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Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)

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The directives also transferred the responsibility — and costs — for securing and stockpiling masks to public and private employers. This contributed to the severe shortages that France has suffered in recent months, as government officials became less engaged on the issue.

Mr. Gautier, the former director of the general secretariat, said that the new directives had been intended to improve the distribution of masks by requiring employers, like hospitals, to stock them and to make them legally responsible for the protection of their employees.
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But he acknowledged that “it would have been logical to transfer the credits and not only the costs to the employers. We should have also put in place measures of control to ensure that the reforms had been applied correctly.”

But the new policy also undermined France’s capacity to produce masks. Employers, now charged with procuring masks, naturally sought cheaper suppliers abroad.

And to save costs, the government placed large orders that only Chinese factories were able to satisfy, said Francis Delattre, a former senator whose 2015 report warned of the depletion of masks.

“Small French factories were losing orders,” Mr. Delattre said. “It was very dangerous to entrust only one or two Chinese conglomerates with the health protection of the country.”

And without its single government customer, the factory in Plaintel, which had once been running 24 hours a day, saw its business shrivel and eventually closed in 2018, Mr. Fuan said.

As expired masks were disposed of, France’s national stockpile shrank from 1.7 billion in 2009 to 150 million in March.
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And as the “invisible enemy” began rampaging throughout France, the country that made some of the world’s most sophisticated military hardware in the world was unable to produce enough face masks.

“This crisis must lead us to consider health care as a strategic sector that should draw on a lot of what we do in defense,” said Arnaud Danjean, a European lawmaker.

“We weren’t armed for this,” he added.
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We're looking at whoever is or will be in charge of the Ministry of Heath in Ontario or whatever name they will call it.
 
W. K. Lis said:
How France Lost the Weapons to Fight a Pandemic
The French once thought of medical gear, like fighter jets, as a national security asset that had to be made at home. But cuts and outsourcing have left them scrambling for masks, tests and even pain pills.

From link.
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I think this will change the way everything is manufactured going forward. For years everything has been made in China due to cost but at the risk of an interrupted supply chain.

The fact is that crucial items like masks, pharmaceuticals, weapons and other emergency goods need to be produced at home to avoid disruption. This pandemic has shown how reliant the world is on China and how hard it is to find things like masks and to produce vaccines when the need arises.

Imagine if this was worse than it was.. alot of people COULD have died should countries have been unable to retool in a hurry.
 
I think the idea that the plague will cause manufacturing to move out of China is a bit overplayed.

The world should be up in arms over the CCP's obfuscation in the beginning of the outbreak in Wuhan. The way they lied. The arrests of truth-seekers. etc.

Yet, no one cares. It's the same old appeasement for the most part.

Manufacturing has been moving out of China to lower-cost jurisdictions for a few years now and this will continue.

People will continue to value money over ethics. The plague doesn't change any of that.
 
SunriseChampion said:
Just got home from up north.

That was so necessary. Bare feet on the Canadian Shield.

I don't even know what is going on anymore.

I tried for Killbear P.P. That was closed due to "hazardous tree removal" apparently.
Made it to Sturgeon Bay P.P. Was the only one there but for a ranger and his wife. Super peaceful and lovely. Open for day use 8:00-22:00. Which is dope because there's a beach there and a boat launch so you can make it out to Georgian Bay.
It was nice being the only person there.

Then I made it down to Torrance Barrens, which was packed full of people. At least double the amounth of people as the busiest I've seen it before today.

So, that was a big contrast to the cottage occupancy which seemed largely reduced. I would say, at most, 50% occupancy at cottages through the Gravenhurst-Pointe Au Baril corridor.

Also drove through a police checkpoint in Bala which I have never ever ever seen there. Maybe they thought people would be going buck after being shut in?

The highways were beautifully empty which made it a breeze getting around, especially at my speeds. ;)

Not sure the fire ban is a real thing as Carling Township had a sign outside a municipal facility that said only campfires were allowed. Saw pleeeeenty of fires being burnt down, all over the place....so.....I don't think the fire ban is a thing.

Anyway, now's the time to go up north, if you're interested because it's emptier than usual...mostly.
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The province-wide fire restriction was part of the Covid emergency orders, now lifted. The OMNRF shows that area's fire rating to be low, but each municipality has its own burning bylaws. Small municipalities have only one or two bylaw enforcement people, likely none working one the weekend with the possible exception of perhaps the Fire Chief.

Odd about the police checkpoint - sure it wasn't a RIDE point? Booze and young-uns on the 2-4 weekend has always been a cottage country concern. With no travel restrictions in place, I'm not sure what they would ask. I was up there last week and very close yesterday and I think I saw one cruiser -parked. I agree about the traffic; I hardly saw anything yesterday, certainly not on holiday weekend scale.
 
They came through it pretty well, with low case numbers the last little while. (1 new case today)
 
I went for a 250 km motorcycle ride today, from Lakeshore up the DVP/404 and Hwy 8 to Lake Simcoe and Georgina, then northeast to Beaverton, then down hwy 12 to Whitby, 401 to Meadowvale Rd, up Twyn Rivers through Rouge River Park, then Kingston Rd to home.

Throughout the day it became clear that people are ignoring the social distancing rules. Tons of folks walking in groups along Lake Simcoe, Rouge Park was full of families and large groups.
 
Admiral Beez said:
I went for a 250 km motorcycle ride today, from Lakeshore up the DVP/404 and Hwy 8 to Lake Simcoe and Georgina, then northeast to Beaverton, then down hwy 12 to Whitby, 401 to Meadowvale Rd, up Twyn Rivers through Rouge River Park, then Kingston Rd to home.

Throughout the day it became clear that people are ignoring the social distancing rules. Tons of folks walking in groups along Lake Simcoe, Rouge Park was full of families and large groups.
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Always carry your laser measurer with you? Do carry a small tape measure with me. I always assume 1.5 m between the sidewalk markings.
 
Richard White said:
I think this will change the way everything is manufactured going forward. For years everything has been made in China
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There’s a global or at least western world reckoning coming China’s way. And China knows it, which is why they’re flaying about trying to pin Covid19 onto others (US soldiers?) and bullying smaller nations like Australia.

SARS came from China, they did nothing long term to prevent another outbreak, which led us to Covid19. If China isn’t brought under control we can expect Covid30.
 
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