Coronavirus - COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #23

[astheworldfallsdown]

‘High degree of caution’: Ireland upgrades travel warning for all EU countries

‘High degree of caution’: Ireland upgrades travel warning for all EU countries

THE IRISH GOVERNMENT is now advising Irish people to exercise a “high degree of caution” before deciding to travel to other EU countries.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney made the announcement on Twitter this evening.

Prior to this evening, countries such as Italy and Spain where the coronavirus country were rising at a rapid pace, required travellers to exercise a high degree of caution.

Now, a blanket warning has been applied across Europe as the Government attempts to contain the spread of the virus in Ireland.

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

US temporarily suspends J1 visa programme in response to Covid-19 outbreak

(Ireland)

THE UNITED STATES has temporarily suspended the J1 summer visa programme in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

US president Donald Trump declared the novel coronavirus a national emergency last night, when he also announced $50 billion in funds to help fight the pandemic.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, there are 1,663 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US.

Following last night’s announcement, the country’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State said it would temporarily suspend a number of programmes, including the J1 visa, for 60 days.

 

[zecats]

Coronavirus relief bill passes House around 1:00 a.m.

The bill passed with broad, bipartisan support and a final tally of 363-40 with 40 Republicans voting against it and Independent Justin Amash of Michigan voting "present."
Late in the day on Friday, President Trump Donald tweeted his support for the measure that includes provisions for paid emergency leave and free testing for COVID-19, after Pelosi announced that Democrats had struck a deal with the administration.
...............
Pelosi said in her letter that the legislation is made up of a number of provisions, including "free coronavirus testing for everyone who needs a test, including the uninsured."
The legislation will also provide, according to Pelosi, "paid emergency leave with two weeks of paid sick leave and up to three months of paid family and medical leave."
It will also expand federal funding for Medicaid "to support our local, state, tribal and territorial governments and health systems, so that they have the resources necessary to combat this crisis."

House passes coronavirus relief bill after Trump announces his support - CNNPolitics

Now on to the Senate. On Monday, unless they return from recess.

Trump, Pelosi agree on coronavirus relief bill. Next hurdle: the Senate. — NPR

 

[margarita25]

Bringing forward the WORST CASE ESTIMATES from a NYT article posted in the last thread (catching up):

“Between 160 million and 214 million people in the United States could be infected over the course of the epidemic, according to one projection. That could last months or even over a year, with infections concentrated in shorter periods, staggered across time in different communities, experts said. As many as 200,000 to 1.7 million people could die.”

Worst-Case Estimates for U.S. Coronavirus Deaths
Projections based on C.D.C. scenarios show a potentially vast toll. But those numbers don’t account for interventions now underway.
Updated March 14, 2020, 12:40 a.m. ET

—-

Has anyone seen an article with a “Best Case Scenario”? I’d sure like to see it.

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

First Scottish coronavirus death confirmed

Scotland's colleges and universities are introducing measures to slow the spread of coronavirus.

It comes as Glasgow University announced that three people had tested positive for the virus.

On Friday, St Andrews University said a student who had recently been in Switzerland had also tested positive.

The number of cases in Scotland is now 85.

 

[Pi Thoughts]

Thailand has issued a new coronavirus warning to the party-going public after a cluster of 13 cases was traced to a group of friends who shared cigarettes and drinks.

Sukhum Kanchanapimai, the health ministry's permanent secretary, told reporters some friends who met up at a party were responsible for the highest daily jump of 11 new coronavirus cases, reported on Thursday.

"There was inappropriate behaviour, sharing drinks, cigarettes and not avoiding social activities after returning from an at-risk country," Sukhum said. One of the friends had been earlier been in contact with tourists from Hong Kong.

"Don't share cigarettes and drinks," Sukhum said.

Thailand on Friday raised its official coronavirus count by five cases on Friday, bringing the total to 75.
Thais warned not to share drinks, cigs

 

[astheworldfallsdown]

Coronavirus: What happened this week

Coronavirus: Five things to help make sense of the week

It's been a week of extraordinary developments, as the coronavirus has continued to spread across the world. The news updates are almost non-stop and at times it's easy to lose track. Here's a summary of what happened in the past seven days.

 

[anneg]

Woman helped elderly couple get their groceries after they were too scared to get out of their car | Daily Mail Online

Yesterday I (perhaps foolishly) went to Walmart to pick up some things. The store wasn't crowded or I would have left. When I went to check out, I remembered stories of how sometimes people pay for other people's groceries and decided to try doing this.

There were two women in front of me, an elderly woman (maybe in her 80s) and probably her daughter. I asked them if they would allow me to pay for their groceries, and they thought about it and then agreed, so I did. Then there was a young woman with a small child behind me, so after paying for my own purchases, I asked her if I could pay for hers. She also agreed after a bit. They all were somewhat reluctant, assuring me I didn't need to do this, and then appreciative.

My husband gets notifications when there are charges on our credit card so I called him to tell him not to worry about three charges to Walmart instead of one.

I am thankful and fortunate that we have the means to do this. I'm not sure when I might do it again because I will be staying home as much as possible, and trying to keep my husband home too (which will be a challenge). Social distancing is very important now.

JMO.

 

[Skigh]

Apple CLOSES all retail stores outside of Greater China over coronavirus

 

[margarita25]

Thailand has issued a new coronavirus warning to the party-going public after a cluster of 13 cases was traced to a group of friends who shared cigarettes and drinks.

Sukhum Kanchanapimai, the health ministry's permanent secretary, told reporters some friends who met up at a party were responsible for the highest daily jump of 11 new coronavirus cases, reported on Thursday.

"There was inappropriate behaviour, sharing drinks, cigarettes and not avoiding social activities after returning from an at-risk country," Sukhum said. One of the friends had been earlier been in contact with tourists from Hong Kong.

"Don't share cigarettes and drinks," Sukhum said.

Thailand on Friday raised its official coronavirus count by five cases on Friday, bringing the total to 75.
Thais warned not to share drinks, cigs

Gah. I tried to warn everyone “not to share bong hits and to bring your own spliff...”.

(metaphorical analogy of course)

Where is @Medstudies?

 

[zecats]

Thank you Kensie.
We all, work hard.
Amazingly, we had a decent night.
Not, great, but not horrible.
We're a bit of a gathering place around here.

That's good to hear @KALI . Friday night vs. Thursday night perhaps? Or day after Pandemic word used, many went shopping instead?

I think the gathering place may work in your favor. People still need a comfort place like that in times like this. Even if you have to use all that lovely fish to make a giant pot of fish stew (or soup), I bet people would come for that.

Good luck to you.

 

[Bampot]

Coronavirus: Countries close borders as cases rise - BBC News

22 new cases in Wales


There are 22 news cases of coronavirus in Wales, Public Health Wales has announced.

It brings the total number in the country to 60.

Article share tools

 

[margarita25]

Strange. I just received a 'We are hiring, Immediate Openings Available' email from Ralphs (grocery store). I'm a member so I do receive their advertisement email time to time but this out of the blue email makes me wonder if their employees are quitting fast due to Coronavirus worries.

Could be. They will also likely need extra employees to deal with the surge.

 

[Henry2326]

Those chart show that not everybody has a fever. So using that as a criteria for testing is not exactly a smart idea.

It wasn't a criteria. It's only reporting what China experienced.

This is a criteria.....

 

[margarita25]

Wow. Just checked my yoga website out of curiosity. Completely booked....

 

[momrids6]

That's good to hear @KALI . Friday night vs. Thursday night perhaps? Or day after Pandemic word used, many went shopping instead?

I think the gathering place may work in your favor. People still need a comfort place like that in times like this. Even if you have to use all that lovely fish to make a giant pot of fish stew (or soup), I bet people would comeGood

Thank you Kensie.
We all, work hard.
Amazingly, we had a decent night.
Not, great, but not horrible.
We're a bit of a gathering place around here.

everyone around here is out and about. Hopefully your customers patronage will continue

 

[Henry2326]

ADAM KUCHARSKI

A couple of key takeaways from our analysis of early COVID-19 dynamics in Wuhan:
1. We estimated that the control measures introduced - unprecedented interventions that will have had a huge social and psychological toll – reduced transmission by around 55% in space of 2 weeks 1/

Adam Kucharski on Twitter

2. There's evidence that the vast majority of the population is still susceptible in Wuhan - we estimated around 95% at end of January. As soon as control measures are lifted, there is the risk of new introduced cases - and another outbreak. Source: https://t.co/0nw3zHP8hG 2/

It's easy to say 'let's just do what Wuhan did', but the measures there have involved a change to daily life that really has been unimaginable in scale and impact. And as we've seen, China cannot sustain them indefinitely. 3/

Countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, which for so long have managed to contain COVID-19, now seem to be seeing a rise in transmission, as infections continue to be introduced. (Source: Temporal variation in transmission during the COVID-19 outbreak) 4/ Adam Kucharski on Twitter

There isn't going to be an easy solution to COVID-19. Among some extremely difficult options, we have to pick the most effective, sustainable way to minimise risk of overwhelming health system - and impact on the people most at risk. 5/5

 

[escape2sc]

I hope somebody somewhere is formulating a plan on what to do if the outbreak is not contained before hurricane season starts.

 

[jjenny]

It wasn't a criteria. It's only reporting what China experienced.

This is a criteria.....

I've read of people that had symptoms but couldn't get tested because they had no fever. That was my point. Not everybody has a fever.

 

[Henry2326]

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's capital city will close all schools and order remote teaching for at least two weeks to curb the spread of coronavirus, Jakarta's governor said on Saturday, as the first cases were also reported in other parts of the archipelago.
Indonesia capital shuts schools as coronavirus cases spread