111 - 100,000

 I don't want to end up writing a load about the virus on this blog, but today's the day our death toll here went up past 100,000. 

To anyone who says it's just like a bad flu; you're wrong. It's much worse.

To anyone who says that they shouldn't wear a mask; you're wrong. Get wearing it. (See post #98 if you think you should be exempt.)

To anyone that says the lockdown doesn't work; look at the numbers of new infections and how much they're going down.

To anyone - bar those who have severe allergic reactions - that think they shouldn't get a vaccine; grow up, stop believing the conspiracy loons, and get your vaccine when it's your turn. 

To anyone that thinks we had the right idea here about how to deal with the virus; look at the difference between Boris Johnson's and Jacinda Ardem's approaches, and how different the situation in each country is right now. One country is in a much better shape than the other.

We got it wrong. We're doing things now we should have done at the start of March last year. 

Epic fail. 

98 - Exemptions

One of the things that has been to the fore in the current pandemic is the wearing of face masks/coverings in locations where the spread of the virus is most likely; predominantly indoor locations. 

Some people, due to health reasons, are exempt from the wearing of masks in such areas. 

Now, to my mind, this probably causes an increase of spread of the virus as there is a greater risk of both contracting and spreading the virus if people don't wear masks. The virus doesn't go around thinking "Oh, that person's not wearing a mask; I'll not try to infect them..." 

If it were up to me, I would say that everyone should wear a mask at all times when out of their home. Even outdoors. Just to add that extra layer of protection. 

"Ah, but I am one of those exempt due to health reasons!" some will declare. 

Well, at the present those who are deemed to be "extremely clinically vulnerable" are, essentially, advised not to leave their homes and to make arrangements for people to bring shopping, etc to them. 

I would argue that if a person has a health condition that means they can't wear a bit of material covering their mouth and nose this should, in and of itself, place them in the "extremely clinically vulnerable" category and they should, therefore, stay at home. 

Many of the conditions that people claim the exemption for relate to the pulmonary system, and that the masks affect their ability to breathe properly. If a person's condition is that bad, then if they catch the virus it is more likely to affect them to a greater degree than a person without an underlying pulmonary condition. 

So, if you have a condition like this, stay at home. If not, go out (for the specified legal reasons), but wear a mask. 

That way it would be clear that if you are out and about, you should wear a mask. It's annoying. It's inconvenient. It makes your face get a bit warm. But it saves lives, and that has to be the priority. 

Out of the home, you wear a mask. That makes it much simpler. 

(And don't get me started on those fools who wear a mask covering their mouth, but not their nose... Grr...)