corona virus alerts - Latest cruising Information for vessels/locations/rules

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Montanan

Last part of that article:

"Despite such ringing endorsements, some members of the medical community have spoken out against placebo's approval, saying that the drug's wide range of side effects is a cause for concern.

"Yes, placebo has benefits, but studies link it to a hundred different side effects, from lower-back pain to erectile dysfunction to nausea," drug researcher Patrick Wheeler said. "Placebo wreaked havoc all over the body, with no rhyme or reason. Basically, whichever side effects were included on the questionnaire, we found in research subjects."

Added Wheeler: "We must not introduce placebo to the public until we pinpoint exactly how and why it works. The drug never should have advanced beyond the stage of animal testing, which, for some reason, was totally ineffective in determining its effectiveness."

In spite of the confusing data, drug makers say placebo is safe.

"The only side effect consistent in all test subjects was a negligible one—an almost imperceptible elevation in blood-glucose levels," French said. "It's unfair to the American people to withhold a drug so many of them desperately think they need."

Fake news! Media bias!

[GordMay]

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announces closure of all non-essential businesses, beginning Tuesday Speaking in Toronto, Ford said only grocery stores, pharmacies, takeout and delivery restaurants, essential manufacturing industries and supply chain suppliers will be allowed to remain open. The province’s liquor stores will also remain open, according to a report from the Toronto Star. A full list of businesses allowed to stay open will be released Tuesday, he said...
➥ https://www.thestar.com/politics/pro...f-cheques.html

[Montanan]

Meanwhile in the remote Scotland Highlands, the Highlanders are pleading that the city folk not come to their region so as to not bring the disease and reduce the social distancing of the native population. Similarly as to remote islands.

It is still too cold here in Montana to have an influx of out of staters seeking solitude. But I am considering to going to our remote family retreat property far up in the Tobacco Root mountains at the end of a rough two track road surrounded by tens of thousands of acres Forest Service property.

"With many people facing weeks largely confined to their homes in densely populated cities because of the coronavirus, it's understandable that some have considered heading to wilder, more remote places in pursuit of freedom and fresh air.
But as recreational vehicles and other traffic have flooded into some of these rural destinations, those living there have reacted with alarm -- urging people to stay away to avoid bringing infection and overwhelming limited health provisions.
The situation has been particularly acute in the Highlands region of Scotland, a largely unpopulated area whose rugged landscapes of mountains and islands is one of the most beautiful tourism attractions in the UK.
So much so that local officials are issuing warnings, telling people -- including second homeowners -- they are not welcome.
"Please don't use the Highlands as your means of self-isolation," tweeted Kate Forbes, Scotland's finance secretary and the Highlands representative in Scotland's parliament.
"People live here who are trying to follow government guidelines and the continuing flow of camper vans and other traffic who appear to be escaping the cities is not helping."

There have been 416 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Scotland. Only eight of these are the Highlands, and the region hopes to keep it that way.
Scotland's islands are particularly concerned about the impact of the virus on their small communities.
Angus MacNeil, a politician who lives on the Island of Barra, part of the Outer Hebrides off Scotland's west coast, posted a sobering image on Twitter of Castlebay village hall, kitted out with basic hospital beds. He added that there were no ventilators on the islands.

Barra and and nearby Vatersay island also took to social media to designate themselves as "closed."
"We will open again and be delighted to see you," reads Barra's official Twitter account. "But in the meantime we are looking after our community, the thing that makes us so special."

https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/h...vel/index.html

[Singularity]

Originally Posted by GordMay

... liquor stores will also remain open...

Maybe this goes without saying, but it's serious business to keep access to alcohol available. Unfortunately there are many people who self-medicate, or worse, who would would become functionally unstable or critically ill without access to alcohol.

[Montanan]

EU urges nations to unblock borders, let freight cross in 15 mins

By Philip Blenkinsop
ReutersMarch 23, 2020, 10:17 AM MDT
By Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS, March 23 (Reuters) - The European Union urged its 27 members on Monday to unblock their borders and allow freight vehicles to cross from one country to another within 15 minutes to ensure the flow of basic supplies and medical equipment.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in a video statement that measures introduced to slow the spread of the coronavirus had also slowed and sometimes paralysed transport, causing delays and risking shortages.

"This weekend we had some crossing points with more than 40 kilometres of queues. This is a waiting time of up to 18 hours. This has to stop," she said.

Road transport, which accounts for 75% of freight shipments within the EU, has been particularly hit, notably at the Polish-German frontier after Warsaw's decision to shut its borders to non-Poles, leaving Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians unable to return home.

German foreign minister Heiko Maas said on Monday many of the problems on that border had since been resolved and queues of traffic were now much shorter.

The EU executive has asked EU countries to designate major crossing points as "green lane" border crossings, including for rail, sea and air transport and on waterways.

Passage across such borders, the Commission said, should not exceed 15 minutes, including any checks or health screenings of transport workers. Health screenings should essentially take the form of temperature measurements, it said.

Additional crossings should be opened exclusively for goods transport if those designated become saturated.

The green lanes should be open to vehicles carrying any kind of goods. EU countries should also temporarily suspend any restrictions, such as bans on driving at weekends or during the night.

The Commission also said paperwork for transport workers should be reduced to enable them to cross borders more rapidly. For example, travel restrictions and mandatory quarantine periods should be waived for drivers not showing symptoms.

Drivers would still be expected to respect social distancing measures, such as staying in the cabins of their trucks to avoid social interaction.

The Commission's guidelines also seek close cooperation with Britain, which is in a Brexit transition period, and non-EU countries such as Switzerland and those of the western Balkans.

[zeehag]

if anyone wishes to be of true assistance in this crisis, please consider making masks as there are too few for proper care of folks.. nurses arr e not able to acquire enough for proper care of folks. please do a positive and good deed for nurses everywhere.
this particular mask is able to receive inserts made of gauze over coffee filters for protecting nurses and patients the hard way.

is a youtube tutorial on mask making with pouch and wires.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCJc...nEMa-SkV2mu2gY

[jtsailjt]

My friend, and a former frequent CF poster, is currently aboard his boat anchored just off Guadeloupe. They aren’t allowing foreigners in and he can’t get a flight out. I’d like to get down there to help him sail his boat to somewhere that would allow him access to flights or crew, but it seems like I can’t fly into anywhere in the Caribbean except for San Juan. So, it looks like his only 2 options are to sit tight on his anchor and hope the local authorities don’t actually force him to leave, or to singlehand to Puerto Rico where, since he’s a US citizen and his boat is US flagged, he’ll at least be allowed to clear in. But according to noonsite, all marinas In Puerto Rico are closed so you can’t get a slip, therefore anchoring out will be his only option, at least for now. Then, after clearing in with US customs and immigration in Puerto Rico, he can assess whether to head back south for a below the hurricane latitude haulout or to head north for the mainland US. Antigua, St Lucia and rest of islands in between Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico are closed to transient vessels and also currently have no air service, or at least none that I could find. If these restrictions go on for several months there are going to be a lot of cruisers down there unable to move their boats out of the areas where hurricanes most frequently hit.

I’d imagine there are many more cruisers dealing with similar situations given the time of year. Different sort of problem from what we normally have to deal with since the need and desire for separation between countries is so widespread for the first time I can remember, but the good news is that a cruising sailboat is a pretty ideal way to isolate yourself and avoid catching the virus. My friends boat is very well equipped and well stocked with food and he has a water maker and he’s a very competent sailor so I’m sure he will be just fine singlehanding, but it would be nice to be able to fly in and give him a hand.

I will stay in touch with him so if others are interested I can update with info about whether Guadeloupe authorities actually force him to leave or if they leave him alone at anchor. Also, it’ll be interesting to learn how he’s received upon his arrival in Puerto Rico if he’s forced into that option.

[Montanan]

U.K. government imposes 3-week national lockdown, enforced by police, to contain coronavirus

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he wanted to "give the British people a very simple instruction: You must stay at home."

People in the UK will be allowed to leave their homes to shop for the “very basic necessities," to do exercise once a day, for medical reasons, to provide care to a person in need, and to travel to and from work “when absolutely necessary,” he added. Gatherings of more than two people in public would be barred.

All nonessential stores would be forced to close, and social events such as weddings, baptisms and other ceremonies would be postponed. Funerals could go ahead but only attended by close family members, the prime minister said.

Johnson had resisted forcing his population to adopt the types of lockdown measures seen in the United States and across Europe, although he had announced that schools, pubs, cafes, restaurants, nightclubs and gyms were to close down.

But much of the population had not heeded advice to stay away from crowds, with many Britons going to beaches and parks over the weekend. Pictures of subway cars packed with commuters have also gone viral.

With the death toll at 335, coronavirus fatalities are beginning to climb sharply in the United Kingdom. The government's expert advisers warn that the only way to contain the disease is to impose draconian controls on people's social lives for 18 months until a vaccine is found.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

My friend, and a former frequent CF poster, is currently aboard his boat anchored just off Guadeloupe. They aren’t allowing foreigners in and he can’t get a flight out. I’d like to get down there to help him sail his boat to somewhere that would allow him access to flights or crew, but it seems like I can’t fly into anywhere in the Caribbean except for San Juan. So, it looks like his only 2 options are to sit tight on his anchor and hope the local authorities don’t actually force him to leave, or to singlehand to Puerto Rico where, since he’s a US citizen and his boat is US flagged, he’ll at least be allowed to clear in. But according to noonsite, all marinas In Puerto Rico are closed so you can’t get a slip, therefore anchoring out will be his only option, at least for now. Then, after clearing in with US customs and immigration in Puerto Rico, he can assess whether to head back south for a below the hurricane latitude haulout or to head north for the mainland US. Antigua, St Lucia and rest of islands in between Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico are closed to transient vessels and also currently have no air service, or at least none that I could find. If these restrictions go on for several months there are going to be a lot of cruisers down there unable to move their boats out of the areas where hurricanes most frequently hit.

I’d imagine there are many more cruisers dealing with similar situations given the time of year. Different sort of problem from what we normally have to deal with since the need and desire for separation between countries is so widespread for the first time I can remember, but the good news is that a cruising sailboat is a pretty ideal way to isolate yourself and avoid catching the virus. My friends boat is very well equipped and well stocked with food and he has a water maker and he’s a very competent sailor so I’m sure he will be just fine singlehanding, but it would be nice to be able to fly in and give him a hand.

I will stay in touch with him so if others are interested I can update with info about whether Guadeloupe authorities actually force him to leave or if they leave him alone at anchor. Also, it’ll be interesting to learn how he’s received upon his arrival in Puerto Rico if he’s forced into that option.

What happens when he runs out of diesel and can’t make water?

[merrimac]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

My friend, and a former frequent CF poster, is currently aboard his boat anchored just off Guadeloupe. They aren’t allowing foreigners in and he can’t get a flight out. I’d like to get down there to help him sail his boat to somewhere that would allow him access to flights or crew, but it seems like I can’t fly into anywhere in the Caribbean except for San Juan. So, it looks like his only 2 options are to sit tight on his anchor and hope the local authorities don’t actually force him to leave, or to singlehand to Puerto Rico where, since he’s a US citizen and his boat is US flagged, he’ll at least be allowed to clear in.

I won't comment on whether he should "go", but just point out an option in Guadeloupe.


We're anchored in the north side of Guadeloupe, in the Grande Cul-De-Sac Marin, this is the huge bay in the north between the two wings of the "butterfly", and all we see is 2 boats in the far distance, about a kilometer off. No authorities in sight all week. Also, if you dinghy in to the local village there are no authorities.


It's nice and shallow here with zero gusts because the winds come in over the low-lying Grande Terre (= east wing of butterfly). In an emergency (hurricane) we could even plow into the mangrove.


Edit: Note that officially you cannot move your boat in French waters. If your friend is not cleared in the above may be an option, but in that case he might as well go to Antigua, as suggested by Knot Safety.

[Knot Safety]

Originally Posted by jtsailjt

My friend, and a former frequent CF poster, is currently aboard his boat anchored just off Guadeloupe. They aren’t allowing foreigners in and he can’t get a flight out. I’d like to get down there to help him sail his boat to somewhere that would allow him access to flights or crew, but it seems like I can’t fly into anywhere in the Caribbean except for San Juan. So, it looks like his only 2 options are to sit tight on his anchor and hope the local authorities don’t actually force him to leave, or to singlehand to Puerto Rico where, since he’s a US citizen and his boat is US flagged, he’ll at least be allowed to clear in. But according to noonsite, all marinas In Puerto Rico are closed so you can’t get a slip, therefore anchoring out will be his only option, at least for now. Then, after clearing in with US customs and immigration in Puerto Rico, he can assess whether to head back south for a below the hurricane latitude haulout or to head north for the mainland US. Antigua, St Lucia and rest of islands in between Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico are closed to transient vessels and also currently have no air service, or at least none that I could find. If these restrictions go on for several months there are going to be a lot of cruisers down there unable to move their boats out of the areas where hurricanes most frequently hit.

I’d imagine there are many more cruisers dealing with similar situations given the time of year. Different sort of problem from what we normally have to deal with since the need and desire for separation between countries is so widespread for the first time I can remember, but the good news is that a cruising sailboat is a pretty ideal way to isolate yourself and avoid catching the virus. My friends boat is very well equipped and well stocked with food and he has a water maker and he’s a very competent sailor so I’m sure he will be just fine singlehanding, but it would be nice to be able to fly in and give him a hand.

I will stay in touch with him so if others are interested I can update with info about whether Guadeloupe authorities actually force him to leave or if they leave him alone at anchor. Also, it’ll be interesting to learn how he’s received upon his arrival in Puerto Rico if he’s forced into that option.

Jtsailjt. The information you have provided is false. We do not need more falsehoods spread about this. There are a number of destinations in the Caribbean that still allow cruisers to enter and stay. Two close ones for your friend are St Kitts and Antigua.

I urge you, and all other cruisers to review noonsite as it is the most up to date site for information. This is the noonsite advice for Antigua. St Kitts is similar in that you are only allowed to check in at a couple of spots


Noonsite
COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS:

21 March, 2020:

All vessels entering Antigua will be required to give advance notice via www.eseaclear.com before being permitted to dock.

All sea vessels, including pleasure crafts, will be processed at Heritage Quay in St John’s. Clearance will be facilitated at the said pier between the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Apparently you can still check out at Jolly Harbor and English Harbor, but clearances will NOT be given to French islands.

[Sand crab]

Washington State governor has issued a stay at home policy. It's pretty much a lockdown. I got beer, bourbon and wine and weed and of course toilet paper.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Washington State governor has issued a stay at home policy. It's pretty much a lockdown. I got beer, bourbon and wine and weed and of course toilet paper.

All the essentials good luck. I suspect many of us will be doing the same shortly.

[jtsailjt]

Originally Posted by Knot Safety

Jtsailjt. The information you have provided is false. We do not need more falsehoods spread about this. There are a number of destinations in the Caribbean that still allow cruisers to enter and stay. Two close ones for your friend are St Kitts and Antigua.



I urge you, and all other cruisers to review noonsite as it is the most up to date site for information. This is the noonsite advice for Antigua. St Kitts is similar in that you are only allowed to check in at a couple of spots





Noonsite

COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS:



21 March, 2020:



All vessels entering Antigua will be required to give advance notice via www.eseaclear.com before being permitted to dock.



All sea vessels, including pleasure crafts, will be processed at Heritage Quay in St John’s. Clearance will be facilitated at the said pier between the hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.



Apparently you can still check out at Jolly Harbor and English Harbor, but clearances will NOT be given to French islands.

I’m certainly not trying to spread any disinformation and you’re right that though most Antigua and Barbuda are no longer clearing transients in, there is one port where it’s still possible to check in to Antigua, but that does us no good because I couldn’t get a flight to Antigua and he couldn’t get a flight out of Antigua so it’s not a useful place to go in order to transfer crew on or off your boat. I’m not sure if the smaller “island hop” airlines are still flying but the major airlines that fly to/from US destinations that I checked are not selling seats to/from Antigua or any of the other islands in that area.

As for Guadeloupe, I have only his word that he thinks he’s likely to get kicked out, and as I previously mentioned, I can’t fly in. He wouldn’t be planning to leave unless he was going to be forced to because he recently moved the boat to there, planning to haul out for hurricane season and I assume that’s still his preference. Noonsite seems to agree with his assessment of the local situation.

“20 March, 2020:

Guadeloupe is now closed to visiting yachts.

18 March, 2020:

All French islands are in lockdown mode from 18/03/2020. Checking in or out is problematic as the Clearance computers are affected by the lockdown.

At Îles des Saintes anchorage all foreign yachts are being asked to leave. “

So, practically speaking, the question is, will this policy actually be enforced and if so, for how long? And where would you go if you were kicked out of Guadeloupe and wanted to find a safe place to either temporarily leave your yacht and fly to the US, or to have crew flown in from the US to help you sail to the US or some point further south that still has flights and is allowing inbound yachts to arrive and has facilities to safely haul and store them? Puerto Rico is the only temporary fix I could come up with. I say temporary because it won’t be a great place to have a boat once hurricane season starts in a few months but at least it allows inbound boats to check in AND has flights for inbound or outbound crew. Any other ideas about where to go from Guadeloupe that would serve his purposes?Since he was planning to be hauled out soon, his crew has left and that means he’s currently singlehanded so the closer the better.

[Pelagic]

Originally Posted by zeehag

]
demanding placebo studies at this time is a crock as italy and other nations are finding relief from the actual drugs.
the side effects of the actual meds is yes a risk, but the alternative is a monster of an interstitial pneumonia most really donot need to suffer.
these meds have already been used to treat malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
as an alternative to ventilator death i will be purchasing these and some antivirals recommended by other nations than usa for use in treatment and prevention of said fruitbat virus from hell. yes i am high risk an dyes only 4000 ventilators in this nation i prefer the medicinal alternative to slow --but is it--8 days from onset of symptoms to agonizing death. lung wracking interstitial pneumonia says emergency to me
enjoy your placebo. i choose cure and prevention.
ps i lost respect for harvard medical school when i learned the three alleged professors linked to this virus and its transfer to chinese laboratory are of harvard.
i have much more respect for the sleep deprived front line medical staff fighting this issue without proper masks and equipment and not enough ventilators. i also have more respect for the survivors of this gawdawful plague

I agree Z, you can't wait for every lawyer and agency to dot/cross the i's and t's if it can save a person.

Whether a placebo or therapeutic, the malarial pills have helped this guy

Coronavirus patient says his life was saved after taking drug he heard about from 'The Ingraham Angle'

https://video.foxnews.com/v/6144241368001/