Heather du Plessis-Allan: Do these protesters have a point?

Do these protestors have a point? I need to say upfront, I’m not a fan of the protest. I don’t’ like them parking their cars across Molesworth Street, disrupting businesses and hassling punters. Also, I’m double jabbed, and I think giving up your livelihood over the jab is ridiculous. But do they have a point?

Yes, they actually do. 

They insist this is an anti-mandate protest and reporters on the ground there say that does seem to be the case. 

Don’t confuse anti-mandate with anti-vax. For example: I’m pro vax. I’m double jabbed, but I’m anti-mandate. I think kicking people out of their jobs because they don’t have the jab is disproportionate. 

Guy Hatchard: New Study - at last reliable scientific data about Omicron

A study of 80,000 patients with Covid during December 2021 presenting at the Kaiser Permanente Southern California healthcare system composed a mixture of Delta (16,982) and Omicron (52,297) patients. 

Hospital admissions were 222 for Delta (1.3%) and 235 for Omicron (0.5%). 

Rates of ICU admission among Omicron patients were one quarter that of Delta. 

No Omicron patients required ventilation and they had shorter hospital stays by 3.4 days (70% less than Delta). 

There were 14 Delta deaths (99.92% recovered) and 1 Omicron death (99.998% recovered).