Corona Virus and The Simpsons

[Lunaire]

So the German World seems to have low vaccine rates for some reason. Delta has also hit them at the worst time - right in the middle of winter. Covid has a seasonal factor. So they head back into lockdown. They tried the "only lockdown the vaccinated" in Austria, which turned out to not work. So they locked down everyone. Now there is a lot of blame going round. Also a lot more acceptance towards ID cards than in the anglosphere. Have to carry ID in some countries over there, show it if requested. Is checks at times on ID even pre-covid times over there.

Australia -> Yeah, thats really something. Have a zero covid policy. Which sure. Worked out for a while. That policy also included quarantine hotels though. If you flew into Aus, you have to quarantine in a hotel for a certain period of time. And there was also a limited number of quarantine hotel spaces. Luck of the draw you will get one of those. (But they've been letting celebrities in, and the celebrities have been able to quarantine outside of the hotels) there is a lot of Australians stranded in the UK. Similar policy in New Zealand. Sort of have those hotels here. South Africa currently on that list. Unlike Australia and New Zealand though, haven't stopped our citizens from entering. Which is the unforgivable part IMO, of what Australia and NZ have done.

Do agree with you on the authoritarianism, give an inch take a mile. Covid aside, some of the stuff happening in the states is a bit scary.

Didn't mean anything by it. Sorry, was just trying to explain why it is happening over here.

No need whatsoever to apologize! I didn’t take anything you said as rude. Even if you disagree with my thoughts on something I respect your right to have a differing opinion and appreciate your perspective as someone from a different part of the world.

Wasn’t aware of Germany having low vaccination rates but even still I don’t see how targeting restrictions for unvaccinated people can be justified with the logic that A) vaccinated people can still spread it and B) if the vaccines are truly effective at preventing serious illness then those who have chosen to be vaccinated shouldn’t fear being around unvaccinated.

The biggest issue I have is I’ve heard some countries are allowing grocery stores to prevent unvaccinated people from shopping. Even if you don’t want them inside I see this as a huge human rights violation if they aren’t required to offer a grocery pickup option instead.

It’s one thing to say someone can’t go to the movies or a bar, but it’s an entirely new level of authoritarianism to target someone’s job or their ability to obtain food.

[Cuchculan]

Have you not seen the riots across Europe? That is people not accepting what is been pushed on them. We even had a few riots here in Ireland. Same people who riot over anything. But this was against lockdown and face masks. Now you have similar against vaccine passports. Because here you are not forced to get a vaccine. Austria made a bad call. It is backfiring on them now. All the countries around that area are rioting a lot over the past month. Germany, Netherlands and Austria.

As for kids and the vaccine? That is also a choice. Up to the parents ro decide on that one. If we take the amount who refused the vaccine, you can almost work out there will be a lot of kids with no vaccines at all.

Certain things a lot of people don't mind doing. I love social distancing. Hate people near me at any time. That was a God send. Mask wearing is meant to be a thing. But I have seen loads of people in the shops without them. Is nobody there to enforce it. So you are not stopped from going into a shop if you have no mask on. Much the same as with the UK, hospital numbers can play a part. They don't want the hospitals to have no more room in them. That simply puts other sick people out. You have a heart attack and there is no room for you in a hospital. Private hospitals have opened their doors to help out in the past. Numbers have been down here over the past week. Same can't be said in the likes of Austria. Numbers are very high there. Small population. Low uptake of the vaccine. So they try something new. It fails. They will try something else instead.

[Lunaire]

Have you not seen the riots across Europe? That is people not accepting what is been pushed on them. We even had a few riots here in Ireland. Same people who riot over anything. But this was against lockdown and face masks. Now you have similar against vaccine passports. Because here you are not forced to get a vaccine. Austria made a bad call. It is backfiring on them now. All the countries around that area are rioting a lot over the past month. Germany, Netherlands and Austria.

As for kids and the vaccine? That is also a choice. Up to the parents ro decide on that one. If we take the amount who refused the vaccine, you can almost work out there will be a lot of kids with no vaccines at all.

Certain things a lot of people don't mind doing. I love social distancing. Hate people near me at any time. That was a God send. Mask wearing is meant to be a thing. But I have seen loads of people in the shops without them. Is nobody there to enforce it. So you are not stopped from going into a shop if you have no mask on. Much the same as with the UK, hospital numbers can play a part. They don't want the hospitals to have no more room in them. That simply puts other sick people out. You have a heart attack and there is no room for you in a hospital. Private hospitals have opened their doors to help out in the past. Numbers have been down here over the past week. Same can't be said in the likes of Austria. Numbers are very high there. Small population. Low uptake of the vaccine. So they try something new. It fails. They will try something else instead.

Had heard of the Netherlands riots but don’t know too much on the details such as how large and destructive it was. Doesn’t seem like the media over here is covering them much at least in my experience.

As for social distancing I also don’t care to be around people much and am fairly introverted. I quite enjoy that many more food places here are now offering more extensive takeout options as I was never a fan of dining inside with a bunch of other people. Guess there are some silver linings to this whole thing for those of us who don’t socialize much.

[Otherside]

No need whatsoever to apologize! I didn’t take anything you said as rude. Even if you disagree with my thoughts on something I respect your right to have a differing opinion and appreciate your perspective as someone from a different part of the world.

Wasn’t aware of Germany having low vaccination rates but even still I don’t see how targeting restrictions for unvaccinated people can be justified with the logic that A) vaccinated people can still spread it and B) if the vaccines are truly effective at preventing serious illness then those who have chosen to be vaccinated shouldn’t fear being around unvaccinated.

The biggest issue I have is I’ve heard some countries are allowing grocery stores to prevent unvaccinated people from shopping. Even if you don’t want them inside I see this as a huge human rights violation if they aren’t required to offer a grocery pickup option instead.

It’s one thing to say someone can’t go to the movies or a bar, but it’s an entirely new level of authoritarianism to target someone’s job or their ability to obtain food.

I supect that is why the lockdown, but only for the unvaccinated, did not work for them in Austria. Lasted only a few days. Then they had to shut everything off. Some of the logic there will have been though, if you do not want to get vaccinated, we will make life harder for you, so get vaccinated in order to make your life easier. Twist your arm in order to get the vaccine numbers up in order to get the hospitalizations down. Saw that it was successful in France (was low rates there, due to having one or two vaccine scandals in France). Was very low rates in France until the French put in place the vaccine passes.

Have heard of the grocery stores. One of the German States I think? Yeah, thats over the top as far as it goes. Likely justifying it by saying you can get a delivery. Not sure why the numbers are so low in the German Speaking world.

The riots - was some bad ones in Netherlands for a few nights, rioters threw fireworks at the police, at one point it got bad enough in Rotterdam that the police ended up shooting at people. Was also riots in Austria, Croatia, Few in Italy. Was some bad pretty bad ones a few weeks back on France's carribean department of Guadeloupe.

[Lunaire]

I supect that is why the lockdown, but only for the unvaccinated, did not work for them in Austria. Lasted only a few days. Then they had to shut everything off. Some of the logic there will have been though, if you do not want to get vaccinated, we will make life harder for you, so get vaccinated in order to make your life easier. Twist your arm in order to get the vaccine numbers up in order to get the hospitalizations down. Saw that it was successful in France (was low rates there, due to having one or two vaccine scandals in France). Was very low rates in France until the French put in place the vaccine passes.

Have heard of the grocery stores. One of the German States I think? Yeah, thats over the top as far as it goes. Likely justifying it by saying you can get a delivery. Not sure why the numbers are so low in the German Speaking world.

The riots - was some bad ones in Netherlands for a few nights, rioters threw fireworks at the police, at one point it got bad enough in Rotterdam that the police ended up shooting at people. Was also riots in Austria, Croatia, Few in Italy. Was some bad pretty bad ones a few weeks back on France's carribean department of Guadeloupe.

Saddens me to hear about the riots though I sympathize with the protestors so long as they remain peaceful. There are ways to perform civil disobedience without resorting to destruction.

Seems like at least here in the states when we were going through our riot phase in 2020 there were a ton of people who just used them as an excuse to steal things. There were murders, muggings, rapes, and the complete looting and destruction of private businesses which had no affiliation with the things the rioters were supposedly protesting. To this day many parts of cities have not recovered and there were billions of dollars in damages. Hope the same sort of thing doesn’t happen over there.

[Cuchculan]

The situation is Austria is as follows.

Unvaccinated people in Austria will be allowed to leave their homes only for work, food shopping or emergencies, according to the new mandate.

Shopping is still allowed. What you might get in odd cases is some odd shop owners who refuse them entry. In other words ' it is my shop, I can say who enters who doesn't enter '. People just been bloody awkward. We even have that here in Ireland in one or two smaller shops. The whole ' no mask, no entry '. Food shopping is allowed in all the big stores.

What some countries are aiming for is a vaccine uptake of about 75%. This figure has not been reached in a lot of these European countries. As for rioting? Looting is not really something we see over this side of the world. I am not suggesting it only ever happens in the US. I am sure giving half a chance some people would try such a thing. But the police are not a soft touch in these countries. They are always up for a fight. Best way to put it. Water canons are very popular in Europe. Used whenever fighting breaks out. Instead of the gun option. That might only be used if the police feel they are under threat. Might aim a few shots above those rioting. They also use tear gas and rubber bullets. Which is normally enough to break things up.

[Otherside]

Rumour mill here saying restrictions back in from the 27th/28th.

Remains to be seen if they are actually followed this time round, given there is a scandal engulfing the government regarding parties they held during the lockdowns. Or whether the restrictions actually pass before Boris is skewered by his party and replaced.

[Cuchculan]

Love this one. So Ireland right now.


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[Otherside]

London right now.

[Cuchculan]

This will show you how people view our top medical expert. He is saying the virus numbers are up in a certain age group. Just so happens that age group can now get their booster shots. This is a trick he has tried to sell us before. When 12 to 15 year olds were due the vaccine he said the virus was rampant in that age group.

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[Ironman]

I signed up for the booster this week. No news on when I can get one.

[Cuchculan]

Over here they kind of botched up the booster roll out. By having walk in clinics. Show up when you want. No appointment needed. Too many people showed up on day 1. Talking 6 hour delays. Then having to turn people away. One walk in place had to close for the day after it ran out of boosters. Would have been better doing it by appointment. Handing out times and days. Complete bloody mess up here.

[Otherside]

Got mine start of December.

You can show up without an appointment, in theory. But they will turn you away. Best to get an appointment. Open to all now, so long as it has been more than 3 months since last dose.

Everywhere but England will have restrictions of some sort from the 27th rather than enforced. Now briefing any restrictions will be recommendations. News tone abut how serious covid has been changed from "Deadly" to "actually it's mild". Seems backbenchers threatening to send a no confidence in Boris letter won out (for the non-UK, enough of those letters and Boris is in trouble, he could be removed as prime minister, he is already in trouble because of a corruption scandal, government having thrown parties during lockdown last year (then laughing about it) and losing a by-election in a safe seat. Restrictions in England now being made for political reasons.)

Anyway, Merry Christmas all of you.

[Cuchculan]

If I take Dublin as an example. Everybody is heading for the same place. You see were this is going wrong? There are a number of walk in clinics. But if everybody heads for the one place they simply can't handle the numbers. That is were I thought they should have gave people even set places to go. So they wouldn't all show up at the same place. They had to refuse thousands of people. Tell them they were closing. Just needs a bit of sorting out.

[Otherside]

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Are we still doing the cartoons? Britain at the moment. Everyone testing. They ran out the other week.