Australian Response

As I have repeatedly pointed out, and as you try desperately not to understand, we've had a lot less "caging up like animals" than Ireland and other European countries have had. That, together with the lower infection and death rates and the lower economic cost, is why Covid restrictions have been enduring popular in Australia. They have worked much, much better than the policies you are advocating.

It's awkward when the facts don't support your ideological preferences. But continuing to ignore them is not a good look; if you want to persuade anyone to your point of view, you're going to have to start engaging with reality at some point. Until you feel ready to do that, perhaps a discreet silence would be the wiser course.

As for people dying with Covid being assumed not to have died of Covid, we can bypass that controversy by simply measuring excess deaths during the pandemic. Excess death for the US since the pandemic struck: 745,780; for Australia, a reduction of 4,080.

But, yeah, in Real-Donald-Trump-world, Australia's the basket case. I think that tells us all we need to know about real-Donald-Trump-world. You stay there; I'll stick with planet Earth, thanks.

Trump supporters?

More important things to worry about yet here you are on the internet dictating to people who live in a completely different country. Righto.

When will the Pfizer supply increase to the point where 75% of the entire Australian population can get doubly vaccinated?

At that point in time, we'll know if vaccine hesitancy/reluctance/bloody mindedness is an issue or not.

You do realise that when this is over the aussies will have waaaaay less deaths and hospitalisations than Ireland or most EU countries right? If they stick to their vaccination plan they'll have spent a lot less time in lock down as well, and half the country isn't even in a lockdown now. Is this what bothers you and other people in this thread? You can just can't deal with the fact that others have it better than you so you concoct this false reality of what it's really like to make yourself feel better? Do you know people over there and you're seeing it on social media or something? I can't understand this bizarre phenomenon.

There are a few points of difference between the Australian plan and the Scots plan. The opening up will be less dramatic - i.e. less of a change from the current position - , because Australia is currently much less closed than Scotland - e.g. apart from Victoria and NSW, schools are open right now, and mostly have been for the past year. A less dramatic opening, starting from a lower base of infections, may see a lesser spike in new infections. Plus, 80% adult vaccination isn't the target for full opening in Australia; that's to be the trigger for "stage 3", which involves the lifting of restrictions on vaccinated adults; the unvaccinated will still be subject to restrictions. And while vaccinated Australians will be free to travel internationally, residents of other countries will not necessarily be free to travel to Australia without restriction; that will depend on conditions in their home country.

The plan does envisage a stage 4, when these last restrictions will be lifted, but no particular target level of vaccination has yet been identified for stage 4.

Worth pointing out that the plan is a plan of the federal government; the states are not yet fully signed up to it. In some cases they are withholding commitment to the plan as a bargaining chip to try to press for a greater share of the vaccine supply, which is still very limited. In other cases they just don't think the plan will be popular with their electorates.

And large parts are significantly less restricted.