"The voluntary phase is over" - Bill de Blasio
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2021/08/03/new-york-c...
> The Mayor will also be initiating a “Key to NYC Pass,” which is like the Covid-19 passport talked about a few months ago. It's a carrot-and-stick approach, as people will be required to show that they are vaccinated if they want to go to restaurants, gyms and other events. No vaccinations, no entrance. “If you want to participate in society fully, you’ve got to get vaccinated,” de Blasio proclaimed. “If we’re going to stop the Delta variant, the time is now,” said the mayor. “This is going to make clear, you want to enjoy everything great in this summer of New York City? Go get vaccinated.”
> In an interview with MSNBC, de Blasio dialed up his frustration over the unvaccinated. “We’ve got to shake people at this point and say, ‘Come on now.’ We tried voluntary. We could not have been more kind and compassionate. Free testing, everywhere you turn, incentives, friendly, warm embrace. The voluntary phase is over,” de Blasio said last week. “It’s time for mandates, because it’s the only way to protect our people.”
De Blasio is talking about restricting access to entirely optional events and locations based on vaccine status, not mandating anyone get it or else.
Covid is a disease that overwhelmingly targets the obese.
But you can't go to a gym.
Do you consider working out an "optional" endeavor?
Not only is it essential to beating covid, but, working out keeps people sane. More young people have died from increased alcohol abuse, suicide, and drug overdoses than Covid. This all coincides with the insane push to de-humanize humans. We are social creatures. We are active creatures. For the past year and a half we have been denied these human needs. What is optional to you, is essential to others.
Personally, I don't care too much about losing the prospect of eating out, or hanging out in a bar. For others, especially young people seeing their entire social prospects evaporate before their eyes- this is life ending. For me, working out keeps me sane and not suicidal. I don't have the luxury of a home gym.
I chose to continue working out during the pandemic, training at "secret" gyms. For my health and my sanity.
All my other friends in my age group have put on weight and are more unhealthy than they've ever been. How does this help fight the pandemic?
Beyond that, I agree that mental health services are essential and should be provided at no cost to anyone who needs it, especially when precautions against a pandemic have a negative affect on mental health.
In Australia you can see the next step already where it’s being applied to grocery stores. You have to start pushing back before it gets to that.
also, I can't find anything like what you're talking about with Australia, just more sensible precautions like this: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/jul/31/from-social...
