Canadian COVID-19 News

[desodave]

Originally Posted by Greg K

Does anyone believe that this is still about public health anymore or that such coercion will change anyone's mind who has decided already a long time ago to decline vaccination?

It's not coercion ... if you're vaccinated, there's more social activities open to you. It's been a consistent provincial policy of the application of restrictions based on existing science, public health recommendations, contact tracing and the state of the provincial healthcare system in each area. BC has been very consistent in their application of policy and the gov't has overwhelming public support for their approach.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Greg K

Does anyone believe that this is still about public health anymore or that such coercion will change anyone's mind who has decided already a long time ago to decline vaccination?

Yes, I believe very much that it is about public health. It's not about coercion - although if it persuades a few more people to get vaccinated, great. By far the best way to get out of this mess is to get everyone vaccinated. If that doesn't work (and it's not working particularly well in Northern Health), then we have to stop or minimize the spread by keeping people apart. THAT'S what the public health orders are all about.

The pandemic is hurting everyone and the economy - and hence hurting the government. I can't think of a single reason why they would put these restrictions in place if not to control the pandemic. In the rest of the province we are doing pretty well. It's the idiots (and I don't use the term lightly) that won't get vaccinated that are screwing everything up for the rest of us - and there are apparently more of the idiots in Northern Health than anywhere else. Really, we should just give the area to Alberta where I expect those people would feel much more at home and rid ourselves of it.

For those who don't want to take the mRNA Pfizer or Moderna vaccines because they are new technology with possible long-term health risks, the old technology J&J vaccine is now available. But whatever you do, GET VACCINATED!

Greg, your location is shown as "Spain". What qualifies you to participate in this thread which is about Covid-19 IN CANADA? Perhaps you are Canadian. I don't know. If not there are lots of other Covid threads on this site which may be more suitable for you.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Greg K

Does anyone believe that this is still about public health anymore or that such coercion will change anyone's mind who has decided already a long time ago to decline vaccination?

Well, the data shows people are still getting first-doses, so this suggests something is convincing them to get vaccinated now. In fact, the latest national data shows a measurable uptick in first doses: https://health-infobase.canada.ca/co...dministration/

The true anti-vaxxer number in Canada is relatively small. There are still people who can be convinced, or coerced.

Here's some interesting survey data on Canadian vaccination status and choices: https://angusreid.org/canada-unvacci...eedom-reasons/

[Greg K]

Originally Posted by desodave

It's not coercion ... if you're vaccinated, there's more social activities open to you. It's been a consistent provincial policy of the application of restrictions based on existing science, public health recommendations, contact tracing and the state of the provincial healthcare system in each area. BC has been very consistent in their application of policy and the gov't has overwhelming public support for their approach.

So, are you saying that someone who has provided a negative test within 72 hours as was the previous health policy in Canada for unvaccinated travelers (and, indeed, remains the policy throughout the world) is now somehow considered (by Canadian scientific standards) to be more of a public health threat than an untested vaccinated person during a domestic flight?

Shall we also surmise that world wide health policies which require travelers to produce a negative test taken within 72 hours regardless whether they are vaccinated are NOT following the "existing science?"

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by Greg K

So, are you saying that someone who has provided a negative test within 72 hours as was the previous health policy in Canada for unvaccinated travelers (and, indeed, remains the policy throughout the world) is now somehow considered (by Canadian scientific standards) to be more of a public health threat than an untested vaccinated person during a domestic flight?

Shall we also surmise that world wide health policies which require travelers to produce a negative test taken within 72 hours regardless whether they are vaccinated are NOT following the "existing science?"

I am convinced the public health people (my sister is one of them and a government MLA on several health committees in BC) and most politicians are doing the best they can under difficult circumstances to control, and hopefully end, the pandemic. Not every decision can be purely scientific as public attitudes and actions are important input. You can't make rules if the majority doesn't accept them and rebels.

Again I ask you: If you are not Canadian and are in Spain, why are you on this thread? It's about Covid in Canada. Intelligent participation by those in Canada, or Canadians abroad is welcome. Rabble-rousing, just for the fun of it, is not.

[desodave]

Originally Posted by Greg K

So, are you saying that someone who has provided a negative test within 72 hours as was the previous health policy in Canada for unvaccinated travelers (and, indeed, remains the policy throughout the world) is now somehow considered (by Canadian scientific standards) to be more of a public health threat than an untested vaccinated person during a domestic flight?

Shall we also surmise that world wide health policies which require travelers to produce a negative test taken within 72 hours regardless whether they are vaccinated are NOT following the "existing science?"

It's a reasonable precaution imo in light of a new variant of concern about which very little is known yet. Try to slow the inevitable spread and learn more about it in order to combat it more effectively. BC has determined that there are approx 200 persons in the province who have arrived recently from known affected countries and they are being isolated and tested and their contacts traced. Again, seems like a reasonable precaution imo.

[Greg K]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Well, the data shows people are still getting first-doses, so this suggests something is convincing them to get vaccinated now. In fact, the latest national data shows a measurable uptick in first doses: https://health-infobase.canada.ca/co...dministration/

The true anti-vaxxer number in Canada is relatively small. There are still people who can be convinced, or coerced.

Here's some interesting survey data on Canadian vaccination status and choices: https://angusreid.org/canada-unvacci...eedom-reasons/

So, just to be clear, you are agreeing that this policy is simply coercion with no basis in science in terms of being a public health measure which improves on the previous measure of requiring negative tests within 72 hours for travelers?

Do I understand that correctly?

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Greg K

So, just to be clear, you are agreeing that this policy is simply coercion with no basis in science in terms of being a public health measure which improves on the previous measure of requiring negative tests within 72 hours for travelers?

Do I understand that correctly?

Nope, not what I said. You sure like to create wedges, don't you.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Well, the data shows people are still getting first-doses, so this suggests something is convincing them to get vaccinated now. In fact, the latest national data shows a measurable uptick in first doses: https://health-infobase.canada.ca/co...dministration/

The true anti-vaxxer number in Canada is relatively small. There are still people who can be convinced, or coerced.

Here's some interesting survey data on Canadian vaccination status and choices: https://angusreid.org/canada-unvacci...eedom-reasons/

Most of the measurable uptick will be the 5-11 age group and those that finally decided to get vaccinated in order to keep their jobs!!

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by pcmm

Most of the measurable uptick will be the 5-11 age group and those that finally decided to get vaccinated in order to keep their jobs!!

Ah, of course... you're probably right. There's a noticeable uptick in the last week of November. That's just when the youngin's really started getting their jabs. I was wondering why, thanks.

There's no doubt some unvaccinated hold-outs are finally getting the jab because they are seeing that the consequences of not doing so are worse.

[N Coast Murray]

This era is a research data gold mine.

It'll be interesting, once we reach a Covid endemic state, to compare how countries like Canada with universal health care systems faired against those countries which don't have universal health care, and how governments with different health care systems managed the pandemic with their policies, messaging, etc.

[N Coast Murray]

Originally Posted by desodave

It makes sense (especially as a senior) to remove as many risk factors as possible imo. I'd let things slip a bit ... and the waistline expand ... over the past few years. My main exercise over the years has been on my bicycles and it is not completely compatible with more sailing/cruising. So it's become a combo of more walking, as much riding as possible and trying to eat less. And still cruise more too ... it's a wonderful self-isolating activity.

Due to other Life influences we didn't take any long trips on our trawler this year.

If we were to spend a lot of time on the boat, I'd probably switch to body weight exercises and running up the occasional mountain to try and stay in shape. We boat on BC's north and central coast shunning towns & marinas so keeping to a regular running schedule would be near impossible.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by N Coast Murray

Due to other Life influences we didn't take any long trips on our trawler this year.

If we were to spend a lot of time on the boat, I'd probably switch to body weight exercises and running up the occasional mountain to try and stay in shape. We boat on BC's north and central coast shunning towns & marinas so keeping to a regular running schedule would be near impossible.

There's lots of logging roads near some pretty nice anchorages. Take your bear spray

[N Coast Murray]

Originally Posted by Scorpius

There's lots of logging roads near some pretty nice anchorages. Take your bear spray

Good point!

I know a fellow who contracts with the Fisheries Department who's been walking streams and rivers by himself during salmon spawning season on the north coast for several decades.

I asked him one day, "I see you have two large bear sprays on your belt. Does that mean you were out one day and one can wasn't enough?"

All I got as a reply was, "Yup".

Maybe I'll get to hear the story one day.

[Scorpius]

Originally Posted by N Coast Murray

Good point!

I know a fellow who contracts with the Fisheries Department who's been walking streams and rivers by himself during spawning season on the north coast for several decades.

I asked him one day, "I see you have two large bear sprays on your belt. Does that mean you were out one day and one can wasn't enough?"

All I got as a reply was, "Yup".

Maybe I'll get to hear the story one day.

My last couple of summers while in high school and college in the mid 60's I worked, for the first couple of years, as a deckhand on a fisheries patrol boat, then as a patrolman with my own boat. I walked A LOT of streams in Smith Inlet, Wyclees Lagoon, and Long Lake counting fish! Back then I don't think bear spray had been invented. They gave me a WWII surplus 30-06. Fortunately I never had to use it.