Here Comes the Mask Freak Out Again! By Brian Simpson
With the latest variants of Omicron frantically running around infecting the vaxxed, the health authorities are reaching once more for the ultimate weapon: the pretty blue surgical masks, to keep us safe. Yes, the Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said, the new BA.5 variant was more infectious and was better at “evading immunity,” whatever that means today. “It is circulating in the community and it poses a significant new threat,” he said.
“Go and get that third dose if you’re due or get the fourth dose if you are now eligible, but those vaccines do not stop the transmission of this virus, and this variant is unusual in that case.”
Eh, if BA.5 essentially evades immunity, and the vaxxes do not stop transmission, and three jabs have not solved the problem, what good exactly is the fourth one going to be, except for making more profit for Big pHARMa? Please explain, as the lady once said.
“The Health Minister and the Chief Health Officer have on Tuesday strongly recommended that Australians wear masks indoors as a wave of the new Covid variant sweeps the country.
Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly said the new BA.5 variant was more infectious and better at evading immunity.
“It is circulating in the community and it poses a significant new threat,” he said.
“Go and get that third dose if you’re due or get the fourth dose if you are now eligible, but those vaccines do not stop the transmission of this virus, and this variant is unusual in that case.”
Health Minister Mark Butler and Mr Kelly reaffirmed that while no mask mandates have been introduced, community members should wear masks indoors and work from home where possible.
“[We] strongly encourage the community to wear a mask in indoor spaces, particularly crowded indoor spaces where there's not the ability to socially distance,” Mr Butler said.
Hospitalisations from Covid are approaching the nation’s January peak of more than 5000 cases and Mr Butler said current numbers had “increased very dramatically over recent weeks”.
He also confirmed that talks were under way with the Australian Defence Force regarding further contributions to the aged care workforce.
“Well, we're certainly going to continue to try to see our surge workforce capacity increase, it's running at a higher rate than it was in January,” Mr Butler said.
“The department is now talking to the ADF about whether there is additional capacity, … recognising they have other jobs, jobs they need to do as well, but whether there is some additional capacity the ADF has that they can contribute to the aged care sector.”
Neither the Health Minister or the Chief Health Officer were able to predict future case numbers or when the next wave will peak.
“We don't know exactly what it will be. What we do know … is that we can predict reasonably well up to five weeks from now and in every state and territory the number of cases according to those predictions are continuing to rise – so we're at the start of this wave, not the end,” Mr Kelly said.
“We know that that is associated with hospitalisations and what happens in the future really very much depends on what we do today and what we have done in the last two weeks.
“This will not be forever but for the next few weeks this is the way we can actually influence the spread of the virus, protect vulnerable people in our community and also protect our healthcare systems, which are already under strain."
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