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I just flew from EWR to SFO and back on United. Got back to NYC last night. Didn't need to show vaccine card either. Just boarding pass and ID.
And this is why 2022 will look a lot like the prior two years. Neither businesses, politicians, or people are taking this pandemic seriously. Over a dozen states have broken COVID infection records. Your airline experience is a clear example as to why this is the case.
Today, I took my family member to get a Booster shot at a COVID site. We walked in and out in 10 minutes (including parking). And yet, Washington is spending millions on rapid tests and state/local officials are telling people to get tested causing 3,4,5-hour wait times.
Let that sink in folks - people are waiting for hours for a COVID test versus getting a booster shot in 10 minutes (including parking the car). I'm utterly frustrated with what's going on....
It's not Omicron that's afflicting the economy, but the stupid politicians and their useless mandates.
I think it's both. The politicians are often a reflection of the people who live in an area. Thus, while it doesn't seem like Florida is suffering as an example, Floridians have also elected a certain leadership that didn't implement lockdowns and the such. And the people seem to be going on about their business as they see fit.
Me? I haven't stopped living my life. Yes, I'm vaccinated, but that's because I support vaccines generally. I find it laughable people who claim to be concerned about the virus only to go work up a sweat in the gym among others huffing and puffing their way throughout a workout or something similar. Or people who support masking up when entering into a restaurant, only to take off their mask as soon as they sit down some 30 seconds later.
In December, I spent my entire time over there at a friends house in New Jersey. I went to restaurants, bars, stores and did lots of shopping. People were not wearing masks nor enforcing it. I was never asked to show proof of vaccination, in fact I left that stupid card at home.
Then, when my vacation was over, I and hundreds of others waltzed right back into Manhattan via the Path train where while on board, one has to keep a mask on. (Um, ok).
Question:
Do politicians make sense in keeping New Jersey mask and vaccine free while its next door neighbor remains heavily masked and boosted? Nope!
But if this were Ebola, you can be certain those borders would be shut down asap and everyone would be on the same page as far as vaccines and mask mandates! People would be desperate for a vaccine and rioting and wouldn’t travel to places where they may be exposed to Ebola - me included!
And this is why 2022 will look a lot like the prior two years. Neither businesses, politicians, or people are taking this pandemic seriously. Over a dozen states have broken COVID infection records. Your airline experience is a clear example as to why this is the case.
Today, I took my family member to get a Booster shot at a COVID site. We walked in and out in 10 minutes (including parking). And yet, Washington is spending millions on rapid tests and state/local officials are telling people to get tested causing 3,4,5-hour wait times.
Let that sink in folks - people are waiting for hours for a COVID test versus getting a booster shot in 10 minutes (including parking the car). I'm utterly frustrated with what's going on....
I'm fully vaxxed and got a booster over a month ago. Wore a mask the whole time at the airport.
I've only heard of a few temporary Omicron-related retail closures on Staten Island. No restaurants but I'm not totally sure about that.
Every couple of weeks the Advance will report on the business that have shuttered due to COVID or various other reasons.
The Target by me changed its hours and now closes by 8. None of the local banks are doing window teller service or any type of personal banking service. Drive through only. It's a total mess again.
In December, I spent my entire time over there at a friends house in New Jersey. I went to restaurants, bars, stores and did lots of shopping. People were not wearing masks nor enforcing it. I was never asked to show proof of vaccination, in fact I left that stupid card at home.
Then, when my vacation was over, I and hundreds of others waltzed right back into Manhattan via the Path train where while on board, one has to keep a mask on. (Um, ok).
Question:
Do politicians make sense in keeping New Jersey mask and vaccine free while its next door neighbor remains heavily masked and boosted? Nope!
But if this were Ebola, you can be certain those borders would be shut down asap and everyone would be on the same page as far as vaccines and mask mandates! People would be desperate for a vaccine and rioting and wouldn’t travel to places where they may be exposed to Ebola - me included!
My son wanted to see Spider-Man. It was sold out in NJ since it came out. In Staten Island and Brooklyn, you could get a seat for just about every show. That was to be expected since most of the children aren't vaccinated. We have to see it in NJ.
I wasn't comfortable sitting in a packed movie theater. Since we kept him out of school this week I took him on Tuesday. Me, him, and his mother went. We bought 4 seats just so we wouldn't have anyone around us. That turned out not to be necessary because the theater was less than half capacity. We went to Red Lobster for dinner and they are still putting people in clusters throughout the restaurant and keeping the rest of the dining area closed. However, that is due to staffing shortages.
And this is why 2022 will look a lot like the prior two years. Neither businesses, politicians, or people are taking this pandemic seriously. Over a dozen states have broken COVID infection records. Your airline experience is a clear example as to why this is the case.
Today, I took my family member to get a Booster shot at a COVID site. We walked in and out in 10 minutes (including parking). And yet, Washington is spending millions on rapid tests and state/local officials are telling people to get tested causing 3,4,5-hour wait times.
Let that sink in folks - people are waiting for hours for a COVID test versus getting a booster shot in 10 minutes (including parking the car). I'm utterly frustrated with what's going on....
People with 2 and 3 doses are getting COVID and spreading it as well.
I got a booster dose in early November and caught this variant. I caught the original strain in March of 2020 as well.
Booster may help with lessening duration/severity of symptoms but it won't prevent you from catching this variant.
If I as an individual was infected with the Alpha variant, got the JJ dose, then a Pfizer booster, and still got infected with Omicron, there won't be many people (if any) that escape this variant. It wasn't as if I was super careful either since my initial COVID infection.
Per the early data coming out about Omicron, SARS-COV-2 is turning endemic. This strain is extremely infectious ( far greater than Apha or Delta) but from initial reports is less virulent due to its decreased ability to bind to the TMPRSS2 protein in lung cells.
The goal should be what it should have always been. To protect the vulnerable and use therapeutics to decrease the death rate/long term side effects.
I think it's clear at this point that the COVID vaccine is very similar to the flu vaccine in that it acts more like a therapeutic than an actual vaccine.
If you're going to dine indoors there's really no point in wearing a mask for 5 seconds that you're not at the table...
What's even worse to me is I'm starting to see idiots mask up outdoors again. Not so much here in Queens, but in Manhattan and the woke hipster Brooklyn... outdoor masks galore! One would think this is Ebola or Marburg we're dealing with.
I'm all for good (N95) masks in crowded indoors, but jeez, its been proven over and over the virus does NOT spread outdoors unless someone literally comes up to your face and spits/sneezes.
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