Fear-mongering Covid zealots are advocating for mask regulations and coerced social withdrawal in an effort to keep Australians in the grip of the pandemic, despite the lack of any official medical guidance in support of the proposed measures.
The Omicron variant’s two highly contagious sub strains, known as BA.4 and BA.5, are generating personnel shortages in universities, hospitals, and the business sector worldwide.
In Australia, 43,491 new instances of Covid were reported in the 24 hours leading up to Friday morning.
Governments have refrained from restoring restrictions despite the fact that the strains are far more contagious than earlier sub-variants and there is no evidence to suggest that they are any more harmful than the Omicron and Delta strains or any less serious than the virus’s original form.
In Australia, there were 337,092 instances recorded on Sunday, and 4,719 of those cases were hospitalized, suggesting 98.6% of cases did not necessitate hospitalization. This figure is likely significantly higher when considering the enormous number of positive RAT tests that go unreported.
However, that hasn’t stopped lockdown-happy extremists from spouting non-official advice to scare others into joining their campaign of fear.
Earlier in July, influential American writer and speaker Stephanie Tait, 35, told her 31,000 Twitter followers that governments have ‘all but abandoned us’ amid the current wave and took it upon herself to disseminate panic.
Her tweet was shared widely by Australians concerned by what she had to say.
‘If you aren’t wearing a mask in public, you are likely going to get BA.5. If you are wearing a surgical (or heaven forbid cloth) mask in public? You are likely going to get BA.5,’ Ms Tait wrote.
‘Eating indoors in restaurants right now is all but a guarantee you’ll get infected in this wave. Eating outdoors at most restaurants is unfortunately still a decent risk with BA.5, because there just isn’t enough distance from others to fully mitigate the danger.’
She went on to suggest governments were actively trying to hide the severity of the new strains and people shouldn’t rely on official health advice to inform their behavior.
‘Reduce your risk by cutting back on whatever non-essential interactions you can. If you can switch to curbside/delivery? Do it. Even if you have access to quality respirators rated n95 or higher, if you CAN avoid it, then right now that’s highly advisable,’ she wrote.
‘Move any gatherings you can outdoors, and even then, you should still use masks. If you need to eat/drink then distance each household away from each other outdoors and resume masking once you have finished.
‘Even if you’ve managed to dodge Covid so far, PLEASE don’t assume whatever you’re doing will still be safe. This isn’t the same Covid as before.’
‘I’m sorry but there are no shortcuts or get out of jail free methods here that will allow you to live regularly and mask free right now,’ Ms. Tait said, going so far as to inform the others that there was no way they could possibly lead normal lives. Sorry.’
The uninvited Twitter rant was not indicative of the most recent guidance offered by governments.
The same authorities who twice shut down nations in the last two years—once when the epidemic started and again when the Delta variety started to spread—said fresh restrictions were not required amid the most recent wave.
‘See if “strongly encouraging” is more effective as a public health strategy than “urging” and “recommending” mask wearing indoors,’ the post read.
‘Without a mandate, people are just ignoring public health advice.’
Doctor Phelps, meanwhile, also retweeted numerous calls for the return of mask mandates and other restrictions.
She retweeted one woman who suggested Australians can ‘no longer class ourselves as a community’.
‘When we force our vulnerable, disabled, and elderly to isolate at home, in order to protect themselves, while the rest of the population does what it wants,’ the post read.
In a tweet directed at Mr. Albanese, she wrote: ‘The only way you can protect the vulnerable is to make some tough decisions about reducing #Covid19 transmission including PCR testing, supporting isolation and masks.’
A mother-of-four from Melbourne told her Twitter followers that she ‘nearly cried when [Labor MP] Stephan Whitlam said we have to “treat it as endemic”.’
‘It made me feel politicians aren’t looking at epidemic curves. Another variant will be along after BA.5. Another surge. It’s not endemic.’
Former judge and Melbourne University professor Alastair Nicholson last week took a swipe at Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for being ‘weak’ and failing to bring back mask mandates.
‘I cannot believe the present weakness of the Andrews Government on Covid,’ he wrote on social media.
‘It seems to have completely lost its nerve and succumbed to business pressure in ignoring the CHO and AMA advice on mask wearing. Since when has business had such influence over public health issues.’
Mr. Andrews championed some of the toughest Covid measures in Australia throughout the Delta wave in 2021, despite heavy criticism.
He introduced nightly curfews and mandatory masks in outdoor settings, as the armed police officers marched through parks and children’s playgrounds.
Another user, retweeted by Dr Phelps and Mr. Windsor, called people who don’t want to live with restrictions ‘freedoms’ who are ‘too stupid to realize they identify each other through their likes and conversations’.
Mr. Albanese has meanwhile argued the mandatory seven-day isolation period was necessary to combat surging Covid cases and ease pressure on hospitals – even though a large portion of the strain on the healthcare system is coming from a surge in influenza cases.
Australia recorded its worst May on record with 65,770 confirmed influenza cases – more than double the number set before lockdown in 2019.
There is no mandatory isolation period for influenza.
Those with Covid are not required to isolate in countries such as the UK or Switzerland, while they are only ‘recommended’ to self-quarantine for five days in the US.
Face masks are not enforced in the UK or Switzerland either – while Australians are still required to wear them while catching public transport or visiting a hospital.
Countries such as Sweden also no longer categories Covid as a ‘critical illness’.