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Olympic Games, Delta Variant, And COVID Concerns

- The Olympics will restart a return to normal. Is it too soon?

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The 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games are set to begin this week.  However, the ongoing Delta variant and growing COVID concerns around the world are causing trepidation around the Olympics, masks, and our rapid return to normalcy.

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Let’s take a closer look at where we are with the original COVID virus, the new Delta variant, vaccinations, and the possibility that we’re not quite out of the danger zone just yet.

Olympic Games

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THE OLYMPIC GAMES

The Tokyo Olympic Games were originally scheduled for the Summer of 2020 — until the coronavirus pandemic completely shut down the entire world and the games to boot.  Organizers quickly rescheduled the games for the Summer of 2021, except Tokyo soon became a hotbed of viral contagion with hoards of unvaccinated citizens and COVID running rampant through all of Japan.

Olympic Games

As the start of the games approached, organizers decided to host the games without any spectators in the stands.  Then they decided to allow limited spectators.  Then, they went back to the concept of zero spectators.

Now, with the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games set to happen this week, the news out of Tokyo is not good.  At least 2 athletes inside the tightly controlled and COVID-tested Olympic Village have tested positive for the coronavirus.  NBA star Bradley Beal of Team USA was placed in COVID protocol and forced to withdraw from the games.  Then, the infection rate began to rise among Olympic staff and officials.  In fact, with tens of thousands of participants from more than 200 countries entering a country where the local population vaccination rate is extremely low and the more-contagious Delta variant is spreading (while Japanese residents remain fearful of visitors bringing a wave of the virus into their land), a stream of positive cases is quickly demonstrating how difficult it will be to stage one of the world’s largest events during a global pandemic.

Should the Olympic Games have been canceled altogether?  Is a global competition in the midst of a global pandemic worth the risk to health and lives — particularly with the new Delta variant running wild?  Is the 19th Century concept of the Olympic Games even relevant still in the 21st Century?

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LOS ANGELES

When the COVID pandemic hit in March of 2020, Los Angeles responsibly shut down just like the rest of the world.  However, they rapidly reopened the city 2 months later for the sake of their economy — a move that proved deadly, saw a rise in hospitalizations and deaths, and caused LA to become the US epicenter of the coronavirus.

Olympic Games

Los Angeles and the entire State of California paid a huge price for attempting to return to normal far too soon.  As a precaution, they were among the last to reopen businesses and allow the removal of masks by the fully vaccinated as the rest of the country lifted COVID restrictions over the past month.

However, the Delta variant has created a resurgence of the virus in LA county and forced officials to make a difficult decision: put the masks back on!

On Sunday, LA County became the first major US county to revert to requiring masks for all people indoors in public spaces.

“When you look back at the last 7 days, obviously a whole lot has changed,” Hilda L. Solis, chairwoman of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors said.  “I am not pleased that we have to go back to using the mask in this matter, but it’s going to save lives,” she added.

With COVID resurging just as we’re all becoming comfortable with going back to our lives, will the LA mask mandate become the norm in New York, Chicago, and other major cities across the country?

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BACK TO NORMAL?

Around the world, people are booking vacations, traveling on planes, dining in restaurants, going into movie theaters, and visiting and hugging their families and friends.  However, the Delta variant is poised to poo-poo all of our summer “back to normal” plans.

Olympic Games

The fully vaccinated (and those whose vaccine status is unknown) have taken off the masks.  Nobody is socially distancing any longer.  Restaurants have resumed indoor dining and close seating.  Airlines are back to filling the middle seats.  Broadway shows in New York City are about to reopen at full capacity within the coming weeks.

Except, what do we do if/when people start getting sick again and dropping like flies?  How do we respond if restaurants and planes become cesspools of the Delta variant?  Will the shows still go on if COVID starts to spread throughout the Broadway theater community?  After all, the vaccines are not foolproof and are at best only 95% effective — which means there is still a 5% chance of getting COVID.

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Is the country and possibly the world prepared for the possibility of turning back the clocks, starting from scratch, and shutting down all over again?  Or, are all the fears regarding the Delta variant (and any other new variants that may come along) much ado about nothing?


OK WASSUP! discusses the Top News Today:
COVID, the Olympic Games, and our rush to normalcy.

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DJ

DJ is the creator and editor of OK WASSUP! He is also a Guest Writer/Blogger, Professional and Motivational Speaker, Producer, Music Consultant, and Media Contributor. New York, New York USA

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Truthiz1

DJ, thank you for this entire post. This is a much needed discussion to have.

I think you’ve asked the most pertinent questions and I’m going to respond to them. But first, I’d like to start by highlight your following statement:

[The fully vaccinated (and those whose vaccine status is unknown) have taken off the masks.  Nobody is socially distancing any longer.  Restaurants have resumed indoor dining and close seating.  Airlines are back to filling the middle seats.  Broadway shows in New York City are about to reopen at full capacity within the coming weeks.]

Truthiz1

[Except, what do we do if/when people start getting sick again and dropping like flies? How do we respond if restaurants and planes become cesspools of the Delta variant? Will the shows still go on if COVID starts to spread throughout the Broadway theater community? After all, the vaccines are not foolproof and are at best only 95% effective — which means there is still a 5% chance of getting COVID.] – DJ

It’s already started. People are getting again – even those who’ve been full vaccinated. People are continuing to die. I would posit that restaurants, theaters and other large gatherings are becoming cesspools for the Delta variant. But for the Broadway community, professional sports. concerts and other profit making venues the show WILL go on.

And sadly more people will die needlessly.

Last edited 3 years ago by Truthiz1
Truthiz1

Ooops. I meant to write:

It’s already started. People are getting sick again – even those who’ve been fully vaccinated.

(Sidenote) Btw- regular readers may recall that I expressed this wariness AFTER I was fully vaccinated a few months ago:

I am fully vaccinated now…whatever that means(?)

Last edited 3 years ago by Truthiz1
Truthiz1

[Should the Olympic Games have been canceled altogether? Is a global competition in the midst of a global pandemic worth the risk to health and lives — particularly with the new Delta variant running wild? Is the 19th Century concept of the Olympic Games even relevant still in the 21st Century? ] 

Yes. No. And it certainly ISN’T relevant during a deadly pandemic. 

I feel that Nothing demonstrates man’s extreme arrogance, and hubris, and absolute stupidity more than the determination to go forward with the 2021 Tokyo Olympics AND ALL other large gatherings for that matter. 

Last edited 3 years ago by Truthiz1
Truthiz1

Conclusion……

[Is the country and possibly the world prepared for the possibility of turning back the clocks, starting from scratch, and shutting down all over again? Or, are all the fears regarding the Delta variant (and any other new variants that may come along) much ado about nothing?] -DJ

No. and No. 

Last edited 3 years ago by Truthiz1
Wil

CNN:

The number of Covid-19 cases linked to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Japan has risen to 61, according to Tokyo 2020 organizers.

“The total number of positive cases linked with accredited personnel is 61. But it’s important to look inside the numbers: among the total, 33 are positive cases from residents of Japan, 28 are from the Olympic Committees arriving from overseas,” the spokesperson of Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee Masa Takaya said Monday.

“Regarding this 28, we need to look at the 22,000 people arriving in Japan. Looking into the positive case rate, the number is nearly 0.1%,” the spokesperson added.

Tokyo 2020 did not reveal the names nor nationalities of the new cases. The Games are set to begin on Friday.

Mr.BD

Basically they are saying 61 sick people out of 22000 is a number they can accept. But the truth is anybody sick is too many. Playing percent games is just stupid.

Truthiz1

“But the truth is anybody sick is too many. Playing percent games is just stupid.”

And let the Church say…Amen!

Last edited 3 years ago by Truthiz1
Mr.BD

This is a excellent topic today everybody is talking about. Should they still be holding the olympics? No they should not. These people from all over the world are going to one of the worst countries for Covid. The Japanese people are not all vaccinated and they are right to be nervous the virus is getting brought to their country. Plus they have people already getting Covid and the games have not even started yet. This is a bad idea.

Mr.BD

We have to wait and see about the restaurants and the broadway shows. If people start getting sick again they are going to have to shut it down again. I know nobody wants to do that but we have to do the right thing not the popular thing.

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