Corona - what does help you? Your fears, thoughts, everything

[serious crayons]

formerly regular people might join them in this pandemic.

 

I think a lot of us formerly regular people are going in that direction. (Not prepping, I mean crazy.)

[Front-Ranger]

Thanks for that info, Chrissi. I was originally coming to Europe in late August, but have had to push up the departure date to mid-August so that we can fulfill the 14-day quarantine requirements. And what better place to self-quarantine than Scotland!

We will be flying in to Dublin but will not even be leaving the airport; we will be going directly to our flight to Edinburgh. Too bad, I've never been to Ireland. But this is not the time to see it.

Now that Americans are unwelcome, I'm getting a real taste of what it's like to be a refugee or other marginalized person. At least I will be traveling with Adam who  has dual citizenship as a Finn, and thus an EU passport, and his friend Yankiel, who is Hispanic.

Oh, by the way, the Oktoberfest in Lucerne was cancelled. But we'll go there anyway to ride the cog railway up to Mt. Pilatus and the boat across Lake Lucerne. That's the third event on our itinerary that was cancelled, in addition to Sunday in the Park with George in London and an outdoor festival in Barcelona.

[CellarDweller]

Outdoor products may be in high demand, as all the preppers are probably going crazy and formerly regular people might join them in this pandemic.

 

[brianr]

I am sorry but I think you are being very selfish and stupid, putting yourself and the people of Europe into danger. I would not get on a plane unless I had to. 
We have had no community transferred cases of Covid for 76 days but almost every day one or 2 cases are announced with incoming NZ citizens who are in quarantine. No-one else is allowed into the country and in NZ we are asked not to leave while in Australia it is not allowed except for compassionate reasons.  Australia was less strict on its quarantine and now 2 states have a resurgence and are going back into lockdown. I had hoped to visit my relatives and friends in late September but now doubt that I will see them until May next year at the earliest. I received $4000 refund from May Albania/Kosovo trip last Thursday but still have $5000 in airline vouchers for Europe but they can be used in 2022 or I can apply for a refund.
Last night we had our first full symphony concert here in Dunedin and we clapped and cheered when the Conductor announced how pleased they were to be playing on stage to a live audience. However he also said how sad it was that friends who are opera singers in London believe their career is now at an end and as for the USA it is a musical disaster. He referred to the leadership or rather lack of it in the USA. The figures in Florida now are horrifylng. Unless a vaccine is foundn we will probably not let tourists in from the USA until 2022
Sadly I would not be surprised if I never travel beyond Australia again yet I love and have lived each year for my annual holidays mainly in Europe. I saw a movie last week set in Vienna (Klimt and Schiele) and felt very sad that I may not visit Vienna ever again, it is probably my favourite city (sometimes it is Paris). I visited Paris in 2018 but was last in Vienna in 2016.

[Front-Ranger]

Each day that the news is so bad and getting worse, my expectations are gong down that I'll be able to make this trip. I now think it's less than 50%. It's odd that my friend, with his EU passport, can go anywhere in Europe even though he lives only 5 miles away from me. I'm thinking of telling him that if I can't go, I'll just forfeit all the lodging already bought to him so that he doesn't have a financial hardship going alone.

The figures in Florida now are horrifylng. Unless a vaccine is found we will probably not let tourists in from the USA until 2022

Yes, there are hot spots in Florida, Texas, California, and Arizona. All states with air conditioning and people staying inside a lot. Colorado, where I live, doesn't have very many cases anymore but even so, our governor has mandated mask wearing statewide. But is there any mention of Colorado in the European media? No. From what my European friends tell me, you might think I live in Disney World.

I saw a movie last week set in Vienna (Klimt and Schiele) and felt very sad that I may not visit Vienna ever again, it is probably my favourite city (sometimes it is Paris).

I visited the Neue Gallery in New York dedicated to Klimt and the Austrian school! It was my first introduction to Schiele and another painter whose name I forget but he painted the most wonderful horses. Have you seen the movie Woman in Gold?

[brianr]

As I have related elsewhere, it has been 76 days since a community transmitted case here in NZ. I attended the first full symphony concert here in Dunedin and the theatre was packed, no concerns. However we do get 1 or 2 cases most days from people (citizens or permanent residents) who have returned from overseas and are in quarantine. Most of us do not want tourists although the industry is suffering. As we are not travelling overseas we are travelling at home instead especially during the current winter school holiday break. The ski fields are very busy. But the tours of sheep farms are not popular  Asian tourist especially find these fascinating.
Quarantining is no picnic. there was a report in our newspaper yesterday
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/surprised-‘military-’-process-arrival


"When Annie Robinson arrived in Auckland after travelling to England to attend her mother’s funeral, she was surprised at the "quite military-like", but nevertheless reassuring, level of organisation that greeted her.

"It hadn’t even occurred to me how regimented it would be."

The 300 passengers on her Air New Zealand flight were given new masks every four hours during their 40-hour flight via Hong Kong.

Once they landed in Auckland, the passengers got off the plane and were asked to form a socially distanced queue, before being assessed by a team of health officials.

"They saw the vulnerable, families and elderly first, and when we got to the front [of the line] we answered a series of questions about our health and travels by four suited-up officials, then had our temperature taken.

"There was no way you could have got off a flight and not gone through that system. The whole area was barricaded."

Anyone showing symptoms of Covid-19 or thought to potentially have the virus was separated and taken to a separate quarantine hotel.

Once through Customs, the group were transported by bus, sitting at an appropriate distance from each other, to managed isolation at the Waipuna Hotel.

"There were very small numbers of us on the buses and we were taken to the hotel."

When they arrived, a few were let off at a time and led into the hotel to be processed.

"They took our details and processed us. We were given a welcome pack about managed isolation, which had everything you need to know, and a welfare pamphlet."

Tested on days 3 and 12 of her stay, she found the organisation of facilities and the process was "impeccable",
"It is strange and quite surreal to look out and see a 2m-high fence and know you can’t leave, but you’re well fed and well looked after.

"It’s quite military-like but it’s reassuring, and I think the fact that a small number have been stupid is disproportionate when you think about the thousands going through the system.

"I don’t think people need to be concerned."

Before the 55-year-old left the hotel, she had been told she would have a final health check and be given a form proving she had completed two weeks in isolation.

"It doesn’t end when you leave the facility. We have to come up with an exit plan and give the names and numbers of who will pick us up and [details of] our complete journey back to our homes."

Mrs Robinson had organised her own travel back to Dunedin today. She was looking forward to hugging her husband and two teenage sons upon her return."

She refers to the 4 people who have absconded. I know one is now in prison, the others on bail waiting court process.

[serious crayons]

This is slightly OT but I have to tell it somewhere and I can't share it on more public social media because of my news reporter status. A stranger just tried to friend me on FB -- I had posted a question earlier, for a story, asking if anyone had experienced damage from last night's storms. (No, luckily.) Anyway, I often accept strangers as friends if we have multiple friends in common, but I didn't with this guy.

On his page, though, I saw pix of this cute little boy who appeared to be maybe 18-24 months old. I didn't actually plan on friending or even talking to the guy but I thought if I did I might comment on the cuteness of his son or grandson or whatever.

Then I noticed the adorable toddler was wearing a Trump T-shirt.

Ugh. 

 

[Penthesilea]

It's odd that my friend, with his EU passport, can go anywhere in Europe even though he lives only 5 miles away from me.

No, he can't. Scotland does not care what your passport is (in regard to Corona). Important is the fact where you spent the last 14 days before entering Scotland. If the answer to that is USA, you have to quarantine in your house/vacation home for 14 days. Even if you're a Scottish citizen, or from the EU.

If you have a possibility to order your groceries online and have them delivered, you have to use this service and are not allowed to leave the house buying groceries yourself. There are only two situations where leaving your house is allowed: for medical needs and groceries, if you can't have them delivered, that is. Additionally, there may be an exemption made for funerals.
Quarantining does not mean reducing contacts, does not mean keeping distance or wearing a mask. Quarantining means really staying in your (vacation) house as if it were a jail and having zero contact to the outside world for 14 days.

And they do control the quarantine.

For EU, there's guidelines which can be adapted and varied by every EU country. Border openings, border closures and travel restrictions are legal matters of the individual countries. So theoretically, each EU country could have different travel restrictions for people coming from the US. Most countries will go along with the EU guidelines, but they don't have to.

Thus, Adam should check every country he wants to travel to.  Even if he shows his Finnish passport, he may be asked where he has spent the last 14 days. If the answer is USA, he will get problems. If the answer is "quarantining in Scotland" he has good chances to be allowed into the respective country.
However, if he wants to be on the safe side, has to check the conditions for every single country.


To get a little perspective: we have not been allowed into the US since March and there are no plans whatsoever to change it. Fine with me. I would not travel to the US as long as you are not able to get a grip on Covid-19. I do see it as an unnecessary risk to travel there.
Thus, I also see it an unnecessary risk if US residents travel to Europe right now and am in full agreement with the travel restrictions.

Seriously, I do hope for you that the situation will get better and you will be able to travel. Fingers crossed for that!
But as long as the US can't get a grip on Corona, its citizens should not travel to other countries. It doesn't matter if you're from Colorado or from Florida because there's no way of saying where you have spent the last 14 days before leaving the US. Have you been partying in Miami? Have you been hiding in your cabin in the woods? Have you been shopping in New York? And the woman in your grocery store in Denver, has she been partying in Miami three days before greeting you at Walmart? And so on...


It's a GDBOAUS we're all in. And you know me, you know how important travelling is for me. But we did cancel our family vacation in Scotland. Monika and I will not be able to go on our planned Canada trip, I'm not even booking a fall vacation for my family right now because I don't know what the situation in EU-country X will be in October.
Instead, Jens and I shortened our summer vacation to one week and we'll spend this week hiking in the Bavarian Forest, within Germany.

Trying to see the big picture, I know we (as in my family and I) are lucky that cancelled vacations are our biggest drawback from Corona. We did not lose our jobs, we did not fall ill. Knock on wood it'll stay that way.

[brianr]

I visited the Neue Gallery in New York dedicated to Klimt and the Austrian school! It was my first introduction to Schiele and another painter whose name I forget but he painted the most wonderful horses. Have you seen the movie Woman in Gold?

Yes I saw 'Woman in Gold' and have also visited the Neue Galerie in New York but it was in 2010 before the movie. I most remember the coffee shop afterwards as I said 'I love Vienna' and the coffee shops are one of the things I love..

[Front-Ranger]

Ugh is right! Being a T-supporter is bad enough but recruiting an innocent child into your cult? Shameful.

I had so many Zoom meetings yesterday. Sunday is becoming Zoom day. At the last one, I was wearing my gardening clothes and didn't have time to change, so I joined the meeting without turning my video one. The moderator begged me to turn it on because "it's so nice to see people's faces." I realized she was right. We as humans hunger to see each others' faces.

There was one other person on the call who wouldn't turn on her video. We were discussing partnering with another gardening group to have a plant sale in September. It would be an outdoor event with masks and only the salespeople would be allowed to handle the potted plants and they would be wearing gloves. People would pay for their plants online. Nobody would be required to go if they didn't want to. The lady who wouldn't turn on her video proposed a motion that we NOT participate in the sale because "it's just too dangerous." But there was no second to the motion. We thanked her for her input and told her she didn't have to participate in the sale. I think she could  have been successful in persuading us if she had just turned on her video.