Posted by: @twigs

I cried when our mask mandate ended in May because I thought it was too soon. In my opinion, everyone should mask until everyone has the option to be vaccinated.

Everyone should certainly have the option of wearing a mask themselves if they feel comfortable and happy enough with it, and nobody ought to complain about it unless there's a real reason to remove masks at any time. Personally I have a medical exemption but where I can, I wear a mask, especially in enclosed spaces like buses or trains (I'm still counted as an essential worker and whatnot). I definitely do NOT want to get COVID, I've seen the damage it does to lungs and I have enough respiratory issues, thanks very much. I like your masks, although I personally use disposable ones; they're the only ones I can even hope to wear through an entire shift at work. Most of the issue I find with masks is actually cognitive; I cannot think properly while in a mask (luckily work doesn't require much brainpower).

My state is in lockdown. On the plus side, I am now fully vaccinated which is a relief. Trying to book in was horrendous which is what has taken me all this time to get to it - I've been eligible since day one, but wasn't allowed to get AstraZeneca because of my age.

@ Courtenay: (Now there's a quirk of regional Aussie dialects — what are called "togs" in NSW and Queensland are "bathers" or "Speedos" in Victoria, where I come from. And a "swimsuit" or "swimming costume" to the rest of the world.)

Quite so, but where do "cossies" come from? That was what we used to call them when I was young. Perhaps that quirky dialect of Western Sydney "Strine"?   Swimming costumes aren't the only items that is called something different from state to state. Suitcases used to be called "ports" in Victoria, didn't they?

Last night our State Government lifted the 9.00 pm curfew now that New South Wales has reached the 80% mark for at least one vaccination. Now that is great in one way, but a mixed blessing if curfews saved 1. electricity, 2. got people to go home a bit earlier, instead of in the wee hours of the morning, 3.gave the police a few less things to do. 4. was an excuse to go to bed earlier.

For days now I have been fretting about the statistics for vaccinations for our own "LGA" (Local Government Area). This morning we found out we have one of the best statistics for Sydney. 

@ Lady Jill the Loyal: My state is in lockdown. 

Welcome Lady Jill, to our Narnia Web community!  Now would I be right in detecting a fellow Aussie?  

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

Swimming costumes aren't the only items that is called something different from state to state. Suitcases used to be called "ports" in Victoria, didn't they?

No, that's Queensland. I've only ever heard it over there (I lived in Brisbane for a few years) — we definitely never use that term in Victoria.

I've just been checking statistics for the UK and cases here are going down overall, which is a relief to know. I think everyone was afraid there'd be another huge spike after restrictions were lifted a few months ago (which has happened before), but thank goodness, it looks like that's been avoided.

When Covid first became an obvious serious pandemic, I did a LOT of reading about the 1913 Spanish Flu because it was a similar type of virus (similar in that it mutates as opposed to polio and smallpox). It's funny to me in an ironic way how history always repeats itself, from the waves that come through to the way people react to it. One huge blessing this time around has been the internet/technology that's allowed us to keep in contact with minimal physical interaction. 

But the point of this post is that I'm of the unofficial opinion that the USA is in the last big wave of Covid. Unless there's another mutant strain that overrides the vaccine and/or natural immunity built up, I think this will become endemic and in a few years it'll just be "another cold or flu" virus going around. At least I hope that's the case. 

I see a lot of people ask what the "new normal" will look like. I think it's important to remember that before Covid, that's what the new normal was after the previous flus, polio, pox, etc pandemics went through the world. As far as I can tell the only real lasting effect was that you're not supposed to spit on the sidewalk and they got rid of public drinking cups (GROSS!!!). 😉 

In my own personal neck of the woods, things are still bad thanks to delta, but they're not getting any worse. As in, we have approximately 300 new cases a day, and it's steady, staying at that number. That's with everything pretty much completely opened up. Some mask mandates have returned, particularly in schools. One of our local school districts did something that I think was really smart. Their mask mandates are dependent on how many students and staff are out sick with Covid. If it drops below 2%, no masks are required. 2-5% masks are highly recommended. Higher than that and they're required. 

I hope no one finds this offensive, but I saw this article about some Kiwis illegally smuggling Kentucky Fried Chicken and I just laughed.

https://nypost.com/2021/09/21/new-zealand-men-arrested-for-trying-to-smuggle-kfc-into-auckland/

It's totally true. It appeared on our TV news recently; until a week ago, Auckland was in a lockdown where even take-away food and drink was unavailable. The whole country began at Alert Level 4 on 18 August when Delta variant arrived and spread rapidly, mostly in Greater Auckland. 

After 2 weeks, the rest of the country went down to a lower level of lockdown (Alert Level 3), which allowed people to go out and buy takeaway food and drinks. Roads out of Greater Auckland had manned barriers set up, and people with certain exemptions were allowed to cross the line.

The suggestion that we were all soon going to nightclubs, restaurants and bars in Level 2, is exaggerated. For the first two weeks no more than 50 were allowed inside the same room, and patrons at bars or restaurants had to be seated in groups of friends/family, and not mingling - oh, and masked until eating/drinking. Can't imagine nightclubs managing!

Various people tried to cheat the system, and this now famous attempt to smuggle in fast fast food from the next city became an international news story. 

The TV news item finished by saying that the smuggled food had been destroyed.  
   

@coracle: It's totally true. It appeared on our TV news recently; until a week ago, Auckland was in a lockdown where even take-away food and drink was unavailable. The whole country began at Alert Level 4 on 18 August when Delta variant arrived and spread rapidly, mostly in Greater Auckland. 

How is the hairdo situation over in New Zealand? I doubt that Christchurch would be as badly affected as Auckland? Why did they stop fast food? Here we can get KFC, Maccas & Pizza easily enough, delivered to our doors if we like. Taking it from Hamilton to Auckland sounds a bit of a waste of time & food to tell the truth. Parcel & fast food delivery services have grown like mushrooms, here.  In fact fast food was the only way to go, as we are not allowed to sit down at shopping centres to eat. As for the restaurants, bars etc., we have to wait a bit longer to get the children back to school, not to mention going to church as head religious leaders have agreed that religion is an essential service and a need, so they won't be turning away people who haven't been vaccinated yet. 

I was due for a haircut in June, 2021, but couldn't keep the appointment due to lockdown & the closure of all hairdressers near & far, especially when I couldn't move out of my local Local Government Area, either. Last Friday, we finally got a call to ask if I'd like a haircut. Would I ever! It seems that on 13th October my wish will finally  be granted. I feel every few minutes like I resemble a shaggy dog, the sort with hair over its eyes. Maybe afterwards I should rechristen myself Shorn the Sheep?  

The promise was that we would reopen as soon as we reach 70% or 80% double vaccination state wide. A week ago we were up to about 65%, & climbing. 

*Sends Wagga some nice hair clips and hair ties

Our hair salons can manage at Level 2, which is where most of NZ is now. It was one of those things that people talked about in last year's lockdowns, with people doing their own cuts and colours!

Lockdown at its tightest (Level 4) means essential workers only, shopping only for essential supplies like groceries. The method is major reduction of contact between people. (Stay home and you won't spread it/catch it). Once the numbers of new cases level out, we go down to Level 3, where contact-free takeaway food and drink are able to be bought.

EDIT: coracle returns from hair salon two days later looking beautiful 🙂  (no coffee or cold drink offered though, nor even magazines, as we're Level 2)

*reads the above posts with interest: chuckles at some bits; in other cases, sends *

Popping in to say that Ontario has flattened the fourth wave , primarily as a result of two actions: the public health measures in place (masking, distancing, limits in gatherings), along with 81.5% of Ontarians being fully vaccinated (86.6% have one dose) or natural immunity, having had the virus, itself. The key now is that we do not loosen our guard, which will no doubt cause case numbers and deaths to rise again. The health measures are doing their job, hence we need to keep vigilant to ensure continued flattening. The colder weather is coming, though, which causes more people to be indoors, so it will be interesting to see how all this plays out over the winter.

In my location, cases, while still quite high, are definitely on a downward trend. The powers-that-be say it's because masks have been implemented in schools again, but I'm like "do you go out in the city and see that everyone is out and no one is wearing masks?" It is my personal belief that it's because everyone has either been vaccinated or has already caught Covid, or both! At least that's the case with my church's small group. 

I genuinely hope this is the end of the last big wave here. 

@ coracle: *Sends Wagga some nice hair clips and hair ties

Thank you kindly, especially for the hair clips to keep hair from getting into my eyes.   I don't think I'll have much more time to grow my hair long enough, where it matters, to tie back over my neck & shoulders, though.   Because, now that NSW has got 70% double vaccinated, the talk is now of coming out of lockdown, finally. Some people can't even wait until Monday when the Premier says the lockdowns may be all over rover.    For single vaccinations it might be as high as 90%, and, so far, it is NSW which is leading the nation, it is claimed here.

The numbers of new infections are decreasing in this state, at any rate, but the death toll is a different matter, I'm sorry to say. Now I've finally ordered my very own Penrith Panther's souvenir face mask, I suppose I'll never get to actually wear it. Cheers, everyone. All the best for continuing improvement. 

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

Now I've finally ordered my very own Penrith Panther's souvenir face mask, I suppose I'll never get to actually wear it.

You can always wear it during any flu season. It certainly seems to help keep you from getting sick.  

Thought I'd pop in here and post a personal update. My local area seems to have stalled in terms of cases dropping back down. At least they're not going back up either. For my county, I'd say that about 1 out of every 8 people has had Covid now, and those are the recorded cases. Doesn't include families who get sick and only one person goes to get tested, tests positive, and then assumes (correctly) that that's what everyone else has. I suspect the ratio is a lot higher. Not sure where we are at with fully vaccinated people, but I'd guess somewhere between 50-65%. But as Pfizer has just been approved by the powers-that-be for kids 5-11, I think that number will go up a bit. 

Last weekend I went and got my booster shot. I had J&J originally and I specifically picked it because I was expecting at the time and was a bit more comfortable with that one. However, as it hasn't done all that great against the Delta variant, the powers-that-be were like "GO GET A BOOSTER!!!" and my area (maybe everywhere?) is now completely open to mixing and matching, so I got Moderna for a booster. I had far less of a reaction against that than I did the initial shot, so that was nice.

I also took my oldest two kids in for their first Pfizer shot this past Monday. Between their next booster dose and my 4.5 year old coming up on her typical Kindergarten shots, I'm totally over needles right now and will be sooooo happy when this is all over. 

I live in Massachusetts and our governor has really been pushing vaccination and mask wearing in certain circumstances.   Some towns are initiating mask mandates again.  Cases went on the rise at the end of August and haven't really dropped here.   There have also been breakthrough cases which worries me as I am immunocompromised.   I have been limiting my time with other people.  My job has gone hybrid so thankfully I only have to be in the office once a week.  The numbers are limited there so I can be there without too much worry.

Posted by: @fantasia

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

Now I've finally ordered my very own Penrith Panther's souvenir face mask, I suppose I'll never get to actually wear it.

You can always wear it during any flu season. It certainly seems to help keep you from getting sick.  

Now that is a good thought, since by middle of next year (the football season) authorities here are predicting that normal flu cases are going to rebound with a vengeance after two years of practically no cases, though we have normally been vaccinated against flu as well. 

@Cyberlucy: There have also been breakthrough cases which worries me as I am immunocompromised

Maybe it might be a good idea to check with your General Practitioner or Specialist to ensure that you have the best treatment & vaccination program at this time? I can well imagine that your governor would be pushing such programs to protect the community.  Here in New South Wales (Australia) we have been having some success in driving down cases. Yesterday we had 90.6% double vaccination of the general population in this state (NSW). But we have been a bit hesitant about risks with vaccinating young children, preferring to concentrate on getting the older ones immunised first, especially those in final exams at this time. We are only now starting to get the younger school aged children vaccinated as well. 

Anyway, nice to meet you here.