Coronavirus/COVID in the U. S. & Elsewhere

[eseum]

Some of the casinos opened yesterday. According to news reports there were a lot of people who showed up for the openings. The few pictures that I've looked at didn't indicate that was the case. But I guess you had to be there to know the truth. There was a couple who drove to Vegas from Atlanta, GA just for the reopening. And of course there were the one way ticket holders from 20 different cities. Reports said that less than half of the visitors wore masks.

 

I've noticed an increase in traffic recently, corresponding with things opening back up. There have also been some businesses that have said they will not be reopening ever. At least two have closed within a mile of where I live, and already had their signs removed. I suspect that there will be a 5% failure rate, or higher, as things try to get back to normal. There are actually a lot of properties for lease that have been that way since the 2008 recession. Despite all the vacant properties, they keep building new ones. A new housing bubble is also getting much bigger and will probably go bust end of this year, or next. No ones learned their lesson.

[Randy W]

from the NY Times

 

 

 

Musicians Playing Through the Lockdown, to One Listener at a Time

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of most cultural events, including concerts. But two German orchestras found an intensely personal way to play on.

A concert for an audience of one, in Stuttgart, Germany.

And it’s moving to see a stranger for the first time, he said, to make that direct eye contact, and to decide what to play based on those initial impressions of who that person is.

And then to play for them, and them alone.

When Mr. Schattel played for Ms. Brusdeylins, he didn’t actually tailor his set in homage to her life story; he hadn’t known of her time in England. But she was right to feel that he’d consciously chosen “Greensleeves.”

He could immediately tell she was nervous, he remembered later. And “Greensleeves,” he felt, was the perfect melody to put her at her ease.

“I thought this would lift her up and take her by the hand,” Mr. Schattel said. “This would invite her to come with me.”

 

 

[True Blue]

Blissfully Unaware.... your relatives living in USA (and perhaps also those living back in the motherland or other countries around the world) may not be aware of the coming surge.

 

To share: My wife was calling relatives in China worried about her family given the recent uptick in Coronavirus cases in Mainland China.

I told her a few things that she and the relatives back in the homeland were unaware of

• Our state Florida now has 5% more COVID19 cases than the combined total reported for Mainland China, Hong Kong/Macao, Taiwan and Mongolia while having only 1/73rd the population so we have an 8000% higher chance of getting virus here.
• Today's (6/19) new cases reported stats (likely from 6/18 not sure how they lag data) were 3,207 for Florida vs 32 for combined Mainland China, Hong Kong/Macao, Taiwan and Mongolia so today we had 10000% higher chance of COVID here.
• Apple Stre closed all stores in 4 states including our state (she is an Apple fanatic so that one REALLY got her attention more than the actual stats did for some reason)
• She called the relatives and they were shocked. Good thing that the flights to and from China have been cancelled recently and any new fares would be outrageously expensive. At least she stopped being mad at me for insisting we stay home unless absolutely necessary and avoiding the local Chinese Social Club (a/k/a COSTCO).
• I read the stats daily and see the cases are rising exponentially and have been for about 2 weeks now. We only go out if necessary,y always bundled in 2 masks and gloves,

 

Stay safe. Remain isolated. The second wave or the 2nd part of the first wave, not really sure how to describe it.... is coming in the USA.

Edited June 20, 2020 by True Blue (see edit history)

[amberjack1234]

Florida had caught hell lately for sure. I live just up the road from you in North Carolina and on the beach too and all the tourists flocking in after we turned them loose have cause us to have an uptick as well. God bless you all keep as safe as you can. I guess there are never really any guarantees just do what we can and hope for the best. Gotta eat. The wife's folks live just south of the 6th ring road in Beijing. About 10 miles. So it is getting closer to them now.

Edited June 20, 2020 by amberjack1234 (see edit history)

[eseum]

A few more casinos are to be opened this coming week. There have been a few virus cases reported at the casinos that are already open. One casino restaurant was closed due to an employee having tested positive. Patrons wearing masks is only at a 25% rate, and that may be a generous estimate. Gaming control is mandating that players at tables, especially those without plexiglass protection for dealers, wear masks. I saw an article about the Gila River Casinos, which were using similar protocols to those in Vegas, closed again due to the virus. While there has only been a slight uptick in virus cases so far, it seems likely that it's just a matter of time for a large increase to occur.

 

While out, I've noticed that more and more people are going around without masks, and that social distancing is starting to lag. I'm still wearing a mask when going into stores. I've noticed a decline in the quality of fruits and vegetables lately. One store was actually selling potatoes that were green, while another had what looked to be rather old ones.

 

The governor here said that schools could open beginning immediately as of his announcement. That's been two weeks ago, but no schools have opened, or announced their schedule to reopen so far.

 

I am keeping the Southern NV economy going all on my own. Our refrigerator/freezer died on the 5th, and I had to buy a new one. Ordered it online, took almost a week for it to be delivered. Had to make major purchases of ice to keep the meat frozen, and refrigerator cold. That worked, so we only lost a little bit of food to spoilage. This past Monday I traded in my Prius C, and bought a 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. I then had several lights burn out, so I had to go buy some new bulbs to replace them. I've also had to replace batteries for a cell phone and a computer. So if the next set of statistics shows the economy picking up, you know who is responsible.

[Randy W]

from the NY Times

 

How the World Is Learning to Live With a Deadly Pandemic

As mass infections strike even in places that had seemed to tame the coronavirus, officials are turning to targeted and fast-but-flexible approaches to stop third or fourth waves.

Giving a coronavirus swab test in Beijing on Monday.Credit...Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

China is testing restaurant workers and delivery drivers block by block. South Korea tells people to carry two types of masks for differing risky social situations. Germany requires communities to crack down when the number of infections hits certain thresholds. Britain will target local outbreaks in a strategy that Prime Minister Boris Johnson calls “Whac-A-Mole.”

Around the world, governments that had appeared to tame the coronavirus are adjusting to the reality that the disease is here to stay. But in a shift away from damaging nationwide lockdowns, they are looking for targeted ways to find and stop outbreaks before they become third or fourth waves.

. . .

“It’s always going to be with us,” said Simon James Thornley, an epidemiologist from the University of Auckland in New Zealand. “I don’t think we can eliminate the virus long term. We are going to need to learn to live with the virus.”

 

 

[Randy W]

from the NY Times

 

E.U. May Bar American Travelers as It Reopens Borders, Citing Failures on Virus

European Union officials are racing to agree on who can visit the bloc as of July 1 based on how countries of origin are faring with new coronavirus cases. Americans, so far, are excluded, according to draft lists seen by The New York Times.

 

BRUSSELS — European Union countries rushing to revive their economies and reopen their borders after months of coronavirus restrictions are prepared to block Americans from entering because the United States has failed to control the scourge, according to draft lists of acceptable travelers reviewed by The New York Times.

 

 

[Randy W]

from the Global Times - but no audio or video

 

People enjoy backyard concert performed by Staatskapelle Berlin orchestra in Berlin

 

 

 

[eseum]

Cases are on an upward trend here in Clark County, NV. Several restaurants, both in casinos and outside of them, have closed due to new infections. Casino owners are trying various ways of encouraging patrons to wear masks, including paying them $20 to wear one. MGM and Caesars are now requiring all patrons to wear masks, otherwise they will be barred from entry.

[eseum]

The governor of NV has issued an order requiring everyone to wear masks when going into establishments for business or other purposes. Those with medical conditions that would be adversely affected by the mask are excepted. The other exceptions are while drinking, eating or SMOKING. Yeah, so far people are still able to smoke in casinos, or other establishments where it is allowed. Call me crazy, but it seems to me that one of the prime ways to spread this virus would be by smoking or vaping.

 

Problems with the mask requirement:

Those not wearing masks face no personal consequences such as fines. There is no requirement for showing a medical condition if not wearing a mask. Establishments can be fined if patrons are found to not be wearing masks. Establishments are allowed to turn patrons away if they are not wearing a mask.

[Randy W]

An interesting article about stranded passengers, Hong Kong and elsewhere, from the SCMP

 

Destination nowhere: stuck for days, weeks, months at Hong Kong airport

• Trapped by Covid-19 restrictions, a handful of transit passengers bed down in one of the world’s major travel hubs, unable to reach their final destination
• One traveller trying to transfer through to Vietnam has stayed in Hong Kong’s transit zone for three months

 

Why are transit passengers stranded at Hong Kong International Airport?

 

As part of Hong Kong’s emergency response to the global health crisis, its airport transit services were suspended on March 25, only to resume on June 1. But the mainland has remained off-limits for transfers.

 

Despite that prohibition, some passengers have been mistakenly allowed to board their flights.

 

They include 11 Emirates customers who travelled from Dubai to Hong Kong with the intention of flying on to mainland China, and a mainlander arriving from the United Kingdom via British Airways to transfer home, who has been in the city’s transit zone for 15 days, as of Monday.

 

The passenger stranded the longest landed in Hong Kong in March. Flying in from Canada he had hoped to complete his journey to Vietnam. He remains in the confines of Hong Kong airport’s transit area.

 

According to Cathay Pacific, his connection to Vietnam was cancelled when the Southeast Asian country closed its border to international flights. Restrictions on transit flights at Hong Kong airport were not in effect at the time.

 

It is the airlines’ responsibility to avoid passengers being stranded, the authority said, adding that in the latest cases Emirates and British Airways had fallen foul of the relevant regulation.

 

The airline has pledged to introduce measures to prevent a repeat of the incidents, while British Airways is still investigating why their passenger wanting to return to mainland China was allowed to board.

 

Neither the authority nor CAD responded to questions on whether airlines would be penalised. However, an airport source confirmed they would be liable for fines.

 

Since early March, many countries have closed their borders to flights carrying overseas passengers, or even their own citizens, to contain Covid-19’s spread. The move has caused a global phenomenon of stranded passengers.

 

 

[eseum]

There are stories circulating in the media that some NV casinos are thinking about closing due to increasing virus cases. There has also been speculation that the governor would require their closure. So far, with the increasing numbers, hospitals are at 75% capacity. It remains to be seen how the uptick in visitors over the 4th will affect numbers. Unions are not happy with the casinos and do not feel that their doing enough to keep employees safe. Several businesses closed over the long weekend due to increased virus concerns.

[Randy W]

There are stories circulating in the media that some NV casinos are thinking about closing due to increasing virus cases. There has also been speculation that the governor would require their closure. So far, with the increasing numbers, hospitals are at 75% capacity. It remains to be seen how the uptick in visitors over the 4th will affect numbers. Unions are not happy with the casinos and do not feel that their doing enough to keep employees safe. Several businesses closed over the long weekend due to increased virus concerns.

 

 

Re-opening too soon forces employees to choose between their job and the safety of their family. A double-edged sword, since refusing a reactivated job causes them to lose unemployment benefits.

 

Meanwhile, Mitch McConnell is pushing legislation to protect employers from lawsuits over the virus.

[eseum]

Boyd Gaming has announced that they will lay off about 25% of the employees that were brought back for reopening. Last Friday, bars were required to close until further notice by the governor. It is estimated that 80% of businesses are complying with virus guidelines. Clark County has the highest percentage of new cases in NV, which makes sense since it is the most populous. Some casinos are looking at only taking room reservations for weekends. It will be interesting to see if that comes to pass, and how it works out.

[eseum]

The latest from my brother in Germany. Note that the view of the U.S. response:

 

"We still have to follow a few rules here. We still have to wear masks in public spaces. The infected are under 50 per 100.000 population. The more people are infected, the higher the security measures are. We can move freely. Countries with high infection rates ( also from Amerika ) are not allowed to enter Germany.

It can be seen on television that there are up to 60.000 newly infected people in America every day. It is reported that your government is doing little about it.

In Germany and Europe, governments react immediately with security measures if the number of infected people increases. Even if there are economic restrictions. A grant fund was set up for this purpose."

Meanwhile, here in Las Vegas infections requiring hospitalization are still not beyond what the hospitals can handle. Capacity is slowly eroding due to higher numbers of infection though. Some are expecting a larger spike in cases still to come.