Coronavirus Sars-CoV-2/Covid-19 Megathread

[The Brain]

One aspect of the forest thing is a difference in the way forests (parks or no parks) are available to outdoor activities. In Sweden (and some other countries), because of the ancient Right of Public Access, you can go hiking anywhere you want (as long as you obey some basic rules like not pitching your tent close to someone's house etc). So the difference between parks and other areas is less important (my impression). And since very large parts of Sweden is forest (or treeless wilderness at altitude or in the far north) this makes essentially the whole country an outdoor activity area.

[Josquius]

Yeah, it's obviously not the US government's fault as awfully as they are handling it in the US.

[Syt]

Among Americans overall, without a religious affiliation, the poll found that 43 percent believe foreign governments are to blame for the pandemic, while 37 percent said it was caused by the U.S. government.

That's a badly worded question.  Blame or caused by could be interpreted as China tolerated bat and pangolin markets or the US allowed people from China to spread it to the US, or didn't quarantine people coming back to the US.

The actual question was "Which of the following, if any, would you say is a cause of the current coronavirus situation in the
United States?"

Options were:

Christians 2%
Non-religious people 2%
People of non-Christian faiths 3%
Climate change 7%
Immigrants 9%
Human sinfulness 11%
Global trade 21%
Other things in nature 28%
U.S. government's actions or policies 37%
Foreign governments' actions or policies 43%
None of these 24%

[Admiral Yi]

So not so tin foily.

[Syt]

The US embassy gifts 500,000 re-usable masks from Bella Canvasa, L.A.,  to Austria.
https://twitter.com/usembvienna/status/1261585718268305409?s=20

[Sheilbh]

About 40 anti-lockdown protesters in Hyde Park, including Jeremy Corbyn's crank brother Piers (who was arrested). First anti-lockdown protests I've heard of here. It's fucking weird

[crazy canuck]

About 40 anti-lockdown protesters in Hyde Park, including Jeremy Corbyn's crank brother Piers (who was arrested). First anti-lockdown protests I've heard of here. It's fucking weird

Fail, no open carry rifles.

[The Brain]

Is it true that in the UK the public isn't allowed to carry guns in Parliament?

[mongers]

About 40 anti-lockdown protesters in Hyde Park, including Jeremy Corbyn's crank brother Piers (who was arrested). First anti-lockdown protests I've heard of here. It's fucking weird

I hope the media aren't giving those wankers the oxygen of publicity, otherwise they'll prove more deadly than the IRA.

[alfred russel]

In Sweden, and apparently in some other countries as well, emergency response in parks is done by normal emergency response organizations. That's why I asked.

Here, park rangers generally call out the emergency squads (helicopters, etc.) when there's an emergency. We have entire teams dedicated to forest responses.

It varies by location. On the west coast you guys have a bunch of really remote areas and really rugged mountainous terrain. Mountain rescue is a big deal and there are lots of dedicated teams. It isn't like that here. The highest mountain east of the mississippi is 6600 feet and like almost every other mountain has a walk up trail. That is just a hill on the west coast.

The most significant climbing site in Georgia is mount yonah. It is on national forest land, and the park service has currently closed the area. Here is the story of a recent accident / rescue there:

https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/man-rescued-after-falling-off-yonah-mountain

https://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/man-hospitalized-after-falling-about-100-feet-off-north-georgia-mountain-rock-face/KNhPafWP2XO9B3N9ETU8KO/

Members of White County Fire Services, Lee Arrendale State Prison firefighters, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Cleveland Fire Department and Community Emergency Response Team Firefighters Rehab assisted with the rescue. There were 21 responders at the scene.

They note no federal resources.

Also:

White County Emergency Medical Services shared a photo of the rescue attempt on Facebook. In the photo multiple emergency service team members surround the injured man lying on a stretcher.

You can see the picture in the video. The guy managing the belay doesn't have on a shirt--which makes me wonder if he wasn't just a random climber in the area and not one of the white county responders.

[Duque de Bragança]

Is it true that in the UK the public isn't allowed to carry guns in Parliament?

Not even good ol' gunpowder, I'm afraid.

[The Brain]

Is it true that in the UK the public isn't allowed to carry guns in Parliament?

Not even good ol' gunpowder, I'm afraid.

I think it's kinda racist that they burn a Guido in effigy every year.

[alfred russel]

One aspect of the forest thing is a difference in the way forests (parks or no parks) are available to outdoor activities. In Sweden (and some other countries), because of the ancient Right of Public Access, you can go hiking anywhere you want (as long as you obey some basic rules like not pitching your tent close to someone's house etc). So the difference between parks and other areas is less important (my impression). And since very large parts of Sweden is forest (or treeless wilderness at altitude or in the far north) this makes essentially the whole country an outdoor activity area.

It is a difference in mindset. I think in Europe there is generally much more freedom in the outdoors, while the US has more of a permitting process. As one of many examples, guides in europe can generally guide within the scope of the expertise whereever they want, while in the US no one can guide in many national parks unless they have a concession (which are given to a few companies that are tightly monitored by the park service).

A lot depends on the state. For example, in this area on federal land you can generally camp like you can in Sweden - whereever you want provided it isn't somewhere dumb. Within Georgia state parks, however, you can only camp in designated camping areas with a permit (that must be purchased). The result is that Georgia state parks are stupid and before covid I almost exclusively visited federal land, but now the federal lands are mostly closed so i've taken the time to explore a lot of state parks.

I actually think it is rather insane to have a system of public lands with so many jurisdictions with their own rules and agencies. I live in Georgia and am within a couple hours of Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina, and when you add in federal lands, that is a lot of different government rules to navigate. Not to mention that three are also city and county parks.

[Zanza]

The overlapping jurisdictions, all with their own police force, are one of the things I always found bizarre in the US. When I went to college in NJ, there was campus police, city police, port authority police in that train to Manhattan, state police on the highway, TSA at the airport... 

[celedhring]

Plus every two-bit federal agency having its own police force... "This is the postal police, you're under arrest!"