bw
Fringe Ranger
He's smarter than that. He knows exactly what failed, but to say so would condemn the governments involved as a bunch of nincompoops. The ship was an incubator.
CORONA Main Coronavirus thread
- Thread starter Heliobas Disciple
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- coronavirus
He's smarter than that. He knows exactly what failed, but to say so would condemn the governments involved as a bunch of nincompoops. The ship was an incubator.
Tom McDowell
BAMN
6 min ago
Coronavirus death rate in Wuhan may reflect "severe" pressure on health care system, official says
From CNN’s Michael Nedelman
Numbers suggesting death rates from coronavirus may be higher inside Wuhan and lower elsewhere may reflect "severe" pressure on the health care system there, Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters Tuesday.
Ryan was responding to a report published Monday by scientists with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, showing that patient outcomes in Hubei province are a key driver of the 2.3% case fatality rate they calculated. In Hubei, that number is 2.9%; in other Chinese provinces, that number is 0.4%.
The upside, Ryan added, is that "the lessons that have been learned in Hubei and Wuhan are being applied elsewhere."
Those lessons include predicting who's most at risk, getting people into critical care early, and ensuring medical teams are well trained in advanced critical care techniques such as ventilation.
"I think the system in China, for example, has got much better at prioritizing those more likely be severely ill," said Ryan, who maintained that the case fatality rate can be misleading without proper context.
www.cnn.com
===
Translation - death rate is higher in densely populated areas with an overwhelmed healthcare system run by communists.
===
Coronavirus death rate in Wuhan may reflect "severe" pressure on health care system, official says
From CNN’s Michael Nedelman
Numbers suggesting death rates from coronavirus may be higher inside Wuhan and lower elsewhere may reflect "severe" pressure on the health care system there, Mike Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organization's Health Emergencies Programme, told reporters Tuesday.
Ryan was responding to a report published Monday by scientists with the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, showing that patient outcomes in Hubei province are a key driver of the 2.3% case fatality rate they calculated. In Hubei, that number is 2.9%; in other Chinese provinces, that number is 0.4%.
The upside, Ryan added, is that "the lessons that have been learned in Hubei and Wuhan are being applied elsewhere."
Those lessons include predicting who's most at risk, getting people into critical care early, and ensuring medical teams are well trained in advanced critical care techniques such as ventilation.
"I think the system in China, for example, has got much better at prioritizing those more likely be severely ill," said Ryan, who maintained that the case fatality rate can be misleading without proper context.
February 18, 2020 coronavirus news
The novel coronavirus has infected more than 73,000 people around the world, mostly in mainland China. Follow our live news coverage for the latest updates.
===
Translation - death rate is higher in densely populated areas with an overwhelmed healthcare system run by communists.
===
Last edited:
bw
Fringe Ranger
Short version: Death rate is higher as healthcare gets overwhelmed. Coming to your town soon.
SusieSunshine
Veteran Member
Good to know. Thanks Shane!
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
SouthernBreeze, please accept my apologies! I wasn't meaning that as a criticism of you guys! I meant to add that we get the large Milk Bones - supposedly made in Kansas. We break them in half or thirds to make them go farther. We don't feed many treats though. Hubby's dog will do anything for a little piece of carrot. So that's what he gets.I'm sorry my comment sounded so curt! It's getting harder and harder to find anything that isn't made in China.
Oh, No! I didn't even have an inklin' that you were being critical. That's why I said that it was our mistake for not checking sooner to see where his treats were made. Our Frisco weighs 55 lbs, and he thinks that life isn't worth living without his treats, LOL! I have a set time each day for his treats. When it gets close to that time, he comes to me, sits, and stares, letting me know what time it is. He's just like a kid!
coalcracker
Veteran Member
Looks like a synthesis of today's news so far may be indicating we are headed into the next (more dangerous) phase:
MSM is more willing to report about coronavirus bad news.
Diamond Princess numbers are way up, and even Joe Sixpack has to feel some level of uneasiness about that.
Gold and Silver are significantly up today.
Stay vigilant. The herd may have lifted their noses into the air, and the stampede may be sooner than we think.
MSM is more willing to report about coronavirus bad news.
Diamond Princess numbers are way up, and even Joe Sixpack has to feel some level of uneasiness about that.
Gold and Silver are significantly up today.
Stay vigilant. The herd may have lifted their noses into the air, and the stampede may be sooner than we think.
'The quarantine process failed': Over 500 have tested positive for Coronavirus onboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship
'Something went awry'
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
It didn't fail. well kinda but not the way they mean.
A quarantine is to keep the virus away from the general public. It's not to keep those sick safe. But if they are just going to let loose those who have done their 14 days on the ship, it did fail. It's obvious that it will continue to spread if they just get off the boat and disperse across the world. In this case they should have just let them off 2 weeks ago when less were infected.
'Something went awry'
FEBRUARY 18, 2020
It didn't fail. well kinda but not the way they mean.
A quarantine is to keep the virus away from the general public. It's not to keep those sick safe. But if they are just going to let loose those who have done their 14 days on the ship, it did fail. It's obvious that it will continue to spread if they just get off the boat and disperse across the world. In this case they should have just let them off 2 weeks ago when less were infected.
Tom McDowell
BAMN
6m ago 18:10
Russia suspends entry of Chinese citizens
Russia will suspend entry of Chinese citizens to its territory starting from 20 February, Russian authorities in charge of coronavirus prevention have said.
The suspension will be for Chinese citizens entering Russia for employment, private, educational and tourist purposes.
The suspension will be temporary, the statement said.
www.theguardian.com
===
.
Russia suspends entry of Chinese citizens
Russia will suspend entry of Chinese citizens to its territory starting from 20 February, Russian authorities in charge of coronavirus prevention have said.
The suspension will be for Chinese citizens entering Russia for employment, private, educational and tourist purposes.
The suspension will be temporary, the statement said.
Japan to trial HIV antiretroviral drugs on Covid-19 patients – as it happened
Campaign comes as UK prepares evacuation flight for cruise ship passengers.
www.theguardian.com
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Marthanoir
TB Fanatic
Ahh, they party harder than us Irish,
Doc1
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Several pages back there were posts concerning a loss of utilities. I've written on this topic countless times and am not going to produce a huge tome here. Still, if anyone hasn't looked into at least basic electrical generation, this might be the time to do it. At minimum, you should get a 12 volt DC to 115 AC inverter, which will allow your car or truck to act as a small generator. Additionally, you might want to acquire a couple of extra batteries, which will allow you to charge them (with jumper cables) while your vehicle is running. If you can do even basic soldering, you can rig emergency 12 volt LED lights to operate on your batteries in your home. A 1500 watt inverter will probably be enough to operate a standard sized refrigerator or a small chest freezer while your vehicle is running.
Best
Doc
Best
Doc
Jonas Parker
Hooligan
Photos: China's City Streets Empty as Workers Avoid Coronavirus
"The outbreak will be short-lived, and it will not affect China's competitiveness," the state-run Global Times newspaper proclaimed Tuesday.
www.breitbart.com
Photos: China’s City Streets Empty as Workers Avoid Coronavirus
6:09
“The outbreak will be short-lived, and it will not affect China’s competitiveness,” the state-run Global Times newspaper proclaimed Tuesday.
While China insists its economic output remains strong, photos from its major economic hubs show millions-strong cities completely deserted, bringing the Chinese economy to a screeching halt.
At press time, China has documented 72,439 cases of the newly discovered coronavirus originating in Wuhan, a central Chinese city of 11 million people. Of those identified as confirmed patients, 1,870 have died within China, the overwhelming majority. While most of those cases have been confirmed in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province, doctors have confirmed growing numbers of cases in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, some of the most important urban centers to China’s economy.
The Wuhan coronavirus reportedly began spreading in Wuhan in mid-December; the Chinese Communist Party informed the public of the outbreak on January 20. Since then, the virus has spread to every province in the country and to places outside of communist rule like Hong Kong and Macau. To help contain the outbreak, Chinese officials have implemented strict lockdowns forcing many people to work from home. Those who cannot do so, like factory workers who need access to materials and machinery, have simply not been able to work.
In central Wuhan, the government has banned residents from leaving their homes. Former Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong – a loyalist to dictator Xi Jinping recently appointed head of the Communist Party in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located – implemented a ban from being out in public throughout Wuhan and several other cities in the province. According to the South China Morning Post, Ying imposed what he called the “strictest 24-hour lock-down management,” allowing individuals to leave their homes only in cases of emergency and to buy food and necessary supplies every three days. Any exit from a building requires government approval. Needless to say, commuting to work is not on the list of approved reasons to leave the house.
This photo taken on February 17, 2020, shows a man wearing a protective face mask riding a bicycle in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
The Morning Post notes that, in total, over 80 cities nationwide have imposed lockdowns.
For Shanghai, Ying’s former city and one of the most important economic centers in the country, this has meant a near-total shutdown of business activity. A poll found this week that nearly 80 percent of companies active in the greater Shanghai area do not have the necessary number of employees present at work to run their companies. In the next month, 41 percent of companies surveyed said a lack of staff was their biggest concern. Shanghai has documented 333 cases of coronavirus and one death.
Subway passengers wear protective facemasks in Shanghai on February 13, 2020. (NOEL CELIS / AFP) (Photo by NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)
A woman wearing a protective facemask offers prayers outside the closed Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai on February 14, 2020. (NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Shenzhen, the city bordering Hong Kong, has also seen a steep decline in economic activity. Shenzhen’s Guangdong province, largely considered the factory center of the country, has documented 1,328 cases of the virus and four deaths, many more cases than the more centrally located Beijing and Shanghai, though the same number of deaths as the national capital. Shenzhen has been deeply impacted by rural commuter workers choosing not to return to jobs where they may be exposed to the virus. Beijing estimates that as many as two-thirds of those workers are not back in factories nationwide, significantly hindering manufacturing.
A woman walks to the departure hall of Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area on February 8, 2020. (PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)
In Beijing, the most politically powerful city in the country, largely empty streets suggest a significant disruption in business as usual.
A nearly empty street is seen in Beijing on February 15, 2020. (NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP via Getty Images)
A security guard walks past a propaganda banner saying “Do Not Leave Home Often During Holidays, Wear a Mask When Going Out, Keep a Distance and Do Not Shake Hands When Meeting” on February 15, 2020, in Temple of Heaven Park, Beijing, China. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)
The Communist Party is so concerned about an outbreak in the capital that it is considering the extraordinary move of postponing the “two sessions” – the annual full session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s rubber-stamp legislature, and of the People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a celebrity advisory committee – until after the viral outbreak is under control. The “two sessions” typically bring thousands of high-level politicians together from around the country, potentially exposing them all to the outbreak. While the nominal government reason for considering postponement is to ensure these politicians are in their home provinces working on the outbreak, anonymously some in the government have expressed concern that such a large assembly would spread the illness to some of the Party’s most important cadres.
Viral infections among government employees are already a concern, as China has attempted to keep government offices open to show that the outbreak is under control. The Global Times reported on Tuesday that 69 people in one Beijing district office have been quarantined after a public worker tested positive for the virus there. The infected employee had traveled to Hubei province for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Chinese children wear protective masks as they briefly play at a shopping mall on February 18, 2020, in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Chinese men wear protective masks as they run to the escalator in a nearly empty area outside Beijing West Railway Station on February 16, 2020, in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
A Chinese guard stands in a nearly empty shopping area on February 16, 2020, in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
A Chinese man wears a protective mask as he stands outside a main entrance at Beijing West Railway Station as it is nearly empty on February 16, 2020, in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
The Global Times has nonetheless proclaimed that the demise of the Chinese economy is overestimated.
“The losses are huge, of course, and the specific numbers are yet to be counted, but the absolute numbers are certainly staggering,” the Times admitted on Tuesday in an article called “It Is Naive to Expect Chinese Economy to Collapse.”
The newspaper also applauded the economy’s “slow yet steady start” this week on Monday
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
There's no such thing as less infected... that's right up there with being sorta pregnant. You either are or you're not.
bw
Fringe Ranger
Wondering how long that line will work reminds me of the "going out of business" businesses that thrive for decades. I think this one won't have such longevity.
Tom McDowell
BAMN
Supply Chain Chaos Unfolds At Major Chinese Ports As Frozen Meat Containers Pile Up
by Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/18/2020 - 12:05
New evidence from Bloomberg reveals cracking global supply chains are fast emerging at major Chinese ports with thousands of containers of frozen meat piling up with nowhere to go.
The Covid19 outbreak will remain a dominant issue for 1Q as supply chain shocks are being felt by multinationals on either side of the hemisphere.
Sources told Bloomberg that containers of frozen pork, chicken, and beef (mostly from South America, Europe, and the US) are piling up at Tianjin, Shanghai, and Ningbo ports because of the lack of truck drivers and many transportation networks remain closed.
Seaports in China are quickly running out of room to house the containers and cannot provide enough electricity points to keep existing containers cold. This has forced many vessels to be rerouted to other destinations.
We've already noted that Bloomberg's Stephen Stapczynski recorded footage of an oil tanker parking lot off the Singapore coast last week as refiners in China cut runs as crude consumption has collapsed by more than 4 million barrels per day.
It's clear that a logistical nightmare is unfolding as two-thirds of the Chinese economy has effectively shut down much of its production capacity, producing a massive "demand shock."
The impact on the global economy is already dragging down world trade and could force the World Trade Organization (WTO) to slash economic growth forecasts for the year.
The Chinese economy constitutes about 20% of global GDP, and supply chain disruptions across China could cause a cascading effect that could tilt the world into recession.
But it's not just frozen meats piling up at Chinese ports or a crude glut developing. There's a high risk that product shortages to Western countries could be 60-90 days out.
Alibaba Group's CEO Daniel Zhang warned last week that the supply chain disruption, or "shock," is a "black swan event" for the global economy.
The "black swan" warning was also repeated by Freeport-McMoRan CEO Richard Adkerson several weeks ago after he said the outbreak of the virus in China is a "real black swan event."
China's economy is at a standstill and could trigger the next economic crisis, not seen since 2008.
www.zerohedge.com
===
.
by Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/18/2020 - 12:05
New evidence from Bloomberg reveals cracking global supply chains are fast emerging at major Chinese ports with thousands of containers of frozen meat piling up with nowhere to go.
The Covid19 outbreak will remain a dominant issue for 1Q as supply chain shocks are being felt by multinationals on either side of the hemisphere.
Sources told Bloomberg that containers of frozen pork, chicken, and beef (mostly from South America, Europe, and the US) are piling up at Tianjin, Shanghai, and Ningbo ports because of the lack of truck drivers and many transportation networks remain closed.
Seaports in China are quickly running out of room to house the containers and cannot provide enough electricity points to keep existing containers cold. This has forced many vessels to be rerouted to other destinations.
We've already noted that Bloomberg's Stephen Stapczynski recorded footage of an oil tanker parking lot off the Singapore coast last week as refiners in China cut runs as crude consumption has collapsed by more than 4 million barrels per day.
It's clear that a logistical nightmare is unfolding as two-thirds of the Chinese economy has effectively shut down much of its production capacity, producing a massive "demand shock."
The impact on the global economy is already dragging down world trade and could force the World Trade Organization (WTO) to slash economic growth forecasts for the year.
The Chinese economy constitutes about 20% of global GDP, and supply chain disruptions across China could cause a cascading effect that could tilt the world into recession.
But it's not just frozen meats piling up at Chinese ports or a crude glut developing. There's a high risk that product shortages to Western countries could be 60-90 days out.
Alibaba Group's CEO Daniel Zhang warned last week that the supply chain disruption, or "shock," is a "black swan event" for the global economy.
The "black swan" warning was also repeated by Freeport-McMoRan CEO Richard Adkerson several weeks ago after he said the outbreak of the virus in China is a "real black swan event."
China's economy is at a standstill and could trigger the next economic crisis, not seen since 2008.
Zerohedge
ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
www.zerohedge.com
===
.
packyderms_wife
Neither here nor there.
BW messaged me. My apologies to NCGirl I misread what you wrote... I missed that you said fewer were infected and not less infected.
SmithJ
Veteran Member
As Doc Holliday said in Tombstone "This is funny...…."
sorry, I meant fewer people
Tristan
Has No Life - Lives on TB
I think NCGirl was saying that earlier there were likely fewer people infected, rather than later when they've all been breathing the same air and being stuck inside their cabins for an additional 2 weeks...
Unfortunately, we'll never know how many had it at the beginning vs. the end, as we are currently somewhat unsure as to it's incubation period and a lack of testing at the beginning of the quarantine.
But almost certainly, there are more carrying the virus now rather than then.
eta: oops, I see others beat me too it. :/
oh that's ok I know my writing style is hard to read, I often go back and read it and have to think twice about what I meant...
Seeker22
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Nope- just take them off life support.
Zahra
Veteran Member
I like your attitude about this & I share your sentiments. If this is what gets me I hope I manage to keep that dark sense of humor till the end.
Cascadians
Leska Emerald Adams
These are good broadcasts, Steve Bannon:
View: https://youtu.be/8BvyBTMBR5c
War Room: Pandemic
Each episode runs about one hour
War Room: Pandemic
Each episode runs about one hour
Krayola
Veteran Member
Regarding this quote about the Americans being evacuated from Diamond Princess:
If they just let all those people (the rest of the passengers) disembark with no oversight, Tokyo is about to have hell unleashed there.
My cynical side says the Japanese purposely did this to get them off of their soil. If they had told us earlier, we may have left them there.
If they just let all those people (the rest of the passengers) disembark with no oversight, Tokyo is about to have hell unleashed there.
Trivium Pursuit
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Which is why I'm praying that between The low mation, the samu call, and the nebulizer colloidal silver come on my viral load will be reduced enough that this doesn't smack me in the heart. Otherwise, I'm gonna be putting the match to my hair again. This does look pretty grim.
Krayola
Veteran Member
I've already been saying that on this thread. That is one thing that keeps me up at night. We can do all the right things here but we still have to depend on Mexico to keep it together or we are toast. The libs will fight tooth and nail to keep that border open and flowing.
I am not so sure. If things go bad our hospitals will be overwhelmed and jobs will be scarce. They won't have much reason to come here. I think many Mexican's (and Central American's) might head home. Most here save their money and dream of the day they have enough that they can move back home. When you are sick you want to be home. I think more will leave than come.
SouthernBreeze
Has No Life - Lives on TB
LOL! I feel your pain! I'm trying to get laundry done today!
Unless they go into California for the free health care. Or any state for that matter, because if you go to the ER you will be treated. Border states, beware.
20Gauge
TB Fanatic
They are a bit behind aren't they.....Supply Chain Chaos Unfolds At Major Chinese Ports As Frozen Meat Containers Pile Up
by Tyler Durden
Tue, 02/18/2020 - 12:05
New evidence from Bloomberg reveals cracking global supply chains are fast emerging at major Chinese ports with thousands of containers of frozen meat piling up with nowhere to go.
The Covid19 outbreak will remain a dominant issue for 1Q as supply chain shocks are being felt by multinationals on either side of the hemisphere.
Sources told Bloomberg that containers of frozen pork, chicken, and beef (mostly from South America, Europe, and the US) are piling up at Tianjin, Shanghai, and Ningbo ports because of the lack of truck drivers and many transportation networks remain closed.
Seaports in China are quickly running out of room to house the containers and cannot provide enough electricity points to keep existing containers cold. This has forced many vessels to be rerouted to other destinations.
We've already noted that Bloomberg's Stephen Stapczynski recorded footage of an oil tanker parking lot off the Singapore coast last week as refiners in China cut runs as crude consumption has collapsed by more than 4 million barrels per day.
It's clear that a logistical nightmare is unfolding as two-thirds of the Chinese economy has effectively shut down much of its production capacity, producing a massive "demand shock."
The impact on the global economy is already dragging down world trade and could force the World Trade Organization (WTO) to slash economic growth forecasts for the year.
The Chinese economy constitutes about 20% of global GDP, and supply chain disruptions across China could cause a cascading effect that could tilt the world into recession.
But it's not just frozen meats piling up at Chinese ports or a crude glut developing. There's a high risk that product shortages to Western countries could be 60-90 days out.
Alibaba Group's CEO Daniel Zhang warned last week that the supply chain disruption, or "shock," is a "black swan event" for the global economy.
The "black swan" warning was also repeated by Freeport-McMoRan CEO Richard Adkerson several weeks ago after he said the outbreak of the virus in China is a "real black swan event."
China's economy is at a standstill and could trigger the next economic crisis, not seen since 2008.
Zerohedge
ZeroHedge - On a long enough timeline, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero
===
.
Allotrope
Inactive
Wishes will be granted in the order received.
You are number 14,982.
Due to supply chain problems in China, there may be delays.
If things get bad the ER's will be so overwhelmed that almost no one will get treated.
hopefully things won't get bad.
Hfcomms
EN66iq
Samuel Adams
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Try back between the hours of midnight and 6:00 a.m. central time.....
Zagdid
Veteran Member
Today in the press
Imports from China will plunge to next to nothing from next week, with disruptions potentially lasting for months, Irish shippers say.
fair use Updated / Tuesday, 18 Feb 2020 09:59
PORT FACES 'HUGE CANCELLATION OF SHIPS' AS VIRUS SHUTDOWN BITES - Imports from China will plunge to next to nothing from next week, with disruptions potentially lasting for months, Irish shippers say.
To date, mass factory closures in China aimed at containing the deadly coronavirus outbreak have had a limited impact on Irish supply chains. However, that is set to change as orders that should have been filled during the worst of the crisis have not left port. Dublin Port terminal operators say they are bracing for what one called "a huge cancellation of ships", writes the Irish Independent. Doyle Shipping, which offloads containers at Dublin Port, says its shipping schedule looks normal until next week, when the effects of the crisis become stark. "We're going to start to get next to nothing from China for the next six to eight weeks," said Doyle Shipping director Pat Brennan. His firm employs 250 in Dublin, unloading around 1,200 containers a day from 20 ships a week. He said the planning list of inbound ships shows three vessels that usually arrive from Europe's shipping hub at Rotterdam with Asian goods will stop coming next week. That would mean 600 to 700 fewer containers, which normally bear everything from Chinese garlic to electronics.
"It normally takes six weeks to ship a container from China to Ireland," he said. "From next week on and for the next four weeks, there's a huge cancellation of ships." Mr Brennan may redeploy his small Shanghai office to Vietnam to avoid disruption and build new markets.
Hfcomms
EN66iq
Photos: China's City Streets Empty as Workers Avoid Coronavirus
"The outbreak will be short-lived, and it will not affect China's competitiveness," the state-run Global Times newspaper proclaimed Tuesday.www.breitbart.com
Photos: China’s City Streets Empty as Workers Avoid Coronavirus
PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty ImagesFRANCES MARTEL18 Feb 2020215
6:09
“The outbreak will be short-lived, and it will not affect China’s competitiveness,” the state-run Global Times newspaper proclaimed Tuesday.
While China insists its economic output remains strong, photos from its major economic hubs show millions-strong cities completely deserted, bringing the Chinese economy to a screeching halt.
At press time, China has documented 72,439 cases of the newly discovered coronavirus originating in Wuhan, a central Chinese city of 11 million people. Of those identified as confirmed patients, 1,870 have died within China, the overwhelming majority. While most of those cases have been confirmed in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province, doctors have confirmed growing numbers of cases in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen, some of the most important urban centers to China’s economy.
The Wuhan coronavirus reportedly began spreading in Wuhan in mid-December; the Chinese Communist Party informed the public of the outbreak on January 20. Since then, the virus has spread to every province in the country and to places outside of communist rule like Hong Kong and Macau. To help contain the outbreak, Chinese officials have implemented strict lockdowns forcing many people to work from home. Those who cannot do so, like factory workers who need access to materials and machinery, have simply not been able to work.
In central Wuhan, the government has banned residents from leaving their homes. Former Shanghai Mayor Ying Yong – a loyalist to dictator Xi Jinping recently appointed head of the Communist Party in Hubei province, where Wuhan is located – implemented a ban from being out in public throughout Wuhan and several other cities in the province. According to the South China Morning Post, Ying imposed what he called the “strictest 24-hour lock-down management,” allowing individuals to leave their homes only in cases of emergency and to buy food and necessary supplies every three days. Any exit from a building requires government approval. Needless to say, commuting to work is not on the list of approved reasons to leave the house.
This photo taken on February 17, 2020, shows a man wearing a protective face mask riding a bicycle in Wuhan in China’s central Hubei province. (STR/AFP via Getty Images)
The Morning Post notes that, in total, over 80 cities nationwide have imposed lockdowns.
For Shanghai, Ying’s former city and one of the most important economic centers in the country, this has meant a near-total shutdown of business activity. A poll found this week that nearly 80 percent of companies active in the greater Shanghai area do not have the necessary number of employees present at work to run their companies. In the next month, 41 percent of companies surveyed said a lack of staff was their biggest concern. Shanghai has documented 333 cases of coronavirus and one death.
Subway passengers wear protective facemasks in Shanghai on February 13, 2020. (NOEL CELIS / AFP) (Photo by NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)
A woman wearing a protective facemask offers prayers outside the closed Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai on February 14, 2020. (NOEL CELIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Shenzhen, the city bordering Hong Kong, has also seen a steep decline in economic activity. Shenzhen’s Guangdong province, largely considered the factory center of the country, has documented 1,328 cases of the virus and four deaths, many more cases than the more centrally located Beijing and Shanghai, though the same number of deaths as the national capital. Shenzhen has been deeply impacted by rural commuter workers choosing not to return to jobs where they may be exposed to the virus. Beijing estimates that as many as two-thirds of those workers are not back in factories nationwide, significantly hindering manufacturing.
A woman walks to the departure hall of Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area on February 8, 2020. (PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images)
In Beijing, the most politically powerful city in the country, largely empty streets suggest a significant disruption in business as usual.
A nearly empty street is seen in Beijing on February 15, 2020. (NICOLAS ASFOURI / AFP via Getty Images)
A security guard walks past a propaganda banner saying “Do Not Leave Home Often During Holidays, Wear a Mask When Going Out, Keep a Distance and Do Not Shake Hands When Meeting” on February 15, 2020, in Temple of Heaven Park, Beijing, China. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images)
The Communist Party is so concerned about an outbreak in the capital that it is considering the extraordinary move of postponing the “two sessions” – the annual full session of the National People’s Congress (NPC), the country’s rubber-stamp legislature, and of the People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), a celebrity advisory committee – until after the viral outbreak is under control. The “two sessions” typically bring thousands of high-level politicians together from around the country, potentially exposing them all to the outbreak. While the nominal government reason for considering postponement is to ensure these politicians are in their home provinces working on the outbreak, anonymously some in the government have expressed concern that such a large assembly would spread the illness to some of the Party’s most important cadres.
Viral infections among government employees are already a concern, as China has attempted to keep government offices open to show that the outbreak is under control. The Global Times reported on Tuesday that 69 people in one Beijing district office have been quarantined after a public worker tested positive for the virus there. The infected employee had traveled to Hubei province for the Lunar New Year holiday.
Chinese children wear protective masks as they briefly play at a shopping mall on February 18, 2020, in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
Chinese men wear protective masks as they run to the escalator in a nearly empty area outside Beijing West Railway Station on February 16, 2020, in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
A Chinese guard stands in a nearly empty shopping area on February 16, 2020, in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
A Chinese man wears a protective mask as he stands outside a main entrance at Beijing West Railway Station as it is nearly empty on February 16, 2020, in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)
The Global Times has nonetheless proclaimed that the demise of the Chinese economy is overestimated.
“The losses are huge, of course, and the specific numbers are yet to be counted, but the absolute numbers are certainly staggering,” the Times admitted on Tuesday in an article called “It Is Naive to Expect Chinese Economy to Collapse.”
The newspaper also applauded the economy’s “slow yet steady start” this week on Monday
While China insists its economic output remains strong, photos from its major economic hubs show millions-strong cities completely deserted, bringing the Chinese economy to a screeching halt.
Most people in the U.S. are ignorant about the just in time inventory system and how fragile it is. Most people in the U.S. are also ignorant about how many items we depend on are made primarily in China. They are about to get a lesson about how stupid it was to enable companies to go to China to make their goods cheaper and to sell them back inside the U.S. and let the bigwigs pocket the difference.
Trump was right, it's just that he was right too late as President after President just looked the other way as many in the legislative branch did as long as their palms were greased.
Profit of Doom
Dismember
Two boats and a helicopter...
Mark D
Now running for Emperor.
I always thought it was: "... a Jeep, a boat, and a helicopter."
Nonetheless, it makes a point.