The problem is that the benefits aren’t even proven in relation to cloth masks (I would argue that they aren’t even likely…what are the chances that my kids’ cloth masks are doing anything positive during 8 hours at school? I would say astronomically low. The likelihood they are doing harm is exceedingly obvious.).
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IMO, If they are ineffective, I think they’re doing no harm and are benign.
If they work, great! If they don’t, then all I did was wear a silly mask on my face.
Unfortunately, it has been demonstrated in studies that many children have a much harder time learning and acclimating to society when they can not clearly see the faces of their peers and teachers. Studies have also showed that the psychological effects of living in fear of a virus (one that is far less deadly to kids than pneumonia and the flu) can be severe. Others have shown that because the masks are worn for long periods and not taken care of properly, it increases the child’s chances of getting sick.
Your assumption that the worst that happens to one for being forced to wear a mask is that all you did was have to wear a silly mask is not supported by current data.
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So wearing surgical masks on the MRT since the beginning of the pandemic is useless in your opinion?
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If you wear it properly, avoid adjusting it, and replace it often, it apparently has something like a 10-30% positive affect, IIRC. If you’re not doing those things, the utility seems to decrease significantly.
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Did those goalposts just move or am I seeing things?
No, I think you are right that you are moving the goalposts.
I was pretty sure in May that around November restrictions will be partly lifted - as I expected that by then 60% of the population is double vaccinated. Right now not seeing it at all. Maybe by CNY reduced to 1 week for vaccinated?
If Taiwan wants to increase vaccination rates - it will have to offer perks. The main one for many young people will be a quarantine that is reasonable…
But I think in the next 2-3 months Taiwan should receive enough vaccines to easily reach 60% - or am I wrong? Especially Astra Zeneca should be in easy supply, no-one in Europe wants it anymore. Other vaccines are also quite quickly in big supply.
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Demand isn’t the issue.
Supply is.
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does anybody know how many people are dying despite being vaccinated? like what %?
How wide a swath the Delta variant eventually cuts thru Taiwan comes down to what percentage of the population turns out to be refuseniks. The percentage in the U.S. is around 40% so Delta has cut a wide swath and the casualty rate is high. If the percentage in Taiwan turns out to be less than 10% then Taiwan might be one of the few countries which turn the corner on Covid.
For me Taiwan has proven that surgical masks do work. Taiwan is doing nothing else different that the western world. The only difference is mask usage with a much higher coverage than anywhere else I’ve seen. And still now twice the containment has essentially worked.
I hate using a mask and I think the outside rules especially in regards with sports are too much but its hard to argue that they don’t work.
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The masks help definitely and most people do comply with the mask mandates here. I feel the numbers were kept down largely because people stayed home more at the beginning of the outbreak.
As to the original question for this thread. I can’t see quarantining ending anytime soon and tbh this government has work to do still getting their quarantine policy right. Too many mistakes are being made.
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Taiwan just did turn the corner 
Just not via immunity. Delta included.
Stats in the UK show the COVID death rate is x11 lower among the fully vaccinated.
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Had a son last October and my parents have been dying to meet him.
We’ve been waiting for the quarantine restrictions to ease up (either shorter duration so they can come visit us [they are vaccinated], or us being allowed to do it at home on our return trip since 2 weeks separated in a quarantine hotel with a 10 month old sounds like hell)
I was hoping for maybe Christmas (so that we’d be able to get vaxxed here, but otherwise we would just get vaxxed in the states) but that is looking more and more unlikely…
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My feeling is that, if you were to remove political optics from the situation, Taiwan would wait until 70% are fully vaccinated, and the winter flu season is over, before doing a managed relaxation of quarantine restrictions, attempting to let coronavirus slowly become endemic within the population at a rate that wouldn’t overload the hospitals.
But, like others have said, politics will likely play a huge factor. The KMT would use every case and death as a stick to beat the DPP, and many people would lap it up, fuelled by Taiwan’s sensationalist tabloid media. So I fear we may continue to see stricter quarantine measures for a longer period. Possibly until after the local, mid-term elections towards the end of 2022.
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I don’t see demand being there. By now anyone who wants to get the first shot, more or less got it. And Taiwan is at 4x %. Also I heard from many they aren’t getting the second shot. When they got vaccinated there was the outbreak, people were panicking. By now most people have read up more about the dangers of the vaccine as well as coronavirus. And with no coronavirus in Taiwan for now, without being able to travel, you would be well stupid to get vaccinated as a young person.
No new outbreak, no travel, watch Taiwan sit on a big pile of vaccines in no time. Taiwan will not even make 50% double vaccinated. And closed borders cost Taiwan a lot too. So once they have enough vaccines - they will need to offer something and say when travel is possible again.
Also I am pretty sure that the supply is sorted in the next 2 months.
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That just simply isn’t true
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I have many 2x-3x year old friends, those who want it all got it. And many said they aren’t getting the second shot if they cannot travel.
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