Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)

[AlbertC]

At least 77 Canadians on board cruise ship with COVID-19 cases: Global Affairs

Published March 19, 2020 12:57 a.m. ET
Updated March 19, 2020 1:28 a.m. ET

By The Canadian Press Staff

OTTAWA -- Global Affairs Canada says at least 77 Canadians are on a trans-Atlantic cruise ship that has several COVID-19 cases among its passengers.

Costa Luminosa, which has more than 1,400 people on board, is heading for the French Mediterranean port of Marseille.

Cruise ship with COVID-19 cases and Canadians on board docks in France

A trans-Atlantic cruise ship carrying several COVID-19 cases among its passengers and with dozens of Canadians aboard has docked in the French Mediterranean port city of Marseille.

www.ctvnews.ca

 

[Admiral Beez]

Theory: A Stanford study demonstrated that working from home boosts productivity.

Not me, at least not yet. I used to work for a company in Stratford, ON and worked remotely, but not from home. Instead I rented a desk at CSI Regent Park. Now that I work at Dufferin and Steeles I am still going to work even though I have my laptop and could work from home. But I find I need the separation, work is here, home is there, and I fear I am easily distracted by the dog, kids, etc. I have a five bedroom house, so there’s definitely enough places to hide myself, so I admit it’s a discipline thing I need to work on. So here I sit at work in a near empty office, just two other likeminded souls in a big space.

 

[lenaitch]

I must confess, I'm utterly frustrated that we don't seem to using science as the basis for restrictions on commerce.

As discussed previously, there is/was no evidence of transmission in restaurants, and intuitively take-out lines may well be more compressed. Capping capacity and/or minimum separation distances would have been preferable, in my mind, in terms of managing contagion.

I'm open to evidence that suggests otherwise, but I haven't seen any, and I'm certainly looking at everything I can.

Likewise, we haven't forced Canadian Tire to close; but somehow, we need to force liquor stores?

Don't get me wrong, much as I love a fine glass of Ammarone............ I'm not arguing wine is an essential.

I'm interested in the the consistent application of scientific principles though.

If the argument is for personal space between people, you can do that while keeping most business open.

If there's a different argument in play, and evidence to support it, fine...........but then let's apply it equally to every place of employment that isn't absolutely essential, across the board.

I highly suspect that it is a matter of more direct government control over the the LCBO than places like CTC. I also suspect the closure of casinos was based, at least in part, on phone calls with the AGCO, their government regulator.

When you think about it, transmission potential may be worse at Canadian Tire. We are often more likely to pick up something then put it back at CTC than the liquor store. perhaps they need to go back to the old counter service!

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

At least 77 Canadians on board cruise ship with COVID-19 cases: Global Affairs

Published March 19, 2020 12:57 a.m. ET
Updated March 19, 2020 1:28 a.m. ET

By The Canadian Press Staff

OTTAWA -- Global Affairs Canada says at least 77 Canadians are on a trans-Atlantic cruise ship that has several COVID-19 cases among its passengers.

Costa Luminosa, which has more than 1,400 people on board, is heading for the French Mediterranean port of Marseille.

Cruise ship with COVID-19 cases and Canadians on board docks in France

A trans-Atlantic cruise ship carrying several COVID-19 cases among its passengers and with dozens of Canadians aboard has docked in the French Mediterranean port city of Marseille.

www.ctvnews.ca

They *still* went on a cruise after the warnings of the last two weeks? I am not terribly sympathetic of that.

AoD

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

For restaurants, I've been avoiding, but I did go into a Starbucks the other day using mobile ordering which was quick and efficient ... in and out in under a minute, no personal interaction. Of course, that doesn't take surfaces into account, and today they were reporting that the rotten little virus can live up to 3 days on metal and plastic surfaces.

I have become that tin foil hat OCD germophobe compulsively washing my hands (I use sanitizer as a last resort, preferring to actually wash) after realizing just how many THINGS I actually touch when outside of my own little bubble where I control what is clean and what isn't.

The virus apparently has a shorter lifespan on cardboard, so I'm not going to fret quite so much about my deliveries, although I wonder about glass bottles having just placed an online LCBO order. I've always enjoyed online shopping (I used to live up north and was an online shopper before it was cool), and I'm taking advantage of it now to avoid crowds and as stores close. I think we're going to see some interesting changes in the online market going forward.

One of my main concerns is the touchscreen on self-serve kiosks. They really need to wipe it down after each use. Payment is thankfully touchless. And yes, it just makes my OCD germophobia even worse. My hands look and feel utterly devastated after Purell and extended hand washing with warm water. Lotion didn't help much either.

I am tempted to pick up a UV sterilizer and just dump sterilizable stuff in it.

AoD

 

[PinkLucy]

My Italian friend has posted that they are expected to be on lockdown until July. They also posted that the government will start monitoring activity via cell phones. I heard on CBC radio yesterday that this is already being done in Israel. If you are somewhere you shouldn’t be, you hear about it. Of course, people will get smart and just leave their phones at home while they are breaking the rules.

 

[vic]

My hands look and feel utterly devastated after Purell and extended hand washing with warm water. Lotion didn't help much either.

Yeah, I'm more desperate for hand cream than sanitizer. The last few weeks washing hands very thoroughly and frequently, especially at work, has taken its toll. This week at home is a bit of a relief.

 

[PinkLucy]

Now we all know how health workers feel because they always wash their hands so frequently. I wasn’t a germophobe before, but I am rapidly becoming one.

 

[lenaitch]

Not me, at least not yet. I used to work for a company in Stratford, ON and worked remotely, but not from home. Instead I rented a desk at CSI Regent Park. Now that I work at Dufferin and Steeles I am still going to work even though I have my laptop and could work from home. But I find I need the separation, work is here, home is there, and I fear I am easily distracted by the dog, kids, etc. I have a five bedroom house, so there’s definitely enough places to hid myself, so I admit it’s a discipline thing I need to work on. So here I sit at work in a near empty office, just two other likeminded souls in a big space.

I really think it depends on the individual and the business. Our daughter is working from home and is pretty self-motivated, but it's totally foreign work environment for her so it is taking some adjustment. As well, her normal online work interaction is via a proprietary hardwired (not mobile) network that can be wonky to 'dial' into. Also, she is finding that a lot of the private businesses she deals with simply aren't there.

Obviously, if you are in, say, construction or manufacturing, there is usually little you can do from home.

It would interesting to know whether the cited productivity benefits are long term. Over the short term, particularly in these circumstances, people might be getting a lot of work done because there may be precious little else to do. For most people, life is roughly divided into three; work-personal-sleep. When the line between the work and the personal, and folks are working during what would normally be personal time, of course 'output' may go up, but how many people are willing to do that over the long term.

I'm retired. We've had a contractor in, I've been to a car dealer, a bank and Home Depot, but am having to stretch things out at home. I want to paint a room but my paint store (not HD) is closed. Just about every appointment we had has been cancelled. I can't even take my tax filing package to the accountant. There's only so many times you can walk the dogs, it's too late in the season to do outside winter stuff and too early to do spring stuff. Time to break out a book.

 

[Admiral Beez]

There's only so many times you can walk the dogs, it's too late in the season to do outside winter stuff and too early to do spring stuff. Time to break out a book.

Walked the dog three times on Sunday, I think I saw fifty other dogs on walks.

Agreed on the books. Just before the library shutdown I borrowed two books I've been meaning to read for years.... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Grub_Street and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Jewel_in_the_Crown_(novel), both listed as two of the top British books of all time by the BBC http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20151204-the-100-greatest-british-novels Now if I can just get over my attention span issues.....

 

[PinkLucy]

Now that libraries are closed, the Overdrive app lets you borrow eBooks. Hooray for technology!

 

[lenaitch]

My wife pretty much lives on her Kobo so she is in good shape. That and practicing, transcribing, etc. her music.

 

[Northern Light]

My Italian friend has posted that they are expected to be on lockdown until July. They also posted that the government will start monitoring activity via cell phones. I heard on CBC radio yesterday that this is already being done in Israel. If you are somewhere you shouldn’t be, you hear about it. Of course, people will get smart and just leave their phones at home while they are breaking the rules.

An emergency may well justify such intrusion; but the notion of just how easy it is for the government to snoop if so inclined should be a cause for reflection at some point down the road.

 

[Northern Light]

They *still* went on a cruise after the warnings of the last two weeks? I am not terribly sympathetic of that.

AoD

For the life of me; the cruise ship company that set sail in the circumstances has no judgement whatever either.

Just on purely selfish terms, given the huge issues besetting the industry (and its passengers and crews) you would think the company would have pulled the plug at the first opportunity.

 

[gabe]

While Ford, GM, Chrysler, Honda, are temporary stopping production and shutting down. Toyota is acting like there is nothing going on in the world. My friend works there, his FB posts about Toyota failing to protect its workers are sickening. About a day ago they even had overtime planned!

So now that a worker has tested positive they are going to shut down...... for only two days.

Cambridge's Toyota plant has a confirmed case of COVID-19 (UPDATED)

Sources tell 570 NEWS, employees were sent home at 6:30 Thursday morning

www.guelphtoday.com