Politics of Covid-19

GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
How Very Stasi: COVID-19 Restrictions Go Full Authoritarian

For folks in the Sunbelt and other places that still feel like America, the COVID-19 holiday restrictions seem more than a little over the top. In Los Angeles, restaurants are shuttering at 10 p.m. on Thanksgiving Eve and may only provide take-out. This was announced after proprietors had ordered all of the necessary inventory for their Thanksgiving reservations and spent thousands to modify their facilities.

This is despite the fact the L.A. Department of Health has no data on the transmission of COVID-19 in outdoor dining facilities. The Board of Supervisors admitted as much during a call on Tuesday. Supervisor Janice Hahn noted the severe community pushback that the board has been getting. She voiced concerns that the public was losing confidence and trust in the Board’s decisions. Gee, you think?

However, if you live in New York City, what is going on in Los Angeles seems low-key. America’s worst mayor, Bill de Blasio, has decided he will be placing checkpoints at the entrances to the city. These will be operated by law enforcement to strictly enforce the travel quarantine:

The city’s regulations mandate that travelers either quarantine for 14 days or take a COVID-19 test to prove they don’t have the virus. Violations of self-quarantine will be enforced, and may carry fines of $1,000 to $2,000, according to the mayor’s office.
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GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
New Study Highlights Alleged Accounting Error Regarding Covid Deaths


However, a new study (link removed or site crashed but now available at Archive.org) published by Dr. Genevieve Briand at Johns Hopkins University notes some critical accounting errors done at the national level. The study – which is still being vetted – simply examines the raw data that should have been questioned months ago. The overall conclusion is that Covid-19, at least according to collected data, is not the killer disease that it is currently hyped up to be. AIER is not endorsing the study as is without further study, but we are interested in the argument being examined and discussed.

Viewing Covid-19 Deaths in Context

It is already well established that Covid-19 is a disease that is most dangerous to those over the age of 65 and who have preexisting conditions. In the United States, there has been an observed 2.1% mortality rate, with elderly individuals making up over half that number.

Young and healthy people are not by any significant capacity threatened by Covid-19.

One of the most important factors when it comes to Covid-19 is preventing excess death. According to the CDC,
“Estimates of excess deaths can provide information about the burden of mortality potentially related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including deaths that are directly or indirectly attributed to COVID-19. Excess deaths are typically defined as the difference between the observed numbers of deaths in specific time periods and expected numbers of deaths in the same time periods.”
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Essentially, there is an average number of deaths every year due to a variety of causes that for the most part have remained constant through the years. This includes morbidities such as heart disease, which has long been the leading cause of death, and cancer, which has long plagued our existence. For Covid-19 to be a serious cause of alarm, it would need to significantly increase the number of average deaths.

However, according to the study,
“These data analyses suggest that in contrast to most people’s assumptions, the number of deaths by COVID-19 is not alarming. In fact, it has relatively no effect on deaths in the United States.”
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Total deaths in the United States show no significant change and even mirror past trends of seasonal illness.
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Paul Krugman Thinks Holding Religious Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic Is Like 'Dumping Neurotoxins Into Public Reservoirs'

The New York Times columnist misconstrues the issues at stake in the challenge to New York's restrictions on houses of worship.


Describing the Court's emergency injunction in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo as "the first major decision from the Trump-packed court," New York Times columnist Paul Krugman warned that "it will kill people." He added: "The bad logic is obvious. Suppose I adhere to a religion whose rituals include dumping neurotoxins into public reservoirs. Does the principle of religious freedom give me the right to do that?" Krugman averred that "freedom of belief" does not include "the right to hurt other people in tangible ways—which large gatherings in a pandemic definitely do."

There are several problems with Krugman's gloss on the case, starting with his understanding of the constitutional right at stake. The Court was applying the First Amendment's ban on laws "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion, which includes conduct as well as belief. Krugman, of course, is right that the Free Exercise Clause is not a license for "dumping neurotoxins into public reservoirs"—or, to take a more familiar example, conducting human sacrifices. But it is hard to take seriously his suggestion that holding a religious service during the COVID-19 pandemic, regardless of the safeguards observed, is tantamount to poisoning millions of people's drinking water.

Under Cuomo's rules, "houses of worship" in state-designated "red" zones were not allowed to admit more than 10 people; the cap in "orange" zones was 25. Those restrictions applied regardless of a building's capacity. A 1,000-seat church, for example, would be limited to 1 percent of its capacity in a red zone and 2.5 percent of its capacity in an orange zone.

Cuomo's restrictions on religious gatherings were much more onerous than the rules for myriad secular activities that pose similar risks of virus transmission. That point was crucial because the Court has held that laws are presumptively unconstitutional when they discriminate against religion. At the same time, it has said the Free Exercise Clause does not require religious exemptions from neutral, generally applicable laws, which obviously would include statutes that prohibit mass poisoning or murder.
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Gavin 'French Laundry' Newsom Imposes Draconian Lockdown ... Just in Time for Christmas

The almighty Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) dictated from on high that if Intensive Care Unit (ICU) capacity in any of California’s five regions falls below 15 percent, he will shut down indoor church services, travel, playgrounds, movie theaters, wineries, and more, and even force hotels and lodging establishments to cancel any out-of-state reservation. Any establishment lucky enough to stay open will face a 100 percent mask mandate. This extreme stay-at-home order will remain in place for at least three weeks until ICU capacity is projected to increase above 15 percent.


Citing increasing cases and deaths, Newsom said, “We’re pulling that emergency brake.”

The order will take effect at 12:59 p.m. on Saturday. After that time, if any one of California’s five regions falls below the 15 percent ICU threshold, it will have 24 hours to implement the draconian Stay at Home Order. Newsom’s office had previously divided California up into five regions: Northern California, the Bay Area, Greater Sacramento, the San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California.

“We are at a tipping point in our fight against the virus and we need to take decisive action now to prevent California’s hospital system from being overwhelmed in the coming weeks,” Newsom said in a statement Thursday. “By invoking a Stay at Home Order for regions where ICU capacity falls below 15 percent, we can flatten the curve as we’ve done before and reduce stress on our health care system.”
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Comptroller of Erie County, N.Y., Blocks Health Department from Collecting COVID Fines


Stefan I. Mychajliw Jr., the comptroller for Erie County, New York, has taken a stand for liberty and small businesses098and has used his legal authority to prevent the Erie County Health Department from collecting, cashing, or depositing fines issued for violating COVID-19 restrictions.

Fines for COVID-19 violations in Erie County will now be sent directly to the comptroller’s office instead of the Health Department.

“I am exerting the accounting authority given to my Office by the Erie County Charter. Changing accounting policies fall under my authority as Erie County Comptroller. This change in policy does not require approval by the County Executive or Legislature,” Mychajliw said in a statement. “It is granted to the Office of Erie County Comptroller regardless of who is elected to the position. I am Erie County’s Chief Fiscal and Accounting Officer, not the Health Department.”
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Judge Says Los Angeles County Health Officials Must Provide Evidence To Justify Ban On Outdoor Dining At Restaurants


On Wednesday, a judge instructed attorneys representing the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to return to court next week with medical evidence to justify a three-week ban on outdoor dining that many restaurant owners say could put them out of business.

The Daily News reports Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James Chalfant “appeared sympathetic” to separate lawsuits seeking to lift the restriction filed by the California Restaurant Association and famed attorney Mark Geragos, who owns the Engine Co. No. 28 restaurant in downtown L.A. However, according to the outlet, “Chalfant said he was reluctant to issue an order that could have a major impact on public health without first reviewing scientific data about the danger of coronavirus transmission at an outdoor dining establishment.”

He scheduled another hearing for next Tuesday when public health officials will have an opportunity to bring forth information that backs up their decision to issue such a directive.
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
About Those Vaccine ID Cards...

An idea that's simple as an abstraction--vaccine ID cards--turns out to be extremely difficult once real-world operational realities must be dealt with.

Authorities around the world have made it clear that they will do "whatever it takes" to vaccinate their citizenry with one of the first available vaccines. Authoritarian states may mandate universal vaccinations while less authoritarian states will favor a "carrot and stick" approach of offering benefits to the vaccinated and exclusions from employment, education, travel and most of everyday life for those who refuse to be vaccinated.

To identify the vaccinated and unvaccinated, many nations are planning to issue ID cards or "vaccine passports." As an abstraction, this seems straightforward, but if we start digging into the actual operational requirements of this mass ID card issuance and distribution, a number of common-sense issues arise.

Vaccination cards will be issued to everyone getting Covid-19 vaccine, health officials say (CNN)

First and foremost, it's unknown how long the immunity offered by the vaccines will last. It's still early days, so there is conflicting evidence: some claim the vaccines will be longer-lasting than the natural immunity of those who caught the virus and recovered, while other evidence suggests the immunity might decay after six months. Despite claims that natural immunity is long-lasting, a non-trivial number of people who had Covid have been re-infected.

Nobody knows how long either natural or vaccine immunity will last because not enough time has elapsed to collect sufficient data.
 
H

herb749

Well-Known Member
GURPS said:
About Those Vaccine ID Cards...

An idea that's simple as an abstraction--vaccine ID cards--turns out to be extremely difficult once real-world operational realities must be dealt with.

Authorities around the world have made it clear that they will do "whatever it takes" to vaccinate their citizenry with one of the first available vaccines. Authoritarian states may mandate universal vaccinations while less authoritarian states will favor a "carrot and stick" approach of offering benefits to the vaccinated and exclusions from employment, education, travel and most of everyday life for those who refuse to be vaccinated.

To identify the vaccinated and unvaccinated, many nations are planning to issue ID cards or "vaccine passports." As an abstraction, this seems straightforward, but if we start digging into the actual operational requirements of this mass ID card issuance and distribution, a number of common-sense issues arise.

Vaccination cards will be issued to everyone getting Covid-19 vaccine, health officials say (CNN)

First and foremost, it's unknown how long the immunity offered by the vaccines will last. It's still early days, so there is conflicting evidence: some claim the vaccines will be longer-lasting than the natural immunity of those who caught the virus and recovered, while other evidence suggests the immunity might decay after six months. Despite claims that natural immunity is long-lasting, a non-trivial number of people who had Covid have been re-infected.

Nobody knows how long either natural or vaccine immunity will last because not enough time has elapsed to collect sufficient data.
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Vaccinations will only be good for less than 2 yrs to coincide with general elections. Gotta use something to keep those mail in ballots flowing.
 
GURPS

GURPS

INGSOC
PREMO Member
Chief Medical Officer Says Canadians Who Refuse Vaccine Won't Have "Freedom To Move Around"


Dr. David Williams was asked if he “would make some sort of mandatory vaccination recommendation.”

Williams acknowledged that “we can’t force someone to take a vaccine,” but when on to explain how people who didn’t take it would have their freedom of mobility severely restricted.

“What we can do is to say sometimes for access or ease of getting into certain settings, if you don’t have vaccination then you’re not allowed into that setting without other protection materials,” said Williams.

https://www.zerohedge.com/users/tyler-durden
 
TPD

TPD

the poor dad
herb749 said:
Vaccinations will only be good for less than 2 yrs to coincide with general elections. Gotta use something to keep those mail in ballots flowing.
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I think I just saw a headline this morning that one of the vaccines about to hit the market will only last for about 3 months. Can you say money printing machine? As in scare everyone into believing they need the vaccine to live but it's only good for 3 months so you have to keep going back for more. First one's on us but you pay there after if you want to live.
 
H

herb749

Well-Known Member
TPD said:
I think I just saw a headline this morning that one of the vaccines about to hit the market will only last for about 3 months. Can you say money printing machine? As in scare everyone into believing they need the vaccine to live but it's only good for 3 months so you have to keep going back for more. First one's on us but you pay there after if you want to live.
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The 2 companies pushing early release were npt part of the govt program but were guaranteed billions in sales. Now you know why they are pushing it. I would like to know if the govt is going to absolve them from any liability or you sign a waiver.
 
H

herb749

Well-Known Member
Sneakers said:
Ah, well the article says 'at least 3 months', not 'only three months'. At the end of 3 month testing, antibody presence was still very high.

But, every other article I've seen says the actual length of protection is a total unknown.
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Maybe that's why you need 2 shots. That part has mysteriously disappeared from being talked about. Once they stick you then they will remind you you need to come back and get stuck again.
 
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