Be careful....avoid international airports
Coronavirus: number infected hits 1,400 worldwide – today's developments
More than 1,370 infected in China as officials try to stem spread of virus which has reached Europe, the US and Australia. Today’s news as it happened

Full report: 50m people in China under lockdown
Spread of virus shakes faith in Chinese government

Nicola Slawson (now), Molly Blackall and Alison Rourke (earlier)

Sat 25 Jan 2020 13.16 ESTFirst published on Fri 24 Jan 2020 19.50 EST

Forty-one people in China have died from coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, a city in Hubei province.
62-year-old doctor Liang Wudong died from the virus in Wuhan after treating patients.

More than 1,370 cases have been confirmed worldwide, the vast majority in China, and others predominantly across Asia. However, the virus reached Europe yesterday, with three confirmed cases in France, and has also been reported in Australia and the US. In total, 14 countries have been affected.

The World Health Organization has not declared a crisis, but is monitoring the situation. In China, 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions have now raised their public health alert to level 1, the highest level. China announced it had ordered nationwide measures to identify and immediately isolate suspected cases of a deadly virus on trains, aeroplanes and buses. It is also building two new hospitals to deal with the crisis.

Hong Kong’s chief executive, Carrie Lam, has said the response level has been raised from “serious” to “emergency”, the highest level.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control issued a statement warning that more cases in the EU are likely.

....

Coronavirus spread accelerating in China, says Xi Jinping
Read more

---

This already 3 month old thread was most relevant. It deserves to be expanded upon. Posting personal stories, community updates, social distancing opinions, good ideas to share, and more should be aired here.

I favor continued social distancing, but too I can fully understand the economic pressure to return to a more open business norm. Do we gamble with the lives of innocent people that otherwise would not have been exposed? What do we say to the dead as they die so a restaurant/store again rings up a profit?

---

It's wrong to juxtapose illness & possible death against profit as the choice being made in the coronavirus scenario. It is considerably more complex. Businesses provides a means to live a life for the owners and employees of those businesses.

Really you should be asking "what should we say to the dead as they die so another person can earn a wage and not starve or go homeless?"

Once you frame it properly, you begin to see the conundrum better.

---

How many businesses will end up going under because of this disease? How long can they survive without any money coming in?
And as rabid said, as these businesses go under, so do the jobs of millions of people who need these jobs to keep their homes and feed their families.
And just reopening these businesses doesn’t mean people will be rushing to return to them.
“Essential” businesses have remained open. I have no idea if there have been people getting sick at these places. I was at Menards Sunday, and the place was PACKED. Plus no one was allowed in without a mask. If you didn’t have one, they sold you one for a dollar.

I don’t know anyone personally that got/have the virus. There are 46 cases in my county.
You can’t close down the nation forever.

---

It's all to easy to overlook the $1,200.00 government money + $500, 00 per child and the food banks that are feeding so many every day. Additionally workers are getting unemployment checks and businesses are getting loans to preserve their businesses. Also many charity organizations are at work to feed, cloth, and in some cases shelter those in great need.

If you feel that reopening restaurants can be accomplished without igniting a new wave of Covid-19 infections that could kill thousands more that might not have gotten infected, then live dangerously as you put others at risk.In the end it boils down to what is more important to you Money or People? Do you place more value in your personal goals or the welfare of your community?

Were we in a military war, few would object to placing transportation, agriculture, manufacturing, and a lot more resources toward fighting the war and would accept that making sacrifices sometimes requires all to do their part. This Global Pandemic is also a war, but it's not something many have ever experienced. The Covid-19 virus does not respect social status or race or religion or politics. It kills men, women, and children. Those with preexisting medical conditions are at a greater risk of death should they contract this virus. While science is working 24/7 on a cure/vaccination, as yet there is still no certified solution. Until there is, doing all we can to limit the spread is our only best weapon.

I understand that for many their food/shelter/transportation and more has depended upon making a salary/paycheck. Most states have passed laws to prevent eviction/foreclosure during this Pandemic crisis. Allowing pride to stand between receiving food stamp relief and feeding a family should not occur.

This serious medical crisis will someday end and people will again be free to live their lives as before. Until that time, we are all fighting in a different kind of a war. Marching to a different drum at this time can result in the deaths of our neighbors, friends, and family. Slow reopening of businesses should be carefully reviewed and strictly monitored before others slowly follow.

None of us like sacrificing a little time now to prevent Covid-19 spread, yet it can/will be better than having to extend into 2021 because controls were relaxed to early and fostered an even worse 2nd wave of virus than we have already endured.

---

A one time $1200 and $500 per kid won’t keep the wolves from the door for more then a month for most people.
Plus, the business loans, unemployment and so on, where does all this money come from? Who is going to pay the due bill at the end?
At some point, virus or not, you have to try to get things as back to normal as possible. It’s not going to be shut down until a drug that can stop it is developed.
Just my opinion of course.

---

The government is just going to take out another $3,000,000,000,000 in loans to pay for it. The sensible solution. 🤣

---

And where do these “loans” come from?
China would be my guess.🤪😂☠️

---

All want to see our states begin recovering from the Pandemic. The question is weather it is safe to do so?
Simply throwing open the barn doors for all would be like throwing gasoline on the embers of a fire that cost a great deal to fight the first time. A second unwanted virus wave could be far worse. Patience and vigilance are not as easy as being selfish and without regard for the greater good of all. Running up a national debt has become a norm rather than a sometime occurrence. Such debt would not get my support under normal circumstances, but this is not a normal circumstance. Turning a Global Pandemic into a political squabble as people are dying and scores of others are suffering and sacrificing is both ugly and uncaring.
Congress has already been discussing another bailout like the last one that approved the $1,200.00 bailout payments. They all know that such payments can't be repeated month after month, but they can't just watch as America's economy crashes either. A good many Senators and Representatives are counting on the virus diminishing as the weather gets warmer and/or a cure is certified. I too hope this all ends and for people to be able to safely return to their former situations. It takes discipline to sacrifice as family needs go unaddressed, but strength to keep in mind the larger war being fought.

---

I agree smokey. There has to be precautions taken.
But they can’t keep everything closed down without it also destroying lives. I’m not saying to just “open the barn doors”. Just to figure out how to deal better with this new normal. Because it’s not going away completely, ever.
Every day I read online families that are terrified on how they are going to survive much longer without their income.
It’s almost 2 months now. How much longer will the country be able to survive without any weekly income for families?
I and my wife are doing ok. But there are many that are at their wits end.
I hope this all will be under some kind of control soon.

---