Coronavirus outbreak

[stevyy]

Half a year ago, every major German politician was against mandatory vaccination. About a month ago, as the new government was about to form, everyone suddenly was pro mandatory vaccination. Almost a month later, it seems like it won't happen because... the government seems not to know what they want in the first place. We're currently in a phase 'Let's wait and see!' without really knowing what to wait for.

I'm pro mandatory vaccinations.

[theMathematician]

but it's not just 1 person... it's MILLIONS... and those MILLIONS have the power to make things worse for everyone. If someone can't get an operation bc some unvaxxed peeps are occupying all hospital beds and staff... then that's not OK... but that is (to some degree) what is currently happening.

I totally get your point. The thing is: You're legally allowed to send yourself to the hospital if you really feel the need to for whatever strange reason. Otherwise, you would have to find a way to prevent every self-inflicted cause to end up in hospital, including eating disorders, risky driving behavior, substance abuse, suicide attempts, etc. Our health system, however, has decided that it's immoral to distinguish between 'good' and 'bad' reasons to be at the hospital, so we simply have to accept this. As long as you're injured, you get a medical treatment, no matter who you are (the president or a homeless person), no matter whether you are a nice person or not, no matter whether you caused the injury yourself or got it caused by someone accidently or on purpose.

[stevyy]

Oh Novak. His dad calls him the Jesus Christ of sports... Australia is sacrificing him, crucifying. I knew his dad would go all nuts.

[RayRay]

Oh Novak. His dad calls him the Jesus Christ of sports... Australia is sacrificing him, crucifying. I knew his dad would go all nuts.

His dad says Novak wants everyone to be equal. Then why does he wants to get privileges? He thinks he is above the law because he feels superior to others because he is a star. That's how he comes across anyway.

[InfoFromAus]

Well, those borders got closed for political reasons because Australia had followed the 'NoCovid' strategy. If I understood InfoFromAus correctly, that's no longer the country's main strategy, so I don't see how the case of Djocovic changes anything about those families' situation.

Correct - we are no longer following a zero Covid strategy given the high vaccination levels here, but the law here states you need to be fully vaccinated to enter without needing a valid exemption. So it applies to anyone, including I believe citizens.

As such this case is pertinent to Aussies who have to abide by the same rules. He cannot be given special treatment - and reports are that he did not have sufficient proof for his exemption when entering. The burden is on him.

Also, this is not some special rule in Australia - plenty of countries across Europe, Asia, Americas etc have the same or very similar laws for entry.

[theMathematician]

I get your point. He clearly disapproves the current law, which he of course is allowed to. The problem is that he assumed that he could avoid it thanks to his superstar status... and that's just not it works. The democratic tools against an law are demonstrations, elections or a lawsuit.

[stevyy]

From what I understand is that Tennis Australia promised him some kind of deal... and the government said no. So, in the end, Tennis Australia messed up and tried to bend the rules for him, otherwise he wouldn't have come to Australia. This smells like high level of corruption to me.

IN Seribia Novak is some type of God (and he will become the country's president once he retires from Tennis, I read it somewhere). And the level of the current Serbian government's involvement is also fishy as hell.

My God, the year is only 7 days old and we have a bonafide diplomatic situation on our hands already, over tennis at that. I am appalled.

[AceReject]

This Djokovic dude sounds like a total douche. His mother on the news tonight talking about how inhumane it is to imprison her poor little baby in a quarantine hotel... Please. Spoilt, entitled little brat springs to mind.

I was really sick with covid over xmas. Being in the "vulnerable / at risk" group is no joke. At one point, I did wonder if I was going to end up in hospital. Thankfully, it didn't get that bad. But it makes me wonder how much worse it would have been without the 2 vaccines and a booster shot?

[theMathematician]

At one point, I did wonder if I was going to end up in hospital. Thankfully, it didn't get that bad. But it makes me wonder how much worse it would have been without the 2 vaccines and a booster shot?

What made you think that you could end up in hospital when you took the three vaccinations? After all, they are supposed to protect vulnerable groups like the one you seem to be part of.

[Ewokguy15]

From what I understand is that Tennis Australia promised him some kind of deal... and the government said no. So, in the end, Tennis Australia messed up and tried to bend the rules for him, otherwise he wouldn't have come to Australia. This smells like high level of corruption to me.

IN Seribia Novak is some type of God (and he will become the country's president once he retires from Tennis, I read it somewhere). And the level of the current Serbian government's involvement is also fishy as hell.

My God, the year is only 7 days old and we have a bonafide diplomatic situation on our hands already, over tennis at that. I am appalled.

I think we can calm down with the "corruption" talk.

He won't follow our rules so he has to leave simple as that. It basically like Novak's people talking to a sale assistant and that sales assistant says they can do something but just isn't gonna happen, the Manager has now stepped in and said no so he will probably have to leave on his private plane and go back to Europe.

All he has to do is get vaccinated, he doesn't wanna do that so he has to suffer the consequences and spend the week in a $110 per night "Hotel". I for one think it's pretty funny someone like him is "slumming" it there and his superstar status isn't making any difference.

[DnBLover]

He won't follow our rules so he has to leave simple as that. It basically like Novak's people talking to a sale assistant and that sales assistant says they can do something but just isn't gonna happen, the Manager has now stepped in and said no so he will probably have to leave on his private plane and go back to Europe.

Sales assistant? It's an entire massive organisation which most definitely should suffer the consequences in case they did give him the wrong information.

[SholasBoy]

I had my third Pfizer a couple days ago. Bit of a sore arm and a bit tired but that’s all.

[Ewokguy15]

Sales assistant? It's an entire massive organisation which most definitely should suffer the consequences in case they did give him the wrong information.

F*ck him, if he wanted to be an antivaxxer he needs to suffer the consequences, simple fix would be to get vaccinated.

he’s now playing the victim and it’s gross.

[theMathematician]

F*ck him, if he wanted to be an antivaxxer he needs to suffer the consequences, simple fix would be to get vaccinated.

he’s now playing the victim and it’s gross.

Do you think this type of language was really necessary here?

[DnBLover]

F*ck him, if he wanted to be an antivaxxer he needs to suffer the consequences, simple fix would be to get vaccinated.

he’s now playing the victim and it’s gross.

That is not how you will change his mind, or the millions like him, that's for sure. Him being unvaccinated doesn't give anyone the right to disrespect him, but sure judge all you want.

[Ewokguy15]

That is not how you will change his mind, or the millions like him, that's for sure. Him being unvaccinated doesn't give anyone the right to disrespect him, but sure judge all you want.

He has come into our country and doesn’t meet the safety standards. I wasn’t allowed to go and do regular things until I was double vaxxed, why is some snot nosed tennis player above our laws?, he has chosen to not get the vaccination, good for him, bye bye Novak, maybe we’ll see you next year.

[Ewokguy15]

Do you think this type of language was really necessary here?

Yes…

[theMathematician]

WOW, you Australians are really strict about that topic ! I mean, they always say on TV that Australia has got some of the toughest Covid measurements worldwide (and Sweden the loosest), but until now, I didn't expect the population to carry these principles as well and not just the politicians.

[Thriller]

What made you think that you could end up in hospital when you took the three vaccinations? After all, they are supposed to protect vulnerable groups like the one you seem to be part of.

Well you can't blame someone for fearing the worst when they're unwell, fully vaccinated or not. As good as they are, nothing's ever 100% is it.

[cheapthrills]

Well you can't blame someone for fearing the worst when they're unwell, fully vaccinated or not. As good as they are, nothing's ever 100% is it.

Plus AceReject mentioned he is high risk, which can change the game.

Last week I thought I had COVID; it ended up being something bad, but not COVID. I did spiral at one point, thinking terrible things.

I was also oxygen-deprived, so that probably didn't help

Glad you are ok, @AceReject

[theMathematician]

I think the challenge is to assess your personal health risks appropriately, which is tough in general, but even harder when you're part of a high risk group, I agree.
On the other hand, this is a good example for the multiple dimensions of a pandemic: obviously the health dimension, but also the political dimension (and, in combination with that, the economic dimension) and the social dimension (on both, an individual and an collective level). The hardest to overcome will probably be the social dimension because even when the pandemic becomes no longer an acute health issue and all political measurements are lifted, the people also need to be mentally willing to move on. And some people (generally speaking, I'm not referring to anyone on here in particular) are really still trapped in their anxiety.

[DnBLover]

He has come into our country and doesn’t meet the safety standards. I wasn’t allowed to go and do regular things until I was double vaxxed, why is some snot nosed tennis player above our laws?, he has chosen to not get the vaccination, good for him, bye bye Novak, maybe we’ll see you next year.

1st he wasn't let into the country, now was he?
2nd he was told not by a shop assistant, but by Tennis Australia, that he could fly into the country and take part in it. He was given wrong information by an official entity. The problem is not that he was denied, the problem is that he was told, according to the tournament enrolment rules, that he could partake in it, and given the green light.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereksa...n-report-says/

[theMathematician]

There are new measurements in Germany. They need to be translated into federal law first (From experience: Some federal states always end up going for stricter or looser rules.), but it's basically the following:
- vaccinated/recovered PLUS test for restaurants
- new very difficult quarantine rules (They are supposed to lead to overally shorter quarantines, but have a whole lot of exceptions and additions.)

I expect lawsuits from the organization of restaurants as that's one of the industries which had to suffer the most economically during the past two years.
A few experts such as Klaus Stöhr (virologist), Stephan Kooths (economist) and Andreas Gassen (health economist) criticize that once again, official statistics about the actual effect of the measurement are missing, children's much milder cases are not considered, the worst case is assumed instead of what's realistically expectable (see other countries where Omicron already is dominant), that the new rules especially considering quarantine are too complicated and there's still a lack of a long-term strategy (source).

[jio]

I am so sick and tired from this pandemic... I have to do third dose now

[stevyy]

I went to the city today (shopping center) and nobody there in the shops cared about my vaxx status. It was hilarious. My mother - in one of the stores - literally asked while entering if the employee there needs to see her app and she said, no.

... and that is why we always lose (as a nation).