Coronavirus 2

[Ozlsn]

6 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

I found this disturbing:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/06/ny-gov-cuomo-says-its-shocking-most-new-coronavirus-hospitalizations-are-people-staying-home.html

 

I'm wondering how many of them have contact with people despite staying home though - do they have family living with them who still go out, meal, grocery or medical deliveries, etc. Also curious as to how long they've been staying home - the incubation period seems to be quite variable, so two weeks may mean they were infected just before shutdown.

[GreyhoundFan]

"Some Northern Va. leaders upset with feds over preempted N95 order"

Quote

The continuing shortage of personal protective equipment has led to bigger and more complicated hoops that officials have had to jump through in recent weeks, with some governors openly admitting to covert tactics in order to keep supplies from the federal government.

At the county level, that’s more difficult, and now WTOP has learned of at least one order that was seized by the feds. Under the terms of a declared national emergency, it’s legal.

WTOP can confirm that one order for at least 80,000 masks — made together by some counties in Northern Virginia — was canceled due to federal preemption.

The order, made April 8, was supposed to deliver 50,000 N95 masks to Arlington County and 30,000 to Loudoun County on April 14. The cancellation was made April 13.

“They were for our front-line county workers,” said Loudoun County Supervisor Juli Briskman.

Those included employees with the county’s police and fire departments, as well as other departments engaged in social services. Both Loudoun and Arlington counties said they were ultimately able to procure masks from elsewhere.

“The county supply is good right now,” Briskman said. “We have a shortage of gowns but, otherwise, the county supply [of masks] is fairly good right now.”

A spokesman for Loudoun County said it wouldn’t be unusual for this to happen during a declared national emergency. Other county leaders are also downplaying the event, which happened a month ago.

But Briskman, along with Vice Chairman Koran Saines, both said it has led to extra hassles and wasted time that should have been avoided in the first place.

Saines told WTOP it was “ridiculous, disheartening and a morale buster.”

“I am fairly frustrated,” added Briskman, who said the Defense Production Act should have been implemented “so we don’t have to go through these sorts of exercises in order to have the supplies that will keep our residents and our employees safe. When we have to work on getting these orders and then they are either disappeared or we are sent to the back of the line, to me that’s a waste of resources.”

Loudoun County leaders said that aside from protective gowns, of which there is about a couple of weeks’ supply right now, it has enough protective equipment stockpiled to handle the ongoing pandemic. It’s the future that has Briskman worried though.

“I am very worried that if we have a second round and a third round of COVID-19, we’re going to be faced with these same issues,” she said.

 

[Ozlsn]

1 hour ago, GreyhoundFan said:

“I am fairly frustrated,” added Briskman, who said the Defense Production Act should have been implemented “so we don’t have to go through these sorts of exercises in order to have the supplies that will keep our residents and our employees safe. When we have to work on getting these orders and then they are either disappeared or we are sent to the back of the line, to me that’s a waste of resources.”

In total agreement here.  This response should be so much better coordinated. 

[Coconut Flan]

Our governor thinks community spread began at a nail salon.  I guess I should get used to my shaggy hair since they are lumping hair and nail salons together here.  I tentatively have an appointment in June, but if people don't quit exposing other people, it's going to be July or August before I can get it cut.  Dawg is developing a great resemblance to a sheep and doggie salons are also closed.

[Smee]

11 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

I found this disturbing:

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/06/ny-gov-cuomo-says-its-shocking-most-new-coronavirus-hospitalizations-are-people-staying-home.html

 

NY has very high population density, mostly apartments yeah? I’m wondering how much it can be spread through, for example, using the same elevator to go downstairs to collect mail or do laundry or take out trash. I vaguely remember an outbreak of SARS in an apartment where it had spread through the heating system or something (was it airborne? Maybe I’m getting my diseases mixed up). 

[Cartmann99]

 

[Ozlsn]

4 hours ago, Smee said:

NY has very high population density, mostly apartments yeah? I’m wondering how much it can be spread through, for example, using the same elevator to go downstairs to collect mail or do laundry or take out trash. I vaguely remember an outbreak of SARS in an apartment where it had spread through the heating system or something (was it airborne? Maybe I’m getting my diseases mixed up). 

There was an outbreak of SARS in an apartment complex in Hong Kong which had to do with the septic systems being interconnected, and with not all the toilets having enough water in the bottom to prevent aerosols being pushed out in adjacent apartments when other people flushed. (Yeah, gross).

There was also a cluster from one visiting academic (I think) who was unwell when he arrived in Hong Kong, and who shared a lift with about 6 other people going up to his hotel room. I believe (but can't remember the exact details, sorry) that there was also transmission in the next group to use the lift shortly after when they touched the lift buttons and then their faces. The academic may have been patient zero in Hong Kong, although it's likely there were multiple patient zeros going back and forth. 

From memory at least one of the people in the first lift group was the extremely unfortunate flight attendant who became Singapore's patient zero - she was feeling unwell by the time her flight reached Singapore, and of course in that time she'd passed it to a number of people (including her parents when she got home.)

Anyway. A long response to say yes, lifts and high population density with resulting close contact are unfortunately ideal for viral transmission. SARS at least had the advantage (for us) that everyone infected became rapidly symptomatic and easy to screen for and quarantine, even though roughly three out of four people infected died; Covid-19 has the advantage (for it) of being able to spread very widely via asymptomatic carriers, which means a much lower death rate but also much harder to contain. And... here we are.

[fraurosena]

Friday's update.

• There were 71 corona related deaths in the Netherlands. It is the eighth day in a row that there have been less than 100 deaths. The total number of deaths is now 5359.
  There were 35 new hospitalisations, bringing the total number of hospitalisations (including recoveries) up to 11.227.
  There were 319 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases up to 42.093.
  Prime minister Mark Rutte has announced a cautious phased easing of corona restrictions, but he did warn that this can only work if everyone keeps acting responsibly. 1.5 meter social distancing will remain in place. Testing capacity is being expanded so that from June everyone with symptoms can be tested. (Non- medical) face masks will be mandated on public transport.
  The first phase starts on May 11. If things keep going well, then the next phases will be on June 1, July 1 and September 1. If the virus should flare up again, the easing of restrictions can be slowed down or even re-instated as necessary. 
  Rutte emphasised that restraint is asked of everyone. "Don't use the tram to go to the beach. Walk or cycle as much as possible. Public transport is only for essential travel." 
• The corona crisis keeps getting worse in the US. Unemployment levels have reached 14.7 %, the highest level since the Great Depression in the 1930s. In March the unemployment level was 4.4%. Many businesses have closed and employees are being turned out en masse. More than 30 million Americans have applied for unemployment aid.
  There were 1894 corona-related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths up to 76.693. 
  There were 24.000 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases up to 1.287.000. 
• Australia is going to ease its corona restrictions in phases. The government is aiming to have lifted all restrictions by July, said prime minister Scott Morrisson. Australian states and territories will decided themselves when they lift or ease restrictions. The daily number of new cases is down to about 20 per day. There is a total number of 6901 confirmed cases, with 97 corona-related deaths. 
• If restrictive measures don't work, then 190.000 patients could die during the first year of the corona pandemic in Africa, the WHO has warned. Researchers have made predictions for 47 countries, with a combined population of about a billion people. About 23 to 44 million people will be infected if the measures don't prevent the spread of the virus enough.
  In comparison to Europe and the US, the virus is spreading relatively slowly in Africa. There are 53.000 confirmed cases on the continent, with 2065 corona-related deaths. 
  The WHO has said that it will take up to a year before the exact origin of the corona virus is determined. A WHO expert in Geneva said that current knowledge points to bats being the original source, with another animal possibly passing it on to humans. The WHO emphasised that it has found no proof that the virus originated in a Chinese laboratory, as Trump has claimed. Virologists have determined that the virus has a natural source.
  Scientists are unsure where the outbreak started. There are indications that the virus first spread on a market in Wuhan, but of the first 41 cases, only 27 had a direct link to that market. It is also unclear which animal transmitted the virus from bats to humans.
• Victory in Europe Day, commemorating 75 years since the victory over the nazi's, is being soberly celebrated in Europe because of the corona crisis. The original large scale festivities have been cancelled. 
  In Great Britain, Queen Elisabeth will be addressing the British public at 21.00 hrs local time. At that precise time, exactly 75 years before, her father held his victory speech. This morning at 11.00 hrs local time there were 2 minutes silence for the fallen of WWII.
  In France, president Macron visited the statue of General de Gaulle in Paris. Afterwards he attended a ceremony at the Arc de Triumph.
  In Germany, Chancellor Merkel and other dignitaries laid a wreath at the Neue Wache memorial in Berlin.
• Brazil's minister for Economy, Paulo Guedes has warned that Brazil could suffer an economic collapse within a month due to the corona restrictions. "Within about 30 days there could be shortages in stores and production could become disorganised, which would lead to a system of economic collapse, of social disorder," he said during a press conference. 
  There are a total of 135.000 confirmed cases in Brazil, with 9146 corona-related deaths. 
• North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un has sent a 'verbal message' to Chinese president Xi Jinping, state press organisation KNCA has reported. Kim is said to have congratulated Xi with his 'successful' combat against the coronavirus. The message was 'in regards to the fact that China has had success in preventing Covid-19 infections', according to KCNA. It is unclear if Kim and Xi spoke with each other. 
  There were many speculations recently about the death of Kim. He was said to have died during a heart operation, but according to the South Korean intelligence agency, there is no proof of this. Kim was seen in public for the first time in three weeks when he inspected a factory last Saturday.
• Three corona patients in Austria have recovered after they had received plasma from recovered patients. It concerned people with vulnerable immune systems. Two of them had underlying health issues. 
• German export went down by 11.8% in March, compared to February; the strongest decline since August 1990. Germany had counted on a decline of 5%.
  Import also declined, by 5.1% in comparison to the month before. That is the biggest decline since 2009.
• In France, and other countries, Malinois dogs are being trained to see if they can detect the presence of the corona virus. Trained dogs can already detect cancer and diabetes. As yet it is unclear if the corona virus issues a specific odour, but it is probable. 
  It's possible to train a dog to detect the odour of a specific illness in 6 to 8 weeks.
• Air pollution in China is back to the levels it was before the corona crisis, according to Greenpeace. Some indicators for air pollution are even at higher levels than they were last year. 
  In many countries the lockdown has lead to a reduction in environmental pollution. This was particularly clear in China: because factories had to close, there were clear blue skies above Beijing, where air quality is usually extremely bad.

[Audrey2]

and I may be wrong, but as I recall the list is unemployment rate is only the ones who have applied for and been approved for unemployment. I know not everyone is eligible for unemployment- substitute teachers don't tend to be. this is bad for those who are trying to scrape along on sub-pay until they get hired full-time for a school district.

[Ozlsn]

11 hours ago, fraurosena said:

Australia is going to ease its corona restrictions in phases. The government is aiming to have lifted all restrictions by July, said prime minister Scott Morrisson. Australian states and territories will decided themselves when they lift or ease restrictions. The daily number of new cases is down to about 20 per day. There is a total number of 6901 confirmed cases, with 97 corona-related deaths. 

To expand on that a little - Queensland, ACT, Northern Territory and South Australia have no new cases in the last 24 hours (actually longer than that) and are relaxing restrictions accordingly to varying stages (larger groups permitted, some visiting houses permitted, some business restrictions relaxed with social distancing in place). Tasmania and Western Australia had 1 new case, and NSW had 3 cases in the last 24 hours, and all are also relaxing some restrictions- particularly in NW Tasmania which had locked down particularly hard after the two hospitals in that region were affected. Victoria on the other hand is waiting until Monday to announce what's going to happen, not least because we had 13 new cases in the last 24 hours and have about 145 cases which are being investigated as they may be from community transmission. The government is also looking at the results from the mobile testing centres which should give a clearer picture of how prevalent the virus is in the community. 

Spoiler

Meanwhile of course everyone in my local area appears to have read that the other states are loosening restrictions and are heading out to shop. The shopping centre was apparently packed last weekend (the weather suddenly deciding that it's winter helped), and while there are noticeably more people now wearing masks, there are also noticeably more people out and about. Also people's idea of 1.5m appears to be about a half step further away than they would normally talk to each other, which is over a metre but under the actual distance. Seriously, we are on track for the highest number of confirmed cases in the state at this rate (and an increase in the number of people on Facebook asking if that's because of the hospital, because no one can read for meaning.) It's also Mother's Day tomorrow, and I swear to God if my MIL rocks up here I will freaking kill her. I do not get why she doesn't understand that she's in an at-risk group (an at high risk group actually), and why she should just stay the fuck home. We set up FaceTime, we've been checking in regularly - and last weekend she was at the damn shopping centre, which is 30 minutes drive from her house, and then went to both my BIL's and our house to "just drop some things off". Yeah, thanks, the gloves you've been wearing all day aren't doing squat when you're still wearing them as you pass over toys to your grandchild (who put it straight in his mouth, because of course he fucking did). I don't get why she doesn't understand that none of us want to be not seeing her, but we also really don't want to accidentally infect her, or have her infect us. And it's kind of a shitty way to die, and I'd prefer it if she didn't - and I'd also like my at-risk husband and son to stay out of hospital too. 

 

[Coconut Flan]

This article has some interesting information on the psychology of mask wearing as well as how or why some people are able to avoid acknowledging the risks of COVID 19.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90501923/scientists-reveal-an-alarming-unintended-consequence-of-wearing-masks

[fraurosena]

59 minutes ago, Coconut Flan said:

This article has some interesting information on the psychology of mask wearing as well as how or why some people are able to avoid acknowledging the risks of COVID 19.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90501923/scientists-reveal-an-alarming-unintended-consequence-of-wearing-masks

This phenomenon of creating a false sense of security is one of the main reasons mask wearing hasn't been mandated in my country until now. The argument was, yes, masks offer some protection, but the fabric still isn't enough to prevent the tiniest particles from passing through; so even though you're wearing a mask you can get infected. However, because our government is beginning the first phase of easing restrictions on Monday, the wearing of masks has now been mandated when travelling on public transport, and that frustrates me no end. It makes me wonder why now? Why is the false sense of security masks can give you somehow not a problem when you want to start up the economy again? 

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind the lifting of restrictions. We seem to have things pretty much under control and starting up the economy is important for everyone. It looks like the plan our government has gives them the possibility of intervening quickly if the virus should flare up again. And it's not that I'm against wearing a mask. But I just can't stand this 180 concerning the advice on wearing them.

/rant

[Coconut Flan]

13 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

And it's not that I'm against wearing a mask. But I just can't stand this 180 concerning the advice on wearing them.

The flip flopping doesn't help with public confidence or compliance.  

Another gem from the morning news:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-vitamin-d-role-covid-mortality.html

It made me glad I recently refilled my mom's vitamin D and that the doctor had put her on it a couple of years ago.  

[fraurosena]

Here's my Saturday May 9 update.

• The number of corona patients needing ICU care in the Netherlands has gone down by 23 to 541. Apart from the ICU's, there are 1132 corona patients being treated in hospitals, 57 less than the day before.
  There were 63 corona related deaths, brining the total up to 5422. The total number of confirmed cases is up to 42.382.
• The police in the London Hackney district has directed its ire against the large number of residents who decided to go to the parks today. "We are fighting a lost cause in the parks today. Literally hundreds of people are eating pizza and drinking wine and beer. As always, thanks to everyone who does follow instructions. #StayAtHomeSaveLives"
• There was a queue of more than a kilometre in length in the streets of Geneva today. In one of the richest countries in the world, hundreds of people were waiting for free food packages since early in the morning. The corona virus is also an economic disaster in Switzerland. Mainly migrant workers have lost their jobs in recent weeks, all whilst living in one of the most expensive cities in the world. "At the end of the week, my pockets are empty," a woman from Nicaragua said. "This is wonderful, because now I'll have food for a whole week. That's a relief. But I don't know how it's going to be next week."
• Hundreds of migrant workers in the west of India have clashed with police. The migrants were protesting against the lockdown, which has caused them to lose their jobs and made it difficult for them to travel to their home regions. Millions of migrants are caught in the middle like this. The protesters claim the authorities aren't offering enough aid and they pelted the police with stones. The police then used teargas and made arrests. The police have asked the migrants to be patient and they promised that more migrants will be helped with their return home.
  The lockdown in India started on March 25 and will continue to be in place until at least May 17. India has almost 60.000 confirmed cases, with about 2000 corona related deaths. 
• Dutch physicians in the Amphia Hospital in Breda have foundthat the new corona virus causes such damage to the lungs, that even after 6 weeks patients are still suffering the consequences. These are corona patients that were hospitalised but who were well enough to leave hospital six weeks ago. Last week the Amphia Hospital opened a special Corona Aftercare Clinic, and since then about 30 patients came to the clinic; a significant portion of them still had abnormalities in their lungs. "After a normal pneumonia, you would expect the lungs to have recovered after a few weeks. But after six weeks we are still seeing extensive residual damage, with little to no improvement. These abnormalities are spread through all areas of the lungs. That is fairly significant damage," said lung radiologist Jochem van Werven. The abnormalities could lead to scar tissue forming in the lungs. And that can lead to respiratory problems. Lung physician De Backer: "If you have extensive abnormalities in the lungs, that can lead to shortness of breath and stamina loss. But, after six weeks, it's still too early to tell definitively if the damage is permanent. Only time will tell." 
  International research into the long term effects of corona has been ongoing for some time. Additional research will have to show if the damage is chronic.
• South Korean capital Seoul has closed down 2100 nightclubs, after dozens of new corona cases were confirmed amongst the visitors. At least 17 patients could be directly traced back to a 29 year old man, who visited three clubs last week and who tested positive this week. 
  After a lockdown of several weeks, clubs were allowed to re-open at the end of April, with the proviso that visitors had to have their temperatures measured, kept the appropriate social distance, and registered as a visitor. Seoul has now reversed this policy; Mayor Park says that nightclubs will remain closed until the risk of infections has been substantially reduced. 
  There are 256 corona related deaths in South Korea.
• There were 76 corona related deaths in Belgium yesterday, bringing the total number of deaths up to 8581. 
  There are 2381 hospitalised patients, 502 of which are in the ICU. 
  There were 585 new confirmed cases, bringing the total number of cases up to 52.596.
  From Monday, Belgians can get tested for the corona virus by their own GP's. People with symptoms can get tested for free, those without will have to pay 35 euros for a test. 
• A security guard in Flint, Michigan, was murdered after he had ordered a customer to leave the store because her daughter wasn't wearing a face mask. The woman's husband and son then shot the security guard from behind in the head. The men then fled and disappeared for more than a week. They have now been caught. The 44-year-old father and his 22-year-old stepson have been indicted for murder. The woman had already been arrested; she too has been indicted for murder.
  The FDA in the US has given a laboratory permission to produce home tests for corona. With these tests people can take a monster from their noses and send it to the lab. "This offers an additional option for an easy and safe collection of monsters without having to visit a doctor, hospital or test location," an FDA official said. The FDA says home tests are an important development in diagnostics during this emergency situation." 
• The corona virus is mercilessly striking in remote, sparsely populated villages in Spain, where mostly elderly people live. The number of infections and deaths is on average much higher than in the rest of Spain. Where there were normally one or two deaths in a month, now there can be up to four deaths in a single day. 
• Everyone entering the United Kingdom after June 1 will have to quarantine themselves for 14 days. According to The Times prime minister Boris Johnson is set to announce this drastic measure tomorrow evening. Anyone ignoring this quarantine policy will risk a 1000 pound fine and can even be evicted from the country. There will be an exception for travellers from Ireland and the British Isles. It's unclear how long these measures will be in effect. 
• With 80 new deaths, France has reported its lowest number of corona related deaths since the beginning of April. The total number of deaths in France, one of the worst hit countries in Europe, is now up to 26.310. 
  France is set to ease its first corona restrictions on Monday.
• For the first time in six weeks there were no new corona related deaths reported in Israel yesterday. The total number of deaths is 245. More than 80 patients with severe symptoms are being treated in hospital. About 60 of those patients are being ventilated.
  Two months ago Israel instated strict measures for travellers entering the country: foreigners were no longer welcome. For weeks, people weren't allowed to go out more than 100 metres from their homes without urgent reason. In the past weeks these measures have limited the number of new infections, so the restrictions are cautiously being phased out.
  The number of patients also seems to be limited in the Palestinian Territories. On the West Bank and in Gaza the official number of deaths is only two. There are almost 500 confirmed cases.
• The Italian government is set to present a new aid package of 55 billion euro. The aid will go to tourism, agriculture and culture, as well as healthcare. 

[GreyhoundFan]

2 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

The flip flopping doesn't help with public confidence or compliance.  

Another gem from the morning news:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-vitamin-d-role-covid-mortality.html

It made me glad I recently refilled my mom's vitamin D and that the doctor had put her on it a couple of years ago.  

Interesting. Thanks for the info. My vitamin D levels are "in the sewer" according to my doctor. I take prescription level vitamin D to help. I hope it protects me at least a little.

[Coconut Flan]

30 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

With these tests people can take a monster from their noses and send it to the lab.

 

30 minutes ago, fraurosena said:

"This offers an additional option for an easy and safe collection of monsters without having to visit a doctor, hospital or test location," an FDA official said.

Either the best typo or a hilarious translator issue. 

[Emma]

I saw that too and giggled. Then I googled.

sample in English =monster in Dutch.

And monster in English =monster in Dutch.

Edited May 9, 2020 by Emma

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, Coconut Flan said:

 

Either the best typo or a hilarious translator issue. 

Hilarious translator issue, I’m afraid. I’m usually rather diligent in the translation of my updates, but I was tired and didn’t read my post before hitting submit today. Glad it made you laugh though!

[Ozlsn]

4 hours ago, fraurosena said:

And it's not that I'm against wearing a mask. But I just can't stand this 180 concerning the advice on wearing them.

I think if they frame it in a way that says "the advice issued by WHO and medical authorities has changed, therefore..." people accept it better. The sense of false security remains an issue though, same (actually more so in some respects) with gloves. 

The vitamin D thing is interesting, although I'd also expect to see differences between northern and southern Italy for example, and certainly between latitudes in North America. I hope it does help though as it's a relatively inexpensive and accessible thing to do.

[Howl]

7 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-05-vitamin-d-role-covid-mortality.html

It made me glad I recently refilled my mom's vitamin D and that the doctor had put her on it a couple of years ago.  

Vitamin D also effects the environment in the nostrils, and appropriate levels of Vit D help create a less hospitable environment for coronoavirus particles of all kinds (not just CV 19) that like to park there. 

[clueliss]

Fauci going into modified quarantine

 

And the cdc director is I. Quarantine (for the same reason

Spoiler

 

 

Edited May 10, 2020 by clueliss

[Ali]

When one my sons was hospitalized for breathing difficulties due to RSV, one of the pediatricians mentioned lack of vitamin D increased the chance of severity. 

[clueliss]

California cluster tied to person coughing at a birthday party 

 

[fraurosena]

Monday's update:

• The number of Dutch corona patients needing ICU care is below 500. Yesterday 9 patients left the ICU, bringing the total number of ICU corona patients down to 498.
  There were 16 corona related deaths reported today. The number of reported corona related deaths has't been above 100 since May.
• There were 62 corona related deaths in Belgium in the past 24 hrs. The number of corona patients in the ICU is going down by 5% per day. There are 478 corona patients in the ICU, with 299 on ventilators. With 60 new hospitalisations and 55 patients leaving hospital, there are currently 2222 hospitalised corona patients.
  In a gesture meant to encourage healthcare workers, Manneken Pis (a world famous statue of a peeing boy in Brussels) is now wearing a custom made face mask.
  Spoiler

  

• Japan is deliberating a speedy lifting of the emergency status in 34 regions that haven't been hit as hard by the corona pandemic. If the lifting of the emergency status leads to a sharp rise in new infections, the status will be reinstated. 
• The daily number of new confirmed cases in Germany is going down rapidly: there were 357 in the past 24 hrs. Yesterday, there were 667, whilst there were 1251 on Saturday. 
  There were 22 corona related deaths, bringing the total number of deaths up to 7417.
• The US had the lowest number of corona related deaths since March: 776. 
• There were 17 new confirmed cases in China yesterday, 5 of them in Wuhan. 7 new patients were infected abroad, 10 were infected locally.
  The total number of confirmed cases in China is now 82.918. The total number of corona related deaths remains the same at 4.633.
  The economy in China is slowly being started up again, but measures are still very strict, there are extensive hygiene protocols and people are very cautious and careful.
  In the meantime, Disneyland Shanghai has re-opened. It is the first amusement park in the world that has opened its doors again. Playgrounds and theatres within the park remain closed, and the park will only allow about 30% of its usual number of visitors in; people must keep social distance and wear face masks.
• Saudi Arabia needs to take measures to aid its government finances. The country, which predominantly depends on oil export, is going to raise their VAT rates from 5% to 15%. Next month they will also suspend financial supplements for civil servants. Saudi Arabia is suffering from the serious decline in oil prices and the consequences of the corona crisis. More than 39.000 people have been infected.
• The Cannes Film Festival has been cancelled for this year, managing director, Thierry Frémaux told Screen Daily. The film festival was supposed to have started this week. In March, Frémaux and his team announced the festival would be postponed because of the corona crisis. They were hoping to open the doors of the Palais des Festivals by the end of June. By the middle of April, president Macron declared that large events were forbidden until the second half of July. According to Frémaux, everyone understands that 'a boulevard filled with thousands of people is impossible this year'. The Festival will not be held in a virtual format either. The organisation is in talks with French movie theatres, to show a number of selected films there.
• The president of Ghana, Nana Afuko-Addo, has said that 533 workers in a fish factory have been infected by a single person. Akufo-Addo did not mention how one sick worker could infect so many others. 
  Ghanese authorities reported the 533 cases at the end of last week. bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Ghana above 4.700, making Ghana the worst hit country in West Africa. According to the president, Ghana also has also done more tests per million residents than any other country in Africa. "Our strategy of tracing, testing and treating is the surest way to eradicate the virus," Akufo-Addo said. 
  There have been 22 corona related deaths in Ghana.
• The recently eased corona measures in Lebanon are being reinstated, the Lebanese department of Foreign Affairs stated on its website. The curfew is being reinstated and will even go into effect at an earlier time than before. "Because many residents apparently aren't capable of abiding by the rules to restrict the spread of the virus and protect public health," the Lebanese authorities are reversing the lifting of restrictions. "This is a direct consequence of egotistical, reckless and careless behaviour."
  If the reinstatement of measures doesn't help enough, the Lebanese authorities will not hesitate to 'take further measures'. Hamad Hassan, the Lebanese minister of Healthcare, has already announced that he is thinking about placing the country in a 48 hour lockdown. 
  There are 845 confirmed cases in Lebanon, with 26 corona related deaths. 

[Cartmann99]

Safety shouldn’t be optional as Texas reopens

Quote

Let’s drop the pretense that “data and doctors” are driving the plan to reopen the Texas economy. We can see Texans’ health is becoming an afterthought in the rush to get cash registers ringing again.

How else to explain Gov. Greg Abbott’s push to reopen even more businesses — barbershops and hair salons this past Friday, gyms on May 18 — while the state’s new coronavirus cases continue to rise? Yes, Texas has ample hospital capacity. But that doesn’t mean we should be cavalier about policies that could put more people into those beds.

The governor is allowing more businesses to reopen before we can see how the first phase of reopenings went. It can take up to two weeks for people to show symptoms and get tested for the coronavirus — meaning we won’t see the public health impact of the May 1 reopenings of restaurants and shops until at least mid-May.

Worse, Abbott has refused to require businesses and customers to take common-sense safety precautions to help prevent the spread of the virus. He has offered masks, sanitation guidelines and social distancing strategies as recommended protocols — good ideas for people to follow, but no penalties if they don’t.

Abbott noted this week that reopening hair and nail salons posed unique challenges because those services are delivered through close personal contact. “The only safe way that you can go about providing that service, while ensuring that we’re doing everything possible to prevent the transmission of COVID-19, would be for both the person providing the service and the customer (to be) wearing a face mask,” he said. And still: Face masks are only recommended, not required.

As if to drive home the point that business owners are really free to do as they please, Abbott last week dialed back his earlier stay-at-home order to ensure defiant Dallas salon owner Shelley Luther wouldn’t stay in jail for violating it. Why should any business owner take any of Abbott’s advisories seriously?

We recognize the local and state stay-at-home orders dramatically slowed the spread of the coronavirus at a tremendous cost. Many business owners can’t cover their bills. A staggering 1.8 million Texans have filed for unemployment benefits in the seven weeks since Abbott declared a statewide emergency. But the economy won’t turn around until workers and customers feel safe going back to businesses. We need real leadership, real standards to make that happen.

Unfortunately, instead of leadership, we get a systematic outsourcing of risk. The Trump administration has pointedly made coronavirus response a matter for the states. The Abbott administration has passed the buck to businesses, workers and customers: It’s up to them to decide how and when they feel comfortable engaging in commerce. Some will return to work even if they don’t feel safe because they can’t afford to go any longer without pay.

Remarkably, the governor suggested this week that Texans have sole control over whether they get this highly contagious respiratory disease. Praising residents for their hand-washing, mask-wearing, social-distancing habits, Abbott said, “every single Texan has the full capability themselves to make sure they do not contract COVID-19 by practicing these very simple strategies.”

Those are best practices, but they are not foolproof. And they are no substitute for a science-based, government-led effort to minimize the risks of exposure while allowing business to resume as safely as possible.

Making safety measures voluntary, and telling residents they have total control over whether they catch the virus, ignores a crucial truth about highly infectious diseases: We all need to take steps to protect each other. Our actions affect not only ourselves, but those with weakened immune systems, those working essential jobs, and legions of healthcare workers who are at risk for exposure if hospital beds fill up with COVID-19 patients.

We see many signs of people trying to do the right thing. Austin Mayor Steve Adler and Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt calling on everyone to wear masks. Restaurants sticking with safer to-go service instead of opening up their dining rooms. Movie theaters holding off on reopening altogether. Local business leaders working on safe operating guidelines.

Their efforts may be enough to stave off a spike in coronavirus cases. We hope so. But we’d stand a better chance if Abbott led the way with data-driven decisions and safety standards backed up by the true force of law, not optional advisories and mandates that are flexible when it’s convenient.