The COVID-2019 Thread

[harrybarracuda]

This from the Post:

In his live televised announcement at Government House, Gen Prayut said new requirements to control the disease would be enforced and a committee would be formed to work them out on a daily basis.

"Requirements will be announced the day after tomorrow. They will be issued on an ongoing basis to reduce the epidemic. Some will be requests for cooperation and others will be compulsory," the prime minister said.

"Do not return to your home provinces, or you will face penalties. There will be checkpoints along the way. Please do home quarantine (at your current location). Quarantine facilities will be opened locally and also by the government." Gen Prayut said. Various places would subsequently be closed, he added.

Emergency decree coming Thursday

[bowie]

"Requirements will be announced the day after tomorrow... "Do not return to your home provinces...

That should precipitate a mass exodus from Bangkok tomorrow

[harrybarracuda]

Big c and the local Tesco's were calm and nicely stocked today.

That's a bastard, I'm down to my last half bottle of that Shiitake sauce with no chance of replacing it.

This could be a disaster.

[Luigi]

I just saw 1:00 pm closing on Facebook, whichever. I think thats foolish. I had already planned on visiting there occasionally at 4:00 a.m or so to avoid people. If they do this they'll be packed the whole short day.

The curfew is over at 7am.

So perhaps they'll have 8am-1pm opening hours, with restocking etc in the afternoons.

They're gonna be packed.

With empty shelves.


Better get me shit together and do some panic buying tomorrow. Don't really feel like feeding the kid goldfish and hamster come Day 5 of the flu-pocalypse.

[harrybarracuda]

India joins the lockdown party.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has imposed a three-week long nationwide lockdown across India to help contain the spread of coronavirus infections, allocating an extra $1.97 billion for health care.


“If we listen to the health experts we know that 21 days are crucial to break the cycle of transmission,” Modi said in his televised address to the nation on Thursday. “For a few days forget what it means to go out. Today’s decision of a nationwide lockdown draws a line outside your home.”


India is struggling to contain the economic and health fallout of the spreading coronavirus outbreak that has so far infected 519 in India and killed 10 people.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-24/india-to-impose-nationwide-lockdown-from-midnight-pm-modi-says

[harrybarracuda]

Police fines for people breaking lockdown rules to start at £30

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has revealed that fines for people breaching lockdown rules will start at £30 but that there is no limit to severity of penalties police can issue.


https://www.scotsman.com/health/coronavirus/police-fines-people-breaking-lockdown-rules-start-ps30-2516499

[Dillinger]

All train passengers including those using the Skytrain will be required to wear masks before entering stations and during onboard travel from tomorrow (March 25) as part of the government’s efforts to tackle the escalating Covid-19 crisis.


Department of Rail Transport director-general Sorapong Paitoonphong signed off on his order today that all operators have to inform their passengers accordingly.

The services cover State Railways of Thailand trains and the Airport Rail Link, Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) electric trains, BTS Skytrains and Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM) trains.

The operators will also have to prepare masks for sale at reasonable prices to passengers who do not have them. They are also required to increase the number of screening spots at their stations.

No mention of hand sanitisers?

[harrybarracuda]

It annoys the fucking shit out of me that retarded fucking politicians and the brain dead fucking idiots who follow them continue to ignore what scientists tell us.

This is the same as climate change, one day these feeble-minded wankers will be bleating that no-one saw it coming - when they did.

J Virol. 2005 Feb;79(4):2001-9.
Identification of a novel coronavirus in bats.

Poon LL1, Chu DK, Chan KH, Wong OK, Ellis TM, Leung YH, Lau SK, Woo PC, Suen KY, Yuen KY, Guan Y, Peiris JS.
Author information

Abstract

Exotic wildlife can act as reservoirs of diseases that are endemic in the area or can be the source of new emerging diseases through interspecies transmission.The recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) highlights the importance of virus surveillance in wild animals. Here, we report the identification of a novel bat coronavirus through surveillance of coronaviruses in wildlife. Analyses of the RNA sequence from the ORF1b and S-gene regions indicated that the virus is a group 1 coronavirus. The virus was detected in fecal and respiratory samples from three bat species (Miniopterus spp.). In particular, 63% (12 of 19) of fecal samples from Miniopterus pusillus were positive for the virus. These findings suggest that this virus might be commonly circulating in M. pusillus in Hong Kong.

[harrybarracuda]

No mention of hand sanitisers?

I'm not in Bangkok. Do you think they might have it at the screening points?

[NamPikToot]

^^ it appears that on top of recently discovered COVID19 symptoms such as a loss of sense of smell and taste, Tourettes could also be emergent.

[harrybarracuda]

And from 2007:

Coronaviruses are well known to undergo genetic recombination (375), which may lead to new genotypes and outbreaks. The presence of a large reservoir of SARS-CoV-like viruses in horseshoe bats, together with the culture of eating exotic mammals in southern China, is a time bomb. The possibility of the reemergence of SARS and other novel viruses from animals or laboratories and therefore the need for preparedness should not be ignored.


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2176051/

And BOOM! It's gone off.

[harrybarracuda]

The US is ahead of Italy for new cases today (approaching 6,000).

So much winning!

The daily new case total is going to glide past 30,000 with hours to spare, and global deaths may pass 20,000 before midnight GMT.

[Chittychangchang]

Every mobile phone in the UK received this message today..

[Chittychangchang]

250,000 volunteer recruits needed in England asap. ..

[David48atTD]

->

With the US topping more than 50,000 coronavirus infections, and an alarming rise in New York State, US President Donald Trump has told a Fox News virtual town hall that he hopes the economy is "raring to go" by Easter — which is about two weeks away.

“I would love to have the country opened up and just raring to go by Easter," he said.

He also said the country "wants to be back at work" and called for an easing of physical distancing restrictions, rather than increasing them.

"This cure is worse than the problem. Again, people, many people - in my opinion more people - are going to die if we allow this to continue. We have to go back to work. Our people want to go back to work."

This is all despite the advice of health officials who have called for stricter — not looser — measures to keep a lid on the outbreak. Many states are imposing their own restrictions and lockdowns but are looking to the federal government for a consistent approach.

The US is more than a week into a designated 15-day period where Americans are being told to scale back their physical interactions to help limit the spread of the virus. Mr Trump says he'll reassess the measures needed at the end of that period.


Coronavirus live updates: Donald Trump hopes US economy will be open by Easter, Japan postpones Olympics and Australia gets new restrictions - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[David48atTD]

->

After a few weeks of will they or won't they, the Olympics won't be taking place this year.
It seemed a foregone conclusion with some countries in recent days saying they would not be sending athletes to the Games if they were to continue in July as planned.
The governing International Olympic Committee (IOC) had said it would take four weeks to decide the future of the games, but in the end, the Japanese PM Shinzo Abe called for them to postpone the games.


Here's Mr Abe

I asked if the IOC could consider postponement for around a year and Mr Bach said he was 100 per cent in agreement.
The Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held at the latest by the Summer of 2021 — and [Mr Bach] agreed with that.

Athletes worldwide have been training and building towards peak performance in July so they can win gold at the Olympics, but now they'll have to rethink their plans.

Tokyo was also to host the 1940 Olympics, but it was taken away and given to Finland before a world war eventually led to the games being cancelled altogether.

Coronavirus live updates: Donald Trump hopes US economy will be open by Easter, Japan postpones Olympics and Australia gets new restrictions - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[Little Chuchok]

->

He also said the country "wants to be back at work" and called for an easing of physical distancing restrictions, rather than increasing them.



This is all despite the advice of health officials who have called for stricter — not looser — measures to keep a lid on the outbreak. Many states are imposing their own restrictions and lockdowns but are looking to the federal government for a consistent approach.

The fucking idiot!

[David48atTD]

Meanwhile in Australia ...

• Weddings can continue, but only with the couple, the celebrant, and witnesses — totalling a maximum of 5 people
• Funerals are limited to a maximum of 10 people

The full detail ...

Late last night the Prime Minister held a press conference where he announced the crackdown on social gatherings would be expanded.

The new bans come into place from midnight tonight.

What's banned:

• Amusement parks and arcades
• Indoor and outdoor play centres
• Community and recreation centres, health clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre, spin facilities, saunas, wellness centres
• Public swimming pools
• Galleries, museums, national institutions, historic sites, libraries, community centres
• Auction houses
• Real estate auctions and open house inspections
• In-store beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons and tattoo parlours, spa and massage parlours (excluding allied-health-related services, like physiotherapy)
• Food courts within shopping centres will only be able to sell takeaway. Shopping centres themselves will remain open

Between the Australian Prime Minister and the US President ... completely different perspectives on how this will pan out.

Time will tell.

[harrybarracuda]

With the US topping more than 50,000 coronavirus infections, and an alarming rise in New York State, US President Donald Trump has told a Fox News virtual town hall that he hopes the economy is "raring to go" by Easter — which is about two weeks away.

Either he is the biggest fucking liar in the history of liars or the biggest fucking idiot. Doesn't really matter which.

The 6,000 new cases I reported earlier are now 9,200.

It looks like the bald orange fucking turd's desire to turn this into a money making venture for his corporate buddies has well and truly blown up in his face.

[baldrick]

Late last night the Prime Minister

the rambling scomo idiot is being shown up by the victorian premier

all these advertising types inhabiting key roles are being shown as the incompetents they are

and more good news is foxtel is likely to die through lack of sports coverage which should pummel news corp and telstra

maybe then Australia will get the NBN it requires to allow it to dig itself out of this mess with new industry spawned via small businesses being able to innovate with global connection

[Latindancer]

Yeah, the current government in Oz are a bunch of turkeys.

On Monday the MyGov website was unavailable to many Australians seeking information regarding new coronavirus government benefits. Minister for Government Services, Stuart Robert, originally identified the crash incorrectly as DDoS attack, but has now admitted to a lack of preparation being the real culprit.

The minister also admitted to not realising that the closure of thousands of businesses around the country could result in up to a million Australians potentially requiring benefits.
"My bad not realising the sheer scale of the decision on Sunday night by national leaders that literally saw hundreds of thousands, maybe a million, people unemployed overnight."

This underestimation of online service requirements has come at a time where the federal and state governments are urging people to stay at home and social distance as much as possible.

'My Bad' Says Government Services Minister On MyGov Crash | Gizmodo Australia

[kmart]

The Emergency Decree from Thai Govt: (From the Thaiger).

his is a translation of the Emergency Decree declared this afternoon. The translation has been done to provide a quick guide of the intentions. We will publish the government’s official English translation as soon as it becomes available. In the meantime this is a guide only….On March 24, 2020, Gen. Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand and Minister of Defense.
Announcement of the Cabinet’s resolution issuing the Emergency Decree on Government Administration in Emergency Situations 2005 to control the outbreak of Covid-19 virus infection.
In accordance with Article 9, in the event that it is necessary to resolve an emergency situation to end immediately or to prevent a more serious incident, the Prime Minister has the power to issue regulations.
Level 1 – general emergency situations.
No one may leave the home within the specified period. Unless authorised by a competent official. The current news says that the curfew will be specified at 19.00-07.00 hrs (7pm-7am).
– Prohibiting assembly or mingling anywhere.
– prohibiting the use of transportation routes or the use of vehicles Or stipulating conditions for the use of transportation routes or the use of vehicles
– Prohibiting the use of buildings. Or enter or be in any place.
– To evacuate people from the designated area for the safety of the said people. Or prohibiting anyone from entering the designated area.
(1) No person may leave the dwelling place within the specified period. Except with permission from a competent official or an exempt person.
(2) No assembly or mobilisation at any place or any act which instigates unrest
(3) Prohibiting the publication of news or distribution or distribution of books, publications or any other media which contains messages which may cause people to be afraid, or intentionally distort information and cause misunderstanding in an emergency situation.
(4) Prohibiting the use of transportation routes or the use of vehicles. Or stipulating conditions for the use of transportation routes or the use of vehicles.
(5) Prohibiting the use of buildings Or enter or be in any place.
(6) To evacuate the people from the designated area for the safety of the said people or prohibiting anyone from entering the designated areaLevel 2 Critical emergency situations
– The authority shall have the power to arrest and control any person suspected to be a co-offender in an emergency situation. As is necessary to suppress the violence without delay.
– The authority shall have the power to issue an order calling any person to conduct a report or in for questioning.
– The official shall have the power to issue an order to seize or retain, consumer goods, chemicals or any other objects.
– The authority shall have the power to issue an order to search, demolish or destroy any building or obsitcal if needed.
– The authority shall have the power to issue an order prohibiting anyone to leave the Kingdom.
– Issue orders to use military force for Serious events or an emergency situation to sustain and minimise the level of damage.

Thai PM announces Emergency Decree, comes into effect on March 26 | The Thaiger

[panama hat]

No takeaways? Can one still get a steak and cheese at the local dairy?

Not anymore - also no delivery food if it is cooked. Only two agencies can deliver food, uncooked

[panama hat]

Either he is the biggest fucking liar in the history of liars or the biggest fucking idiot.

I'd suggest . . . both

[nidhogg]

FDA will allow doctors to treat critically ill coronavirus patients with blood from survivors


FDA will allow doctors to treat critically ill coronavirus patients with blood from survivors

The reason?

The state's health department planned to begin treating the sickest coronavirus patients with antibody-rich plasma extracted from the blood of those who've recovered


The method — essentially harvesting virus-fighting antibodies from the blood of previously infected patients
Hopefully Boo and Prancer will keep their "science" to themselves from now on.