Coronavirus COVID-19 - Global Health Pandemic #78

[SouthAussie]

Did you see the report of the family and friends who left Victoria and cruised up the coast to Qld? They roamed around my coastal town on their journey up the coast.

Yes, this week he pleaded guilty to evading the authorities by lying to them. He said it was essential travel (to get his boat worked on and his family and friends were essential crew). Got a $5,000 fine, I believe.

 

[mickey2942]

A Canadian can have a permanent residence in the US?

There are tons of Canadian snowbirds. When I lived in Florida I had season hockey tickets, for the Florida Panthers. It was the only place I have ever been where the "home" fans, root for the opposing team. I seriously thought that I was in Canada half the time. One week, everyone was wearing large red maple leaf jerseys, belting out the Canadian anthem.

It is going to hit Florida like a freight train if Canucks don't show up in a few weeks.

 

[mickey2942]

So can an Australian. Probably lots of nationalities can. I was a permanent resident of the US for years, could come and go between our two countries as much as I wanted to - live a bit here, live a bit there.
You just have to not leave the US for more than a year to keep your US permanent residency - without some kind of official permission.

Or with Visa waiver, just leave every 90 days, come right back. No problem.

 

[SouthAussie]

Or with Visa waiver, just leave every 90 days, come right back. No problem.

Yes, I think the waivers expire every two or three years though. Something like that. Then you have to get them renewed.
Your green card just goes on forever, until you leave the US permanently.

I enter the US on a visa waiver now. Every once in a while I get an expiry warning, so I have to then renew it.

 

[MimosaMornings]

The border will remain closed until CoVid is under control in the U.S. There is a provision that allows a person to cross the border if they are going to their permanent home, which in many snowbird's cases, is Florida. But they won't even try to croas the border when Florida's not controlling CoVid.

Would that be considered a primary residence? Or more like a second home?
That’s terrible not to be able to get to their residences. Covid

 

[mickey2942]

Yes, I think the waivers expire every two or three years though. Something like that. Then you have to get them renewed.
Your green card just goes on forever, until you leave the US permanently.

I enter the US on a visa waiver now. Every once in a while I get an expiry warning, so I have to then renew it.

Visa Waiver Program

It isn't that complicated. And also, many Canadians have legal permanent residency. Or dual citizenship.

 

[SouthAussie]

Visa Waiver Program

It isn't that complicated. And also, many Canadians have legal permanent residency. Or dual citizenship.

No, visa waivers are really easy to get. I just apply/renew online and pay the fee. I have the new waiver in less than 24 hours. Probably because we are friendly countries/allies.

Dual citizenship is hard to get. My daughter has it from being born in the US, but I can't get it. I would have to relinquish my Aussie citizenship - which I won't do - and become a fully fledged US citizen only.

The US requires anyone wanting citizenship to relinquish their natural born citizenship, unless they have a birth right to US citizenship and other citizenship.

 

[TopTop]

Canadians are allowed to fly into the US, not drive. Americans are not allowed into Canada (exceptions do exist). I believe that most snowbirds are staying away because 1) they normally drive 2) the don’t want to deal with Florida’s covid situation 3) I believe there may be difficulties in obtaining health insurance coverage that covers covid while travelling.

Air Canada promoting ‘leisure’ travel to U.S. despite advisories warning against non-essential trips

 

[SouthAussie]

Canadians are allowed to fly into the US, not drive. Americans are not allowed into Canada (exceptions do exist). I believe that most snowbirds are staying away because 1) they normally drive 2) the don’t want to deal with Florida’s covid situation 3) I believe there may be difficulties in obtaining health insurance coverage that covers covid while travelling.

Air Canada promoting ‘leisure’ travel to U.S. despite advisories warning against non-essential trips

As well, they have to quarantine for 14 days when they get back to Canada. If you are just going for a holiday, two weeks quarantine adds a lot to your time off work (unless you are allowed to work from home). Which may not be acceptable.

For travellers without symptoms of COVID-19 returning to Canada - Canada.ca

 

[Sillybilly]

My US friends who live on the border just don't get what the problem is.
They usually do lots of sailing between the two countries in summer, staying overnight at each other's marinas. They keep thinking that the border is going to open up, then Trudeau extends the closure for another 90 days.

Canadians also miss their cross-border travel, shopping, and entertainment trips. Just as the US has determined the need to protect its citizens from additional threat of Covid, Canada has taken that same stance. No different than the US or any other country closing its border to visitors from other countries.

At this time, I believe the decision is agreed upon by both Canada and the USA. Prime Minister Trudeau bases his decision primarily on input from the provincial premiers in conjunction with Federal and Provincial Health Ministers and Officers. Also, most of Canada's major and medium sized cities (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Regina, etc) are in the southern parts of the provinces, so in fairly close proximity to the US border. An influx from the USA with the higher rates of infections could result in an increase in infections/deaths in Canada.

As per today's worldometer, infections per million in the US are 20,026, roughly 5 times greater than Canada at 3,587 ; deaths per million in the US are 596, roughly 2.5 times greater than Canada at 246.

Premiers Legault, Ford and Horgan (Quebec, Ontario and BC, Canada's 3 most populous provinces) are wanting the border closed until some time next year but PM Trudeau is reviewing it in 90 day increments in consultation with all provincial premiers.

 

[SouthAussie]

Canadians also miss their cross-border travel, shopping, and entertainment trips. Just as the US has determined the need to protect its citizens from additional threat of Covid, Canada has taken that same stance. No different than the US or any other country closing its border to visitors from other countries.

At this time, I believe the decision is agreed upon by both Canada and the USA. Prime Minister Trudeau bases his decision primarily on input from the provincial premiers in conjunction with Federal and Provincial Health Ministers and Officers. Also, most of Canada's major and medium sized cities (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Regina, etc) are in the southern parts of the provinces, so in fairly close proximity to the US border. An influx from the USA with the higher rates of infections could result in an increase in infections/deaths in Canada.

As per today's worldometer, infections per million in the US are 20,026, roughly 5 times greater than Canada at 3,587 ; deaths per million in the US are 596, roughly 2.5 times greater than Canada at 246.

Premiers Legault, Ford and Horgan (Quebec, Ontario and BC, Canada's 3 most populous provinces) are wanting the border closed until some time next year but PM Trudeau is reviewing it in 90 day increments in consultation with all provincial premiers.

Yes, there is an agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada that there is no non-essential travel between any of the three North American countries.

Covid-19 Coronavirus Travel Issues | ezbordercrossing

 

[mickey2942]

Yes, there is an agreement between the US, Mexico, and Canada that there is no non-essential travel between any of the three North American countries.

Covid-19 Coronavirus Travel Issues | ezbordercrossing

And yet, from my point of view, there seems to be a constant flow of people back and forth on the Northern border. I don't know what the determination is of "essential", but it seems like Babb, MT, and Sweetgrass has a lot of travel.

 

[Trino]

Yes, this week he pleaded guilty to evading the authorities by lying to them. He said it was essential travel (to get his boat worked on and his family and friends were essential crew). Got a $5,000 fine, I believe.

Probably not enough of a fine.

 

[tresir2012]

That's the "altered" version. Here's the original, which is much more specific. The original was rejected by the WH and replaced by the version you cited.

https://www.cwla.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/CDC-Business-Plans-May-2020.pdf

I notice it is entitled "interim guidance" so maybe it was planned to be superseded by the simpler version. I don't remember that happening.

 

[SouthAussie]

Probably not enough of a fine.

Definitely agree.

 

[Trino]

I guess we'll soon find out if wearing a mask while in the car with a CoVid positive person provides sufficient protection.

Has anyone else been watching the Tour? Lots of people are wearing masks and social distancing, but there are still places along the route where fans are not wearing masks, or not wearing over their mouth and nose, and they stand in cheering, shouting crowds, so close to the riders that they actually can touch them.

Yes. I follow it daily. Postponing it was not an answer. From the beginning I thought it wasn't a good idea to hold it at all. It will be a big surprise if there are no riders who test positive either now or later. It will also be a surprise if the virus doesn't spread to crowds at the Tour. We just don't learn, do we?

And to add to the French virus problem, the country recorded nearly 10,000 new cases in a single day on Thursday, a record high since the beginning of the pandemic.
French prime minister calls for prudence as cases increase

 

[tresir2012]

Surprise, surprise.

Those with common sense assumed this months ago, but now there is more substantive scientific evidence from the CDC itself. Evidence which is contrary to what others have been pushing and would have the public believe.

Study: Kids infected at day care spread coronavirus at home



Link to the full CDC study:

Transmission Dynamics of COVID-19 Outbreaks Associated ...

Snipped from the study:

I am wondering why in your bolded sections they both state "likely", because that makes it sound as if they still don't know for certain about this.

 

[tresir2012]

A Canadian can have a permanent residence in the US?

I had relatives who did just that every winter for the whole of their retirement. ( a period of about 30 years until death). They also visited UK every summer. It is very common. I don't know the exact legalities of it though. He always used to say he had to come back to the UK every six months.

 

[tresir2012]

I guess we'll soon find out if wearing a mask while in the car with a CoVid positive person provides sufficient protection.

Has anyone else been watching the Tour? Lots of people are wearing masks and social distancing, but there are still places along the route where fans are not wearing masks, or not wearing over their mouth and nose, and they stand in cheering, shouting crowds, so close to the riders that they actually can touch them.

Yes, very good point. If he really did do as he said. As we know, politicians take off their masks when they think no one is watching.

 

[SouthAussie]

Nursing home deaths make up more than 30% of Texas’s total coronavirus fatalities.

Two medical teams arrived in Houston to support nursing homes to train essential staff on the frontlines. Another critical aspect of our response - partnering with local nursing schools to incorporate practical COVID-19 infection prevention and control learning for the pandemic and beyond.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

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