12:01 AM Jan 1st 2022

I think you are incorrect.

https://www.casino.org/news/nevada-g...three-casinos/

Nevada Gaming has made masks a regulatory requirement for health and safety for licensed operators.

https://gaming.nv.gov/modules/showdo...cumentid=16731

My dad works at the CDC and he said that Las Vegas can have normal poker again on December 17th of this year.

Did your dad also confirm that Santa would be here a week later ?

Well, they may politely point out covid-19 killed around 0,04% of the world population with a median age of 80 but somehow society went into the biggest panic ever and imposed all sort of draconian rules on the population.

Neat. Doesn’t change anything about what I said.

They just can't help themselves.

I really prefer the 8 handed tables and hope they never go back to 9 handed. When ballys reopened last year they were 9 handed and that only lasted a week or two before they changed it down to 8 handed because too many people complaining that it made the tables too crowded

They may also be grateful that healthcare systems still exist and that their life expectancy is not in the mid 30's. The response to the pandemic has never been about the no. or rate of deaths, but the no. of hospitalizations and the potential collapse of healthcare as we know it.

that's plainly untrue, hospitals have zero issues at the moment in the UK, death rates plummeting, all old people vaccinated ... and guess what, we are still caged - this is a political decision based on social media drama going crazy, like many other things ongoing nowadays.

South Dakota never closed down and they did just fine.

You have an interesting definition of "just fine."

"South Dakota has 880,000 citizens scattered over the country’s 17th largest state, providing built-in social distancing. In theory, it should have a Covid death rate in the bottom 10, near fellow sparse states like Maine and Wyoming. Instead, there are now more than 1,900 dead — one in 470 South Dakotans — and one in eight have tested positive for Covid, the second-highest rate in the country. Gov. Noem appeared on Face the Nation in February, and host Margaret Brennan asked how she could square her pro-life stance with her state having the highest Covid death rate since July. “Those are questions you should be asking every other governor in this country,” said Noem. “I’m asking you today,” said Brennan."

https://www.rollingstone.com/politic...covid-1142068/

Lol their population is less than San Jose.

It's like saying "my grandpa Gary who lives in bumfack nowhere didn't lockdown and did just fine.". And thinking this is a good argument that should apply to the rest of the world.

Sturgis going to go forward this year, set for August dates ..... with a link to SD Covid testing/vaccination page

https://doh.sd.gov/COVID/

Hopefully by then vaccinations will have helped stem the COVID curve and the 2021 Sturgis Rally will feel a little bit more normal. But the theme of this year’s rally should be the same as last year’s – personal responsibility. “I would highly encourage people to take personal responsibility for yourself,” said Sturgis Chief of Police Geody VanDewater in regards to the 2020 rally.

“We’re going to encourage social distancing, encourage people to wear their masks, but if they have concerns, then don’t come. If they do come, if you have concerns about going into an establishment to have a drink or supper, try the next place. Or if you go into a vendor that has t-shirts and it’s too crowded, then go to the next one. There’ll be other places you can go and still practice social distancing and either get your food or your drink or t-shirt or whatever,” added VanDewater. These tenets will certainly be carried over to this year’s rally.

Personal responsibility also includes current COVID-19 safeguards like washing your hands frequently, carrying hand sanitizer that’s at least 60% alcohol, keeping disinfectant wipes handy and wearing a mask if you’re in a big crowd, particular in a closed environment. Elbow bumps with close friends are a good replacement for handshakes and keeping a close inner circle is sage advice."

At the moment the UK is doing quite well, there is hospital space available and death rates have plummeted. However, the reason for this is the fact that the country went into lockdown at Xmas, not in spite off it. Without that lockdown, there is no doubt that the NHS would have been completely overwhelmed, it was close to it anyway, and the no. of deaths above normal (from any cause, given an NHS collapse) would have been many times higher. What is happening now is a political decision based upon public health concerns and is motivated by the desire to prevent catastrophe. The fact that the potential catastrophe appears to have been averted does not mean that it never existed and wasn't real.

if you go to a restaurant in SD with some friends, do you all seat 5 meters apart? if kids go to school in SD, do they seat 10 meters apart and never interact?

Yes, population is low in SD but the kind of interactions the UK lockdown has prohibited have been taking place with similar "risk" and brought the exact same level of population dying, around 0.22% both in the UK and SD -

to be honest my initial comment was brought up as a response to the idea masking for ever is a good idea. Trying to analyse all the ins and outs of the pandemic by region/nation/measures/outcome would take a lifetime

lol doesn't take a lifetime to point out that your example of trying to tout "SD was just fine" was not only wrong to begin with, but even if it were correct it's dumb for the obvious reasons.

And that is part of the problem is that there are so many people like you that think wearing a mask is like this enormous burden.

I always wore one when I travelled prior to the pandemic because other people don't have the decency to 1. not travel when they're sick 2. wear a mask when they're sick.

I think this is one of the parts that bother me so much about people like Rand Paul.

Let's say, for the sake of argument, that wearing masks after vaccination really doesn't have any effect, and is just theater. How the **** is it a burden on (almost) anyone to slip on a mask when necessary?

Yes, there may be a very small number of people for whom it really does present breathing problems. For the vast majority of the population, it's nothing, and might encourage mask-wearing in non-vaccinated people, thereby having an actual impact on transmission.

Of course, the assumption above is bullshit, and I'm going to listen to the nation's top infectious disease expert, not some partisan hack ophthalmologist from the back woods, pandering to his base of educated yokels.

It's horrendous wearing a mask for long periods of time with a beard for a start. Never mind those with issues such as autism who do genuinely struggle, and thats before we come to those who have breathing issues with a mask on, or anxiety because they've suffered a traumatic event whereby someone has grabbed them from behind and covered their mouth.

There are many reasons why people don't want to wear a mask unless it is mandatory, and they shouldn't be mandatory when everyone is vaccinated.

Way to bring in unnecessary political insults to a non political thread. Always has to be someone dumb enough to do it.

To clarify the relevant things you’re trying to say, you’re arguing for mask wearing for the rest of time or what?

I most likely will continue to wear a mask in perpetuity, I literally have gone a full year without being sick. No flu, no cold, nothing.

"Burden" is a very relative term, in some countries women are expected to wear a headscarf. If you think about the physical aspects of wearing a headscarf it may not seem like a huge "burden" but I would not like to have to comply with such request for several other reasons.

To me human communication and connection is the most important thing there is. Wearing a mask heavily disables that aspect of my life.

Really, I have a beard and have thought it is more likely a plus in fitting a mask and wearing it comfortably.

Curious what your experience has been that is "horrendous" versus not having a beard.

Once "everyone" is vaccinated, I doubt masks will be mandatory.

I agree as to in person communication.....

So long as there is no requirement to wear boxing gloves, your keyboard communication should carry on just fine.

I intend to wear one whenever playing poker from now on and in other crowded situations. I support people having the right to choose to wear one or not. Mandated mask wearing for the rest of our lives whenever out in public would be absurd.

if it's that terrible for you i have some sage advice

you can shave. trust me on this, your beard will come back

this is pure manufactured drama