Posted by:
Nightingale
(
)
Date: March 07, 2020 11:25PM
2 are elderly folks in a nursing home - their contact was an infected staff member - one of the worst dreads as that staff person would be in close contact with many of the elderly residents, and by extension, any family members/visitors they are in contact with, and so on.
2 are recent travellers to Iran, one of the countries with an outbreak.
2 are from the cruise ship Grand Princess.
The Provincial Health Officer made the announcement today, teary-eyed, very concerned about the nursing home residents - very high risk group - plus the staff - in contact with many more patients and visitors.
The Provincial Health Minister stated firmly that he would recommend that anyone with plans to go on a cruise should cancel - this is brutal for the cruise lines and associated business to hear but this is the reality of the current situation.
https://globalnews.ca/news/6645114/coronavirus-bc-cases-update-march-7/Recently too, insurance companies have announced that they will not cover trip cancellations due to COVID-19. I read of one elderly man who spent $10,000.00 on a cruise for himself and his wife and now they are afraid to go but won't get their money back from their travel insurance. That is brutal. Especially when provincial and federal government representatives are advising people to stay home.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/major-canadian-travel-insurers-stop-covering-coronavirus-trip-cancellations-1.4840391I just heard too, for the first time, that in addition to advising against large gatherings, officials are specifically stating to stay away from "worship services".
Yow. You can't help but feel a ramp-up of concern. It's a whole new way of looking at how to live your life. They've stated they're not even going to say that things will get better with spring. Flu season can last into May anyway. With this coronavirus, who knows what's up. I guess we'll find out.
Some guy on the radio today said he's asking government should I go out, should I stay home, should I buy toilet paper...? People make jokes, even in times of plague, and you can laugh, but then the grave situation is still before you. And it feels bad to laugh when people are ill and worse.
Maybe things have changed forever now...