandemic of an airborne virus, and I fear we have lost a precious opportunity to fully test all the health decisions. We head into the next airborne virus pandemic without rigorous scientific data on the best way to conduct public policy

The best I can tell is that N95 is the best mask to use. Mask use indoors make sense especially around medically vulnerable people. But at the moment, I can’t say that an enforceable masking mandate has the backing of rigorous scientific analysis.

The reason that people still don’t agree on masking and debates rage on in forums like this, is because there is no convincing scientific data one way or another. And maybe even with proper scientific analysis there is no convincing data - if so, should the enforcement power of the State be used in that circumstance?

And I write this wearing an N95 and have been since 7am this morning

Can anyone explain (rhetorical question) why, when I took my mother to a public hospital clinic she was allowed to keep wearing her surgical face mask whilst I as her career was required to remove my brand new N95 mask and put their provided N95 mask on

 

[N860CR]

Can anyone explain (rhetorical question) why, when I took my mother to a public hospital clinic she was allowed to keep wearing her surgical face mask whilst I as her career was required to remove my brand new N95 mask and put their provided N95 mask on

Covid Theatre. I’ve been to testing centres where they make you change masks three times

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Again, you’re using your personal experiences as a definitive data point. Sadly, it doesn’t work like that. The majority of people would have no idea where they “caught it”. Similarly, the majority of people wouldn’t spend “3 or 4 days feeling sick instead of being out and about”. Without testing, it’s just a cold in the vast majority. Quite a common occurrence when traveling.

In many ways, you’re using the argument that “I prayed last night that the sun will come up in the morning and it did, so my prayer did it”.

No one really wants to get a cold while travelling either! And when visiting relatives, especially older ones, I did a RAT just prior to arrival each time. A positive would have cancelled the visit.

Personal data point or not, the WHO and many country health authorities have recommended a range of measures to counter the spread. They’re not restrictive and if they work - even for some - I can’t see any reason to advocate against them.