Novel Coronavirus COVID-19 (nCoV-2019)

[jje1000]

Border possibly being slowly tightened on both ends- a good move politically that pleases both sides.

The United States and Canada are preparing to issue a joint statement in the next 24-48 hours to suspend non-essential travel between the two countries, a Trump administration official tells CNN.

The agreement is not yet finalized and officials are still working to define "non-essential travel," but the official stressed that the new restrictions will ensure that business and trade between the two countries can continue.

Part of the discussions involve what types of vehicles and individuals would still be allowed to travel between the two countries and for what purpose, the official said. The restrictions will likely allow for significant flexibility.

Unlike travel restrictions on Europe and China, this would be a mutual agreement between the two countries.

US and Canada suspend non-essential travel between the two countries

The United States and Canada will suspend non-essential travel between the two countries due to the coronavirus pandemic, President Donald Trump said Wednesday morning.

www.cnn.com

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

Watching the footage of global scientists working on the vaccines, etc. I have to wonder if we could have solved HIV/AIDS earlier with similar urgency and effort. Freddie Mercury may still be with us.

Probably not. Science in the 80s is pretty primitive - there weren't any tests for the longest time, no antivirals. We're able to the genome for this virus within one or two weeks once it's been identified - it took a few months for SARS back in 03.

AoD

 

[Jasmine18]

Best to do a mutual US Canada border shutdown.

This would be the biggest event in USA canada relations in a long time.

 

[Videodrome]

Good, this was necessary.

 

[AlbertC]

Iran faces catastrophic death toll from coronavirus

Beyond China and Italy, Iran has been hardest hit by COVID-19 — but it could get a whole lot worse, thanks to a lack of international aid, government mismanagement and nobody knowing quite who's in charge.

Researchers at the respected Sharif University of Technology in Tehran have created a computer simulator to test different scenarios for the further spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, across Iran. They concluded that in a best-case scenario — in which the government quarantines all high-risk areas, people strictly obey quarantine rules, and access to sufficient medical supplies is guaranteed — the country would reach the peak of the epidemic in roughly one week, and the death toll would exceed 12,000.

Yet that scenario is unrealistic in all three instances: The government can't impose quarantine, people will not obey quarantine rules, and the medical supply situation is catastrophic thanks to US sanctions and chronic mismanagement.

Accounting for those realities, the researchers estimate Iran will not reach the peak of the epidemic until late May, and they estimate as many as 3.5 million people could die as a result.

Iran faces catastrophic death toll from coronavirus | DW | 17.03.2020

Beyond China and Italy, Iran has been hardest hit by COVID-19 — but it could get a whole lot worse, thanks to a lack of international aid, government mismanagement and nobody knowing quite who's in charge.

m.dw.com

 

[Johnny Au]

Iran faces catastrophic death toll from coronavirus

Beyond China and Italy, Iran has been hardest hit by COVID-19 — but it could get a whole lot worse, thanks to a lack of international aid, government mismanagement and nobody knowing quite who's in charge.

Researchers at the respected Sharif University of Technology in Tehran have created a computer simulator to test different scenarios for the further spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, across Iran. They concluded that in a best-case scenario — in which the government quarantines all high-risk areas, people strictly obey quarantine rules, and access to sufficient medical supplies is guaranteed — the country would reach the peak of the epidemic in roughly one week, and the death toll would exceed 12,000.

Yet that scenario is unrealistic in all three instances: The government can't impose quarantine, people will not obey quarantine rules, and the medical supply situation is catastrophic thanks to US sanctions and chronic mismanagement.

Accounting for those realities, the researchers estimate Iran will not reach the peak of the epidemic until late May, and they estimate as many as 3.5 million people could die as a result.

Iran faces catastrophic death toll from coronavirus | DW | 17.03.2020

Beyond China and Italy, Iran has been hardest hit by COVID-19 — but it could get a whole lot worse, thanks to a lack of international aid, government mismanagement and nobody knowing quite who's in charge.

m.dw.com

Regime change could happen by the end of the year.

 

[Northern Light]

Iran faces catastrophic death toll from coronavirus

Beyond China and Italy, Iran has been hardest hit by COVID-19 — but it could get a whole lot worse, thanks to a lack of international aid, government mismanagement and nobody knowing quite who's in charge.

Researchers at the respected Sharif University of Technology in Tehran have created a computer simulator to test different scenarios for the further spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, across Iran. They concluded that in a best-case scenario — in which the government quarantines all high-risk areas, people strictly obey quarantine rules, and access to sufficient medical supplies is guaranteed — the country would reach the peak of the epidemic in roughly one week, and the death toll would exceed 12,000.

Yet that scenario is unrealistic in all three instances: The government can't impose quarantine, people will not obey quarantine rules, and the medical supply situation is catastrophic thanks to US sanctions and chronic mismanagement.

Accounting for those realities, the researchers estimate Iran will not reach the peak of the epidemic until late May, and they estimate as many as 3.5 million people could die as a result.

Iran faces catastrophic death toll from coronavirus | DW | 17.03.2020

Beyond China and Italy, Iran has been hardest hit by COVID-19 — but it could get a whole lot worse, thanks to a lack of international aid, government mismanagement and nobody knowing quite who's in charge.

m.dw.com

Hold it.

I understand these things get said.

Once again, the virus is real, risk is real, deaths are real etc.

Lest anyone imagine I am casting doubt on the broader situation, I am not.

But I have a real problem here with context.

As at 48 hours ago, to my understanding, Iran had had around 250 deaths due to Covid-19.

In a typical week, in an average year, Iran experiences over 7,000 deaths a week in a country of 81Million people

So lets dial this back a bit.

Yes its a problem and more so in Iran than many other places.

And it may indeed get a good deal worse.

That would be tragic.

Lets take nothing away from any of that.

But lets not take the figures out of context either.

 

[Heller94]

I work at one of the major five banks and I have received news that they are closing 50% of all institution’s branches nationally beginning Thursday, and reducing hours in branches that remain open. Few more details were released and we are told details will follow.

 

[Jonny5]

CRA Income Tax filing deadline extended to June 1. Payment for balances owing before interest accumulates is extended to July 31.

 

[Jasmine18]

Why can't iran issue a quarantine on to his own people ?

 

[PinkLucy]

I just heard from a friend in Italy that they will be testing everyone. Asymptomatic people can transmit the virus so they want to identify everyone who is positive.

 

[tiffer24]

WestJet says some of its passengers may have been exposed to people infected with the novel coronavirus on 14 recent flights between March 12 and Feb. 28. That’s how many flights had passengers on board who later tested positive for COVID-19.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6694243/coronavirus-westjet-passengers/

 

[Admiral Beez]

Best to do a mutual US Canada border shutdown.

This would be the biggest event in USA canada relations in a long time.

This would be a good move. But really, what stupid Americans would want to come to Canada for business or leisure now?

I worked from home yesterday, but was too distracted, so came into work today. So, here I sit in an empty building, beside huge bay windows and natural light, listening to jazz over the office speakers, got my coffee and now getting down to work.

I need to find someplace in my house where I can work. I'm thinking of building a desk in a spare room.

 

[PinkLucy]

Who would want to be a tourist anywhere now?

 

[lenaitch]

Does invoking the emergency powers act make sense?

It might, and might be coming. Depending on what the goal is, the Act simplifies things like money access and movement (especially between levels of government), purchasing, border controls, etc. Not that many of these things can't already be done by legislation, regulation, etc. but, depending on individual initiatives, usually require legislative or cabinet approval, hearings, consultation, etc. You know, the messy part of democracy. Under that Act, many things can happen much more quickly.

Because it has been referenced a few times, here is a link to the Emergencies Act. It's not a big Act - simply enabling legislation. Part I covers public welfare emergencies. There is also somewhat similar provincial/territorial legislation, the Quarantines Act, etc.

Emergencies Act

Federal laws of Canada

laws-lois.justice.gc.ca