Unvaccinated Discrimination

In Aotearoa New Zealand we have moved away from the 4 levels designed to protect us from COVD with a strategy of elimination and now into a traffic light system designed to protect us with a strategy of regionally changing states of 'lockdown'.

This change in forms of COVID protection can only happen with the current vaccination efficacy* and levels of take up around the country.

At each stage, red, orange, or green, constraints on what people can do flux, but none of them at a true "lockdown" state. I think it's been said that red is akin to the old Level 2-ish.

For these traffic light states to work then people must be vaccinated, and we know that's not the case for a minority of people. And it is a minority, in some places a tiny minority. As I write we are nationally 93% vaccinated and Northland is the least vaccinated with 87% of those that live there vaccinated. The following table is automatically updated by the Ministry of Health once a week (source: COVID-19: Vaccine data)

The traffic light system has different levels of access for those vaccinated and those not. For instance in going to the cinema, if everyone is vaccinated then there is no limit to the number of people watching the movie. If there are unvaccinated people wanting to watch the same movie at the same time in the same cinema then it's a maximum of 100 people. Same for gigs, stadiums, etc etc.

How does a cinema owner know though - they ask. They don't ask the person because they might lie. They ask the vaccination system via the person who has verified themselves and got a vaccination certificate on their phone ... or printed it off which works just as well as it's merely a QR code to be scanned.

The vast majority of people have gone and got vaccinated and will benefit from the new traffic light system. For the tiny few that can't or refuse to get vaccinated they will have to live with discrimination. They will not be able to benefit from being a part of the vast parts of society, they will have to be outsiders looking in. We the majority have spoken, we believe in protecting ourselves, those we love, and everyone else ... this has been a societal choice and if you choose otherwise you now are an outsider.

Some venues though are either unvaccinated themselves and refuse to buy into protecting those that come into their venues, OR, they are scared about asking people by using the scanning app to let people in.

Prime example, the local cafe had this up on their door a few days ago.

I thought, "WHAT THE FUCK! You're either an unvaccinated owner OR you're scared. Either way you don't care about protecting me." This choice shows an intent that I am not comfortable with. My housemate has very elderly parents who she visits each week ... think about me getting COVD because I went for a coffee and they didn't care who they served. I come back with the coffee, she goes off for weekly visit and dead parents. No, it isn't guaranteed, but the outcomes are so dire I ain't up for people fucking up the risks on my behalf.

Is it their right to not ask for vaccine passes, hell yeah.

If a hospitality venue chooses not to follow My Vaccine Pass requirements, it can open for contactless pick-up or delivery only.

(source: Hospitality venues at Orange)

Is it my right to not be around unvaccinated people, yes, it is my choice. They are the outsiders, the tiny number of people that have decided that they do not want to be a part of how we all behave with compassion and empathy and care in this country. You wanna be one of those, knock your socks off, just don't think you're representing anyone else because there are millions of us.