2019 Novel Coronavirus Covid-19 Discussion

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#2517097 4-Jul-2020 08:22

Walmart is transforming 160 of its parking lots into drive-in theaters

Two of the most classic pieces of Americana are coming together this summer: drive-in theaters and Walmart.

Beginning in August, the retailer is converting 160 of its US store parking lots into drive-in movie theaters. As the pandemic continues, drive-in theaters have been making a comeback as a safe alternative to the traditional movie theaters that remain closed in much of the country.

...Walmart will use the nearby physical stores to let people use curbside pickup for treats and food.

Drive-in movie venues have been popping up all over the country, with small business owners forced temporarily to shut down their traditional theater operations opting to reopen old drive-in locations or build makeshift theaters in parking lots in a bid to make up for lost income.
...
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/07/02/business/walmart-drive-in-theaters/index.html

Fred99

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#2517109 4-Jul-2020 09:10

Dingbatt:

tdgeek:

The answer is has it has always been, when its safe to open the borders. AUS was pencilled in by the PM for September. AUS has failed so thats on the no go list now. The option isn't when NZ wants it, its when NZ can do it. Its not actually up to us.

What is “safe” though?

No Covid19 anywhere in the world?

Signs of the pandemic burning out?

No known cases in a particular country?

Widespread deployment of a vaccine?

Herd immunity (if even possible) in a particular country?

I don’t believe any such definition (except possibly the first one) that has been developed by NZ decision makers.

It was pretty clearly explained by the PM yesterday as "when it's safe - and I'll be relying on advice from experts to determine when that might be".

I believe she then went on to mention availability of fast accurate testing, a vaccine, or effective treatment may be critical.

Nothing has fundamentally changed since the country was first locked down to avoid a disaster, the risk per passenger arrival has got much worse, the availability of the not so good PCR testing has ramped up, a lot has been learned about risk of infection (but still not enough), an attempt was made with covid tracing app - but IMO failed, numbers of people that can be manually contact traced has increased - but we're still left with the same situation: Open the borders and allow the numbers of infected people to increase past the "safe" level where if CT does occur, then by the time it's detected the numbers of cases exceeds ability to contact trace and test, and tens of thousands of people will die.

Every day there's some good news (and some bad). IIRC yesterday statements were made about the "Oxford Trial" indicating that the immune response in human subjects was strong - with antibody levels 3x higher than typical in patients who'd been infected and recovered. It's more complicated than just that - but a good indication.

I'm not convinced that there's significant additional cost to the economy from the border lockdown. It's inconvenient - and slaughters businesses that were going to be slaughtered anyway - but at least domestic tourism can mitigate that a little. Apart from that - things are more-or-less back to normal, we've been able to go to the pub, church, workplace whatever - without much restriction. Countries that didn't contain it are either seeing massive death tolls, massive hits to domestic economic activity - or both. "Opening up" from lockdown doesn't solve the problem - people don't want to get C-19, so when there's high risk they won't behave as normal consumers anyway.

Fred99

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#2517111 4-Jul-2020 09:18

mattwnz:

^^^ Looks like developing vaccine is like trying to use a gun that is fixed in place, to hit a moving target.

The mutation looks worse because it looks like it is a lot more infectious

The mutated strain is the dominant pandemic strain globally - and has been for months.

The virus doesn't mutate very quickly (ie compared to influenza), but I guess it's possible that if an effective vaccine is available, then over time a new resistant strain will appear - but like influenza it should be possible to produce a modified vaccine quickly.

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#2517113 4-Jul-2020 09:36

mattwnz:

Yeap totally agree, but I am sure the big money earners in Wellington can use their skills to work out something. So far they seem to have done a good job with working their way through this disaster. You do bring up a good point about trust. We are having to put so much trust in people and countries

What "disaster"?

Could you folks be specific?

What "disaster"?

That we have closed borders to citizens of countries that have infections? That we take New Zealand citizens back, as their right, and put then in managed isolation?

What "disaster"?

That we now uncovered problems with this isolation and things have changed to fix those?

I'd like to see how vocal people would be if living in the USA, the UK or even in Australia these days.

The blase attitude I've seen from some Australians is incredible - "oh is not a big deal" say some of the people I know.

Leave politics at the door.

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#2517118 4-Jul-2020 10:09

Le regole sono per te - ma non per me!

Passengers on a private jet coming from Colorado US were denied entry to the country at a customs check at Elmas airport in Cagliari, Italy.

There were about ten people aboard the plane. Five of them were in possession of American passports. The U.S. is not on the list of non- EU countries to which Italy has decided to open its borders, and the passengers were repatriated.

The remaining five passengers were from Italy, New Zealand and England. They could have stayed in Sardinia, following a mandatory quarantine for 14 days before being allowed to move freely. However, at around 11.30 p.m. on Wednesday, they decided to return to the U.S. with their friends, out of solidarity.

https://www.wantedinrome.com/news/private-jet-with-us-tourists-rejected-at-italys-borders.html

freitasm

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#2517119 4-Jul-2020 10:10

Self-entitled covidiots.

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#2517123 4-Jul-2020 10:25

Fred99:

Le regole sono per te - ma non per me!

Isn't this an old story? I swear I remember reading something almost identical a few weeks ago. I don't have the link or the source, but if it isn't regurgitated old news either I have hit Groundhog Day or it has actually happened again.

Plesse igmore amd axxept applogies in adbance fir anu typos

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#2517125 4-Jul-2020 10:32

The story is dated 3 July...

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#2517137 4-Jul-2020 11:08

Rikkitic:

Fred99:

Le regole sono per te - ma non per me!

Isn't this an old story? I swear I remember reading something almost identical a few weeks ago. I don't have the link or the source, but if it isn't regurgitated old news either I have hit Groundhog Day or it has actually happened again.

In April there was a group from England (not all UK citizens) who flew to Cannes, France on a chartered jet, got stopped, then exacerbated the mess they found themselves in by whining about it being unfair, got on their cellphones to contact "influential" people to seek help. It failed. Tough luck.

That's not a long flight, so cost per person to charter a jet is high - maybe a few thousand dollars per person.

The one that flew to Italy - the article doesn't say if it was a chartered or privately owned jet - but it's long way from Colorado, and I guess if non-stop, then you're in the global oligarch class to own a private jet with that capability - the cost to operate it is probably chump change.
The photo on the news article is probably a stock image - not the actual jet. (covers fitted over the engines suggests the plane in the photo is parked up for a while).

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#2517159 4-Jul-2020 11:57

Lighten up...

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#2517162 4-Jul-2020 12:06

Have to work creatively with what you've got:

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Sidestep

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#2517168 4-Jul-2020 12:39

Fred99:

The photo on the news article is probably a stock image - not the actual jet. (covers fitted over the engines suggests the plane in the photo is parked up for a while).

Yes - the actual jet was a Falcon - US reg N360PZ. The reason it's news is because it DIDN'T all get quietly sorted out..

Sageor, the operator of Cagliari-Elmas airport, let them disembark assuming it would all be taken care of.

Sardinia's regional tourism official, Gianni Cessa, went in person to the airport to 'fix the problem'..

Sardinia’s regional governor, Christian Salinas, also did his best, initiating urgent talks with the "Government, Ministry and Prefect" to sort things out, and later blasting the treatment the Americans received.

Funny picture here of harassed tourism rep trying to sort out the 'tiny problem' while American kids look on.

They ended up flying off to Birmingham..

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#2517243 4-Jul-2020 14:38

Sidestep:

Yes - the actual jet was a Falcon - US reg N360PZ. The reason it's news is because it DIDN'T all get quietly sorted out..

Funny picture here of harassed tourism rep trying to sort out the 'tiny problem' while American kids look on.

They ended up flying off to Birmingham..

Actually surprised they have found other stuff to report about locally.

Else this would have been in the news too with the usual rich person hating/OMG bypassing qarantine/OMG borders closed etc.. https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N148QS/history/20200625/1718Z/PHOG/NZCH

Not the only one recently. In 1 day. Gone the next (possibly even a 'Power of the Dog' star shuttle who have managed to lockdown here and get stints back home)

Handle9

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#2517254 4-Jul-2020 15:39

freitasm:
The blase attitude I've seen from some Australians is incredible - "oh is not a big deal" say some of the people I know.

Leave politics at the door.

The alternative is living in a constant state of panic and paranoia.

The fact is for the vast majority of people COVID isn't a big deal. If you are young and healthy you get it, you may have few or no symptoms and you get well. For a small percentage of the population you get extremely sick and/or die.

Protecting that small percentage of the population is the right thing to do but it doesn't have to mean living your life in fear.

Edit: there's a random icon I can't get rid of so changed to coffee.

frankv

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#2517255 4-Jul-2020 15:41

Dingbatt:
frankv: [quoted] Dingbatt:

Please tell us what these “selfish reasons” are Mike.[/quoted]
He is paid large amounts of money to be controversial. Q.e.d.

It doesn't matter what he says, so long as it's anti-government. The more outrageous the better. Kind of like Simon Bridges or Todd Muller, but without the rationality constraint.
I.e. like David Seymour.

Thanks Mike.

Oh you’re not Mike.

Are you his spokesperson?

Edit: Just to clarify, I was asking MikeB4 what he believed were Mike Hosking’s selfish reasons. Hosking is hardly a “shock jock” so outrageous doesn’t really seem accurate.

If you only want Mike to reply, don't post in a public forum. It's normal and accepted behaviour in any public forum for participants to respond to any post. Why is Mike's opinion on Hosking so much more important than mine?

Maybe you're right though... maybe Hosking is only a stuffed shirt empty vessel wannabe shock jock.

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