The Irrational Fear and the cost of the Wuhan Virus, Is it worth it?

[Hypocrite-The]

Basically indonland is not bothering about the wuhan virus. So are indons dropping dead?

Why are there no reported cases of coronavirus in Indonesia?

Experts say there could be undetected coronavirus cases in Indonesia, a claim that has angered officials in Jakarta.
18 Feb 2020 GMT+3
Jakarta/Denpasar, Indonesia - Nearly a month after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency, Indonesia is yet to report a single case.
Some experts, however, are raising questions over the lack of reported cases in the country, given its close links to China, where the virus was first detected in late December.
Researchers at Harvard University in the United States have suggested there could be "undetected cases" in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, and have recommended Jakarta strengthen its detection systems.

• Coronavirus: All you need to know about symptoms and risks

In a study published on February 11, the researchers said Indonesia is expected to have approximately five cases. They arrived at the figure using mathematical modelling based on air travel volume estimates between the country and the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the new coronavirus that has now killed more than 1,800 people and infected more than 72,000 people worldwide.
According to figures cited by the Jakarta Post, approximately 98,700 passengers from Wuhan visited Indonesia between December 2018 and November 2019, making it the sixth-most popular international destination for tourists from the Chinese city. The top destinations for Wuhan travellers - Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong - have all reported coronavirus cases.
The issue has garnered nationwide debate in Indonesia, with the country's health minister Terawan Agus Putranto calling the Harvard study "insulting" and arguing Jakarta has not yet recorded a single case "all because of prayers".
Achmad Yurianto, a senior official at Indonesia's health ministry, also dismissed the study's findings, noting they were based on mathematical models.
"But then Harvard also forgot that Indonesia's air is not like the air in China that is subtropical," Yurianto told Al Jazeera, repeating an as-of-yet unverified claim that the new coronavirus is similar to the pathogen that causes the seasonal flu, a disease that is more prevalent during colder weather.
He added that the Indonesian government was prepared for a potential viral outbreak, saying it has already set in place an "early warning system" for epidemics following the 2002-2003 outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which also originated in China.
Authorities have also designated 100 hospitals across the country to respond to potential cases and tightened monitoring of passengers at the airports. Officials at Indonesian airports are using thermal scanners and thermometer guns at arrival gates, he said, and passengers are told to go to the hospital "if they feel unwell within 14 days".
Marc Lipsitch, one of the five authors of the Harvard study, in a video posted on YouTube, said the goal of their research was to criticise the quality of a country's surveillance systems. "The five is based on what other countries are detecting. It could be that there are zero [cases in Indonesia], but that's very unlikely, [and] it could be there are more".
In a subsequent interview with Al Jazeera, the professor of epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health said in the event that the virus had been imported to Indonesia, there was "good chance" of secondary cases in the country.
He added: "I have emphasised that many countries, not only Indonesia, probably face the same issue: detection at the border is not 100-percent effective, even with excellent levels of testing."
The researchers' predictions were lent weight when the Huainan Centre for Disease Control and Prevention in China said a Chinese tourist who had travelled to the Indonesian tourist hub of Bali in January was confirmed to have been infected with the coronavirus on February 5, eight days after he left Indonesia.
The patient took a flight by Indonesian airline Lion Air from Wuhan to Denpasar in Bali on January 22, and flew back to Shanghai via a Garuda Indonesia flight on January 28, according to the post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo.
Dirga Sakti Rambe, doctor of internal medicine at Omni Hospitals Pulomas in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, said it was "very possible" for the coronavirus to have reached Indonesia, but remain undetected, especially if infected people show mild symptoms.
The WHO on Monday said more than 80 percent of patients with the new coronavirus show mild symptoms, while those who become critically ill are older patients or people with other medical conditions.
Commenting on the Bali case, Rambe noted the virus's incubation period could last from two to 14 days. "So it is still possible for the patient to have been infected before coming to Bali, while in Bali, or after returning from Bali," he said.
But Yurianto, the Indonesian health official, said authorities are yet to detect any cases in Bali. Indonesia's government was not able to track the locations the man had visited during his time in Bali, but is conducting active surveillance on the island, he said.
"We examined the data until January 28," he said. "It turned out that our surveillance related to the influenza-like illness in all of Bali had no significant change. That means he was not a source of transmission because the numbers did not change much."
However, the government has suspended some 260 flights from Bali to a number of cities in mainland China since February 5 to limit the spread of the virus.
The WHO in Geneva said the cancellation of flights from Wuhan has "significantly delayed the probability" of the disease spread.
"We need to acknowledge that the relatively low number of cases of the virus detected outside of China is as a result of the intensive efforts the Chinese government is taking to contain the emergency and protect other countries," the global health agency said, referring to a lockdown imposed on Wuhan and surrounding cities in the Hubei province.
Meanwhile, Hariyadi Sukamdani, chairman of the Indonesian Association of Hotels & Restaurants, told CNBC Indonesia that Bali might lose $200m in tourism revenue and 180,000 tourist arrivals in two months due to the coronavirus outbreak, as January and February are the peak season for Chinese tourists visiting the island.
I Gusti Ngurah Ade Mahendra, owner of Bali OneTwo Trip tour agency, said he was worried about the latest situation.
"Aside from the number of visiting tourists plummeting, it has affected the tourism and the economy, and also our health," he told Al Jazeera. "Because we are working in tourism where we have direct contact with tourists. I still have to be alert."
SOURCE: Al Jazeera News

 

[frenchbriefs]

We have less count at the moment because we are a secondary infection site,we are in the early stages of Wuhan which China Wuhan was in Jan,
China wuhan is now in the advanced stages with many other provinces rapidly developing into intermediate and advance stages by the numbers.

let's not forget Wuhan count in sg is the highest in the world right now if u discount those on the Jap cruise ship,if number of infected hosts keeps increasing,the spread of the virus will accelerate like growth of bacteria in a Petri dish,small and unnoticeable at first then quickly doubling and doubling until a massive blob.

Wuhan count in sg is now 83,just keeps getting higher and higher.......like I said Singapore and others is like China during the early stages of the epidemic,if for some reason PAP don't arrest the number of infected,and the number reaches the 100s,there may be runaway infection soon.

Funny thing Australia still only has 15 cases since the beginning of Feb despite having millions of prcs,clearly sg still has leaks or there are undetected cases lurking around.....so much for our gold standard.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Wow,,,,,Flu spreads be it Wuhan or no Wuhan virus,,talk about making mountains out of molehills with regards to the Wuhan virus

Number of influenza cases 'higher than usual' this month
9News Staff
2 hrs ago



The latest report from NSW health has revealed a significant increase in the number of influenza cases around the state in comparison with recent months despite February not being the peak time for flu outbreaks.


Along with an elevated number of influenza cases, the number of people presenting to NSW emergency departments with respiratory concerns increased and were above the historical range for this time of year, according to the report.

© 9News Flu cases have spiked early this year.
"We think it's because there's a lot more testing, GP's have access to and are using the testing mechanisms and they are getting results within a day," Professor Robert Booy of the Westmead Research Institute said.

In the five-week period to February 2020 there were 2490 notifications of influenza confirmed making the numbers significantly higher than the 2065 influenza cases reported for January 2019, and higher than the number of notifications reported for December 2019 which was 954 for the month.

Influenza notification rates were highest in Northern Sydney with 181 reported cases, followed by South Eastern Sydney with 105 cases.

© 9News The increase has been attributed to increased reporting.
Prof Booy said it was a timely reminder for people to maintain good hygiene habits

"To start being sensible, about covering your mouth when you're sneezing, don't go to work if you've got a cold," he said.

The recent outbreak of coronavirus around the world has sparked major concern over public health.

© 9News People are urged to maintain good hygiene.
Despite widespread coverage and concern over the impacts of the epidemic, influenza remains a far more prevalent illness.

So far, only 15 people have tested positive for the virus within Australia and no one has died however since the beginning of 2020, two people have died from the flu.

In 2019, more than 300 died from influenza, up from 32 deaths the year before in 2018.

For the year to February 2, there have been two influenza deaths identified.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Isnt this worse than the Wuhan Virus? and yet the Wuhan virus is seen as a greater threat,,what a bunch of idiots

Flu season which struck down 310,000 Australians 'worst on record' due to early outbreaks
ABC Sunshine Coast
By Tara Cassidy
Posted 11 Feb 2020, 8:19am

PHOTO: 2019 saw the highest number of flu cases on record in Australia and 2020 could be worse. (Pixabay)
RELATED STORY: Doctors scramble to find out why this flu season may be the worst in decades
RELATED STORY: From training at the gym four times a week to blacking out with the flu
Researchers are warning little can be done to prevent future severe flu seasons, if a pattern of prolonged, year-round outbreaks continue.

Key points:

• More than 310,000 people presented to Australian health services with influenza in 2019, marking the country's worst flu season on record
• Researchers say that it was one of the most successful vaccination years to date but early outbreaks occurred before vaccines were given out
• With continued early outbreaks, 2020 could be similar

Last year, Australia experienced its worst flu season on record, with more than 310,000 people presenting to hospital and health services nationwide.

The figure is seven times greater than Australia's previous 18-year average.

'Happens once every 10 years'
World Health Organisation (WHO) influenza researcher, Ian Barr, said such aggressive seasons were generally a "one-in-every-10-year occurrence", but early flu outbreaks had seen Australia go through two in just three years.

He said it is an issue that is hard to predict and one difficult to address with vaccines.

"Definitely in terms of influenza seasons 2019 was the biggest Australia has had … it was very unusual," Dr Barr said.

PHOTO: Ian Barr says last year's high numbers were due to a prolonged season and early outbreaks.


"I think one of the big reasons it was a such a severe season was that in most states, it was very prolonged.

"In Queensland it was reasonably long, but then in Victoria, Tasmania and, to a lesser extent, New South Wales, it was a very prolonged season which started much earlier than we would normally expect to see such high intensity activity.

"It lasted right through 'til October."

According to Dr Barr, last year's peak occurred almost two months earlier than normal and researchers have found it difficult to determine the cause.

He believes international travellers played a significant role, but said other factors were also at play.

"The whole business of influenza is a numbers game, so if you get enough people coming back to Australia with infections from overseas, that can happen," Dr Barr said.

"We put it down to higher tourist numbers, more Australians travelling overseas, climate conditions.

"But we actually believe that a number of last year's cases originated from some of the large outbreaks in the Northern Territory, which led to small outbreaks in the southern states — Queensland included.

"It's most likely a combination of those factors … which is just plain unlucky."

Hospital beds full and staff sick
Queensland Health Minister, Stephen Miles, said the intense season put a major strain on hospital and health services nationwide, which would have to incorporate early outbreaks into future planning.

"Certainly the levels we saw, it took a very high toll on the community and the health system," he said.

"We had a record number of summer cases and that elongated the impact on our hospitals through more months of the year, as well as many of our own staff ended up catching the flu.

PHOTO: Health Minister Steven Miles said hospitals and staff found it difficult to cope with last years flu season, due to it beginning earlier than normal. (AAP: Dave Hunt)


"That itself has an impact on our ability to cover rosters and increase staffing when we really need to, it makes the job of running hospitals even harder."

According to Mr Miles, early preparation had aimed to deal with influxes in patients, but not for seasons which extend for nearly half the year.

"Every year we have a winter bed strategy that's designed to deal with that, but the peak last year we had to bring it forward substantially," he said.

"There's a lot of mysteries still about the flu and that's why we have a lot of people allocated to researching and working on it.

"Every year the virus is different and the way it impacts us is different, we do our best to predict it.

"It just demonstrates how serious a virus the flu is and how important it is to get vaccinated and stop it spreading even more."

But WHO's Dr Barr said he does not believe vaccinations would have much impact where early outbreaks of influenza are concerned, stating 2019 was one of their most successful vaccination years to date.

"I wouldn't say the vaccine had too much of an impact on that [severe season last year], the season was already in the starter gates and running before most vaccines were even given out," he said.

"Given the significant number of cases in March and April — the vaccine isn't even available during that time, and it normally takes a couple of weeks after being vaccinated to reach peak immunity.

"I wouldn't say this was a vaccine issue."

Longer lasting vaccines a long term solution
According to Dr Barr, vaccines are created based on strains circulating in the northern hemisphere, which meant it would be difficult to bring forward a release date in Australia.

He said current vaccines only last three to six months, so early immunisation would also mean they may not last through the peak months of July and August.

Coronavirus: What you need to know

Here's a rundown of all the facts about coronavirus, and how you can make sure you're protected.


"You could bring it forward slightly and make some vaccines available a bit earlier, but early to late March, that's really about the best you could do," he said.

"If we could have some early vaccines available, especially in certain states, it may help out slightly.

"But perhaps there's also some learning opportunities in terms of having longer lasting vaccines, we're always trying to be better.

"There's a lot of work and money being invested in trying to improve influenza vaccines, we're taking a number of different approaches, but these things take time."

While 2019 saw the highest number of influenza cases across the country, 2017 still holds the record for the highest number of flu-related deaths, with over 1,100 cases.

Last year there were over 900 influenza linked deaths in Australia.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak delivers a huge hit to tourism, estimated to be $250 million in WA
By Eliza Borrello
Updated about 5 hours ago

PHOTO: Beekeeper Rupert Phillips has seen a major drop at his business since the outbreak. (ABC News: Armin Azad)
RELATED STORY: Universities brace for big hit with almost 100,000 students still stranded as classes set to begin
RELATED STORY: Cheap flights within WA announced to lure tourists as coronavirus impact bites
RELATED STORY: Mass cancellations hit tourism industry as impact of coronavirus bites WA
No-one has to tell Swan Valley beekeeper Rupert Phillips the coronavirus outbreak has stripped an estimated $250 million of tourist business out of WA so far — he just has to look around his quiet store.

Key points:

• The outbreak has exacerbated an already difficult season for tourism
• Businesses particularly geared to the Chinese market have been hit hardest
• The Federal Government is trying to boost domestic tourism markets

Mr Phillips has already had to sack staff amid falling sales and said it was clear why the situation had become so dire.

"The virus has curtailed all sorts of things, most notably the big buses that come in with a lot of mainland Chinese tourists on board. They're just non-existent," he said.

The House of Honey owner said his showroom was traditionally quieter after the school holidays ended and while the weather was hot, but this summer's drop in patronage had been kicked off by the east coast bushfires and then exacerbated by the coronavirus.

"With the drop-off in sales I would say at some days at the weekend, it's been as much as 50 per cent," he said.

PHOTO: Rupert Phillips's Swan Valley honey shop has experienced a big downturn in tourist business. (ABC News: Armin Azad)


Mr Phillips's business has been geared for the international market, with staff hired who speak China's official language, Mandarin.

He said his products were popular with Chinese customers because of their purity.

Here's how the coronavirus travel restrictions will affect you

Travelling to China soon? Have friends and family in China planning a trip to Australia? Here's everything you need to know.


"I think Chinese customers are increasingly aware of what they eat and where it comes from, so as such a lot of Australian products are deemed to be clean and green and honey is one of them, especially here in WA from our pristine forests," he said.

"They're particularly interested in the honeys with an anti-microbial reading, for healing purposes and as a health food."

But it is not just tourism — Mr Phillips was worried the coronavirus could also restrict packaging supplies coming out of China.

"We've had a couple of our packaging experts say to us that a lot of stuff isn't making it out of China in sea containers at the moment, there's a big backlog being created there," he said.

"So basically we're using what stock we have in terms of packaging and paper bags and such like.

"Who knows what will happen once the local stock dries up, it could be quite an interesting scenario really."

Four in five businesses taking a hit
According to data from several sources, The House of Honey is not alone.

A recent Tourism Council survey of WA tourism businesses found 80 per cent were experiencing an impact from the virus.

What you need to know

Here's a rundown of all the facts about coronavirus, and how you can make sure you're protected.


WA Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chris Rodwell said his organisation estimated the sector had already lost $250 million in tourist business this year because of the outbreak.

"That is across the entire industry," Mr Rodwell told a coronavirus briefing organised by Perth's Chinese consulate.

"That hits retailers and cafes and obviously the tourism accommodation providers."

The $250 million figure was disputed by WA Tourism Minister, Paul Papalia, but he accepted the virus was biting.

"I don't know where they get those numbers from or how they calculate them," he said.

"In an entire year we lose, I think it's around $340 million, if there is no resolution to the matter in 12 months."

PHOTO: Paul Papalia has disputed the size of the financial hit estimated by the business lobby. (ABC News: Hugh Sando)


Tourism businesses exposed to global crises
Chad D'Souza, general manager of Perth Wildlife Encounters which runs dolphin tours off the WA coast, said bookings from Chinese customers had been affected.

"There've been a lot of cancellations but it's [the Chinese market] only a small part of the business," he said.

PHOTO: Perth Wildlife Encounters has seen a lot of cancellations since the outbreak began. (Supplied: Perth Wildlife Encounters)


Perth Wildlife Encounters owner Terry Howson said his business had been stung by previous international crises and had adapted to avoid a repeat.

"It really hurt us, so that's been a plan over the last I suppose 10 years, to really diversify those markets and now we're a lot better off thankfully," he said.

WA Tourism Council chief executive Evan Hall said he wanted the Federal Government to boost tourism funding.

PHOTO: Perth Wildlife Encounters has tried to refocus the business to make it less reliant on Chinese tourists. (Supplied: Perth Wildlife Encounters)


"The Federal Government came to the party with $76 million to assist with bushfire recovery for tourism, we'd like to see them double that [with] another $76 million to see regional tourism businesses recover from the coronavirus and the impact of the travel ban," he said.

Mr Hall said fewer Chinese tourists travelling across the world meant global competition in the tourism sector had increased.

"Around the world Chinese tourism's been growing very strongly off the back of Chinese visitation, now that's slowed down for everybody, not just for Western Australia but the entire global tourism industry," he said.

"So we're now entering a period of intense competition between nations and states and destinations, all seeking alternate visitors to make up for the lost Chinese visitation."

Push to activate other markets
Mr Phillips backed the call for more money but said he would leave it to others to put a dollar figure on the amount of relief that was needed.

"I think there are a lot of businesses out there who will be ailing and probably would be looking at insolvency issues because of this," he said.

Coronavirus recession?

The economic fallout globally from the coronavirus will be far worse than SARS now that China is so critical to the global, and especially Australian, economy, writes Ian Verrender.


Federal Tourism Minister Simon Birmingham said the Government was monitoring the situation but did not suggest more funding would be forthcoming.

"The best thing we're doing is trying to find ways to activate tourist markets elsewhere, to get more Australians holidaying within and across Australia and to get more people back into Australia from other non-China markets," he said.

"So that's why we've put the biggest single surge, some $76 million dollars extra, into this year's tourism budget to make sure that we're able to market within Australia and overseas to try and lift the tourism numbers from elsewhere."

Several speakers at the event organised by the Chinese Consulate, including Mr Papalia and Chinese Consul General Dong Zhihua, called for Australia's travel ban on Chinese nationals to be lifted as soon as possible.

But the Federal Government yesterday extended the ban for another week until February 29.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific Airways is scrambling to ride out a financial storm caused by the coronavirus outbreak, coming right on the heels of months of anti-government protests in its home city as well as the US-China trade war. As the region tries to prevent the spread of the virus that causes the deadly Covid-19 illness, Cathay Pacific has cancelled more than a half of its scheduled flights in February and March 2020. Aviation experts say that as the outbreak wreaks havoc on air travel, Hong Kong’s international airport is also likely to be struggling to take off again at a pace even slower than was after the 2002-2003 Sars outbreak.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

https://m.economictimes.com/news/in...-it-has-gone-too-far/articleshow/74248476.cms

 

[Hypocrite-The]

The Big Read: A month into COVID-19 outbreak, retailers, eateries are reeling from near-empty malls and streets
Businesses say they are worried about the prospect of closures should the situation drag on longer than expected.
Jewel Changi Airport, where F&B business have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis. (Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY)
24 Feb 2020 06:03AM(Updated: 24 Feb 2020 06:10AM)
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SINGAPORE: It has been just about a month since the first case of COVID-19 landed in Singapore, but Ms Patricia Zhuang has already had her pay cut by half, to just under S$1,000.
The 37-year-old sales staff at Vivy Boutique, an apparel store at Novena Square, was converted from a full-time employee to a part-time staff as part of her company’s cost-cutting measures.

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“Now, I’m only earning my pocket money,” said Ms Zhuang.
It’s a similar story for Mr Rex Xu, a manager at Ker’s Hair Salon, over at Jurong East. The decline in the number of customers at the hair salon has led to a drop in his commission, resulting in an overall 50 per cent dip in income, said the 32-year-old.
“If this continues, we cannot survive. We need to eat and pay rent,” he said.

Ms Patricia Zhuang, who works at a boutique at Novena Square. (Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY)


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The novel coronavirus, now officially known as COVID-19, originated from the Chinese city of Wuhan and has now spread to 29 other countries and territories, with Singapore reporting 86 confirmed cases as of Friday (Feb 21).
Explore our interactive: All the COVID-19 cases in Singapore and the clusters and links between them
READ: Coronavirus cases in Singapore: Trends, clusters and key numbers to watch
Not only has the virus infected close to 75,000 individuals globally and caused more than 2,000 deaths, mainly in China, it also left a trail of economic casualties.
As the authorities in Singapore try to curb the spread of the virus through various measures, such as a travel ban on non-residents who have been to China recently, businesses in the retail and food and beverage (F&B) sectors have borne the brunt of the sharp drop in tourist arrivals and weak consumer spending among Singaporeans.
The virus-related blow comes on the back of an already challenging retail environment, which has been buffeted by continuing US-China trade tensions and e-commerce competition.
The plight of Ms Zhuang and Mr Xu was not uncommon among retail and F&B employees, based on our visits to eight different locations across the island this past week to find out how businesses in these sectors were coping with the economic fallout of the COVID-19 outbreak.
On Monday (Feb 17), the Trade and Industry Ministry downgraded its 2020 full-year growth forecast for Singapore to between -0.5 per cent and 1.5 per cent — with a possible recession — from an initial projection of between 0.5 per cent and 2.5 per cent.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had earlier said that the COVID-19 situation already had a greater impact on the economy compared to when Singapore went through an outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) back in 2003, and would likely last longer.
A ‘PITIFUL’ SIGHT
With travel restrictions imposed on non-residents who have been to China in the last 14 days, it is unsurprising that tourist spots have been hit the hardest.
READ: New Stay-Home Notice with stricter measures for Singapore residents, long-term pass holders returning from mainland China
READ: Commentary: COVID-19 the new national test for Singapore. How are we doing?

At Chinatown, staff and business owners of several establishments said sales had gone down by 80 per cent.
“Business has dropped so much that it’s very quiet here, nobody at all during the night time … Everybody here is very worried, it’s very pitiful,” said Ms Kathy Fan, co-owner of Vietnamese restaurant Co Ba Quan, which is located along Chinatown’s Food Street.
During a visit on a weekday afternoon, it was possible to see one end of the road from the other, lined with rows of empty tables. Tourists were few and far between, with some restaurants serving only one table of customers, or none at all.
One elderly worker could be seen dozing off at an empty table.
Earlier this week, local news reports highlighted how some Chinese workers, businesses in Singapore — including those in Chinatown — are being shunned, amid discrimination faced by some Chinese nationals here. The discrimination stems from anxiety over COVID-19, which originated in the city of Wuhan in China.

Empty tables at Chinatown, where the outbreak of the coronavirus has hit businesses hard. (Photo: Nuria Ling/TODAY)

But the retail slump goes beyond that — consumers are also avoiding retailers and F&B outlets elsewhere.
At Jewel Changi, sales staff said that business had gone down by as much as 70 per cent. Queues at fast-food outlets Shake Shack and A&W were also visibly shorter.
READ: Some Johor Bahru eateries feel the pinch as fewer Singaporeans travel across the Causeway

READ: Tenants at Changi Airport to receive 50% rental rebate for 6 months
And it is not just retail outlets at tourist spots that have been affected. Businesses in the heartlands from Simei to Jurong East also reported a slump in sales.
Mr Kelvin Wai, owner of Evergreen Handphone Shop at Simei, said the travel restrictions had also affected his business as 20 per cent of his customers were Chinese tourists who bought mobile phone SIM cards. He has stopped ordering new stock with business down by 40 per cent.
At The Digital Gadgets, a mobile phone accessory outlet at Westgate mall in Jurong East, its manager, Ms Serena Nguyen, said that her company was trying to push for more online sales via e-commerce websites as business had dropped by 50 per cent at the shop.
Reports of confirmed COVID-19 cases at Marina Bay Financial Centre, as well as companies’ directive for staff to work from home, have also turned the Marina Bay Link Mall into a “ghost town”, said Ms Lyn Lee, founder of Awfully Chocolate.
Sales of her two stores at the Marina Bay area have been particularly affected, she said.
When we visited Suntec City around noon on Thursday, there was a decent lunchtime crowd at the restaurants surrounding its iconic Fountain of Wealth. But those located further away were more than half empty.
Mr Oscar Apiado, the outlet manager of apparel store The Shirt Bar, said that the mall corridors were “almost empty” after 3pm when the lunchtime crowd dwindled.
At Japanese buffet restaurant Kuishin Bo, staff could be seen standing around, tending to only a handful of customers during the lunch hour.
Its restaurant manager, Ms Chao Jun, said that the place would typically be three-quarters full during lunchtime, but it was not even a quarter-full at the time of visit.
SHORTER OPENING HOURS, STAFF ASKED TO TAKE NO-PAY LEAVE
With sales dropping by 80 per cent, Ms Chao said staff had been asked to clear leave as there was no longer the need to have the usual manpower strength of five servers on a weekday.
“Now I only plan for two people to work. Even two people also got nothing to do … only standing there waiting for customers,” she said.
READ: Amid fears of 80% revenue loss due to COVID-19 outbreak, restaurants hope for rent rebates
LISTEN: Singapore Budget 2020: A report card, a Heart of the Matter podcast

Even restaurants which open only for dinner are facing the same problem. Two Saturdays ago, Mr Marjun de Claro, manager at the House of Peranakan at Outram Park, said that the restaurant did not have a single customer for the whole night.
The “zero sales” phenomenon is also happening at retail outlets. Ms Zhuang said that there were several days where the store did not manage one single transaction. There was one particular day where it made a total of S$15 in sales.
During a visit to apparel store Ns’ Boutique at Novena Square at 2pm on Wednesday, its director Ms Chrislyn Ng said the store had not managed a single sale since it opened at 10.30am.

Businesses at Novena Square and the surrounding areas have been affected due to the proximity to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. (Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY)

With business down by 30 per cent, Mr Freddy Ng, operations manager of Wang Tian Kitchen at Outram Park, said that his restaurant is now closed on Saturdays. Operating hours on weekdays have also shortened by about two hours.
Across the island, several business owners said they have started similar cost-cutting measures, such as reducing the number of part-time staff, or shortening the working hours of their full-time staff, inevitably affecting the income of these workers.
Several workers also voiced fears about losing their jobs if their companies continue to be battered over the next few months.
READ: Commentary: How much damage will COVID-19 inflict on China’s economy?
READ: Commentary: Amid gloomy outlook, Hong Kong wrestles with novel coronavirus. But it’s surprisingly resilient
Ms Candy Chen, 47, a sales staff at Just Mobile, a mobile phone accessory store at Nex mall in Serangoon, said her commission had fallen by 30 per cent along with the drop in sales.
All three employees of Mr Joe Chen, a director of two apparel stores at Novena Square, have been asked to take turns to go on no-pay leave. As a result, they end up working only three to four days a week.
He has applied for them to go for skills upgrading courses on the days that they are not working.
READ: Commentary: Don’t waste Budget money. Here’s how to stretch your SkillsFuture dollars
CONSUMERS STAYING AT HOME
With companies activating remote-working arrangements, and more individuals choosing to stay home because of the COVID-19 outbreak, it is not surprising that malls are seeing lower footfall, thus affecting the businesses of retailers and F&B outlets.
For Ms Michelle Chin, 49, it is not just the malls she is avoiding. She has also stopped going to her church in Bukit Batok.
“When (the virus crisis) first broke out, I said I didn’t want to go church. My kids say, ‘Ma, don’t be paranoid’. But it’s my personal choice… It’s just a precaution,” said the retiree, who had stopped attending church service for the past three Sundays.
Some churches and other religious institutions have cancelled or scaled back their regular religious services and holding them online instead, after two COVID-19 clusters were identified at churches.
READ: Grace Assembly of God COVID-19 cluster - How it unfolded

Before the outbreak, Ms Chin used to head to Novena Square at least once a day to buy her groceries, and patronised some of the shops in the mall now and then.
That has all but stopped with the exception of a weekly grocery run.
Even then, it is a real quick run. “The minute I get into the mall, I get to the escalator, buy whatever I need and run back,” said Ms Chin.
READ: F&B, retail businesses in CBD feel pinch as people work from home amid coronavirus concerns

READ: Commentary: The biggest work-from-home exercise may have just begun. How ready is Singapore?
While work-from-home arrangements naturally mean that F&B establishments in office areas would see a smaller lunch-time crowd, it does not automatically translate to increased sales at outlets in residential estates.
To reduce the risk of exposure to the virus, Ms Doreen Yeow started working from home whenever possible even before her workplace made it official.
Her lunch now consists of home-cooked food, as the 38-year-old engineer has stopped going to crowded places, such as malls.
“I don’t step out of the house at all,” she said. She only left home twice in the past week, once to visit her parents and another time to attend a class.
Mr Sean Wei Leong, a 32-year-old risk manager, who also started working from home last week, said he generally avoids crowded areas, such as Orchard Road, although he does head to the suburban malls in Tampines where he lives.
SOME LANDLORDS EXTEND A HELPING HAND
Amid mounting calls for help from the retail and F&B sectors due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Tuesday unveiled two special packages totalling S$5.6 billion to help firms and workers, as well as households during his Budget speech.
The packages dwarf the S$230 million package introduced during the SARS crisis in 2003, and significantly exceeded analysts’ expectations of at least a S$500 million package.
Part of the S$5.6 billion package is a S$4 billion Stabilisation and Support Package (SSP) meant for businesses and workers affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.
The SSP includes:

• A S$1.3 billion Jobs Support Scheme where the Government will pay for 8 per cent of the wages of local employees, up to a monthly cap of S$3,600, for three months.
• Flexible rental payments for tenants and lessees under the JTC Corporation, Housing and Development Board (HDB), Singapore Land Authority, Singapore Tourism Board and Sentosa Development Corporation.
• A waiver of one full-month of rent for tenants at National Environment Agency-managed hawker centres and markets.
• A half-month rent waiver for tenants under government agencies, such as HDB.
• A 15 per cent property tax rebate for Changi Airport and commercial properties.

“I strongly urge landlords to pass this on to their tenants by reducing rentals,” Mr Heng had said.
Several property developers, such as CapitaLand, GuocoLand, AsiaMalls and Frasers Property, have said that they will pass on the full savings of the tax rebates to their tenants, in response to queries.
Marketing campaigns and free parking for visitors, among other initiatives, have also been introduced by some developers to help their struggling tenants.
BUSINESSES SAY THEY NEED MORE HELP
On the Budget measures, several businesses said they would have preferred more direct help on rental rebates — such as how Jewel Changi is offering a 50 per cent rebate on rent for its F&B tenants for the months of February and March — instead of leaving it to the landlords’ discretion whether to pass on savings from tax rebates to them.
“Savings from the tax rebates are nothing to me … We are talking about occupancy costs (being) as high as 70 to 80 per cent (out of tenants’ total costs) now,” said Mr R Dhinakaran, president of the Singapore Retailers Association (SRA).
READ: Commentary: Singapore Airshow in a COVID-19 outbreak – smaller but not quite

READ: Commentary: Novel coronavirus turns 2020 into a bleak year for Asian airlines
If developers do not provide a direct rebate on rent, a potential consequence would be the closures of several retailers, causing the malls to be empty, he noted.
“What can (the developers) do? They can’t sue everybody who can’t pay rent… (Retailers) will just pull down the shutters and go away… That’s a situation, I hope, will not happen,” Mr Dhinakaran said.
Instead, a “fair approach” during these challenging times would be to pay the landlord a certain percentage of the tenants’ sales as rent, he suggested.

Some establishments at Jewel Changi Airport have seen a 70 per cent fall in business amid the COVID-19 crisis. (Photo: Raj Nadarajan/TODAY)

Mr Vincent Tan, president of the Restaurant Association of Singapore (RAS), echoed Mr Dhinakaran’s sentiments, adding that passing on savings from a tax rebate is “way below” what the association is asking for.
“In fact, the 15 per cent rebate (announced during Budget) comes from the Government. The developers (are not going to) sacrifice a single cent,” Mr Tan said.
Last week, RAS told the media that it had sent letters to 24 landlords, requesting that they offer rental rebates of up to 50 per cent for February, March and April.
Awfully Chocolate’s Ms Lee said there was “little” offered in the Budget that would help retailers directly and materially. Recalling how property tax rebates were also part of the SARS relief package back in 2003, she said that landlords then were reluctant to pass on the savings to their tenants.
“It felt as if a great amount of cajoling had to be done before help was given … Is the same thing going to happen? I can only assume so … So if the Government’s intention is that these tax rebates are passed down to the tenants, then I think they should be given with a set of parameters and directives. Not left to goodwill and best endeavours,” she added.
READ: Businesses welcome S$4 billion package as timely relief, but some say more help needed

Passing on the savings of a tax rebate may also not be as timely as compared to a direct rebate, said Wang Tian Kitchen's Mr Ng.
“If for now, I keep paying the same rent, so at the end of the year, the landlord say, ‘I rebate you 15 per cent’. What’s the point? It won’t help already. The thing is already over by then,” he said.
Some businesses said they were disappointed that unlike the 2003 SARS relief package, the foreign worker levies were not reduced this time.
While Ms Chris Lim, a business partner at children edutainment provider Diggersite, said she knows that the Government’s intention is to encourage companies to hire more locals, her hands, unfortunately, are tied.
“Our situation is different. The jobs we have, the locals will not take... (The Government) thinks we should hire locals, but it’s actually not our call,” said Ms Lim, whose business includes a cafe at Suntec City.
As her company provides edutainment at company events and conducts field trips for children, she has had to temporarily suspend these weekday services, as the Government has discouraged large-scale public gatherings with the raising of the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) risk assessment level from Yellow to Orange.
READ: Commentary: Disruptive tech is coming for COVID-19 threat, but needs more funding
LISTEN: Getting to grips with DORSCON orange in Singapore's fight against COVID-19, a Heart of the Matter podcast episode

As for Mr Wai, who is renting a space from HDB for his mobile phone accessories shop in Simei, he lamented that the half-month waiver for rental is “very little” and not of much help.
However, he said he was looking forward to the possibility of setting up flexible arrangements to pay rent, such as through an installment plan.
A STRUGGLE TO HANG ON
Businesses are worried about the prospect of closures should the situation drag on longer than expected.
Mr Heng has repeatedly assured businesses and households that the Government is watching the situation closely, and it will not hesitate to do more if needed.
Mr Chen, the apparel store director, said that he has an emergency fund that would be able to tide him through this crisis for the next six months, at most.
“If worst comes to worst, if after six months and we’re still making losses, then we may have to close one of our stores. Instead of two, we would just run one,” he added.
READ: Commentary - COVID-19 could redefine Singapore’s place in the global economy

READ: One month of COVID-19 - Concern, containment and collective effort

Other businesses gave a shorter time frame.
For example, Diggersite’s Ms Lim said she may have to take more drastic measures, such as retrenching full-time staff, if things do not improve in three months.
Mr Shah Iskandar, owner of South Asian eatery Az Zumar at Outram Park, said he would assess the situation in a month’s time.
“If the problem goes beyond end of March, finances will be very tight for us,” he said. He might have to cut short his eatery’s operating hours, which is currently open for 24 hours daily to just 12.
That would also mean cutting the number of staff required to sustain the operations, he added.
Mr Dhinakaran said most retailers would probably be able to hold the fort for only the next two to three months, if things do not get better or if the landlords do not provide substantial rebates in rent. He said:

Suppliers will also chase for money. You have stock in the shop but not sold, doesn’t mean they won’t chase… You have to pay this, pay that, but no sales, how do you pay? Then everybody will put up their hands and say, ‘Sorry cannot pay’. That’s what will happen.

RAS’ Mr Tan said most F&B outlets would be able to sustain business under current conditions for the next three to six months.
Professor Lawrence Loh, from the National University of Singapore Business School, called on major developers — the ones with the “deep pockets” — to “demonstrate their social responsibility” and help retailers and F&B outlets struggling to cope with the crisis.
He pointed out that the economy this time would not undergo a V-shaped recovery, unlike what happened after Singapore eradicated SARS in July 2003.
“It would be more like a flat U-shaped recovery … For this COVID-19 outbreak, it’s expected to be longer. It will simmer on, in dribs and drabs ... There will be a persistent effect on retail. And even after the outbreak is officially declared to be over, business will not just recover overnight,” he said.
In the meantime, for service staff like Ms Zhuang and Mr Xu, they would need to tighten their belts and watch their spending — setting off a spiral of reduced consumption which would further hit retailers and eateries. Mr Xu said:

Right now, having a job is not bad already.

 

[Leongsam]

All this is great news for the climate activists.

Climate Change Activists Begin Licking Doorknobs To Contract Coronavirus And Reduce Human Population

February 7th, 2020

U.S.—Most people are pretty worried about the coronavirus since we've all seen Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman or lost a bunch of games of Pandemic.

But climate change activists are welcoming the potential epidemic and are beginning to lick doorknobs in order to contract the virus and remove themselves from the human population.

"This virus is the answer to all of our problems," said George Mandolin, a climate change activist from Portland as he headed down to the local communist cafe to lick all the doorknobs. "It's a safe, easy, and humane way for us to eliminate our problematic carbon footprint for good. We, of course, wouldn't be hypocritical and suggest that other people should lick doorknobs before we do -- we live a lifestyle consistent with our worldview, and as such, will be the first to die."

"Farewell, cruel world!" he cried as he licked the handle to the bathroom door and was infected with 47 different diseases.

https://babylonbee.com/news/climate...tract-coronavirus-and-reduce-human-population

 

[Hypocrite-The]

All this is great news for the climate activists.

Climate Change Activists Begin Licking Doorknobs To Contract Coronavirus And Reduce Human Population

February 7th, 2020

U.S.—Most people are pretty worried about the coronavirus since we've all seen Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman or lost a bunch of games of Pandemic.

But climate change activists are welcoming the potential epidemic and are beginning to lick doorknobs in order to contract the virus and remove themselves from the human population.

"This virus is the answer to all of our problems," said George Mandolin, a climate change activist from Portland as he headed down to the local communist cafe to lick all the doorknobs. "It's a safe, easy, and humane way for us to eliminate our problematic carbon footprint for good. We, of course, wouldn't be hypocritical and suggest that other people should lick doorknobs before we do -- we live a lifestyle consistent with our worldview, and as such, will be the first to die."

"Farewell, cruel world!" he cried as he licked the handle to the bathroom door and was infected with 47 different diseases.

https://babylonbee.com/news/climate...tract-coronavirus-and-reduce-human-population

Nothing but a bunch of hypocrites,,,why don't go contract Ebola instead? It will get the job done better

 

[Leongsam]

Nothing but a bunch of hypocrites,,,why don't go contract Ebola instead? It will get the job done better

It's a satire website like the Onion.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Coronavirus COVID-19's Wuhan lockdown, a month on
相关中文文章
By Jason Fang, Alan Weedon & Erin Handley
Updated 51 minutes ago
Print Email Facebook Twitter More
Almost 60 million people have been placed under an unprecedented lockdown in China's Hubei province since the novel coronavirus broke through its capital city, Wuhan. A month on, here's a look at what life in the usually bustling transport hub has been like.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.











VIDEO: The streets of Wuhan have been near-deserted since it was placed into lockdown on January 23.(ABC News)

It's a city more populous than London or New York, and in recent months, it has rivalled the two metropoles for global attention — albeit for the wrong reasons.
This city is Wuhan — the Chinese provincial capital of Hubei — which has recently come to be known as the epicentre of an outbreak of a new coronavirus, known as COVID-19.

The virus is a sibling to the common cold, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), but so far has killed more than SARS and MERS combined.
What is a coronavirus?

Here's what we know about the novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, and how worried you should be.

More than 2,000 people are believed to have died as a result of the strain, while more than 70,000 people are infected, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data.
The bulk of fatalities have been in Hubei, with 2,029 people killed and more than 62,000 people infected so far.
It is predicted these numbers will rise.
EMBED: By February 17, infection rates appeared to spike, but the rise was due to the WHO counting clinically-reported cases of COVID-19.

The outbreak has prompted unprecedented virus control measures, which have plunged Wuhan and Hubei into lockdown for the past month.
In all, some 58 million people have been placed under unprecedented restrictions, with public transport, shops, supermarkets and flights all suspended.
For those who have remained in the province, some describe a world akin to a horror film, where the buzzing of food delivery bikes and local birdlife are the few remaining audible parts of once-bustling Chinese megacities.
Here's what the experience is like for some people located in Wuhan.
'Colleagues cry every day'
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.











VIDEO: Medical staff in Wuhan and surrounds have said health infrastructure is failing to accommodate the influx of new patients.(ABC News)

Despite Wuhan's unprecedented quiet, all is not serene in Hubei's capital.
Weeks after news of the outbreak hit, screens around the world were awash with vision of Chinese construction workers rapidly putting up new and makeshift hospitals to accommodate the raft of COVID-19 cases.
PHOTO: Hubei province has recorded the most infections and deaths as a result of COVID-19.(Supplied: Johns Hopkins University)

The outbreak has placed an unrelenting strain on the region's existing health infrastructure, which has also seen health professionals infected with the disease.
The ABC understands that doctors and nurses in Wuhan have all signed confidentiality agreements with health officials, which are designed to prevent them from speaking out about local working conditions.
The repercussion of breaching these obligations risks a jail term.
But one nurse, who spoke to ABC Chinese on the condition of anonymity, said conditions at her hospital in Wuhan were at breaking point.
"We aren't given any essential medical goods and materials … starting from the moment the city was under the lockdown, [people] are angrier, despite the sense of gratitude," the nurse said.

Many colleagues in our department have been isolated. Many of them belong to the hospital executive team who are critically ill. Colleagues at work feel very emotional and cry every day.

The nurse added that a number of nurses and cleaners had fled the hospital since the outbreak began, adding that they had been considering doing the same.

I either want to desert the battlefield at this time of crisis … or be the hero.

However, the ABC has not been able to independently verify the nurse's claims.
'They believe that staying indoors is a contribution to the motherland'

For some, China has been praised for its unprecedented efforts in enforcing a lockdown the scale of which the world has never seen before.
Matthew Kavanagh, a researcher in global health, politics and law at Washington DC's Georgetown University, said in medical journal The Lancet that the lockdown reflected a "level of control only available to authoritarian governments".
However, he said that the very same structures that were able to pull off the lockdown were also its Achilles heel, as "authoritarian information politics inhibited a rapid response to the outbreak".

Governments can be the victims of their own propaganda, because the country's political institutions provide incentives to local officials to avoid sharing bad news with their central bosses and await instructions before acting," Mr Kavanagh said.

Mr Kavanagh's sentiment is one shared by Lu Xinhua, a Wuhan-based dissident who spent four years in a Chinese jail after being sentenced for subversion for establishing the Chinese Democratic Party in 1998.
"At first, the Government concealed the truth," Mr Lu told ABC Chinese, adding it only sounded the alarm when information became "uncontrollable".

The Chinese political system favours people who singing praises to the leadership, but nobody dares to point out the truth — the Government claims telling the truth could create fear and panic.

He claimed that Beijing's relative success in enforcing the lockdown was because some of his compatriots were "often brainwashed and educated to cherish collectivism".
"They believe that staying indoors during the epidemic period is a contribution one can make to the motherland," Mr Lu said.
He added that being forced to stay at home reminded him of being back in prison, and didn't blame other Chinese nationals for their acquiescence to Beijing's lockdowns, as "they have little awareness of protecting their own rights".

These measures are of course effective, but they can be taken more humanely, rather than being forceful.

'Psychologically it is tough'
PHOTO: Australian horse trainer Rui Severino has continued to work amid the outbreak.(Supplied)

Melbourne racehorse trainer Rui Severino unknowingly stepped into the epicentre of the outbreak.
But he has chosen to stay in Wuhan in order to be together with the horses and his horse training team.

Psychologically it is tough for me — you are in lockdown, can't go anywhere," Mr Severino said.

"[But] I have a big team here and a lot of responsibilities. I just couldn't turn my back on them."
He and his team are now locked in their racehorse training centre, continuing to train horses, while also staying faithful to lockdown controls, which includes conducting body temperature checks twice daily.
He said these measures weren't draconian.
"I don't believe [the lockdown] intrudes my human rights," he said

Nobody forced nobody … It's not like people with guns enter buildings and say, 'you can't get out'.

He said he thought the measures had worked, and that a lockdown of such a scale would not be possible anywhere else.
'The price of the lockdown is huge'
PHOTO: Australian photographer Ke Mo (pictured) was supposed to be in Wuhan for a week.(Supplied: Ke Mo)

Ke Mo is an Australian photographer who has been stranded in Wuhan.
He was only supposed to be in the city for a week as he was there on an assignment to photograph Hubei's Lunar New Year celebrations.
He has missed out on multiple Australian-chartered evacuation flights from the city, as priority has been given to the elderly, women and children — something he said he understood.
"I'm happy to let people in need of help leave first," he said, adding that he estimated that about 100 Australians were left in Wuhan.
In the interim, the photographer has stayed in his hotel free of charge, after staff made the decision to put all guests in their dormitories.
As he has been photographing the lockdown, he told the ABC the efforts had been effective in preventing virus transmission, albeit at a "huge" price.

Mo said authorities revoked all passes allowing people to go outside on Saturday, February 15, which made getting food a complex task.

The meat I bought earlier has all gone. Now there are only eggs, vegetables and a little bit of fruit left and may last for only four or five days," he said.

He added that groceries have been organised by groups of 10 households, where each household nominates someone to collect supplies.
However, as a foreign citizen who was supposed to be in Wuhan for a week, Mr Mo said he had begun borrowing money from friends and colleagues to keep himself afloat.
He said he was unsure when he would be able to travel back to Australia, and was building "psychological and emotional" resilience to prepare for more weeks spent under Wuhan's lockdown.

 

[Leongsam]

Coronavirus COVID-19's Wuhan lockdown, a month on
相关中文文章
By Jason Fang, Alan Weedon & Erin Handley
Updated 51 minutes ago
Print Email Facebook Twitter More
Almost 60 million people have been placed under an unprecedented lockdown in China's Hubei province since the novel coronavirus broke through its capital city, Wuhan. A month on, here's a look at what life in the usually bustling transport hub has been like.
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.











VIDEO: The streets of Wuhan have been near-deserted since it was placed into lockdown on January 23.(ABC News)

It's a city more populous than London or New York, and in recent months, it has rivalled the two metropoles for global attention — albeit for the wrong reasons.
This city is Wuhan — the Chinese provincial capital of Hubei — which has recently come to be known as the epicentre of an outbreak of a new coronavirus, known as COVID-19.

The virus is a sibling to the common cold, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), but so far has killed more than SARS and MERS combined.
What is a coronavirus?

Here's what we know about the novel coronavirus, or 2019-nCoV, and how worried you should be.

More than 2,000 people are believed to have died as a result of the strain, while more than 70,000 people are infected, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data.
The bulk of fatalities have been in Hubei, with 2,029 people killed and more than 62,000 people infected so far.
It is predicted these numbers will rise.
EMBED: By February 17, infection rates appeared to spike, but the rise was due to the WHO counting clinically-reported cases of COVID-19.

The outbreak has prompted unprecedented virus control measures, which have plunged Wuhan and Hubei into lockdown for the past month.
In all, some 58 million people have been placed under unprecedented restrictions, with public transport, shops, supermarkets and flights all suspended.
For those who have remained in the province, some describe a world akin to a horror film, where the buzzing of food delivery bikes and local birdlife are the few remaining audible parts of once-bustling Chinese megacities.
Here's what the experience is like for some people located in Wuhan.
'Colleagues cry every day'
Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume.











VIDEO: Medical staff in Wuhan and surrounds have said health infrastructure is failing to accommodate the influx of new patients.(ABC News)

Despite Wuhan's unprecedented quiet, all is not serene in Hubei's capital.
Weeks after news of the outbreak hit, screens around the world were awash with vision of Chinese construction workers rapidly putting up new and makeshift hospitals to accommodate the raft of COVID-19 cases.
PHOTO: Hubei province has recorded the most infections and deaths as a result of COVID-19.(Supplied: Johns Hopkins University)

The outbreak has placed an unrelenting strain on the region's existing health infrastructure, which has also seen health professionals infected with the disease.
The ABC understands that doctors and nurses in Wuhan have all signed confidentiality agreements with health officials, which are designed to prevent them from speaking out about local working conditions.
The repercussion of breaching these obligations risks a jail term.
But one nurse, who spoke to ABC Chinese on the condition of anonymity, said conditions at her hospital in Wuhan were at breaking point.
"We aren't given any essential medical goods and materials … starting from the moment the city was under the lockdown, [people] are angrier, despite the sense of gratitude," the nurse said.

The nurse added that a number of nurses and cleaners had fled the hospital since the outbreak began, adding that they had been considering doing the same.

However, the ABC has not been able to independently verify the nurse's claims.
'They believe that staying indoors is a contribution to the motherland'

For some, China has been praised for its unprecedented efforts in enforcing a lockdown the scale of which the world has never seen before.
Matthew Kavanagh, a researcher in global health, politics and law at Washington DC's Georgetown University, said in medical journal The Lancet that the lockdown reflected a "level of control only available to authoritarian governments".
However, he said that the very same structures that were able to pull off the lockdown were also its Achilles heel, as "authoritarian information politics inhibited a rapid response to the outbreak".

Mr Kavanagh's sentiment is one shared by Lu Xinhua, a Wuhan-based dissident who spent four years in a Chinese jail after being sentenced for subversion for establishing the Chinese Democratic Party in 1998.
"At first, the Government concealed the truth," Mr Lu told ABC Chinese, adding it only sounded the alarm when information became "uncontrollable".

He claimed that Beijing's relative success in enforcing the lockdown was because some of his compatriots were "often brainwashed and educated to cherish collectivism".
"They believe that staying indoors during the epidemic period is a contribution one can make to the motherland," Mr Lu said.
He added that being forced to stay at home reminded him of being back in prison, and didn't blame other Chinese nationals for their acquiescence to Beijing's lockdowns, as "they have little awareness of protecting their own rights".

'Psychologically it is tough'
PHOTO: Australian horse trainer Rui Severino has continued to work amid the outbreak.(Supplied)

Melbourne racehorse trainer Rui Severino unknowingly stepped into the epicentre of the outbreak.
But he has chosen to stay in Wuhan in order to be together with the horses and his horse training team.

"[But] I have a big team here and a lot of responsibilities. I just couldn't turn my back on them."
He and his team are now locked in their racehorse training centre, continuing to train horses, while also staying faithful to lockdown controls, which includes conducting body temperature checks twice daily.
He said these measures weren't draconian.
"I don't believe [the lockdown] intrudes my human rights," he said

He said he thought the measures had worked, and that a lockdown of such a scale would not be possible anywhere else.
'The price of the lockdown is huge'
PHOTO: Australian photographer Ke Mo (pictured) was supposed to be in Wuhan for a week.(Supplied: Ke Mo)

Ke Mo is an Australian photographer who has been stranded in Wuhan.
He was only supposed to be in the city for a week as he was there on an assignment to photograph Hubei's Lunar New Year celebrations.
He has missed out on multiple Australian-chartered evacuation flights from the city, as priority has been given to the elderly, women and children — something he said he understood.
"I'm happy to let people in need of help leave first," he said, adding that he estimated that about 100 Australians were left in Wuhan.
In the interim, the photographer has stayed in his hotel free of charge, after staff made the decision to put all guests in their dormitories.
As he has been photographing the lockdown, he told the ABC the efforts had been effective in preventing virus transmission, albeit at a "huge" price.

Mo said authorities revoked all passes allowing people to go outside on Saturday, February 15, which made getting food a complex task.

He added that groceries have been organised by groups of 10 households, where each household nominates someone to collect supplies.
However, as a foreign citizen who was supposed to be in Wuhan for a week, Mr Mo said he had begun borrowing money from friends and colleagues to keep himself afloat.
He said he was unsure when he would be able to travel back to Australia, and was building "psychological and emotional" resilience to prepare for more weeks spent under Wuhan's lockdown.

Such a huge fuss over a relatively minor virus.

 

[Leongsam]

Let's put this all into perspective. China has a population of 1.4 BILLION!

More than 9 million mainland Chinese die annually. That's about 25,000 deaths per day.

28% of those deaths are from cancer caused by smoking. That's 7000 per day.

Cardiovascular disease is responsible for 21% ie 5250 deaths per day.

Infectious diseases (eg flu etc) is 0.9% That's 2250 per day.

Here's a complete breakdown

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/leading-causes-of-death-in-china.html

1	Malignant Neoplasms	28%
2	Heart Disease	21%
3	Cerebrovascular Disease	11%
4	Diseases of the Respiratory System	5%
5	Endocrine, Nutritional & Metabolic Diseases	3.4%
6	Injury & Poisoning	3%
7	Diseases of the Digestive System	3%
8	Diseases of the Nervous System	1%
9	Diseases of the Genitourinary System	1%
10	Infectious Diseases	0.9%

The Corona virus has caused 2500 deaths in 2 months. Let's assume it is being grossly under reported and is actually 25,000 that still works out to only 400 deaths per day out of 25,000.

The Shakespearean play "Much ado about nothing" comes to mind.

 

[Leongsam]

Leading Causes Of Death In China
Malignant neoplasms are responsible for 28% of all deaths in China, making them the leading causes of deaths in the country.

A healthy lifestyle involving proper diet and exercise might help the Chinese people to stay fit longer.

China is an expansive country with a population of 1.4 billion people. Roughly 18% of the population is under 15 years old, and 14% is over 60. According to WHO statistics, the life expectancy at birth for males is 75 years of age and for females is 78 in the country. On average, women have 1.8 babies during their lifetime. Just over half of the population, 53%, lives in urban areas. Some of the leading causes of deaths in China are discussed below.

Leading Causes Of Death

Cancer
Nearly one-third, 28%, of all deaths in China are caused by malignant neoplasms or cancerous tumors. Of the cancers that affect the Chinese population, lung cancer is the most common. This disease is a result of the widespread practice of tobacco smoking, a habit the government is not keen on preventing given that the state tobacco corporation provides between 7% and 10% of the national revenue. Air pollution is another significant factor contributing to the development of cancer. China has one of the worst outdoor air qualities in the world. Additionally, a large portion of the population continues to cook and heat indoors by using coal and biomass fuels which pollute indoor air. In 2015, doctors discovered over 4 million new cases of cancer. The problem continues to grow.

Cardiovascular Disease
Cardiovascular disease is the second ranked killer in the country and is responsible for 21% of the lives lost every year. Unfortunately, this disease is expected to increase as a result of an aging population. Controllable factors that contribute to the development of heart disease in China include high cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, and high blood pressure. These are mainly preventable (with the exception of genetically inherited diabetes) and are a reflection of lifestyle choices.

Cerebrovascular Disorders
Cerebrovascular disorders or stroke contributes to 11% of annual deaths in China. Health officials report more stroke patients here than in any other country in the world. Not all strokes result in death. However, they do shorten life expectancy. As with cardiovascular disease, stroke can be attributed to an aging population which China is currently experiencing. Mortality due to this disease is also more common in men than women, although it does occur in both sexes. Aside from aging, hypertension (high blood pressure) is the leading controllable factor in stroke occurrences. Because strokes are more common in northern China than in the southern areas, medical experts believe dietary or environmental influences are at play.

For a complete list of the leading causes of death in China, have a look below.

Access To Health Care
Since the mid-20th century, the Chinese government has been trying to improve healthcare in the country. This constant pursuit of reform has had adverse consequences on those living in rural areas, however, making access too expensive. To combat this undesired result, the government has initiated a rural healthcare system that is directed at both public and private establishments. The final aim is to make healthcare more affordable for individuals living in poverty. Like most public health services in the developing world, this system is plagued by insufficient funding, lack of medical professionals, and outdated equipment.

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Such a huge fuss over a relatively minor virus.

The stupidity and selfishness of humanity prevails

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Chinese restaurants starved for cash as virus hits industry
Monday, 24 Feb 2020 08:44 AM MYT

This photo taken February 6, 2020 shows a laboratory technician working on samples from people to be tested for the new coronavirus at ‘Fire Eye’ laboratory in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province. — AFP pic
BEIJING, Feb 24 ― It is lunch time in Beijing, but the only diner in Cindy's Cafe is an employee having a staff meal ― it has been closed for more than three weeks as China battles a deadly virus epidemic.
Restaurants are taking a huge hit as many people across the country of 1.4 billion have been either under some form of quarantine or are reluctant to venture outside since late January over fears of contagion.


At Cindy's Cafe in Beijing's Roosevelt Plaza, dine-in revenue has fallen to zero, and relying on deliveries hardly makes up the shortfall, said manager Cai Yaoyang.
“On a good day in the past, we could earn over 1,000 yuan (RM602) a day from deliveries,” Cai told AFP. “Now, it's just around 200 to 300 yuan a day. The impact is especially big.”

He estimates losses to the company, which has more than 10 outlets in China, could be “at least a few million (yuan)” given rent and unused stock from the unexpected Lunar New Year closures.

“If there is no business, staff may be asked to take more days off,” said Cai.
Many restaurants have suspended dine-ins to help curb the spread of the virus, but eateries that have resumed operations remain largely empty, with people still encouraged to stay home to avoid infections.
The new coronavirus has killed more than 2,400 in China and infected nearly 77,000.
At an outlet of Bellagio Cafe, another restaurant chain, employee Zhu Xiangying told AFP it had only made 30,000 yuan in around 10 days, compared with over 200,000 yuan in normal times.
Selling fresh produce
The China Cuisine Association said in a report this month that the country's restaurant industry saw 4.67 trillion yuan in catering revenue last year, with earnings over the Lunar New Year break making up over 15 per cent.
With millions of people staying indoors during the festival this year, those holiday earnings have evaporated.
Some, including hotpot chain Haidilao ― which has temporarily closed its mainland China outlets ― have turned to selling fresh and frozen products directly to communities.
In Yunhaiyao, a chain specialising in Yunnan cuisine, restaurant tables are piled with fresh vegetables instead of cooked dishes ― ready to be packed and delivered to housing compounds.
Yunhaiyao, which has more than 100 outlets in China, now bulk-buys groceries for residents near its stores as a new income stream.
It has also rolled out a fresh line of prepared ingredients so customers can quickly whip up Yunnan specialities while cooped up at home.
Zhao Yebule, store manager at Yunhaiyao's Tongzhou branch in Beijing, said deliveries can rake in up to 6,000 yuan daily.
But the company is still in a pinch.
Li Jianying, a regional manager overseeing 10 outlets, said only around half of his staff were ready to resume work.
Others cannot leave their residential compounds freely or face a 14-day quarantine when they return to Beijing.
“Our sales are just about 10 per cent that of regular times before the epidemic,” with delivery sales falling by half, he added.
Yunhaiyao remains worried about expenses such as rent, and has taken a 10 million yuan loan to ease cashflow pressures.
Li, however, stressed there were no plans to cut staff for now.
'Sharing' employees
One way out is to “share” employees with other businesses that are enjoying an increase in demand: e-commerce platforms.
JD.com saw a 215 per cent spike in fresh food sales over the Lunar New Year, while Meituan Grocery's daily sales in Beijing tripled at its peak during the holiday.
Li estimates “a few hundred” Yunhaiyao staff have taken on short-term work with third-party firms like supermarkets or online platforms.
Cai added Cindy Cafe was in talks to help workers find temporary employment.
JD.com and JD-backed Dada Group have offered more than 35,000 jobs, with over half being frontline roles such as couriers and drivers, while around 40 workers from restaurant chain Putien now staff Meituan Grocery as well.
Yet, the current situation remains a looming threat to jobs.
A survey by Peking and Tsinghua universities, covering around 1,000 small- and medium-sized enterprises, said about 85 per cent of these firms could only survive up to three months on their cash reserves.
Even as policymakers extend preferential loans and introduce tax breaks ― among a slew of other measures ― authorities “won't be able to extend life support to all”, said Capital Economics in a report on Wednesday.
“The longer the disruptions drag on, the harder it will be to avert significant damage to employment,” it added.
As it is, the big players are hurting.
Lao Xiang Ji, which has some 800 outlets, estimates it suffered at least 500 million yuan in losses, said chairman Shu Cong Xuan in a video on the company's WeChat account.
Another major chain, Xibei Noodle Village, said on social media that it “cannot last for long” with tight cash flow. ― AFP

 

[Hypocrite-The]

'It's ruining everyone': eerie quiet reigns in coronavirus-hit South Korean city | Coronavirus outbreak
A thermal camera set up to monitor the body heat of passengers at a train station in Daegu. Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images‘It’s ruining everyone’: eerie quiet reigns in coronavirus-hit South Korean city
More than half of the country’s 602 cases have been traced to a church in Daegu
Nemo Kim in Daegu
Sun 23 Feb 2020 09.54 EST
Sunday morning found Kim Tae-woo sitting in his convenience store at the normally bustling East Daegu train station, counting the day’s customers on the fingers of one hand.
“Things are beyond quiet here,” he said. “It feels like I’m at a meditation centre. I’m thinking of removing the magazine stand. No one has the peace of mind to flip through them now.”
South Korea’s president, Moon Jae-in, placed the country on red alert on Sunday as its number of coronavirus infections tripled over the weekend to 602.
Barring the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in Japan, South Korea now has the highest number of infections outside China.
Residents of Daegu, the country’s fourth-largest city and the centre of its outbreak, are leaving nothing to chance.
The city’s streets were eerily quiet, with stores and restaurants closed and stations, markets and shopping areas devoid of the usual foot traffic. The few people who dared to venture out were masked and wearing gloves.
More than half of all South Korean cases so far have been linked to the Daegu branch of the Shincheonji Church of Jesus sect, with over 100 more cases coming from a mental health ward at Daenam hopital in the nearby town of Cheongdo.
Officials believe cases at the hospital may be related to a funeral of the sect leader’s brother, held there at the beginning of February.
While the exact source of the infections remains unclear, health officials have pointed to a 61-year-old female member of the sect who tested positive on 18 February. Local authorities are now scrambling to trace all 9,336 members of the church’s Daegu branch as well as out of town visitors who may have come into contact with the woman.
A taxi driver, Kwang-ho Lee, wondered why the woman hadn’t done more to stop spreading the disease.
“It’s ruining everyone here,” he said. “I’m making less than 10% of my normal income. The other drivers and I are just standing around, waiting all day. Sometimes we’re even too scared to talk to each other because we don’t know who has the virus and who might belong to that cult.”
The Daegu branch of Shincheonji Church of Jesus, to which many of South Korea’s coronavirus infections are linked. Photograph: Kim Hong-Ji/Reuters
There is widespread anger over the sect’s secretiveness and their apparent unwillingness to cooperate with health officials. According to the authorities, more than 600 members of the Daegu branch are not answering calls or texts and cannot be accounted for.
A petition demanding that the government forcibly disband the Shincheonji Church of Jesus was posted on the presidential office’s website on Friday, and has so far attracted more than 300,000 signatures.
The public fury directed at both the sect and the authorities was echoed by a bus driver, whose vehicle carried a single passenger.
“If I violate a traffic law, police contact me before the day is over and I get fined,” he said. “How come they can’t get hold of so many cult members? How can we say South Korea is an IT powerhouse with this going on?”
At Dongseung-ro, a popular meeting place for the city’s youth, things were quiet and most of the stores and cafes were closed.
Sung-jin Choi and Yoon Na, a couple in their twenties, had decided to go out, masked up and with gloves on.
“We saw on the internet that now is the time to experience this area looking like Gotham City, so we decided to have a look,” said Choi.
Workers spray disinfectant at a market in Daegu, South Korea on Sunday.Photograph: Im Hwa-young/AP
Na said that some couples were choosing not to meet up because no one is sure whether their partner belonged to the cult. “Only couples who know each other very well can be sure,” he added.
One of the few places in Daegu where more than 20 people had congregated on Sunday was at the city’s medical centre.
The hospital has become a dedicated Covid-19 treatment centre, with paramedics and nurses working in full biohazard suits and plastic face visors.
Some 30 people were waiting to be examined in a makeshift tent set up outside the main hospital building. Despite the constant activity by staffers, things were curiously quiet, the silence broken only by the comings and goings of ambulances and the odd cough.
On the other side of the city, the Shincheonji Church of Jesus building was locked up and the area, as with other parts of Daegu, was deserted.
Simon Kim, a spokesman for the church, said it was cooperating fully with authorities.
“We’re the biggest victims of the Covid-19 epidemic,” he said, “[and we have] become a target of hatred”. He said a membership list the church had given the authorities had been leaked, provoking hate speech and members being pressured to leave their jobs.
Back at the train station, a group of five people sat around the communal TV set in the ticket hall. All turned out to be workers rather than travellers; given the lack of customers, there was little need for them to be behind their counters.
When one of them coughed, the others turned away from the screen to look at her.
“It’s not corona,” she said, with a wave of her hand. “My tea went down the wrong way.” No one looked relieved.
Topics

 

[Hypocrite-The]

Is The Flu Really Worse Than COVID-19?




Beth Skwarecki

7 hrs ago



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© Image: Shutterstock Image: Shutterstock
COVID-19 and the flu are both respiratory diseases that can be fatal. One is still rare around the world, while the other is widespread. Should we be more afraid of one than the other?
Because the flu is so much more common, we told you to channel any coronavirus-related nervous energy into getting your flu shot so that you won’t confuse yourself or your care providers with flu-like symptoms. Along those same lines, practicing good hygiene like washing your hands and staying home when you’re sick will help to curb the spread of either disease.
But it’s not appropriate to completely dismiss the seriousness of COVID-19. It’s a very serious disease, and a definite threat if you live in one of the places (like Wuhan, China) where an outbreak currently exists. From a public health perspective, governments and health systems everywhere need to know how to watch out for it and handle cases appropriately. Panic doesn’t help, but neither does apathy.
We asked epidemiologist Tara C. Smith for help in understanding how flu compares to coronavirus in the big picture. She’s a public health expert who follows both the science and the way people communicate about infectious diseases.
Which is more contagious?
“SARS-CoV-2 seems to be more contagious than your average yearly flu,” says Smith. (That’s the new official name of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.) A person with COVID-19 tends to spread it to about three other people, compared to about 1.5 for the seasonal flu.
But we still don’t have a full picture of how the disease spreads. You can spread the flu before you start showing symptoms yourself, but it’s an open question whether this happens with the new coronavirus. We also haven’t been able to test very widely for the coronavirus, so it’s possible that there are more cases out there than have been officially counted. This week, the CDC plans to start testing for the coronavirus in samples from people with flu-like symptoms, regardless of their travel history.
Which is the scarier disease to actually get?
“I think there’s still a lot that’s unknown to make that ‘scarier’ calculation still tough to really know,” says Smith. She points out that we do have a vaccine to protect ourselves partially from the flu, but no effective prevention yet against the coronavirus.
COVID-19 does seem to have a higher fatality rate than the flu, with estimates ranging from 18% among people with the disease who had pneumonia when they were tested, to under 2% when people with milder symptoms or no symptoms were tested. (The equivalent number for the flu is well under 1%.)
So, how much should we worry?
I asked Smith if, given what we know, people should be concerned about the virus or should feel reassured that it’s rare. “I’m in the middle,” she says. The situation in China is serious, and she’s heard from people in the US who have had anxiety attacks worrying about COVID-19.
“I don’t think we need to lose sleep or obsess over this yet, but I think it’s always prudent to consider any eventuality.” Smith says her family stays prepared for emergencies in general, including power outages, by keeping emergency supplies on hand. If quarantines or supply issues were to affect your family, an emergency kit with basic supplies would be good to have; we have several guides to assembling such a kit, including this one.
That doesn’t mean it’s time to panic, just to keep an eye on this developing situation. “Even the experts don’t know how this is going to play out,” Smith says, “so I think it’s important to stay informed and know what’s happening.”

 

[Leongsam]

This corona scare reminds me of the Y2K shit that had everyone scared shitless about getting on a plane on 31 Dec 1999.