High winds and power flickering here all morning. It’s Monday.
And perhaps a blue Monday for the unvaccinated, both the willing and unwilling.
The CDC reports that the unvaccinated are five times more likely to become infected with the Del;ta strain of Covid and 10 times mkore likely to need hospitalization and to die.
With hospital systems still straining to treat infections and with world economies still shaky, countries have lost patience with vaccine refuseniks.
CNN:
Austria will implement lockdown measures for all those age 12 and older who are not fully vaccinated against Covid-19 from Monday, Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg announced.
Around 65% of Austria’s population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, one of the lower rates in the European Union where cases are surging. Under the measures announced on Sunday, the unvaccinated are ordered to stay home except for a few limited reasons; the rules will be policed by officers carrying out spot checks on those who are out.
The 10-day lockdown began at midnight local time. Protests broke out in Vienna in advance.
Austria is not alone (Axios):
- The Singaporean government announced last Monday that it will stop covering medical bills for people who are “unvaccinated by choice” after Dec. 8.
- The New Zealand government has announced a business vaccine mandate that affects 40% of its workforce. Businesses including hair salons, bars, and gyms must ensure all staff are vaccinated in order to operate under the upcoming order.
- In New South Wales, Australia, unvaccinated people over the age of 16 are no longer allowed to visit another person’s residence, except in limited circumstances.
- Some German states have barred people who are eligible for vaccination but choose not to get it from indoor venues like restaurants and clubs, according to France 24.
In Melbourne, protests broke out over the weekend with some protesters comparing the lockdowns to Nazi tactics and calling for violence against politicians.
With the Federal Aviation Administration reporting “5,114 unruly passenger incidents, 73% of which were mask-related” and yet another passenger attack against flight crews over the weekend. Solidarity is in short supply, especially for those with short fuses.
Some of us are all about patriotism so long as it doesn’t inconvenience us.