# 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:** 213
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4259 "2020-08-15T01:28:49Z")
[Toronto strip club exposes patrons](https://nationalpost.com/news/toronto-strip-club-exposes-at-least-550-people-to-covid-19/wcm/fefbff1f-30a1-4ee8-a34f-09742740752d/) ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4260 "2020-08-15T01:33:11Z")
And are still open, apparently, despite repeated violations. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4261 "2020-08-15T01:34:29Z")
Wrong side of the audience being exposed. ---
**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:** [August 15, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4262 "2020-08-15T04:04:18Z")
21,354,689 total cases 763,353 dead 14,147,925 recovered In the US: 5,476,266 total cases 171,535 dead 2,875,147 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 21,068,344 total cases > 757,440 dead > 13,917,952 recovered > > In the US: > > 5,415,666 total cases > 170,415 dead > 2,843,204 recovered ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4263 "2020-08-15T04:22:53Z")
A whiff of sulfur, and Old Scratch is before me. “Take the blue pill, and corona virus mutates into low grade sniffles, saving hundreds of thousands of lives. But Trump takes credit for the miracle.” “Wait! How many people believe him” Old Scratch just smiles… ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4264 "2020-08-15T06:42:34Z")
I’m happy to report that gov. Sununu has thought better of his declaration in July that we wouldn’t have reporting on outbreaks in schools, and yesterday announced that there will instead be a website that gives that information. Anyone know if the gov. of Tennessee has also come around yet? ---
**Author:** ![polar\_bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ec9cab/32.png) [@polar\_bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/polar_bear)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4265 "2020-08-15T11:43:14Z")
A strip club in Amsterdam (probably the only strip club in Amsterdam), also had a small outbreak. Doesn’t surprise me, I was there once for 10 minutes as part of a stag night, low ceilings, cramped and little ventilation. Surprisinly, I haven’t heard anything yet bout people getting infected in prostitution establishments (which is currently allowed again in at least Austria, Switserland, Belgium and the Netherlands). ---
**Author:** ![JaneDoe42](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janedoe42/32/14104_2.png) [@JaneDoe42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneDoe42)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2020, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4266 "2020-08-15T22:13:29Z")
Here in Arizona, where COVID is an annoying hoax, most public schools are opening on Monday. Except for several districts that can’t open because teachers chose to quit rather than go back to the classroom. [Two East Valley school districts will return to in-person classes Monday, and numerous teachers have already resigned.](https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-education/2020/08/13/teachers-resign-queen-creek-jo-combs-districts-plan-person-reopenings-coronavirus/3365854001/) ---
**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:** [August 16, 2020, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4267 "2020-08-16T04:20:05Z")
21,615,334 total cases 768,969 dead 14,329,742 recovered In the US: 5,529,789 total cases 172,606 dead 2,900,188 recovered Yesterday’s numbers for comparison: > [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > 21,354,689 total cases > 763,353 dead > 14,147,925 recovered > > In the US: > > 5,476,266 total cases > 171,535 dead > 2,875,147 recovered ---
**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:** [August 16, 2020, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4268 "2020-08-16T04:59:07Z")
Top Russian doctor resigns from the national medical ethics council after frustration over how quickly the Russian coronavirus vaccine was implemented. > **[Top Russian doctor quits over questionable ethics that rushed through...](https://www.pharmafile.com/news/556519/top-russian-doctor-quits-over-questionable-ethics-rushed-through-coronavirus-vaccine)** > > Pharmafile.com is a leading portal for the pharmaceutical industry, providing industry professionals with pharma news, jobs, events, and service company listings. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2020, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4269 "2020-08-16T12:37:21Z")
I forgot to note this with last night’s numbers update: > **[Asia Today: S. Korea reports 279 cases, most in 5 months](https://apnews.com/c9d5cefabcd72fd9d004f393a2e893e9)** > > SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea has reported 279 new coronavirus cases in the highest daily jump since early March, as fears grow about a massive outbreak in the greater capital region. The figures released by the Korea Centers for Disease... Also, New Zealand has recorded new cases for 6 straight days now. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4270 "2020-08-16T13:51:08Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Also, New Zealand has recorded new cases for 6 straight days now. …the good news is that the new recorded cases are all from the same cluster, and the daily new cases are within the predicted threshold of a typical cluster. It hasn’t “spread like wildfire” because we haven’t developed “an immunity” as many have been claiming here and off the boards. So it looks like we have managed to [ringfence](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/121017556/coronavirus-what-it-takes-to-stop-a-covid19-cluster) the outbreak, which is part of what our re-emergence strategy is. The amount of testing we’ve done over the last three days is mind-boggling. Nearly 59,000 [tests](https://www.health.govt.nz/our-work/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-current-situation/covid-19-current-cases), scaled up from a daily average of 2000 tests just a few days before the outbreak was reported. For context that’s over 1% of the population of NZ tested in 3 days. The Minister of Health has had to apologise that results from testing might be delayed from the normal 24 hours to 48 hours. 86% of close contacts traced. The process has been breathtaking to watch, its showing (for me anyway) that the NZ’s original response to the pandemic wasn’t a fluke. The real mystery is how the outbreak happened. The Ministry have been clear that we may not ever know what the source of the outbreak was. The genome sequencing doesn’t match any of the cases that have come through managed isolation, and it doesn’t match any of the old cases either. It most closely matches genomes sequenced in England, and there is a theory that the virus might have gotten in through [freight](https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/08/14/902675290/new-zealand-investigates-a-mystery-where-did-its-new-cases-come-from) at the cold storage (the index case worked at a cool-storage facility) but they think this is unlikely. > **[Scientists use genome sequencing to track source of Auckland Covid-19 outbreak](https://www.1news.co.nz/2020/08/16/scientists-use-genome-sequencing-to-track-source-of-auckland-covid-19-outbreak/)** > > Scientists in a Porirua lab are working to trace Covid-19's footsteps. ---
**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:** [August 16, 2020, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4271 "2020-08-16T14:16:01Z")
Yeah, it seems the local population doesnt care about taking preventative measures. Another Dortmund friendly right now against Austria Vien and the crowd is packed into sections (while many sections are empty) and masks seem not be be worn. ---
**Author:** ![SayTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@SayTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SayTwo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4272 "2020-08-16T14:31:20Z")
Are they now calling that earliest victim an/the ‘index case’? The last I read they had not gone that far. If you think 20,000 tests a day is mindboggling, then I can only imagine what you’d think about the number of tests it would take in the US to match that one percent of the population. It would take a hell of a lot more machines, that’s for sure! ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4273 "2020-08-16T14:42:58Z")
> [@SayTwo](#): > > Are they now calling that earliest victim an/the ‘index case’? The last I read they had not gone that far. …they are calling the “earliest victim” the index case because that’s what an [index](https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(14)62331-X/fulltext) case is. > [@SayTwo](#): > > If you think 20,000 tests a day is mindboggling, then I can only imagine what you’d think about the number of tests it would take in the US to match that one percent of the population. It would take a hell of a lot more machines, that’s for sure! It wouldn’t be mind-boggling for me if that were to happen. The economies of scale are in America’s favour. If they really wanted to they could easily scale up testing to the point where they would be testing at that rate. And if they did do that I would be positively elated. ---
**Author:** ![SayTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@SayTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SayTwo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4274 "2020-08-16T14:44:00Z")
This fascinates me: > Talking about the legality of making masks compulsory to wear while in public, Hipkins said the main issue at the moment was **a supply issue**. > > Five million masks have been released with three million going to community groups for those who can’t afford masks, while **supermarkets are working to stock up** on them. > > “But look, here’s the reality, we could make it compulsory and spend a lot of time on enforcement, what we need here is a cultural acceptance amongst all New Zealanders, that if we’re encouraging you to wear a mask, we’re doing that for a reason.” > **[Thirteen new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in NZ, three people in hospital](https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/423654/thirteen-new-confirmed-cases-of-covid-19-in-nz-three-people-in-hospital)** > > There are 12 new community cases of Covid-19, all in Auckland and all connected to existing cases, with one new case in managed isolation. Watch the latest media conference here. Man, they really must _have_ thought they were fully out of the woods. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4275 "2020-08-16T14:56:52Z")
> [@SayTwo](#): > > Man, they really must _have_ thought they were fully out of the woods. …they never thought this. What a nonsense statement. You literally just quoted Chris Hipkins stating that they had released 8 millions masks from the stockpiles. We haven’t had to wear masks here. We didn’t wear them in the initial outbreak. **We didn’t need to.** In Auckland where they are at Level 3 the numbers of cars on the road are less than when they were at Level 3 last time. If you aren’t going out and if you are staying in our bubble you don’t need masks. Based on the fact that the government is **well aware we are not out of the woods** they have (prior to the recent outbreak) changed their advice on wearing masks. But masks aren’t the frontline of defense: the front line is social distancing, testing, tracing, isolation, and moving quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4276 "2020-08-16T16:20:31Z")
> [@SayTwo](#): > > Man, they really must _have_ thought they were fully out of the woods. …sorry to come back to this: but just to put this in context: Auckland moved from Alert Level 1 to Alert Level 3 in less than 24 hours from the announcement of the index case. That means physical distancing of 2 metres, people required to stay in their bubbles and extended bubbles, schools closed to all except children of essential workers, all public venues are closed, road blocks have been put up into and out of the city. You can’t do that if we were thinking “we were out of the woods.” We scaled up testing from 2000 tests a day to 23,000 tests a day over the period of 24 hours. You can’t do that if we were thinking “we were out of the woods.” Our contact tracers have contacted 86% of close contacts of the infected, well above the “gold standard” goal of 80%. That wouldn’t have happened if "we thought that we were out of the woods. The Wage Subsidy has been bought back for the two weeks were are lockdown, and it will be available nationwide to all businesses and sole-traders that qualify. And from how it worked last time the money will be in employers bank accounts a couple of days after application. Billions of dollars to keep businesses afloat and people in work. You can’t do that if we were thinking “we were out of the woods.” [Home Learning with Suzy Cato is back on from Monday,](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/300083033/child-favourite-suzy-cato-to-return-to-screens-for-home-learning-during-heightened-covid19-alert-levels) A channel to help children learn while in lockdown. That wouldn’t have happened so quickly if we were thinking “we were out of the woods.” If you aren’t seeing the picture yet: we’ve been preparing for this. Not just the government. Our household has slipped right back into Level 2 protocols. I’ve taken to wearing a mask, I’ve been using the government Covid app (which is built to best privacy standard protocols). We aren’t happy to be back to Level 3 or Level 2, but almost all of us are prepared to do what we need to do to **keep each other safe.** The logistics to get us to where we are right now, to ramp up testing/tracing/isolation to the degree that we have, shows the complete opposite of what you asserted. ---
**Author:** ![SayTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e56c9b/32.png) [@SayTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SayTwo)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4277 "2020-08-16T16:43:47Z")
Yes, clearly the government there was quite ready to lock things down again. That’s part of why I found it so fascinating that they didn’t have stockpiles of masks already _in_ the grocery stores, or whatever else “supply issues” implies. Or even in every citizen’s house, given how realistically that could be managed, you’d think, alongside all the other plans. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 16, 2020, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758/4278 "2020-08-16T16:47:03Z")
^^ You don’t _need_ masks if you’re willing to self-isolate effectively. Iceland never relied on masks, either. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=212) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coronavirus-covid-19-2019-ncov-thread-2020-breaking-news/847758.md?page=214)