# Coronavirus COVID-19 (2019-nCoV) Thread - 2020 Breaking News **URL:** \ **Category:** The Quarantine Zone\ **Tags:** covid-quarantine\ **Created:** [February 11, 2020, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758 "2020-02-11T01:16:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 105
**Author:** ![steatopygia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steatopygia/32/3132_2.png) [@steatopygia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steatopygia)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2083 "2020-04-07T08:17:26Z")
Good job Norway! Nice to see some success. The other side of the fjord and other dubious places. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2084 "2020-04-07T09:17:33Z")
**Snowboarder Bo** : As depressing as this might be, could you also add, if possible, the day’s increase as a separate indicator for the US numbers? Thanks for posting what you have. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2085 "2020-04-07T15:37:50Z")
The gardeners are back at work at my apt complex. This is either a hopeful sign of community rebirth or a sign of disaster. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2086 "2020-04-07T15:50:15Z")
Grim competition for the worst: Deaths per million: Spain, 295 New York, 280 Italy, 273 (numbers all per worldometer; San Marino left out due to sample size). New York is worse than Italy by this metric. Not entirely comparable, because the three places aren’t the same and the ways the deaths are counted are undoubetedly imprecise (I saw something this morning that NY isn’t necessarily counting deaths at home because they just don’t have the resources to test them). Still, not cheerful at all. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2087 "2020-04-07T15:54:10Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Its a primary election. The Reps gain nothing by an earlier voting date. Bidon or Sanders otoh… I’ve read that a seat on the State Supreme Court is on the ballot. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2088 "2020-04-07T18:13:08Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > I’ve read that a seat on the State Supreme Court is on the ballot. Yeah, Individual 1 tweeted out that Republicans in Wisconsin need to vote for a judge to preserve the 2nd Amendment. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2089 "2020-04-07T19:53:39Z")
Good news from the daily briefing here in Ohio. The IMHE projection is showing us leveling off at 544 deaths in total, based on our current social distancing measures. Dr. Acton, the director of ODH, said today that she thinks our hospitals will be able to handle the peak load, which should come towards the end of the April/early May. Our “curves” are looking very good compared to the US as a whole, and very, very good compared to the hardest hit states. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2090 "2020-04-07T21:14:48Z")
Today’s Austrian news roundup: [ul] [li] As the first country in Europe to announce plans to end its lockdown, the international news media is finally taking note of the situation in Austria. In addition to newswire stories, I’ve spotted articles in _The Guardian_, _Time_, _Mother Jones_, and _The Telegraph_. Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz was also interviewed on German TV last night.[/li] Other countries have since announced their own plans to lift their lockdowns: first Denmark, and then the Czech Republic, and now (per **yo han go** ’s post) Slovenia. [li] As of 14 April, services on Vienna public transport will be back to their usual schedule.[/li][li] Good news for car drivers: the deadline for renewing driving licences and parking permits has been extended to 31 May. (Though I expect not too many people will need to renew their licences this spring, since these are valid for 15 years.)[/li][li] Austrian Airlines projects that it will not recover from the coronavirus crisis until 2023, and is requesting €500 million in aid from the government.[/li][li] With the courts of justice having been closed for weeks, there’s now a growing backlog (currently 1700) of criminal cases to try. Chipping away at this glut ought to keep judges and lawyers busy for a very long time, once the criminal justice system starts up again.[/li][li] Current statistics: 12,639 confirmed infections, 243 deaths, 4064 recovered.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2091 "2020-04-07T22:38:41Z")
Those are all positive things, **psychonaut** ; glad to hear it. Also positive: [China’s virus pandemic epicenter Wuhan ends 76-day lockdown](https://apnews.com/3208bf54425d02c41c2d1d3911428c62). > [@](#): > > The lockdown that served as a model for countries battling the coronavirus around the world has ended after 11 weeks: Chinese authorities are allowing residents of Wuhan to once again travel in and out of the sprawling city where the pandemic began. > > As of just after midnight Wednesday, the city’s 11 million residents are now permitted to leave without special authorization as long as a mandatory smartphone application powered by a mix of data-tracking and government surveillance shows they are healthy and have not been in recent contact with anyone confirmed to have the virus. > > The occasion was marked with a light show on either side of the broad Yangtze river, with skyscrapers and bridges radiating animated images of health workers aiding patients, along with one displaying the words “heroic city,” a title bestowed on Wuhan by president and Communist Party leader Xi Jinping. Along the embankments and bridges, citizens waved flags, chanted “Wuhan, let’s go!” and sang a capella renditions of China’s national anthem. 76 days. 11 weeks, more or less. The US is gonna have a hard time finding the same kind of discipline, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2092 "2020-04-07T23:45:13Z")
[Trump Threatens to Withhold Funding for World Health Organization](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/07/world/coronavirus-updates-news-live.html) - _Trump attacked the W.H.O. for its handling of the coronavirus outbreak and its criticisms of his policy._ > [@](#): > > President Trump lashed out on Tuesday at the World Health Organization, creating a new enemy to attack and threatening to withhold funding from the world’s premier health institution even as a deadly virus ravages nations around the globe. > > “We’re going to put a hold on money spent to the W.H.O.; we’re going to put a very powerful hold on it and we’re going to see,” Mr. Trump said, accusing the organization of having not been aggressive enough in confronting the dangers from the virus. “They called it wrong. They call it wrong. They really they missed the call.” Be nice or everybody dies. ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2020, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2093 "2020-04-07T23:50:28Z")
Yesterday Taiwan had three new cases, all of which were Taiwanese returning from overseas and developed symptoms while in self quarantine. Total is only 376. We just had a long weekend and some tourist places were quite crowded. They are calling for self quarantine for anyone who visited 11 special locations. Taiwan really jumped on it quickly and got a good handle on it. This time it’s too late for most places but early action seems to be the key. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2094 "2020-04-08T00:22:33Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Also positive: [China’s virus pandemic epicenter Wuhan ends 76-day lockdown](https://apnews.com/3208bf54425d02c41c2d1d3911428c62).76 days. 11 weeks, more or less Wuhan may be relaxing it, but as I understand Beijing’s quarantine rules, anyone coming here from Wuhan will be in quarantine here for fourteen days. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2095 "2020-04-08T01:17:34Z")
The U.S. hits 400,000 total cases: > **[COVID - Coronavirus Statistics - Worldometer](https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/)** > > Daily and weekly updated statistics tracking the number of COVID-19 cases, recovered, and deaths. Historical data with cumulative charts, graphs, and updates. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2096 "2020-04-08T01:18:41Z")
To get onto Camp Walker, the main United States Forces Korea military bases in and around Daegu, South Korea, there’s a [novel way to see if you may be afflicted with COVID](https://www.newsweek.com/smell-test-us-military-base-south-korea-apple-vinegar-screening-1496183): > [@](#): > > Military personnel are now asking people entering the U.S. Army Garrison Daegu, in South Korea, to sniff apple vinegar. > > The purpose of the exercise is to identify people who might be carrying the new coronavirus as evidence suggesting losing the sense of smell is a common symptom of the disease. > > “At Gate 4 Camp Walker today, we conducted random smell testing on personnel coming onto the installation using a new method of delivering—cotton swabs that are handed to each individual and immediately disposed of after testing,” U.S.A.G. Daego announced on the Garrison’s Facebook page. “The primary symptom for about 30 percent of patients with mild cases of COVID-19 is a loss of smell known as anosmia, recent studies show, and 66 percent of COVID-19 patients suffer from anosmia.” _More at the link, and the name of the city is Daegu, not Daego (but, c’mon; how cool would that be if it were the latter?)._ Personally, I’m disappointed they chose vinegar for that. After all, they are in Korea. There’s a much better, and cheaper alternative, available for shocking someone’s olfactory nerves. ---
**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2097 "2020-04-08T01:26:12Z")
Just wanted to point out that the US death count has now exceeded that of the 2009 H1N1 flue that according to Trump Obama mishandled so badly. ---
**Author:** ![Locrian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/locrian/32/14146_2.png) [@Locrian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Locrian)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2098 "2020-04-08T01:28:05Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > To get onto Camp Walker, the main United States Forces Korea military bases in and around Daegu, South Korea, there’s a [novel way to see if you may be afflicted with COVID](https://www.newsweek.com/smell-test-us-military-base-south-korea-apple-vinegar-screening-1496183): > > _More at the link, and the name of the city is Daegu, not Daego (but, c’mon; how cool would that be if it were the latter?)._ > > Personally, I’m disappointed they chose vinegar for that. After all, they are in Korea. There’s a much better, and cheaper alternative, available for shocking someone’s olfactory nerves. Wait a minute, I LOOOOOVE vinegar. I own six kinds at the moment. (Had to stock up before the virus, dontcha know? 😃 ) Is this a military-grade vinegar or something, because I’d be pouring it on any salad in a heartbeat. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2099 "2020-04-08T02:31:12Z")
A church in our area refused to shut down and continued to hold services, so their landlord changed the locks on the door. Another one that continued to hold services got a bomb threat. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2100 "2020-04-08T02:36:57Z")
> [@Locrian](#): > > Wait a minute, I LOOOOOVE vinegar. I own six kinds at the moment. (Had to stock up before the virus, dontcha know? 😃 ) Is this a military-grade vinegar or something, because I’d be pouring it on any salad in a heartbeat. I like vinegar too, especially the [flavored drinking vinegars sold in Korea](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=479382) (which we have to buy at a shop in Beijing’s Wangjing Koreatown now). But, as this is happening in South Korea, I was alluding to the ubiquitous [kimchi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baechu-kimchi) in that land. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2101 "2020-04-08T02:43:09Z")
The mayor of Alton, IL told his police chief to crack down on violators of the stay-at-home order. [Police raided a bar and arrested the mayor’s wife.](https://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/coronavirus/altons-mayor-told-police-to-crack-down-on-stay-at-home-violators-they-cited-his/article_df7975fb-8d44-5db1-af64-d852e86861fb.html#tracking-source=home-trending) The mayor is not happy with his wife. > [@](#): > > My wife is an adult capable of making her own decisions, and in this instance she exhibited a stunning lack of judgement. She now faces the same consequences for her ill-advised decision as the other individuals who chose to violate the ‘Stay At Home’ order during this incident. This may end up in **msmith537’s** [Might people’s marriages break up before this is over](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=893107&highlight=marriages) thread. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2020, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/2102 "2020-04-08T03:21:58Z")
> [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > A church in our area refused to shut down and continued to hold services, so their landlord changed the locks on the door. Another one that continued to hold services got a bomb threat. In Cartersville in Georgia’s Bartow County, [a number of cases are connected to a big church there](https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/bartow-county-cases-of-coronavirus-link-back-to-church/85-4bb64f9e-5b3e-4640-b03e-3bf72a5acc5e). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=104) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=106)