Austria puts unvaccinated into lockdown

It's a disgrace, vaccinated people can still be infected and spread the virus, so it doesn't hold up.

Yes Maddy I would also like to see more restrictions with people having to ear a mask on public transport and in any indoor public place. But while we have an incompetent PM who had to be had to be asked 3 times on a hospital visit to put a mask on, then I am afraid I am also with you on pigs might fly.

In addition to the vaccination issue, I am rather surprised that Austria has taken this action considering they have double the number of hospital beds per inhabitant of many EU countries. They have huge capacity in Austria, similar to Germany, compared with Spain or Italy.
Yet, the same argument is trotted out in every land, namely that authorities are concerned that hospital staff will no longer be able to handle the growing influx of Covid-19 patients.
That's maybe why people are getting cross waiting for other treatments and procedures, while all that seems to matter is coping with covid hospitalizations.

I have had all my vaccinations, I wear a mask inside shops, shopping malls, cinema etc.

I am worried about the stance taken by the Austrian Government it is tantamount to a them and us society and it makes me feel extremely uncomfortable.

I agree Urm, this thread has suddenly morphed from a discussion about the actions of Austria and whether we agree or not to a sudden accusation tantamount to anti-semitism coming my way. Anyone calmly reading the thread would not interpret it this way, beside which none of us know much about each other in reality. The person shouting at me doesn't know whether I am of Jewish or Eastern European heritage, whether I lost family in WW2, or anything else other than what I have chosen to share on here. I repeat; I have had both of my vaccinations, I am waiting for my booster, I wear my mask, I limit my interaction with others, but I am deeply disturbed by what I read of the actions of the Austrian government.

rosie1959

Would be ideal if we could get 100% take up of the vacinne but that's not going to happen
Now to me those at the most risk are the unvaccinated but that's their choice
Off for my booster tomorrow

Yes, they are and that is their choice.

Must find out about my booster too.

GillT57

Gabrielle56

As the daughter of a Jewish 3 year old refugee from Nazi Germany in 1935 HOW DARE YOU USE THAT TO MAKE YOUR POINT you're disgraceful

I won't hold my breath, but I think your very unfair rant at my considered point merits an apology.

I mentioned yellow stars up thread but I am not apologising Gabrielle as I think you have missed the point of my and GillT57's posts.

On first glance I thought this OP was about Australia as very odd and worrying things are happening there. Not rumours, actual events as told to us by a relative.

GN is very febrile this days. It’s like a tinderbox always waiting to go BOOM. ?
Opinions are polarised. One is either ‘for’ something or one is deemed ‘against’ and either vilified or cancelled.
What happened to courteously debating an issue?

Would be ideal if we could get 100% take up of the vacinne but that's not going to happen
Now to me those at the most risk are the unvaccinated but that's their choice
Off for my booster tomorrow

Gabrielle56

As the daughter of a Jewish 3 year old refugee from Nazi Germany in 1935 HOW DARE YOU USE THAT TO MAKE YOUR POINT you're disgraceful

I won't hold my breath, but I think your very unfair rant at my considered point merits an apology.

As the daughter of a Jewish 3 year old refugee from Nazi Germany in 1935 HOW DARE YOU USE THAT TO MAKE YOUR POINT you're disgraceful

GillT57

Bluecat, it is a big step from making it mandatory for people to take common sense precautions such as wearing masks, keeping safe distance, scrupulous hygiene etc., to uniformed officials stopping you in the street asking to see your papers. I am very sorry for the situation with your DD and hope she is recovering well, but not all NHS problems can be laid at the door of covid19, although it undoubtedly has made a bad situation far worse. I have had both vaccines but know this does not mean I am incapable of catching or of passing on the infection, I think perhaps this needs to be emphasised.

You know exactly NOTHING about a society where you are stopped and "asked for you papers" !!! We can be stopped at any time and asked for our details if police have a suspicion of either an offence or involvement in one. And "papers"? We don't do that other countries have I.D. and it makes life So easy for everyone, photo I.D. is a safeguard for citizens to avoid mis indentity, all the absolute rubbish spouted when photo driving licences were Introduced? Remember? It means that anyone not holding one is suspect and nobody can claim to be YOU! We're the only country not using official I.D. and I for one wish we had it, as my bank card was stolen/cloned and account wiped out, and nobody questioners young man using my card as NO picture showing what I SHOULD look like!! Not at petrol station supermarket or Debenhams or curries or comet or Wilding's. But at least I've kept my civil liberties if not my money!!!!

It is a dilemma to my mind. People are free to refuse a vaccination and then possibly catch Covid, and if they either don’t test or have any symptoms, they may be unknowingly spreading the virus, which may in turn kill someone.
On the other hand, people are not free to drink and drive (quite rightly) and then get into a car and drive, which may in turn end up killing someone.
Driving whilst drunk and possibly killing someone is illegal.
Not taking a vaccine and possibly killing someone is not illegal.
It’s academic because it will never be illegal to not take the vaccination. I think most of us would not think people should be forced to take a medication against their will. Whether people should be ‘encouraged’ to take the vaccination by removal of some liberties is of course debatable.

Well everyone isn't all "me me me me". What's the vaccination rate here, 70% of the population or something? Best ever for any program, I believe.

I'm talking about the government.

Do what we tell you or don't bother trying to take part in society. You're not like us.

Its a slippery slope. Anyway, I'm off soon to get my booster. So I'm one who you obviously class as honorable Gabrielle56.

Austria is currently battling one of the highest infection rates in Europe, with a 7-day incidence per 100,000 people of 890 — compared to 385 in the UK.

However what they plan unenforceable. And wrong, in my opinion.

Alegrias1

There's a continuum though.

You can't go to the pub becomes you can't work becomes you can't leave your house becomes you have to pay for healthcare.

...becomes a two tier society. And they get a taste for it.

Why doesn't it go : we must try and get all vaccinated: we must try to keep going to work: we must try and work together: we must stop being so bloody minded even if we end up cutting our noses off to spite our faces? 2 roads to travel ,why pick the slippery one down to chaos? Why don't we try being honourable and work as one in society to save lives? Why is everyone all " me me me me me"?

The Austrians are better at following directions than we. My SiL has lived there for nearly 45years and it's like living in the 60s ! They're quite insular and parochial, very into maintaining traditions and keep themselves to themselves. Very different from UK.

Yes, I accept that many people won’t know where they contracted Covid. Particularly since there are no longer any restrictions and people are mixing freely.

Bluecat

It's ridiculous that we don't have even the simplest restrictions here, which could save lives. Masks, for a start. It's hardly a massive sacrifice to wear one and it can reduce the risk of transmission, particularly if combined with scrupulous hygiene. Social distancing would obviously make a big difference, though the hospitality industry would presumably lobby hard against that being re-introduced. That's why we should have vaccination passports.

Scientists are warning of the danger of relying totally on vaccination to prevent a winter wave of infection, which could cost many lives and put massive pressure on the NHS. It appears that the government isn't listening and again won't act until its hand is forced, ie if the death toll rises in winter.

I can see why Singapore is going to charge the unvaccinated for medical care. There are many people here who have been unable to get the medical treatment they need, eg cancer operations, because the NHS is overburdened by Covid. My daughter was one of them and we ended up going private in desperation. People who could have the vaccine but choose to refuse, and then get very ill and need intensive hospital care, are putting pressure on the NHS that could have been avoided if they had just had the damn vaccine.

As for the rather tasteless remark about making the unvaccinated wear a yellow star - a more appropriate symbol would be a big "S" for selfish.

Well said .

There's a continuum though.

You can't go to the pub becomes you can't work becomes you can't leave your house becomes you have to pay for healthcare.

...becomes a two tier society. And they get a taste for it.

maddyone Of course there will be people who know where they got it. My brother-in-law was in hospital way back in March last year. Have a knee oop. He obviously got it from the hospital. No visitors allowed.

But most of us probably don't know the exact person who passed it on

They did a similar thing in France and it did work. France is not the keenest country to take up vaccines but when they knew they'd be out of a job the health care workers took up the vaccine and I think it's about 99% vaccinated.

Actually I know exactly where I got Covid from, pre vaccination, last December. My elderly mother was hospitalised after a fall. She was discharged from hospital with Covid, although we were initially told she was Covid free, because the hospital had tested her twice. Unfortunately a Covid patient was taken into her ward, and removed quickly once she tested positive. My husband and I were in a bubble with mother and were told it was safe to visit. My husband visited in order to remove some furniture in order to clear the corridor so that she was able to use her new walker safely. Mum became ill the day after discharge and was readmitted, and then discovered to be Covid positive. My husband had unknowingly picked up Covid from her, and brought it home to me. We were using Click and Collect for shopping and going nowhere except my mother’s flat. In turn she was going nowhere at all, we got her shopping on our Click and Collect. So actually we do know where we got Covid from.

It will be interesting to see if the Austrian lockdown actually has any positive effect.

Apparently one-third of the Austrian population has refused to be vaccinated.

Something has to be done in countries that either have a steep rise in cases of Covid19 again, or a large number of people who refuse the vaccination.

I am not certain Austrian politicians have chosen the wisest step here, but it is hard to know what, if anything, would work better.

In Denmark we are back to having to show our corona passport, which anyone with any sense would simply have called a vaccination certificate, as that is what it is. Talk too of bring in compulsory use of masks again.

Not that the use of masks seems to be doing much good in Germany, when you see the figures there.

I certainly put one on though before going into the polling station for our local elections this morning.

I don’t think some people realise what this us & them attitude can have on a population.
I lived in an eastern block country for 5 years. I had young friends who weren’t even born when the Berlin Wall was pulled down, and yet, from word of mouth from their parents/grandparents were very dis- trustful of friends and neighbours.
I’ve been in conversation with many elderly people in Spain over the years. Many of those are distrustful having lived through the Franco years.