I wanted to start a new thread on this because the others regarding COVID-19 are filled up. So we need to focus on this important thing regarding the vaccinations.
Now that the AstraZeneca COVID Vaccines have arrived in Taiwan, I have thought twice about this, and I have decided that even when I didn’t want to take the vaccine, I am convinced that this vaccine is safe, and I will take this vaccine in order for me to allow myself to be able to have the chance to go home to Canada and see my kin very soon.
The question I have is, how long will it be when we teachers will get vaccinated for COVID-19? If I can get it as soon as May, I will.
The main point here that I want to get across is this: If I get inoculated with the vaccine in about 2 to 3 months from now and they give me the record for being vaccinated, will my home country (Canada) give me an exemption from a 14-day quarantine? If I return to Taiwan (if my contract is renewed), will I also get exempted from quarantine?
To me it makes no sense to put a vaccinated person into quarantine or self-isolation if they have the record to prove that they have been vaccinated from COVID-19. If I do get vaccinated, and my government in Canada does not exempt me from quarantine, then I will still not go to Canada this summer, as simple as that.
So now that the vaccines are here in Taiwan, they got to get cracking with the inoculations ASAP.
There is still the issue of even if you have been vaccinated, you can still potentially spread the virus to others.
I think that’s why quarantining is still required.
The flaw with this is we still don’t actually know if the vaccine would:
A) ideally allow the person to deal with the virus in an asymptomatic and non-contagious way
or
B) simply reduce the symptoms to nothing more than a minor cold, but remain functionally contagious.
And for a still not-yet vaccinated populace, quarantines will still be here to stay until we find out.
We understand that the vaccines are up to 90ish per cent effective, but efficacy has not yet been defined. We know they’re safe, but safe doesn’t define effective.
There is no scientific evidence to demonstrate that, though early reports out of Israel suggest that the vaccinated are extremely unlikely to spread the virus, which comports with scientific studies on similar situations.
It’s probably going to depend on the vaccination level of the country you are entering. If hardly anyone is vaccinated i don’t see anything changing. It’s still early days yet anyway.
Taiwan has made it clear that they have no intention to reduce quarantine requirements for vaccinated people at this time or in the foreseeable future
It is highly unlikely that you will be able to get vaccinated here in Taiwan by May unless you are in one of the high-priority groups as defined by the government which would appear unlikely
The exemption from the 3-night hotel stopovers has nothing to do with those who are already vaccinated. So if I get the vaccination here in Taiwan, until the Canadian government includes vaccinated travelers as being exempted from 3-night hotel stays and quarantines, I will not go to Canada this summer.
This is simply a stupid, punitive move on the Canadian government’s part. There have been significant issues (can we say sexual assault?) in these quarantine hotels. Many people are just not going and walking out of the airport and going home to quarantine; there has been little enforcement so far and the government is just relying on Canadians to follow the rules no matter what.
Canada is likely to be first in line to make these vaccines mandatory, and probably using school and travel restrictions as the tool to implement their wishes. Honestly, this worries me a bit. And I am pro vaccine in case there is confusion.
I did find out that not all people returning to Canada right now are staying in these hotels for 3 nights after their on-arrival PCR tests. Some of these hotels are booked, and some are getting away without being caught by the police.
You are not excluded from quarantine, even if you have:
tested negative for COVID-19
been vaccinated for COVID-19
recovered from COVID-19
I’ve been keeping a close eye on this because I’m trying to figure out if we should make the move back to Canada this year or not (we’ve already postponed it for a year).
Actually, after the three days, you still need to quarantine for another 10-11 days, but you can do it at home instead of that hotel.
You still need to quarantine for the full 14 days.
And you’re right. The cost is high. I was checking out some of the hotels in Vancouver that have been approved (you can book them online) and they are charging around $800-$900 a night. Also, you need to pay in advance for the full three days and the money is not refundable even if you get to leave early because you get your test results back.
I have no idea why this reply is saying it’s a response to Shui since I just quoted TT,
This sort of bullshit is why i have been postponing movin back to canada for over a decade. Country of hypocrisy and hollow dreams haha.
How the fuck can 800 a night be mandatory…? thats just theft.
Canada is great in so many ways, but the country as a whole often times retards itself. I am at a constant struggle as to which is worse, taiwans issues on foreigner living, environment/health and the china thing, or canadas social entitlement high horse without delivery of services…tough call, and til now taiwan still comes out ahead. I am starting to look into going back to canada as i have a house, family is getting old etc. But things like this are just salt in the wound that makes me think about Australia instead.
Edit. Sorry that was rash, looking into the hotel scene a bit more. Should of read more. However the general feeling remains the same for countless other things in canada haha
As a Canadian myself I totally agree with you. Canada is a great country, I love Canada, but you are right about hollow dreams when looking at my career as a teacher. And C$800 a night for a hotel in Vancouver!? That’s $2,400 for 3 nights! But don’t be surprised because the real estate costs in Vancouver are literally more expensive than Toronto and Montreal. But what they are doing in Canada is not protection against Coronavirus for the safety of the people, this is money grabbing highway robbery. But this would not be happening if some of our Canadians have not been so ignorant and selfish to go and travel and bring the virus home.
If Canada is not going to exempt fully vaccinated people from quarantine, that gives me the right to say that my government is idiotic. In fact any government that refuses to exempt fully vaccinated persons from quarantine is idiotic. There are 3 countries in the world I can come across that are accepting fully vaccinated people to visit their countries with exemptions from quarantine: Cyprus, Seychells, and Thailand. Even fully vaccinated people should still wear masks at this time when visiting these places.
Last week, there was a video of some guy (filming himself) walking out of arrivals at an airport in Canada telling people they did not need to go to a quarantine hotel. He told the police he was not going to a hotel and the police allowed him to walk out and agreed it was not required.
Just wait, this summer and most countries will accept you without quarantine, at least with test.
Accepting people with vaccination without quarantine while not accepting others is just unfair. It’s about as safe as allowing people under 50 with normal BMI in without quarantine.
If we start discriminating, then please let’s do it properly and exclude all risk categories - and that’s foremost the fat and old. And yeah - it’s your choice what you eat and excercise, so you can be fat or not - but as long as vaccination is not available to everybody - not giving everyone the same rights as vaccinated people is simply unfair. It’s kinda absurd, first we do quarantine and all this shit for saving the old and fat, then we rightfully vaccinate them first, and then we even allow them to travel first. I’m all against this.
I think a big problem is people are not actually comprehending these vaccines are RUSHED and unknown. Thats why i am waiting. And that is why, for now, i am accepting.governments still requestting quarantine because they all admit the science isnt proven yet. Everyone should truly think about what that means for a second. Actually think about it.
On the other hand, the hotels charging 800 a night is just rape. Canadians like to point fingers at capitalism and the US, fuck right off. Canada is great. The issue is now a days the general tendancy is ignorance and hypocrisy which is literally the only reason i dont move back. These hollow douches that talk about indigenous rights and buy a made in china apple trap annoy the absolute piss out of me. And that exact example sums up most of canadian culture these years. Pitty
