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

[Montanan]

Prime minister Boris Johnson has been moved to intensive care after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, Downing Street has confirmed.

The prime minister was admitted to St Thomas’ hospital in Westminster on Sunday after his coronavirus symptoms persisted for 10 days.

But, having been in hospital for tests and observation, his doctors advised that he be admitted to intensive care.

A Number 10 spokesman said: “Since Sunday evening, the prime minister has been under the care of doctors at St Thomas’ Hospital, in London, after being admitted with persistent symptoms of coronavirus.

“Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the prime minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the intensive care unit at the hospital.

“The PM has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/boris-joh...191940523.html

[Montanan]

Gov. Henry McMaster on Monday ordered South Carolina's 5 million residents to stay home, making his state the last one east of the Mississippi River to issue such a coronavirus-related mandate.

These additional non-essential businesses include: clothing and shoe stores, furniture, jewelry and department stores, florists, sporting goods, book and music stores.

McMaster made the announcement during a press conference Friday afternoon, when he also implemented another executive order said to be effective immediately. Friday, the state suspended all short-term rentals, like hotels and resorts, to people coming from states that have been identified as “hot spots” by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Snipets of order:

prohibit or disperse any congregation or gathering of people, unless authorized or in their homes, in groups of three (3) or more people,


directing that any and all public beach access points and public piers, docks, wharfs, boat ramps,and boat landings that provide public access to the public waters of this State shall be closed to public access for recreational purposes for the duration of the State of Emergency;


certain “non-essential” businesses, venues, facilities, services, and activities in the following categories be closed to non-employees and the public, effective Wednesday, April 1,2020, at 5:00 p.m.: entertainment venues and facilities, recreational and athletic facilities and activities, and close-contact service providers;


that certain additional “non-essential” businesses, venues, facilities, services, and activities in the general category of retail stores be closed to non-employees and the public,effective Monday, April 6, 2020, at 5:00 p.m.; and
WHEREAS,
on April 3, 2020, the undersigned issued Executive Order No. 2020-19,directing that effective Friday, April 3, 2020, at 5:00 p.m., any and all individuals, entities, or establishments engaged in the provision of short-term rentals, vacation rentals, or other lodging accommodations or operations in exchange for consideration in the State of South Carolina are prohibited from making or accepting new reservations or bookings from or for individuals residing in or travelling from any country, state, municipality, or other geographic area subject to or identified in a CDC travel advisory or other CDC notice as a location with extensive community transmission of COVID-19, to include the Tri-State Area (consisting of the States of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut);

“[i]n any area designated by the Governor in his proclamation that a state of emergency exists, and during the duration of the proclamation, it is unlawful for a person to: violate a provision in the proclamation including, but not limited to, any curfew set forth by the proclamation; congregate, unless authorized or in their homes, in groups of three or more and to refuse to disperse upon order of a law enforcement officer; or wilfully fail or refuse to comply with any lawful order or direction of any law enforcement officer”;



A stay-at-home order in place for the city of Columbia. Richland County is considering a similar measure.

https://www.wbtv.com/2020/04/06/gov-...outh-carolina/

[Montanan]

The US has abruptly lost about half its incoming supply of hydroxychloroquine as India which supplied 47% of the drug has banned its export, the drug President Donald Trump touts with little evidence as a drug to fight COVID-19.

Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat and ward off the symptoms for malaria, arthritis, and lupus. Much of it is developed in India, which on Saturday banned its export, according to Bloomberg News.

India provided about 47% of the US's supply, according to data from 2019 analyzed by Bloomberg News, and just a "handful" of the US suppliers of the drug are based outside of the country.

At a press conference on Saturday, President Trump said a request to India to release shipments of the drug that had already been ordered was under "serious consideration." The outright ban was announced by India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade on April 4, although the country had already limited exports of the drug prior to the Saturday ban.

The president as recently as a Sunday press conference has said he believes the drug should be used against COVID-19. He's even implied he might take it himself as a preventative measure.

"It's a powerful drug on malaria, and there are scientific works on this. Some strong signs," Trump said Sunday, adding that the US had a stockpile of over 29 million hydroxychloroquine pills that could be used.

"What do you have to lose?" he has said repeatedly, despite the medication's potential side effects and its unproven effects on COVID-19 patients. Clinical trials are currently underway.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and member of the White House Coronavirus Tasks Force, has multiple times said the evidence on the drug is unproven despite the president's claims. It is still undergoing clinical trials for treating COVID-19.

"In terms of science, I don't think we could definitively say it works," Fauci said during an appearance on CBS's "Face the Nation" on Sunday.

When a reporter at a press briefing on Sunday asked Fauci to answer questions about the drug, the president refused to allow him to answer, moving the press conference toward a different topic.

"He answered that question 15 times," Trump said.

Erin Fox, a drug-shortage expert and the senior pharmacy director for the University of Utah's health system told Business Insider in March that a shortage of the drug could spell trouble for those who need it.

"People rely on this medication," Fox said. "They have chronic illnesses, and they really rely on this. Once you're stable on these therapies, it's not something that is easy to switch."

India's ban on exports will likely increase prices of the medication short-term and limit supply in the long run, Bloomberg reported. The ban is aimed at ensuring the country has enough access to the drug for its own citizens, according to the report.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/half-us-h...182238902.html

[El Pinguino]

Unconfirmed word is that a shipment of 'medical equipment' from China to Chile has been seized while passing through the US.

This next shipment is being treated as a military operation... suffice to say it will not be entering US airspace...


https://www.latercera.com/nacional/n...HBFSVPP4QAVLQ/

Translation

'Mañalich warns that there is a "respirator war" following various seizures

Javiera Matus Y Francisco Artaza
13 HOURS AGO

He said that to ensure the arrival of medical supplies in the country, he will keep "secret" information about the flight of a Fach ( Chilean Air Force) plane that will go to China and bring the machines to Chile.


The mechanical ventilator is the key element so that a person in critical condition by coronavirus has the possibility of surviving. That is why artificial respirators have become a precious item for governments worldwide. Thus, last week a difficult international situation began to develop between countries to obtain medical supplies, which as the number of those infected grows increasingly scarce to face the pandemic.

For example, the Turkish authorities blocked in Ankara a plane loaded with respirators for Spain, a nation that exceeds 12 thousand deaths.

As a result of this fact and others of similar characteristics, the Health Minister, Jaime Mañalich, warned yesterday - when consulted by the Air Force plane that it would travel to China to bring the nearly 500 fans donated by the Asian country - that "In relation to the question of the arrival of inputs and the ways in which these inputs will be brought into the country, we have decided, given that a sort of war has been declared on respirators in the world, with seizures, to handle this information in strict secrecy, precisely to protect the arrival of this equipment in our country ”.

Mañalich's sayings are preceded by a warning issued by the Foreign Ministry, an entity that has studied this situation.

Chile is not without concern for having mechanical fans. According to the latest report on the progress of Covid-19 in the country, there are 252 patients connected to a ventilator. “Right now we have a country reserve of 255 ventilators, that is, practically the same number that we are occupying today for patients infected with coronavirus. We anticipate that the demand for this type of equipment will continue to increase in the coming days, "said Mañalich.

In fact, yesterday Chile was positioned among the 25 countries with the most people diagnosed with the disease, with 4,471 cases.'

[delmarrey]

This is what preparations are all about.

Sailors that go offshore should have this as routine. I keep an inventory list of necessary supplies, plus.

Nations should be doing this for their citizens. Maybe, ....... this lesson will promote better leadership among nations.

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

The media instantly reporting on countries withholding medical supplies in favor of their own potential needs is a modern phenomenon that is unfortunately polarising global cooperation and I think will have long lasting repercussions well after the pandemic is under control.

I also don't think it helps alleviate the stress levels of the ordinary citizen.

Well, our countries still have a free press. I think people have a right to know when a lack of planning leads to the breaking of international trade agreements and contracts.

...and often, after a bit of discussion, problems get worked out. That's what friends do.

[fivecapes]

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/16/who-...ve-in-air.html

"WHO considers ‘airborne precautions’ for medical staff after study shows coronavirus can survive in air"


First the mask debacle, now this....

[delmarrey]

Where have all the heart attacks and strokes gone?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/w...ck-stroke.html

[robert sailor]

Just in the last day or two the USA decided to withhold Canada's medical supply orders from being shipped from 3M. I think today that the USA has backed away from that order put out by trump and allowing some of it to be shipped but not the original order.
Maybe someone finally figured out that the only supplier for the special medical grade pulp in north America comes from Canada.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

The media instantly reporting on countries withholding medical supplies in favor of their own potential needs is a modern phenomenon that is unfortunately polarising global cooperation and I think will have long lasting repercussions well after the pandemic is under control.

I also don't think it helps alleviate the stress levels of the ordinary citizen.

India has agreed to ship Meds.......

“ During the telephone call on Saturday, Trump urged Modi to release supplies of the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, which is being tested as a possible treatment for patients with COVID-19 - the disease caused by the coronavirus.“

https://news.yahoo.com/india-lifts-r...013238739.html

[Discovery 15797]

Originally Posted by Montanan

The US has abruptly lost about half its incoming supply of hydroxychloroquine as India which supplied 47% of the drug has banned its export, the drug President Donald Trump touts with little evidence as a drug to fight COVID-19.

The CDC says...

Based upon limited in-vitro and anecdotal data, chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine are currently recommended for treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients in several countries.

WebMD also has an interesting article on hydroxychloroquine.

While there have not been "clinical trials" to confirm, there is ample anecdotal evidence that in some cases it has been effective, esp. if given before a patient reaches a critical condition.

Of course, clinical trails often take years. Look how long it took before doctors began buying into the benefits of THC (marijuana) for medicinal use (and many still don't agree).

[delmarrey]

30 countries requesting HCQ from India.....

https://youtu.be/otMAzn17Xn0

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Montanan

The US has abruptly lost about half its incoming supply of hydroxychloroquine as India which supplied 47% of the drug has banned its export, the drug President Donald Trump touts with little evidence as a drug to fight COVID-19 ...

FDA Drug Shortages List ➥ https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safet...ortagesContent current as of: 04/03/2020

Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate Tablets: Currently in Shortage
Page 4: ➥ https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scrip...es/default.cfm

Hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and its sister drug chloroquine (Aralen) are under investigation for treatment of the COVID-19 coronavirus disease.

I don’t (yet) see them on the Drug Shortages Canada webpage.
➥ https://www.drugshortagescanada.ca/?short=50&disc=20

[delmarrey]

Taiwan - number 80 on the pandemic list, and here’s why.........

https://youtu.be/uAaDC0lv13s

[GordMay]

Good news:
Covid-19 NOT Transmitted by Mosquitoes
While there are some viruses that mosquitoes and other insects carry, the coronavirus doesn't seem to be one of them, and therefore cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites, says the World Health Organization.
Jason Kindrachuk, research chair of microbiology and infectious diseases, at University of Manitoba, says mosquitoes aren't something we need to worry about.
"We haven't seen this with other coronaviruses, so it would be very off for something like this to take place," he says.
➥ https://www.who.int/emergencies/dise...c/myth-busters