Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[11B4V]

Remember the Captain of the aircraft carrier who sent a letter begging for help as covid-19 spread through his ship?

Yup - going to be relieved of his command.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/military/navy-expected-relieve-captain-who-raised-alarm-about-covid-19-n1175351

Dude cared more about his sailors than his career though - that's gotta count for something.

That's the Navy.

[11B4V]

Wallace Roney, one of the leading trumpet players of his generation, dead at 59 from coronavirus.

It's looks set to decimate an older generation of musicians, Africa has already lost one of it's greats:

The African saxophone legend Manu Dibango has died in Paris after catching coronavirus. The 86-year-old fused jazz and funk music with traditional sounds from his home country,

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-52017834

They deserve no more sympathy than any other person their same age.

[viper37]

Supplies coming into Canada from China were diverted to the highest bidder.

And on another note, the Quebec police has to escort any convoy of medical supplies now.

What a strange world we live in.

[viper37]

It's annoying when they are jogging down the middle and don't bother even to move over. 😄

healthy lifestyle and all that

[Barrister]

Interesting little story.  Canada and US reached a deal that banns non-essential travel across the border.

Canada implements the ban to cover all modes of transportation.  US implements the ban at land and ferries - it allows people to enter the US from Canada by air, rail or sea for any purpose.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-19-canada-u-s-border-1.5518191

Ridiculous. It is in Canada and it is in the US. What difference does it make if people travel back and forth?

Spreading the contagion further if you happen to cross path with a non infected person working in essential services?

So families separated can't reunite and people on the wrong side can't return home?

That would be essential travel.  Same reason Katmai was allowed to cross the border.

[The Minsky Moment]

Judge Kevin Duffy - who sat in the federal bench in Manhattan for over 40 years and tried the 1993 WTC bombing case - also dead from COVID-19, aged 87.

[Monoriu]

Supplies coming into Canada from China were diverted to the highest bidder.

We all should join the bidding. 

[alfred russel]

Interesting little story.  Canada and US reached a deal that banns non-essential travel across the border.

Canada implements the ban to cover all modes of transportation.  US implements the ban at land and ferries - it allows people to enter the US from Canada by air, rail or sea for any purpose.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-19-canada-u-s-border-1.5518191

Ridiculous. It is in Canada and it is in the US. What difference does it make if people travel back and forth?

Spreading the contagion further if you happen to cross path with a non infected person working in essential services?

So families separated can't reunite and people on the wrong side can't return home?

That would be essential travel.  Same reason Katmai was allowed to cross the border.

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/03/20/joint-statement-us-canada-joint-initiative-temporary-restriction-travelers-crossing

"Non-essential" travel includes travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature."

That is a dumb definition. I'm not quoting the entire article, but there isn't more clarification. "includes" is obviously absurdly vague. If the definition is restricted to "tourism or recreational" activities, they should have said that. If it isn't, it should be more specific.

But more to the point, if you think the US Canada border should be shut down, what about state/province borders? Borders between counties? Between neighborhoods? The logic would be the same, and there are communities that stretch across the border (though less the Canada/US border than the US/Mexico).

[Agelastus]

Well. that's my Tesco order for the 23rd of April booked for home delivery...

I had an email earlier saying they were refunding half of the March component of the delivery saver fee, and saying how they hoped to get more slots open, expanding etc. etc. I do wonder just what will happen with demand for home delivery after the lock-down ends - will it enjoy a permanent boost from people who have had to get used to not going to the Supermarket?

[Barrister]

Interesting little story.  Canada and US reached a deal that banns non-essential travel across the border.

Canada implements the ban to cover all modes of transportation.  US implements the ban at land and ferries - it allows people to enter the US from Canada by air, rail or sea for any purpose.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-19-canada-u-s-border-1.5518191

Ridiculous. It is in Canada and it is in the US. What difference does it make if people travel back and forth?

Spreading the contagion further if you happen to cross path with a non infected person working in essential services?

So families separated can't reunite and people on the wrong side can't return home?

That would be essential travel.  Same reason Katmai was allowed to cross the border.

https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/03/20/joint-statement-us-canada-joint-initiative-temporary-restriction-travelers-crossing

"Non-essential" travel includes travel that is considered tourism or recreational in nature."

That is a dumb definition. I'm not quoting the entire article, but there isn't more clarification. "includes" is obviously absurdly vague. If the definition is restricted to "tourism or recreational" activities, they should have said that. If it isn't, it should be more specific.

But more to the point, if you think the US Canada border should be shut down, what about state/province borders? Borders between counties? Between neighborhoods? The logic would be the same, and there are communities that stretch across the border (though less the Canada/US border than the US/Mexico).

People should not be travelling.  People should be staying at home.

Probably people shouldn't be crossing state / provincial boundaries.  But we don't already have an existing network of controls along those boundaries.  We DO have such a network between the Canada / US border.  So lets use it to enforce social distancing.

[katmai]

Stop being such twat Dorsey, FFS.

[alfred russel]

Interesting little story.  Canada and US reached a deal that banns non-essential travel across the border.

Canada implements the ban to cover all modes of transportation.  US implements the ban at land and ferries - it allows people to enter the US from Canada by air, rail or sea for any purpose.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/covid-19-canada-u-s-border-1.5518191

Ridiculous. It is in Canada and it is in the US. What difference does it make if people travel back and forth?

We fucking get it dude. Can you go be an edgelord somewhere else for a bit?

Why does it rub you the wrong way that I don't have the same panic that you do?

10 million people have filed for unemployment in the US in the past two weeks. There had never before been a week with more than 685k.  The Saint Louis fed has estimated the unemployment rate may hit 32%. A $2 trillion stimulus was just passed, and there is talk of another stimulus--obviously tax revenues are going to plummet--the fiscal situation is going to be devastating. If you want to see significant new programs like Medicare for all, or a green new deal, this is going to make it considerably more difficult.

Trillions have been lost in market value of US equity, which is going to result in delayed retirement for millions. Many small businesses will go under.

Right now people are trapped in unsafe living conditions (such as with abusive partners). Several states (including Georgia) are eying this as an opportunity to stop abortion by declaring it a non essential service. If you care about education: well the school year is canceled!

These problems of the US are going to be far less than for most other countries that are similarly responding. Poor countries can't launch stimulus programs, and don't have social safety nets, and the poor were already food insecure. The effects there will be catastrophic.

In the meantime, global deaths are 52,863 (about 0.00076% of the global population). US deaths are 5,865. Those deaths are understated to an extent, and will certainly rise. They are also concentrated among the elderly.

The costs can and should be balanced against the benefits, and in this case the costs are extreme.

[alfred russel]

Now this is what a police state looks like:

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has warned that anyone breaking the coronavirus lockdown on the island of Luzon may be shot by the military or the police, as the country fights to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Apparently he was undeterred by the threat of a sharply worded missive from QC Sumption.

My county just issued an ordinance that anyone caught breaking the coronavirus lockdown may be fined up to $1,000 and/or jailed for up to 12 months.

I guess this is just the world today. So long as the authorities don't shoot you, you aren't in a police state.

[Fate]

There will be no service economy until the outbreak stops. If you stopped the lockdowns tomorrow people wouldn't go back to restaurants or start traveling again.

[Monoriu]

Well. that's my Tesco order for the 23rd of April booked for home delivery...

I had an email earlier saying they were refunding half of the March component of the delivery saver fee, and saying how they hoped to get more slots open, expanding etc. etc. I do wonder just what will happen with demand for home delivery after the lock-down ends - will it enjoy a permanent boost from people who have had to get used to not going to the Supermarket?

No.  Because once people start going back to work, there will be no one to take delivery at home.