4 ms·

No medical or religious exemptions for B.C.'s vaccine passport system

9 points by miles 5y ago

sigmaprimus 5y ago
The BC government has not done a very good job implementing this passport/vaccine card. They announced the new rules in a big press conference and then less than 24 hours later they reimposed the province wide mask mandate. It is unlikely that they were not planning the return of masks at the time of the press conference but chose not to announce it at that time which seems sort of deceptive. My biggest problem with the vaccine passport is that it requires a cell phone with an app on it, or after labor day (Sept 1st) they will announce how people without cell phones can get a physical card. The card will be required after Sept 12th so that is less than 2 weeks time to obtain a card, it took over 6 months for me to get my firearms license. They could have just mailed out a physical card to everyone or tied it to our medical cards but that wouldn't help the right people profit from this. Also 82% of eligible British Columbians have already gotten the vaccine, which is one of the highest percentages of any region in the world so why are they making us jump through more and more hoops? They also claim that this too will be a temporary measure but like every other "temporary" government restrictions I doubt they will ever end this, there will be a new variant or new disease. Dr. Henry used to say "This is for now, not forever"...she doesn't say that anymore. Adrian Dix the curent appointed Health Minister ran for premier and lost a decade ago but now somehow is dictating new rules for everyone, that just doesn't seem right.
throwawaysea 5y ago
My question is why? COVID is guaranteed to be endemic and we have to learn to live normal lives with a low background level of risk rather than adhere to safetyism. For most people, particularly those under 50, the risks from COVID are incredibly low. If you are healthy (not overweight, eating a nutritious diet) the risks are even lower. Having poor health practices puts you at greater risk of being hospitalized with COVID, which in turn makes you more infectious than the typical positive-testing person. Unvaccinated people may have natural immunity from antibodies they’ve developed, and with potentially better characteristics (related discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28307224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28307224). Vaccinated people are already very safe from serious illness. But both have the ability to transmit the virus and neither has a guaranteed level of safety. Therefore, imposing restrictions seems arbitrary to me. Let the vaccinated do what they want and let the unvaccinated catch it. Those who are at severe risk, or just worried, need to protect themselves with extra precautions or self isolation. But overriding people’s right to medical autonomy and privacy for some poorly understood arbitrary middle ground of risk seems unnecessary and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.
zzo38computer 5y ago
I live in British Columbia. Like the other comments mentions too, I am not sure about how or if the restrictions should be imposed (although businesses should be allowed, if they wish, to require masks or whatever if they advertise it), but I am not a doctor and I don't know. (Maybe such ideas in other comments are right to remove them, but I don't know) It is untrue that they have not removed any temporary restrictions; they have sometimes removed some, and sometimes just to add them back later. It is true they have not removed all restrictions, though; they do sometimes add restrictions that they don't remove (that is why you will need to make a petition). I am annoyed by these changing requirements though (and other government requirements); it is not to say that I am not annoyed by it like anyone else is. I worry if this requirement will backfire during before October 24, during the time where only one vaccine is needed, it might make it worse. Although, maybe not; we will see by the time. But if it does make it worse, will they get the wrong idea about it?
hamburgerwah 5y ago
At least 3% of people have legitimate reasons that cannot be vaccinated. Things like COPD, HIV, etc. Fuck those people apparently.

9 points by miles 5y ago

The BC government has not done a very good job implementing this passport/vaccine card. They announced the new rules in a big press conference and then less than 24 hours later they reimposed the province wide mask mandate. It is unlikely that they were not planning the return of masks at the time of the press conference but chose not to announce it at that time which seems sort of deceptive. My biggest problem with the vaccine passport is that it requires a cell phone with an app on it, or after labor day (Sept 1st) they will announce how people without cell phones can get a physical card. The card will be required after Sept 12th so that is less than 2 weeks time to obtain a card, it took over 6 months for me to get my firearms license. They could have just mailed out a physical card to everyone or tied it to our medical cards but that wouldn't help the right people profit from this. Also 82% of eligible British Columbians have already gotten the vaccine, which is one of the highest percentages of any region in the world so why are they making us jump through more and more hoops? They also claim that this too will be a temporary measure but like every other "temporary" government restrictions I doubt they will ever end this, there will be a new variant or new disease. Dr. Henry used to say "This is for now, not forever"...she doesn't say that anymore. Adrian Dix the curent appointed Health Minister ran for premier and lost a decade ago but now somehow is dictating new rules for everyone, that just doesn't seem right.

throwawaysea 5y ago

My question is why? COVID is guaranteed to be endemic and we have to learn to live normal lives with a low background level of risk rather than adhere to safetyism. For most people, particularly those under 50, the risks from COVID are incredibly low. If you are healthy (not overweight, eating a nutritious diet) the risks are even lower. Having poor health practices puts you at greater risk of being hospitalized with COVID, which in turn makes you more infectious than the typical positive-testing person. Unvaccinated people may have natural immunity from antibodies they’ve developed, and with potentially better characteristics (related discussion https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28307224 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=28307224). Vaccinated people are already very safe from serious illness. But both have the ability to transmit the virus and neither has a guaranteed level of safety. Therefore, imposing restrictions seems arbitrary to me. Let the vaccinated do what they want and let the unvaccinated catch it. Those who are at severe risk, or just worried, need to protect themselves with extra precautions or self isolation. But overriding people’s right to medical autonomy and privacy for some poorly understood arbitrary middle ground of risk seems unnecessary and leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

zzo38computer 5y ago

I live in British Columbia. Like the other comments mentions too, I am not sure about how or if the restrictions should be imposed (although businesses should be allowed, if they wish, to require masks or whatever if they advertise it), but I am not a doctor and I don't know. (Maybe such ideas in other comments are right to remove them, but I don't know) It is untrue that they have not removed any temporary restrictions; they have sometimes removed some, and sometimes just to add them back later. It is true they have not removed all restrictions, though; they do sometimes add restrictions that they don't remove (that is why you will need to make a petition). I am annoyed by these changing requirements though (and other government requirements); it is not to say that I am not annoyed by it like anyone else is. I worry if this requirement will backfire during before October 24, during the time where only one vaccine is needed, it might make it worse. Although, maybe not; we will see by the time. But if it does make it worse, will they get the wrong idea about it?

hamburgerwah 5y ago

At least 3% of people have legitimate reasons that cannot be vaccinated. Things like COPD, HIV, etc. Fuck those people apparently.