Coronavirus All Purpose Thread: The unnecessary Dumb Dumb 4th wave

[Izzle]

Originally Posted by PsYcNeT

They got my name wrong on my first COVID jab. I just went to a Registry and got it sorted. It's possible they might be able to help you as well.

I'm assuming that your QR code shows both jabs. In my case, the second one doesn't appear at all. Oh well, I'll be calling the Flames ticket office this morning to ask how strict they are about implementing the QR code. So frustrating.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by GordonBlue

The Alberta government might have done something good.

https://www.alberta.ca/restrictions-...ion-grant.aspx

The Restrictions Exemption Program Implementation Grant provides a one-time payment to eligible businesses, cooperatives and non-profit organizations that choose to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program.

Organizations may use the funds as they see fit to help offset the costs of implementing the Restrictions Exemption Program.

The grant provides $2,000 for eligible small- and medium-sized organizations that choose to implement the Restrictions Exemption Program.

You accidentally borked the link in the process of the copy/paste: https://www.alberta.ca/restrictions-...ion-grant.aspx


For small businesses looking to implement this, this grant is awesome and you can easily outfit a business with a bunch of cheap Android tablets that can run the "AB Covid Records Verifier" app and a rubberized case so they don't get beat to hell too badly. Hell, a business looking to modernize their operations could use it to kill two birds with one stone.

[activeStick]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pcr...ours-1.6252039

Ottawa nixing molecular COVID test requirement for Canadians taking short trips abroad: sources - Sources say the change would affect trips lasting less than 72 hours

[TorqueDog]

Why is our government such a pain in the ass?

Molecular tests, like the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, will still be required for trips longer than 72 hours.

Get with it and allow antigen tests already, you twats.

[Azure]

The resistance to stopping the 72 hour PCR test is unreal.

The only thing I can figure out is that someone in the government has stock in the makers of the PCR tests.

Rapid testing is clearly the solution. Provinces & workplaces have been using these tests for a while now and they work great.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by Azure

The resistance to stopping the 72 hour PCR test is unreal.

The only thing I can figure out is that someone in the government has stock in the makers of the PCR tests.

Rapid testing is clearly the solution. Provinces & workplaces have been using these tests for a while now and they work great.

Totally. What a joke. I guess you can't get covid going to Vegas for the weekend but if you go to a beach for a week that's where you're going to get infected.

[Firebot]

At this point there should be no other conclusion than this is totally political and of dubious motive.

I would love to see the rationale or someone defending this methodology.

Triple vaccinated, no requirement abroad, still forced to do PCR tests when coming in to the country.

Yet when preventing and stopping spread and variants was truly needed, we gave goddamn pamphlets.

[Azure]

I have no issue with the testing if it is done within reason.

But you can literally get a PCR test in Vegas on the strip, and then go out and party for 2 more days, and then fly home without needing to test or anything.

Its a complete joke. It blows my mind that it hasn't been switched to rapid testing.

But hey, science.

[TorqueDog]

Originally Posted by Firebot

At this point there should be no other conclusion than this is totally political and of dubious motive.

I would love to see the rationale or someone defending this methodology.

Triple vaccinated, no requirement abroad, still forced to do PCR tests when coming in to the country.

Yet when preventing and stopping spread and variants was truly needed, we gave goddamn pamphlets.

I'm getting really frustrated for the same reasons. Municipal restrictions moved from an active cases trigger to 'whenever we decide', province avoiding common sense restrictions and expanding the REP to avoid angering their base any further, and now federal travel guidelines that somehow can't get their heads around using antigen tests instead of PCR tests, unnecessarily costing Canadians who have been doing the right thing hundreds of dollars for no reason. All three levels of government are now guilty of making a mess of this in their own ways.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Azure

I have no issue with the testing if it is done within reason.

But you can literally get a PCR test in Vegas on the strip, and then go out and party for 2 more days, and then fly home without needing to test or anything.

Its a complete joke. It blows my mind that it hasn't been switched to rapid testing.

But hey, science.

In theory, regardless of where you are traveling you have to plan to get your return PCR about 48 hours before your flight in order to ensure that the results are available before your flight home. There is always a risk of picking up the virus during that period and traveling under the pretense of being negative. Although if someone was infected after doing the PCR test they might not actually be infectious yet but it still seems to be quite silly.

[opendoor]

I think they're pretty clearly just trying to discourage travel with the PCR testing requirements. Screwing over the lower and middle class and preventing many from traveling due to expensive testing requirements while only mildly inconvenience rich people, all while making it look like the government is doing something useful even though they're not. That's pretty on-brand for the Liberals to be honest.

[Knut]

Originally Posted by opendoor

I think they're pretty clearly just trying to discourage travel with the PCR testing requirements. Screwing over the lower and middle class and preventing many from traveling due to expensive testing requirements while only mildly inconvenience rich people, all while making it look like the government is doing something useful even though they're not. That's pretty on-brand for the Liberals to be honest.

We have a trip to Mexico booked, over Christmas. We are humming and hawing over going. The extra cost (150USD per person for testing) and the 14 days of the not-eligible to be vaccinated kids not being able to go to school/play sports when we return has us questioning if it is worth it.

[Azure]

I'd agree that the testing is to prohibit people from going to the US, especially for shopping.

Completely political, and holy crap do they move slow when changing something.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

In theory, regardless of where you are traveling you have to plan to get your return PCR about 48 hours before your flight in order to ensure that the results are available before your flight home. There is always a risk of picking up the virus during that period and traveling under the pretense of being negative. Although if someone was infected after doing the PCR test they might not actually be infectious yet but it still seems to be quite silly.

Honestly, I don't think people care if they are infectious or not. Everyone is double vaccinated in that situation anyways.

They just do it because they need too. And then they go back into what we could call high risk areas. And then they fly home.

But hey, government mandated & approved scientifically researched COVID spread prevention plan.

[kevman]

Originally Posted by Knut

We have a trip to Mexico booked, over Christmas. We are humming and hawing over going. The extra cost (150USD per person for testing) and the 14 days of the not-eligible to be vaccinated kids not being able to go to school/play sports when we return has us questioning if it is worth it.

Simple, leave your kids at home. Win win.

[Bankai]

Originally Posted by Azure

I'd agree that the testing is to prohibit people from going to the US, especially for shopping.

Completely political, and holy crap do they move slow when changing something.

Looks like they will be allowing people to go for 72 hours without a PCR test.

Following the science I guess? /s

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pcr...ours-1.6252039

[Leeman4Gilmour]

Question for those following the numbers closer to I. How close are we to herd immunity?

75% of the Canadian population is fully vaccinated
Canada has a population of 38 Million
Canada has had 1.756 M total cases. This is ~ 4.6% of the population.
I understand getting Covid doesn't equal vaccination but according to Google, getting Covid does offer future protection.
So, we're kicking at around 80% of the population who have been fully vaccinated or have had it. Some of that 4.6% includes vaccinated people so that would drop the 80% a tad. However, how many people have had Covid, never knew it, and were never tested? Google tells me 25% to 50% of Covid cases can be asymptomatic. Would it be way off to suggest that the % of population who have had Covid or have been vaccinated could be 85% of the population if you add those who never knew?

At any rate, let's say 80-85% of Canadians have either been vaccinated or have been exposed to the virus. Correct me, but we're getting pretty close to herd immunity with those numbers aren't we?

[Fuzz]

Good article discussing it:


https://nationalpost.com/health/why-...-still-matters

[Tron_fdc]

There are ways to get free tests in the USA that qualify. You don't need JUST PCR tests, there are a number of options outlined here like NAAT tests:

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/tr...ng-into-canada

This guy wrote a travel blog on getting a free test

https://flytrippers.com/getting-covi...for-canadians/

I'm going to Florida in December, and I intend on trying to find a free test at a local Walgreens when I come back.

[CliffFletcher]

Some polling data coming out of Europe on support for vaccine passports.

UK

Support for vaccine passports at large public events
64

Support for vaccine passports at restaurants
41

France

57
50

Sweden

62
48

Germany

59
54

Poland

45
36

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ssports-survey

For reference, a poll in September asking Canadians if they support proof of vaccination requirements for bars, restaurants, concert halls, and other public venues saw 77 per cent of Albertans agree.

A lot of people here have been slamming Alberta and Albertans over our covid response. But by global standards, our support for pandemic measures has been very high. Focussing on the dissenters has given people a distorted picture of public attitudes here.