[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by ritz3645

Update from @10DowningStreet
]

Here in Europe the UK is regarded as the country that probably underestimated the corona crisis the most. Not because there wasn’t sufficient scientific evidence, but because of poor leadership in government. History will tell.

Just because they crank out fancy slides, doesn’t mean much either. Some of it makes perfect sense, some it also shows how little actual control they have.

Look at the slide with the number of people who have had the virus. It says

These estimates do not include people in hospital, care homes or other institutions

Do you have any idea how many, millions, of Brits do live in Care homes and other institution? Oh, and where would you find the most elderly, vulnerable folks to the virus? Conveniently left out of the survey for some strange reason.

The death by Corona virus are heavily disputed and debated by all. It is simply not that straight forward. Not disputed by any is that the actual number are higher.

The slide on how we can help control the virus is by and large the same for what most other countries seem to be advising.

The “wash hands regularly” can not be underestimated! I have seen some comments on this thread regarding “touching” outside your own home environment. If you go outside, you are likely to have to touch stuff, even when you don’t, washing hands in clean water, with proper soap for at least 30 seconds all the time, multiple times a day is a well proven way to reduce the chance of a virus infection. Any well seasoned travellers and expat knows and practises it.

Which might be a huge practical problem for many in India of course.

On a more personal note; I think the five level alert is way too complex. We have seen other five level alerts around the globe for various things. E.g. the USA has nation wide five level Emergency Status alert. Very few people will be able to relate to it. Or explain to you what it actually means.

Conceptually it might be ok, but it will fall apart quickly in practice.

We have a five level terrorist monitor here, nobody understands what it really means when it moves from level 3 to 4 or otherwise.

Jeroen
(PS: On a slightly different note: It is interesting to see the Brits have gone metric on this Corona virus. 2m social distancing.
In most cases it will be reported as 2m (6ft). My pet theory is that they actually came up with 6ft and rounded it up to 2m and that is what they say now. Because if they would have calculated in metric to begin with, and came up with 2 m, the nearest imperial equivalent in whole feet would have been 7, not 6!

I also have this image of UK scientist trying to explain to Boris and company what 2m is. As is well known UK Scientist are the only people in the UK that use and understand the metric system)

[Thad E Ginathom]

Jeroen, I remember being absolutely amazed, as a Brit who was one of his first trips out of his country, cruising on my friend's boat out of Ipswich in the South of your country, that, coming alongside for fuel, the lady, seeing the British flag, asked how many gallons we wanted. She then asked which of half a dozen European currencies we would like to pay with. Such flexibility! In Britain, at that time, anything other than sterling was completely unusable except for foreign exchange.

This must have been in the early '80s. I recall also, around that time, being asked by a British schoolboy what a yard was. So, a generation later, I'm fairly sure that the metric system is deeper in British conciousness than you think. Except of course, for that holy of holies, the pint of beer.

Back on topic, nothing is clear to me from the Wafflemeister's 10 Downing Street slides. It is instructive to listen to what the Scottish Prime Minister has to say about Boris's "Stay Alert."

Back-home on topic, as we approach May 17th, I find that I am now entirely confused about what we (Chennai: red zone) can and cannot do, where we can and cannot go, and how we can and cannot get there. And I have realised one thing: the government of this state is lousy at communication and have left it entirely to media reporters. For something so important, there should be ongoing large and simple announcements, maybe full-page, in all major newspapers, Tamil for the Tamil press, English for the English press. Why not?

[ritz3645]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

.

Very true for UK. UK government has only one priority - Brexit dealings with Brussels.

[vharihar]

I plan to drive solo from Blore to Mumbai, and stay there for 2 nights, and return to Blore with my super senior citizen parents, who are finding it hard to manage there on their own (My dad is aged 80+ and blind, my mom is aged 75+; both diabetics). Questions:

1) For my solo onward trip, I need to apply only for KA pass, correct?
2) For our return trip, we need to apply only for MH pass, correct?
3) Will we be necessarily quarantined in a hotel? When and where? Only on return? At the state border near Belgaum? Any way we can be excused from hotel quarantine? (My dad is aged 80+ and blind, my mom is aged 75+; my dad finds it very difficult to stay in unfamiliar places, use unfamiliar toilets, etc; being blind, he relies on memory of the room layout to use its services; so we'd greatly prefer home quarantine rather than hotel quarantine)
4) What reason should I cite when applying for the passes (to increase chances of approval)? Medical? Or stranded? I'm guessing stranded, bcoz saying "Medical" may involve getting medical certificate etc; all involving needless running around and risk for them.
5) How long does it take to get the pass approved?

Anyone been in such a situation? Would you recommend doing this trip now? Or wait a few more weeks for things to relax more? (which I presume has to happen; it can't remain so restrictive for too long)

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

So, a generation later, I'm fairly sure that the metric system is deeper in British conciousness than you think. Except of course, for that holy of holies, the pint of beer.

I’m sure it must have improved.

Mind you though, when I drive of the ferry/train into the UK my GPS TomTom still changes to mph for speed and miles for distance, and so do all the road signs!

[himarg]

Originally Posted by vharihar

I plan to drive solo from Blore to Mumbai, and stay there for 2 nights, and return to Blore with my super senior citizen parents

I too am in a similar situation. My parents are stuck in Dehradun (due to medical reasons, it is not their base location) and I need to bring them back here to Bangalore. My father undergoes dialysis weekly twice and is facing some other medical issues at this time.

While I don't have an answer for you, I am hopeful that the quarantine procedures will be relaxed soon, once either the hotels are full or the powers be had had their fill.

Otherwise, I will travel to Dehradun and stay there with them until the situation improves.

[bejoy]

Originally Posted by volkman10

List of those under home quarantine in Karnataka exposed.




Link

This not new. Leaked on purpose or not, Govt defended the move, saying that it is for the good cause of citizens.

The entire spreadsheet was circulated in the mid March on several groups.

Link 1

Link 2

[mvadg]

Originally Posted by himarg

I too am in a similar situation.

Originally Posted by vharihar

I plan to drive solo from Blore to Mumbai, and stay there for 2 nights, and return to Blore with my super senior citizen parents, who are finding it hard to manage there on their own (My dad is aged 80+ and blind, my mom is aged 75+; both diabetics).

I'm in a similar situation too, but much less serious. If it is not too much of a hassle, may be they can manage another month? I am hoping that the authorities will realize that all these containment measures are of little to no use as the virus spreads gleefully quarantine or no quarantine. But I've been wrong before, so no telling what the government babus will come up with.

[sunilch]

Seems like we are following the perfect path. The starting point is the day the country recorded the first case. We are not headed into a great situation as per the chart and are more or less are on the same path as UK, al-bite a bit delayed due to many factors.

[AZT]

A lot of the initial hype is now being debunked



Read More: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...-fed051420.php

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by AZT

A lot of the initial hype is now being debunked

I thought this was not new.

[Miyata]

Mumbai Runs Out of Hospital Beds for Suspected COVID-19 Patients, Starts a ‘Waitlist’

Mumbai, which has been the most affected, may have run out of beds for severely ill patients in both public and private hospitals.

Mumbai alone has more than 15,000 COVID-19 cases, but has a capacity of merely 4,750 beds for critical patients in different city hospitals.

BMC officials said that although enough beds were available to quarantine high-risk slum dwellers and asymptomatic infected patients, they were short of beds for critical patients who needed immediate support.

[vivek95]

Originally Posted by Miyata

Mumbai Runs Out of Hospital Beds for Suspected COVID-19 Patients, Starts a ‘Waitlist’

15000 ?? Mumbai metropolitan region is counting 21000 and going ahead. The thing regarding shortage of beds is sadly true.

[Miyata]

Originally Posted by vivek95

The thing regarding shortage of beds is sadly true.

I am guessing that whatever happened in Italy will be repeating or must have started already - choices will be made on who gets a chance to live and who is left for the dead!

Tough.

Hope you docs remain safe and well. You would already be stretched too thin, stressed to the peak, and now will have the emotional attack of choosing one life over another.

[AZT]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

I thought this was not new.

It isnt but new studies keep coming out, this one is from 2 days back. It's surprising this isn't being covered by media here widely, considering how they went berserk when India exported Hydroxy to a few countries. It's apparently worthless.