My retired parent lives in a retirement village. He/she lives independently in his/her own apartment.
Part of the monthly fee pays for having a lunch provided. Before August the people from the apartments met in the residential dining room and all ate together. Since the lockdown in August all residents have had to have their meals in their apartments alone.
They are no longer allowed to use the dining room to eat with other residents, as the retirement village is now using this room as a staff room to allow staff to social distance. They have chosen not to use an office or another room. Even on Christmas Day, the residents will be forced to eat their Christmas meal alone – see page 4 below.
The management has now stipulated that residents are to “ask family and friends who are unvaccinated not to visit them in the village. If you wish to have contact with them, arrange to meet at venues outside the village.”
Please note the wording “if you wish to have contact“; see page 3 below.
They have other restrictions as well. Residents who previously were able to use the on-site hairdresser’s services have been told that only the vaccinated can get a haircut. Adding insult to injury, the management adds that having a choice is a “Privilege“.
How is being discriminated against for your personal medical choices in any way a privilege or a choice? Remember that the unvaccinated residents have paid exactly the same fees as the vaccinated for the “privileges” that they are now being denied.
Another “privilege” that is now being denied to these fee-paying residents is joining in any group activity where they can’t wear a mask at all times and maintain a social distance of 2 metres from others.
Even worse they are point blank banned from taking part in any events where there is food or drink! Merry bloody Christmas, ho, ho, ho!
Plus see page 7 for the note they wish all residents to place on their door.
Finally, in complete contradiction to the above restrictions, the very same retirement village is providing a bus weekly (which is in the terms of their agreement) to the shops where all residents can mix and mingle with vaccinated and unvaccinated people in the community: see page 5 below.
All residents have to wear a mask anytime they leave their apartment and are told off if they don’t. During the lockdown they had to be 1 metre apart and all walk one way around the complex. They would get told off if they walked next to each other to talk.
The village’s stance is that all should be vaccinated and I believe that most of the residents are. My parent felt that he/she had no choice in the matter given what the consequences would be if he/she said no.