Posted on 04/04/2020 12:12:42 PM PDT by Zhang Fei
Singapore has announced a change of direction in its fight against the spread of the novel coronavirus. Schools will close and all but essential workplaces are ordered shut from next Tuesday.
The high-tech island nation was one of the first outside China to discover virus infections. It had until recently been seen as a leading example of controlled and panic-free response to the pandemic. But in recent days the number of infections has leaped.
In a TV address, Friday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that food establishments, markets and supermarkets, clinics, hospitals, utilities, transport and key banking services will remain open. But most other work premises must close. If the person can work from home, he should do so.
Schools and colleges must operate with full distance learning from Wednesday, after a one-day a week policy had gone smoothly. Pre-school facilities will be fully closed.
This circuit breaker will apply for one month, in the first instance, said Lee.
Lee said that new social distancing rules should mean that people do not mix with others from outside their family from now on. And he said that Singapore had rethought its face mask policy, which previously took the line that masks were only necessary if a person was unwell.
Lee explained the change of tack, which he called a major move, on a partial loss of control: We used to see fewer than 10 new cases a day. But in the last two weeks, despite our best efforts, we have routinely had more than 50 new cases daily. Initially, many of the new cases were imported from overseas, mostly returning Singaporeans. Then last week, we began to have more local cases.
Furthermore, despite our good contact tracing, for nearly half of these cases, we do not know where or from
(Excerpt) Read more at variety.com ...
The high-tech island nation was one of the first outside China to discover virus infections. It had until recently been seen as a leading example of controlled and panic-free response to the pandemic.
...
That’s true. How is Taiwan doing?
Its simply getting to the point that a suitable treatment regimen needs to be established along with a vital need for a vaccine. This is the only thing that will get things on the way to normal again.
Singapore has apparently decided on a full month lockdown.
...
In a way, this validates what we’re doing here in the USA.
Variety?
People will probably adhere to the measures to avoid getting caned.
To read with care.
[Variety?]
I wish the media would stop using the terms “lockdown” or “shelter-in-place.” California now uses “stay-at-home,” which while still not perfect, at least gets closer to the intent and reality.
[People will probably adhere to the measures to avoid getting caned.]
Singapore doesn't amount to a lot of land mass. It's pretty tightly packed. It's also a real melting pot.
[Singapore doesn’t amount to a lot of land mass. It’s pretty tightly packed. It’s also a real melting pot. ]
Look, the only strategy is getting the virus. That is the solution and the problem. The difference is how we get it. Germany has it right. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China have it wrong. The only salvation is herd immunity. Its the only thing that will work. The vaccine will be too late. The drugs will lesson the deaths a bit.
Germany does not think that they can stop it. Straight away they got 4 cases and handled that perfectly. But then the inevitable occurred. The Chinese, Italians, and Iranians showed up. Or people with contacts to those people showed up. Nothing you can do when the rest of the world catches the virus. There is no amount of social distancing that will work. So Merkel made it clear, 70% of Germans will get the virus. And the first thing they did is to quarantine the people at risk. Not the people who had the virus. Not the whole population. They quarantined the people at most risk.
Here is why that is so smart. 20% of 80 year olds will need doctors care. Less than 1% of people under 30 will need doctors care. So there is no reason not to let the younger people develop their immunity. Once they get it, they will not be able to spread it. And they will not clog the hospitals as they get the virus. The at risk people clog the hospitals. So they were sent to their homes.
Germany seems to have gotten the same number of cases as Spain or Italy. But their death rate is the lowest in the world. Thats because their potential corpses are hiding in their homes. And while the Asian lock down artists are battling the inevitable second and third waves of the virus. Germany will have firmly established its herd immunity. The virus will keep running into immune people who can neither get the virus nor spread it.
Two things governments forget. They don’t control the rest of the world. And they have to come out of their homes sometime. If you believe those two things, you know you cannot hide from the virus. You have to face it.
[The only salvation is herd immunity. ]
Makes sense.
I think the point was that ICU’s aren’t being overrun by the young and healthy. The young should be out and about AND exposing themselves to the virus. Once they have developed anti-bodies, they can be in contact with the most effected groups with no consequences.
It’s only the immune compromised that should be sheltering in place. I agree with this.
Won’t get back to normal until there is a safe and effective vaccine. Even if hydroxychloroquine/Zithromax is effective, it won’t in itself stop the pandemic. Also a good serology test to confirm prior infection and immunity would be useful. Also a PCR test to measure viral activity would help. Otherwise the approach of isolation and social distancing is essentially no different than the approach taken in medieval times to deal with a pandemic.
I rather get a tiny bit of it than a screaming mouth-full.
That way my body can fight it off faster and easier.
This is a response you should read about handling the virus.
Things could get back to normal with a combination of widespread reliable testing and a drug cocktail that will alleviate the symptoms for most people..... Seems to me that testing is the main problem right now
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