Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once, and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now. My words are:
One of these words immediately triggered something that has been on my mind.
(Mostly) young, unvaccinated people who returned from summer break, not only acquired a tan but a touch of the Delta variant, thus launching the forth wave of the Coronavirus in Switzerland.
Our town made the news this week. 600+ elementary students need to quarantine, and schools are closed for at least ten days.
Hospital capacities (ICU beds) are approaching their limits quickly, some non-Covid patients' treatments need to be postponed indefinitely again, and our government ordered to extend the Covid certification obligation.
The Covid certification is proof of vaccination, recovery (going back no longer than six months) or a negative test result. Currently you only need this certification for airlines, large events and night clubs. As of Monday, September 13, the certification requirement will cover recreational sites, cultural activities and all kinds of eateries.
What's more, as of October 1st, unvaccinated people who need to do a Covid test, will have to pay for the expenses out of their own pockets. Until now these tests have been offered for free everywhere, which was very convenient. Sports venues would set up a testing tent in front of the entrance, and all you had to do was arrive early, get tested and you were allowed to watch the game.
In all these months, I never had to test, but I understand it's around 20 bucks. Meaning if you want to go out for dinner, you'll almost drop more on the test than on your meal.
Of course anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers are throwing a hissy fit, claiming discrimination, two-tier society, "conditions like in the third Reich" even.
I know, right? Don't blame me, just telling you what I hear and read.
Booo, sorry, not sorry!
You've had your chance to get jabbed for free. Why you trippin? Get with the program, suckers! (If you can't get vaccinated for a legitimate reason, I'm not cursing at you. I know you're being extra careful and don't behave like an entitled, self-absorbed brat.)
My family has been living very withdrawn for the past 18 months. No parties, no graduation activities, no traveling abroad. Hey, I can't even remember when we last stayed at the Windy City!
We've been practicing distance learning, wearing the freaking masks all the time, keeping our distance in the grocery store, participating in group testing at school (Colin), and suffering from pretty bad flu-like symptoms after the second vaccination. Half of our staff has been strictly working from home. I know barely what they look like anymore!
I met with my best friends less than a handful of times, with the effect that I qualify to be on the wagon.
So even though we were much better off than in other European countries, such as Italy and Spain, who actually imposed a curfew on their citizens, and people were only allowed to leave their home for an hour each day to go for a walk (sounds an awful lot like prisoners' yard privilege), and in order to go to work, to the doctor or the drug store, they needed a note, we feel we made plenty of sacrifices.
For other people, however, the advice (or even directives) of the government and health experts went unheeded. Folks chose to still go skiing, and worse, après-skiing. Is this a thing in the U.S.? After the athletic part of skiing, you go to a ski lodge for cocktails and dancing. Either that hut is up in the mountains, and you're still wearing your ski boots and overall, and getting down to the valley station while intoxicated, can be dangerous. Or you go back to your accommodation, take a shower and dress up for a fancy version of après-skiing. Both carry the risk of catching a virus though.
Some of these people assume that they don't have to go to all the trouble and get vaccinated. There are enough other people who did, right? Uh, actually, the success of vaccinations depends on the majority of people contributing to herd immunity. So you're not getting a pass.
They also claim they don't know what's in there. Fair enough, I don't either, and I'll have to trust the proper authorities to do responsibly approve and recommend vaccines. Full disclose though: anti-vaxxers probably eat processed food like the rest of us. Do we know what's in there? Or they use a cell phone. What do we know about long term consequences of radio frequency radiation?
I could go on and on. You've heard it all yourself.
Now a few activists got together and launched a popular initiative. This democratic tool is probably comparable to a bill in the U.S.? They need 100,000 signatures for the proposal to be approved for voting.
Article 10 of the Swiss Constitution states that everyone has the right to physical integrity.
The committee wants to add that "physical integrity" explicitly includes the right to refuse vaccinations plus an assurance that their refusal will not result in any legal or financial disadvantages.
Talk about having their cake and eat it, too.
In order to cushion the economic impact of the pandemic, the federal government had provided generous hardship solutions during and after the lockdowns.
I've heard an anti-vaxxer say "I don't mind if we are headed towards another lockdown. At least this will apply to everyone", (as opposed to only people holding the certification are allowed to eat at the restaurant or go see a movie).
Some right-wingers now counter "if you're refusing to get vaccinated, please sign here confirming you won't require an ICU bed, and if you still do, you'll carry the entire costs."
This subject is not doing great things for my blood pressure, so I'll stop here.
On a brighter note, and speaking of cake, my son and his friend had to do a school project. This is them, making a cake:
How do I end this post?
Stay healthy and happy! And please don't leave before checking out my blogger friends' posts:
I've been saying, and I truly believe that if those who can but won't get vaccinated have the right to do so, then they should be forced to stay at home with ankle bracelets. Not only should that be MY right, but no one said that using your rights don't have consequences. Those consequences have been felt by the rest of us, time to switch the consequences over to those who society should be protected from.
ReplyDeleteI actually love the idea of consequences for choices.
ReplyDeleteAnd footing the bill should be the result of choice!
Yes, especially frustrating when one of those anti-vaxers is your 35-year-old daughter :(. Compares it to living in Nazi Germany. I finally told her that I was not going to feel guilty for not including her in our plans to go places because she made the choice not to get vaccinated and the rest of us have been.
ReplyDeleteBloody great post
ReplyDeletePreach. On. It. Sister! I'm so over this world we are living in and the self-righteous folks who won't even do the bare minimum.
ReplyDeleteThis is happening all over the world, unfortunately. Those anti-vaxxers are a bunch of selfish twats!
ReplyDeleteI live in Georgia right near florida in the u.s. and it's similar except the government in these states is fighting to prevent local municipalities from requiring masks and vaccinations. one nearby city in florida (the one i have to go to if i want to do any shopping besides the very limited options i have near me) is being sued by the state for requiring vaccinations for city and state employees and the local schools are having funds withheld for requiring students to wear masks. things are on a downturn now in these two states, but the holidays are definitely going to make things worse. i definitely relate to a lot of what you're feeling.
ReplyDelete