Re: Coronavirus
 

Honestly, I think they've managed it because they were better prepared for it. Another example is that for years, Japan has been quietly preparing for the next 'big' Earthquake. Believe it or not, Tohoku in 2011 was not it. There are plans for a full-scale evacuation of Tokyo and all of the other emergency work that would need to happen alongside it. London, Paris and Berlin will have no such plans because it was never considered necessary.

Where the west dropped the ball here was in failing to realise that travel between China and anglophone world has grown exponentially over the last couple of decades. In 2005, Avian flu found its way to Canada mainly because of Canadian residents returning home from trips to see family in mainland China and Hong Kong. In 2019, Chinese tour groups make up a huge percentage of tourism to Europe and Chinese students are the largest single foreign nationality present in most western universities. Coupled with visa waiver agreements that ordinarily most westerners to travel across Europe and North America pretty much as we see fit, it was always going to be a question of when rather than if.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Yes, I agree with that. I hope this proves to be a learning experience for us, and hope I survive it !

Japan, well normally I'd be impressed, but with 60 dead in Kyushuu owing to heavy rains, I wonder how effective their preparations for The Big One actually are ?!!

Re: Coronavirus
 

Oh they will be far from perfect but my own personal experience with Japan has taught me that they have a different relationship with death to those of us from the west. They had an understanding that you can rarely save everyone. Taking the nuclear issue out of the equation though, I think if you look at how Japan responded to the 2011 tsunami versus how America has dealt with its major natural disasters over the last decade or so then Japan suddenly doesn't look too bad.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Seems to be BoJo's core philosophy !

Re: Coronavirus
 

It's because sadly it's the truth.

Re: Coronavirus
 

More possible COVID exposure locations identified in Kelowna.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...sure-1.5647125

Passengers on Air Canada 8421, which flew from Kelowna to Vancouver on July 6 may have also been exposed to COVID and being asked to monitor for symptoms.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7171969/c...uver-symptoms/

Re: Coronavirus
 

Well it may have been hyperbole, but I'd still argue that no country had prepared for this virus.
Whether it was luck because you were an isolated country, or whether you simply chose the least dangerous path or simply whether you had a population that had dealt with similar outbreaks before, in my view none of these constitute preparation for a pandemic.
Simply rating low on the death scale isn't good enough. C19 could have been much worse and required immediate purpose built isolation facilities en mass for immediate use etc. Some countries constructed and assembled them quickly, but again this is reactive not proactive.
But this is another of those topics that can be argued this way or that, but life's too short, or at least it is for us oldies with C19 on the loose.

Re: Coronavirus
 

It's coming....

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...4dfe2d531e.jpg

Re: Coronavirus
 

We are starting to see increases in BC, slowly rising still but still rising, I'd be surprised if we can stay in phase 3 until end of summer, hopefully I am wrong, but if the cases steadily rise, they wont take the risk.

Major school districts in California are starting to cancel on campus instruction for the time being, all learning will be online as these districts have done since March.

California also put back many closures they tried to loosen due to increasing cases and many hospitals neat or over capacity, and as one hospital pointed out they can have empty beds but not have the nursing, staffing and ventilator capacity, so while the hospital may in theory only be at say 70% bed capacity, they could be over capacity when it comes to staffing and equipment, not like you can just pull nurses off the street quickly.

Re: Coronavirus
 

I really hope Canada stays closed to American travelers (as well as other bad hot spot countries) until next Spring. Last thing we want is a load of Vegas stag night revelers coming back home spreading their COVID germs around.

Re: Coronavirus
 

If they are Canadian citizens or PR's they can fly into the US, US is only restricting land borders from Canada, go to YVR and you can fly to the US no issue, of course those Canadian's returning home would need to quarantine for 14 days so hopefully that keeps Canadian's going to the US for leisure purposes from vising Vegas or the US.

I wont go this year to California for leisure, but if my parents became ill, I'd be on the first available flight, but I would quarantine for 14 days upon return which I guess for me would mean a hotel since I wouldn't be able to quarantine at home due to my wife and no way to isolate in a 1 bedroom apartment. But it would have to be a life/death emergency for me to even go at this point.

Re: Coronavirus
 

I am hopping across the border if the US has a vaccine first

Re: Coronavirus
 

I would consider doing that if the price was within reason or they give it free.

Canada probably wont get it first.

Re: Coronavirus
 

This is the reality though isn't it? Borders are not completely closed and flights still coming and going. Now we should all be safe in the knowledge that anyone arriving into Canada has to self isolate for 14 days and has worn mask in airport and plane too. But we know that this isn't policed strictly and people have broken the rules. We also know that there is no mandate stating you must NOT remove mask whatsoever, so lowering mask to eat/drink while in airport or on plane are acceptable but of course this is now increasing the "risk factor" Even if the US border remains sort of closed we still have interprovincial travel which is allowed and of course we have seen that spike here in Kelowna because of that very fact. What would have prevented this spike? They were at a private address but they went out to beach, pub, restaurant, gym, pool. All these places are open and welcoming guests and all these places would not have had any kind of mask rules so that wouldn't of helped. I don't see any way of stopping these spikes popping up here and there unless we completely shut everything down and ban ALL travel anywhere for as long as it takes. This would not be a good idea. IMO

Re: Coronavirus
 

We can avoid featuring in those spikes though. We don't have to go to the beach, pub, restaurant, gym, pool. We don't have to travel.

Re: Coronavirus
 

I agree. It’s pain in the proverbial...but we can do without, especially if it means we stay healthy and alive.

Re: Coronavirus
 

You are right but it's summer and it's nice to get out. Winter isn't that far off and too long and we keep hearing about the second wave coming this fall/winter so people are getting out now while they can, they don't care about being stuck indoors when its snowing and minus silly. Are we likely to get a complete travel ban, overseas and provincial? If this idn't a reality we are just assuming that joe public will be careful

Re: Coronavirus
 

I'm not assuming anything about the government or the public at large. They can have their pandemic if they want to but I'm personally declining to get involved. Like religion or Philadelphia soul or golf, I know it's wrong to dabble with Covid so I don't. I wish other people would not but I can't stop them. They'll always be some Christian or Muslim or Whatever twat without a mask listening to Harold Bloody Melvin on a golf course.

Re: Coronavirus
 

I agree. It is just a shift in thinking. Adapt to the conditions. Accept what is.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Indeed. Perhaps the reversals in the US and impending reversals in places like Canada/UK (who were less forthright in disregarding the public health advice) will teach the public that the virus is a genuine threat. The recent stories on loss of immunity, long term complications, and the virus adapting itself is deeply concerning. It's crazy to me that government and public don't adopt an over-cautious approach, because as important as the economy is, it won't survive a pandemic of even greater intensity.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Entirely with you, but I can’t seem to spread that...people are becoming Very cross.

Re: Coronavirus
 

But what conditions are we adapting to? Here in BC our "conditions" are not the same as say Florida. If the Province or even the government says "no travel period" or "no indoor eating/drinking" or "mask up when leaving home" then people will do it but when we are reopening things and allowing some freedoms you cannot expect people not to do what's technically allowed. Sure some will push the boundaries as always but that's human nature.
People are getting all pissy about non mask wearers, US plated vehicles, people not socially distanced enough and many other things but we are never going to get 100% compliance, jesus last time i looked it was illegal to shoot somebody but it happens almost everyday and how many stabbings have we seen on the news in UK of late. Fact is some people will just not follow sensible advice and some will not follow law!

Re: Coronavirus
 

BC growing concern about the community spread happening. Urging people to follow the health advice given.

One thing I did notice in our drive through a few different regions, mask use is not common it seems overall.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...ases-1.5651316

Re: Coronavirus
 

I agree. We should all go out stabbing and shooting until it's no longer a problem.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Go BC

Re: Coronavirus
 

When some precautions become law there are going to be a few that freak out and get on the news screaming at a cashier or security guard, naturally. I think most people here get the point though. I was talking to my sister the other day and the parties in Kelowna that sparked the recent outbreak included 2 agricultural workers from Oliver, and they're cooling their heels at home. At present our recommended social distancing at all times inside and outside, and mask wearing while in places where social distancing may be difficult (stores and businesses) seems to be working. I picked up some surplus computer stuff downtown yesterday and had to carry it a few blocks, and it isn't hard to keep 6' away from everyone, especially with fewer people out and about. I kept my mask on when I left the building and it got pretty hot by the time I reached the van, but I wore it since I expected to be huffing and puffing a bit, and wanted to test it for comfort in that situation.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Go Nunavut !

Re: Coronavirus
 

Isolation from most of Canada and limited travel does wonders.


At this point I think bars should be closed completely, and restaurants, coffee shops etc drive through or take out only. Seems silly to have people sitting and congregating inside restaurants and as many US states now show, reopening can cause issues very quickly.

I just hope we can maintain what we have in BC, but it seems to be spreading through the community again.

Re: Coronavirus
 

This! :nod: This! :nod: And this! :nod:

I don't want to spend the next 40 years sequestered at home, but in truth I was spending probably 22 hours a day at home anyway, with only the daily trip to take my daughter to school being most of the two hours out and about, plus shopping for groceries or at Lowes. We miss our once or twice a week meals out, but not enough to risk having to share restaurant space with unmasked covidiots, so we stay at home, and will do for the forseeable future.

The one thing I do miss are the concerts - I love a good concert, and I had several tickets lined up for the summer, including a couple of the best three-band-bills I had ever seen, but those are now cancelled. I had already been to several concerts in the first quarter of this year, and took in a Kix club gig (I had never seen Kix before) even as the lock-down loomed in mid-March. Now I don't forsee going to a concert before the second half of 2021, which is the longest drought I have endured since I was at school. :(

Re: Coronavirus
 

What do you mean by spreading through the community? AFAIK there were 21 new cases reported throughout the entire province of BC yesterday.

Re: Coronavirus
 

How many were there last February? :sneaky:

It only take one superspreader to create a hot spot, and anyone who takes comfort from a "low" infection rate is failing to recognize how close how quickly a hotpsot could flare up again.

Re: Coronavirus
 

I'm not sure what you mean?

We are currently in phase 3 , it's the middle of Summer, people are out and about, and we have a population of 5m people. So long as we continue to have less than 30 new cases per day, I'd say we are in a very good place.

Re: Coronavirus
 

There probably weren't any in BC last February, or very very few, but you now think that "only" 21 in a single day isn't nothing to be concerned about. :confused:

You are not "in a very good place". Now is the time to take easy-to-do stuff, like mask wearing, and social distancing very seriously, so BC doesn't become the next Arizona. ..... "Arizona?" I hear you ask? "Isn't Florida the problem?" .... No, the per capita records are being set by Arizona.

Re: Coronavirus
 

I can't help the way I feel about risk. I'm one of those people who has never had a flu jab. I'm not concerned, life must go on. I social distance every time I leave the house and I will wear a mask when I'm told to or if I'm going to be indoors with lots of other people.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Dr. Henry and Adrian Dix made a comment they are concerned about comminity spread, cases are still low but sounds like the new cases are coming from community spread which is how it can go from low to high pretty quickly.


"We are concerned about the increase in new cases in recent days, as COVID-19 continues to silently circulate in our communities," they said in their statement. "While early on, many of our long-term care and assisted living facilities were impacted, most of the new cases are in the broader community."

That is from their statement yesterday.

Re: Coronavirus
 

Not that anyone is going to read through the entire 26 pages regarding 'before and after first wave measures in BC', but it does recognize that BC is amongst the lowest case and death rates in Canada.

Look at the conclusion on page 2

Re: Coronavirus
 

It's not a big ask is it. Even take out can be drastically reduced. Can't people make coffee at home or the office anymore ?

Re: Coronavirus
 

27 cases now linked to community exposure events in Kelowna. 4 cases at Krazy Cherry Fruit Co.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/briti...6-bc-1.5652640

Re: Coronavirus
 

I think though we have all been conditioned by governments and the press into hearing these daily figures now so of course 21 is way better than 200 or more but since when have we ever been privy to daily briefings about death tolls? I mean how many people die every day of preventable diseases? Heart disease, lung cancer are generally preventable diseases if we adjusted our lifestyle but as a rule we accept the fact that "x" number of people die every year from obesity, smoking, suicide, alcoholism and drug overdoses to name the most common.
Maybe we should be listing these numbers in headline news every day to jump start some kind of healthy living for the masses and at the same time save the burden on the worlds health system

Re: Coronavirus
 

And apparently more of us old people are dying of covid-19 now because we survived the other things that were trying to kill us (and were saved by wonderful medicine but often left weakened), and so our very existence is skewing the statistics.
"Because people are living longer with chronic disease like heart conditions and stroke, we need to take actions, and we need them to take care of their health in order to avoid the poor outcome from COVID-19."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/covid...roke-1.5652003