2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

Forums › Health and fitness › 2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

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480 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2907690 27-Apr-2022 20:57

Geektastic: I was in Countdown on Monday. About half had no mask on and staff ignored it completely.

There is no obligation on businesses to ensure customers comply. If people refuse to wear a face mask, businesses are not required to take any further action to make them.

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Oblivian

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#2907696 27-Apr-2022 21:21

No obligation. But many have made it their conditions of entry (countdown for instance)

Whether they enforce their own conditions is another story.

Have been in to a countdown before where staff actively requested to see users exemption card after he said he was exempt. And when he didn't produce one they informed either the card or mask is condition and not to return again.

Seems there was also a silent change some time ago - it was picked up in the media but not the usual red headline that MOH had ditched all the online links people were printing off willy nilly. But it was too late and in the wild.

Seems those who were classified by their association to groups or doctor were contacted and advised (know of a couple) they could go and pick a more 'proper' one up. This now seems more an official locked down process to get one to the wider people who are not associated or been to the doctor for them.

Interesting that link says all food preps need them. Local dominos seem to think its optional. And also don't care if punters are inside without them

It somewhat defies the everyday use/logic. Need to wear one themselves outside of cooking pizza to visit retail or a supermarket, Suddenly think they don't have to when they walk in their kitchen door.

freitasm

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Geekzone

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#2907927 28-Apr-2022 15:23

Press release:

Health Minister Andrew Little says New Zealanders who contract COVID-19 now have access to six medicines proven to safely prevent the most severe and life-threatening symptoms of the virus.

Andrew Little was in Auckland this afternoon to see the first shipment of molnupiravir, the second oral anti-viral COVID-19 medicine to arrive in the country.

“Anti-virals stop people with mild COVID-19 symptoms from becoming very sick and needing to go to hospital, and because they are pills, they are easy for people to take at home,” Andrew Little said.

New Zealand was one of the first countries to secure access to supplies of molnupiravir. It was approved this month by medicines regulator Medsafe, and the first shipment has just arrived.

“Vaccination is still our first and best line of defence, but it is important to have a range of treatments available for people who contract COVID-19 and are at risk of becoming seriously ill,” Andrew Little said.

“We already have four medicines – Baricitinib, Ronapreve, Remdesivir and Tocilizumab – being used in hospitals, and this month another anti-viral, Paxlovid, started being used to treat people at home.

“Adding molnupiravir into the mix means doctors have got a range of medicines to combat the worst symptoms of COVID-19 and protect people who are immunocompromised or have complex health conditions. It also helps prevent the health system from being overwhelmed,” Andrew Little said.

Another medicine, Evusheld, a prophylactic treatment which can prevent people who can’t have vaccines from getting COVID-19, is awaiting Medsafe approval.

All COVID-19 medicines are funded through the Government’s COVID-19 fund.

tdgeek

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#2907995 28-Apr-2022 17:47

Thats pretty awesome. The range, rather than one medicine, means that shortages are much less likely

Sideface

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#2908330 29-Apr-2022 13:23

Current mask exemption criteria

Radio NZ - Call for tighter criteria for mask exemptions under Covid-19 rules

29 April 2022

The current criteria for requesting a card according to the Ministry of Health website include having the following conditions if they make wearing a mask difficult: asthma; sensitive skin or a skin condition like eczema; wearing hearing aids; getting migraines, having glasses, dry eyes or contact lenses; hay fever; difficulty breathing; dizziness, headaches, nausea or tiredness; a runny nose from wearing a face covering; a physical or mental illness, condition or disability.

This is a ridiculously long and vague list.

I qualify for exemption on 6 of these grounds - but I still wear a mask. 😷

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DS248

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#2908362 29-Apr-2022 14:18

Sideface:

Current mask exemption criteria

Radio NZ - Call for tighter criteria for mask exemptions under Covid-19 rules

29 April 2022

The current criteria for requesting a card according to the Ministry of Health website include having the following conditions if they make wearing a mask difficult: asthma; sensitive skin or a skin condition like eczema; wearing hearing aids; getting migraines, having glasses, dry eyes or contact lenses; hay fever; difficulty breathing; dizziness, headaches, nausea or tiredness; a runny nose from wearing a face covering; a physical or mental illness, condition or disability.

This is a ridiculously long and vague list.

I qualify for exemption on 6 of these grounds - but I still wear a mask. 😷

"... wearing hearing aids; ..., having glasses, .. contact lenses; .;."

Farcical ...!

wellygary

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#2908368 29-Apr-2022 14:35

Its also self selecting... there is no requirement for the "symptoms" to be verified, you fill in the on-line form and a card turns up.... which you don't have to carry or show to anyone....

Its a total joke

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GV27

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#2908374 29-Apr-2022 15:12

I wanted to see if I could apply for one with a stupid reason in another box; namely 'Dull Ball Ache' so I selected 'None of these apply' from their list and it sent me to a form... and all it asked me was if I had a physical illness, a mental illness, a disability or a condition.

So I really hope this gets reviewed by someone instead of just sent out because I can't even joking apply for one for a stupid reason like having sore nuts because there's no place to actually write my stupid reason - and there's no phone number field, just an email address.

Perhaps someone can confirm if they actually get contacted by someone to check why they actually need an exemption or if the process is automatic and the exemption just gets given to you? I don't want to send this in on account of having supposedly busted plums in the event it does trigger a follow up, like I'm guessing it should, because I may well end up wasting someone's time and find my actual balls in a vice over it.

tdgeek

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#2908378 29-Apr-2022 15:31

OTOH its a realisation, thats already been stated today, that compliance will drop off a lot when the next variant hits. As in everywhere else, people arent interested. Fortunately the current variant is milder, which is also a head wind for compliance

Sideface

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#2908379 29-Apr-2022 15:31

DS248:

"... wearing hearing aids; ..., having glasses, .. contact lenses; .;."

Farcical ...!

Actually, wearing hearing aids while masked can be a major nuisance -

If you wear the common type of "above and behind the ear" hearing aids, as I do, when you take your mask off, your hearing aids often get tangled with the mask and fall to the ground.

As they cost several thousand dollars each, and are small, inconspicuous, and easily lost, this is a very real issue.

I also wear spectacles, but they don't get tangled with the mask.

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DS248

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#2908387 29-Apr-2022 15:54

Sideface:

DS248:

"... wearing hearing aids; ..., having glasses, .. contact lenses; .;."

Farcical ...!

Actually, wearing hearing aids while masked can be a major nuisance -

If you wear the common type of "above and behind the ear" hearing aids, as I do, when you take your mask off, your hearing aids often get tangled with the mask and fall to the ground.

As they cost several thousand dollars each, and are small, inconspicuous, and easily lost, this is a very real issue.

I also wear spectacles, but they don't get tangled with the mask.

I also wear "above and behind the ear" hearing aids costing ~5 thousand dollars each, and yes they can get tangled up and come out but with practice it now happens very rarely. Have only come fully out about twice (helped by having those little plastic half-circle lines attached to the in ear part to minimise the chance of them coming out).

But it is just something I take a bit of care with and not something I have ever considered a reason not to wear a mask.

sen8or

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#2908399 29-Apr-2022 16:28

If someone doesn't want to wear a mask, its going to be pretty bloody easy for them to get an exemption and with the cards legally recognized, I can only see the mask requirement portion of our settings go the way of the DVD store. That doesn't take away that those who choose to wear a mask are still free to do so, regardless of whether or not they feel they have to because of rules (or lack thereof).

johno1234

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#2908400 29-Apr-2022 16:31

It is all moot.

There are still many, many people in high risk or customer-facing positions wearing cloth masks. These masks are close to worthless - omicron whizzes straight through them. Ill fitting surgical type masks with gaps around the nose and cheeks are also close to worthless. Masks worn under the nose (I see them every day!) are definitely worthless. None of these things are attracting much comment.

N95 masks, properly fitted, work beautifully.

There's no point worrying about undeserved exemption cards when many or most of the mask wearing population are wearing worthless masks. People with silly exemptions are not going to make a significant difference to the numbers.

If you are concerned about COVID, wear an N95 mask, properly fitted.

vexxxboy

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#2908406 29-Apr-2022 17:08

johno1234:

It is all moot.

There are still many, many people in high risk or customer-facing positions wearing cloth masks. These masks are close to worthless - omicron whizzes straight through them. Ill fitting surgical type masks with gaps around the nose and cheeks are also close to worthless. Masks worn under the nose (I see them every day!) are definitely worthless. None of these things are attracting much comment.

N95 masks, properly fitted, work beautifully.

There's no point worrying about undeserved exemption cards when many or most of the mask wearing population are wearing worthless masks. People with silly exemptions are not going to make a significant difference to the numbers.

If you are concerned about COVID, wear an N95 mask, properly fitted.

i did and i still got covid

Common sense is not as common as you think.

Rikkitic

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#2908407 29-Apr-2022 17:21

Speaking of which, what is a good source of non-fake N95 masks in NZ? Not big lots, just individual purchase.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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