Covid And The Rest of Us

[ronandannette]

You hit the nail on the head with that statement. It’s very true. This is why cases are rising in Europe. It’s not because people are traveling or going out and about too much, is because they feel safe in their own homes and have social contacts there- who wears masks then? . Psychologically speaking inviting friends and family is safe, but it is not. Inviting another family over for dinner puts you at more risk then sitting next to a stranger on a plane. Which scenario are you wearing a mask?

At this point in Alberta at least and perhaps the rest of Canada too, nobody can say anymore where the transmissions are coming from. Our Provincial health authorities have bluntly stated that effective contact tracing is has become simply impossible with hundreds of new cases being diagnosed every day. The only sure ones are those linked to easily identifiable sources like hospitals and senior’s care facilities. They’ve all but stopped providing any meaningful data on who is being diagnosed demographically and only publish raw numbers. Our hospitalization and ICU reporting is similar but today, after a long while I did read a break-down of the most recent 27 deaths, which occurred over the past 5 days. The deceased ranged in age from late 60’s to over 100 and all but 4 were connected to medical or care facilities.

At this point the assumption is nebulous community spread but no one can say for sure. Cases are rampant in our K-12 schools; 147 separate facilities are currently reporting some form of outbreak. Schools are not closing, nor is anything much really, even though we had what was supposed to be "drastic restrictions" announced last week. Both the Chief Medical Officer and the Premier admit we just now taking shots in the dark and more stringent restrictions will have to follow if things don't turn around. Whatever that may mean.

 

[BadPinkTink]

A new private drive through Covid testing facility opened today at Dublin airport. Prices start at €129 and people are asked to leave 36 hours for a result. The expectation is for a few hundred people to be tested a day during lockdown but the capacity could be pushed to 12,000. A second walk up facility is due to open in next week.

 

[ronandannette]

A new private drive through Covid testing facility opened today at Dublin airport. Prices start at €129 and people are asked to leave 36 hours for a result. The expectation is for a few hundred people to be tested a day during lockdown but the capacity could be pushed to 12,000. A second walk up facility is due to open in next week.

What is the goal of this? Why do people have to pay? That seems like a fairly steep price too.

 

[BadPinkTink]

What is the goal of this? Why do people have to pay? That seems like a fairly steep price too.

The EU have introduced a new travel plan between the 26 countries. The testing facilities at the airports is because one of the rules about travel between countries is that people need to have a negative test.

Currently anyone arriving in Ireland from USA have to quarantine for 14 days. With the new testing facilities at Dublin airport, from 29 November, anyone arriving in Ireland from America will not have to quarantine for 14 days if they get a negative PCR Covid test within 5 days of arrival.

The cost is because its a private company doing the testing. They will be doing the tests at their own labs. This means that they will not be adding to the queue of tests being done at the official Government testing labs.

It will mean that there will be two ways to get a Covid test

1. If you have symptoms, ring a doctor and get a free Covid test
2. If you don't have symptoms, but want to travel out of Ireland, pay €129 at the airport testing centre

 

[prairie_girl]

At this point in Alberta at least and perhaps the rest of Canada too, nobody can say anymore where the transmissions are coming from. Our Provincial health authorities have bluntly stated that effective contact tracing is has become simply impossible with hundreds of new cases being diagnosed every day. The only sure ones are those linked to easily identifiable sources like hospitals and senior’s care facilities. They’ve all but stopped providing any meaningful data on who is being diagnosed demographically and only publish raw numbers. Our hospitalization and ICU reporting is similar but today, after a long while I did read a break-down of the most recent 27 deaths, which occurred over the past 5 days. The deceased ranged in age from late 60’s to over 100 and all but 4 were connected to medical or care facilities.

At this point the assumption is nebulous community spread but no one can say for sure. Cases are rampant in our K-12 schools; 147 separate facilities are currently reporting some form of outbreak. Schools are not closing, nor is anything much really, even though we had what was supposed to be "drastic restrictions" announced last week. Both the Chief Medical Officer and the Premier admit we just now taking shots in the dark and more stringent restrictions will have to follow if things don't turn around. Whatever that may mean.

Two days ago it was announced that one person here in the city had contact tracing done after they tested positive and the had 85 freaking contacts. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Two days ago it was announced that one person here in the city had contact tracing done after they tested positive and the had 85 freaking contacts. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

What was the definition of contacts? I know this seems to vary a lot.

My husband was notified 2 weeks ago that a coworker had tested positive and they asked anyone who had been around him longer than 10 mins, unmasked, to go home and isolate. Masks are required in many of the places at his work but I could see eating or talking outside or something like that that could have led to the unmasked part. That person who tested positive had been at home, since feeling unwell, since the week prior (so he did the right thing and was able to work from home) so I'm sure the contacts was more limited. My husband hadn't been around the guy in over 3 weeks at that point of being notified and it was masked so my husband was fine to go into working according to his work's protocol.

 

[ronandannette]

Two days ago it was announced that one person here in the city had contact tracing done after they tested positive and the had 85 freaking contacts. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Hard to say though how they're counting. If, for example, I was diagnosed tomorrow, would my contacts just be my immediate family and the people at my office? Or would it include the counter guy where I picked up pizza yesterday and all the people at the grocery store, gas station and Marshalls, where I have been in the last week?

Interestingly, Alberta is so far in the ditch on contact tracing that my company has instituted a new policy where employees are supposed to record their own contacts so someone from our HR can try and reach them in case we are diagnosed.

 

[prairie_girl]

I think it’s close contact for more than 10 minutes.

 

[ronandannette]

I think it’s close contact for more than 10 minutes.

I can't find any specific information on the Alberta website. By that standard though, yes, 85 is a crazy lot of people.

 

[KnightInShiningArmorDis92]

Hope for the best! Prepare for the worst!

 

[prairie_girl]

Our Premiere is speaking at the daily 12:30 presser so this could mean stricter guidelines are coming...

 

[Aladora]

Our Premiere is speaking at the daily 12:30 presser so this could mean stricter guidelines are coming...

Dr. Henry and Minister Dix are making an announcement today at 3:00pm where they are expected to unveil new measures.

https://www.cheknews.ca/b-c-expecte...PFB0Bd3cRCaNSb_gfPdBtSpsk_l-aBKSIikIUDV3zAbjo

 

[prairie_girl]

Dr. Henry and Minister Dix are making an announcement today at 3:00pm where they are expected to unveil new measures.

https://www.cheknews.ca/b-c-expecte...PFB0Bd3cRCaNSb_gfPdBtSpsk_l-aBKSIikIUDV3zAbjo

We now are not allowed to have anyone in our homes who don't live there. Exceptions are health care workers, in home daycare, police, emt etc.


Stores now have to block off all non essential items and will be fined if it's found they are skirting this. Essential items are food, medications, cell phones, shampoo, winter jackets, boots, pet food, things like that.

Non essential are considered electronics, games, toys, cosmetics


My BIL will be losing his mind and I wish I could see him ranting and raving.

 

[ronandannette]

We now are not allowed to have anyone in our homes who don't live there. Exceptions are health care workers, in home daycare, police, emt etc.


Stores now have to block off all non essential items and will be fined if it's found they are skirting this. Essential items are food, medications, cell phones, shampoo, winter jackets, boots, pet food, things like that.

Non essential are considered electronics, games, toys, cosmetics


My BIL will be losing his mind and I wish I could see him ranting and raving.

I will be ranting and raving myself if this gets imposed in Alberta without notice. I'm going to make a cosmetics/toiletries run on my way home just in case. We can assume that further official measures are on the way here. I'm listening to our Chief Officer of Health rant right now about people not imposing voluntary restrictions on themselves. As far as I'm concerned, that's a pipe-dream. Whatever should be done, must be done officially.

 

[prairie_girl]

I will be ranting and raving myself if this gets imposed in Alberta without notice. I'm going to make a cosmetics/toiletries run on my way home just in case. We can assume that further official measures are on the way here. I'm listening to our Chief Officer of Health rant right now about people not imposing voluntary restrictions on themselves. As far as I'm concerned, that's a pipe-dream. Whatever should be done, must be done officially.

Keep in mind it doesn't ban you from buying these things, you just can't buy them in store. Pickup and online orders are still fine.

Yes, I get that there are people who don't do it that way. For them, it's either that or nothing so they are free to choose.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

How have businesses like restaurants doing for people in the thread? Are you losing them fast? Or is it a slow trickle? I don't know what, if any (and I may have missed it) government aid is/was available. Here in the states it's largely the Paycheck Protection Program.

I've been hearing about a good amount of restaurants and fast food locations closing down in my metro, there are some new places opening but if I had to guess at this moment the ratio is more lost than gained. I think the new restrictions that multiple counties in my metro, including my own, and cities just handed down and began this week will be the end for a few more. The area does seem to be at least aware of the economic pressures something that they were not as quick to think about in the spring.

I mention this because the news just covered today a restaurant closing after 40 years with this statement: "The impacts of COVID-19 brought us to the conclusion that it’s just too difficult for us to keep our restaurant doors open. Like many small businesses, it was time to rethink how we operate for the constantly changing world" I had been talking about this with another poster in a different thread, some of these establishments have been long-standing they just weren't able to weather what has become a long storm and with ups and downs on restrictions.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Also has anyone heard from @bavaria recently? It's been a month or so since she last posted on this thread I think. I hope she's doing okay

 

[prairie_girl]

How have businesses like restaurants doing for people in the thread? Are you losing them fast? Or is it a slow trickle? I don't know what, if any (and I may have missed it) government aid is/was available. Here in the states it's largely the Paycheck Protection Program.

I've been hearing about a good amount of restaurants and fast food locations closing down in my metro, there are some new places opening but if I had to guess at this moment the ratio is more lost than gained. I think the new restrictions that multiple counties in my metro, including my own, and cities just handed down and began this week will be the end for a few more. The area does seem to be at least aware of the economic pressures something that they were not as quick to think about in the spring.

I mention this because the news just covered today a restaurant closing after 40 years with this statement: "The impacts of COVID-19 brought us to the conclusion that it’s just too difficult for us to keep our restaurant doors open. Like many small businesses, it was time to rethink how we operate for the constantly changing world" I had been talking about this with another poster in a different thread, some of these establishments have been long-standing they just weren't able to weather what has become a long storm and with ups and downs on restrictions.

For us, I think we’ve lost a few restaurants but not too many. Ours have been closed for in dining and everything is delivery or curb side pickup. They have government funds available to cover wages and other expenses so that will be making a huge difference.

 

[ronandannette]

For us, I think we’ve lost a few restaurants but not too many. Ours have been closed for in dining and everything is delivery or curb side pickup. They have government funds available to cover wages and other expenses so that will be making a huge difference.

It's complicated.
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/economic-response-plan.html#businesses
Restaurants have been open here for dine-in since July under restrictions; some mom-and-pop type places didn't survive the first shut-down. There have been much stricter regulation of the bar/pub/nightclub type places and a lot of them have closed. We're sliding ever closer to another shut-down of everything but drive-thru and take-out so we shall see what happens next.

 

[TLSnell1981]

Also has anyone heard from @bavaria recently? It's been a month or so since she last posted on this thread I think. I hope she's doing okay

No but I was thinking about her a couple of days ago. She took a long break from the boards a while back.. Hopefully she is doing well.