Wuhan Corona Virus Coming Soon? (Now Here)

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Here's the situation in New Orleans...

New Orleans also held Mardi Gras which as one doctor described it, a large gathering of people in extremely tight quarters, the wrong place at the wrong time.

The exact opposite of stay-at-home social distancing.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

Hawaii Emergency Management will soon implement inter island travel restrictions.
From Twitter:

@Hawaii_EMA Director Ken Hara says the decision has been made to restrict inter-island travel in Hawaii

[Chunkster]

Somehow I doubt there was much inter-island travel left with the whole state told to isolate at home, but I guess they had to formalize it. There will no doubt still be some passenger flights to move medical and emergency personnel around, though.

[Guest]

the decision has been made to restrict inter-island travel in Hawaii

I love our moat.

[Obie]

The news release goes on :

However, details of how to implement the effort and how exemptions would be handled still must be worked out, he said.

For example, he said, the restriction could lead Hawaiian Airlines to discontinue service and thus block critical cargo from reaching the neighbor islands.

“We’re thinking through that,” he said.

[TomK]

I think the keyword is "restrictions". Restricting flights to only carry out essential business is sensible, but I'm sure Hawaiian Air will need some sort of bailout for that. There is also Aloha Cargo. They don't rely on passenger fares so I hope they can keep going. Getting essential supplies will be crucial in the next few weeks so hope the authorities make the right decision and not make it Oahu-centric.

[HereOnThePrimalEdge]

the restriction could lead Hawaiian Airlines to discontinue service and thus block critical cargo from reaching the neighbor islands.

Hawaii has a substantial air cargo capacity even without Hawaiian Air:

Aloha Cargo - probably the biggest, with a fleet of cargo only planes
Trans Air - They have the interisland USPS contract, so in that regard might be considered even more essential than Hawaiian Air for cargo
FedEx
UPS
Southwest Air - I don't have details about their capability or capacity, but a few months ago a small sign "Southwest Cargo" went up on a bay at Hilo airport's air cargo building. Next to Aloha Cargo. I'm not certain if their plan was for dedicated cargo flights, or for transporting shipments on their passenger planes. Perhaps at the moment their service or plans are on hold due to COVID-19.

If Hawaiian Air had critical cargo for transport to neighbor islands, they have planes available with or without passengers. Otherwise, there are plenty of other carriers.

[Guest]

Oh boy, another Saturday morning edition of the ever exciting To Mask Or Not To Mask show...

Hey now kiddies, howz that social distancing going?

Today we bring you another chapter in our (seemingly endless) series Common Sense Verse What The 'Experts' Say with our special guest from the epicenter of it all, the NY Times. Now, follow along..

As found here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/27/healt...masks.html

Where it begins..

More Americans Should Probably Wear Masks for Protection
Experts have started to question whether masks may offer at least some protection to healthy individuals and essential workers.

And continues in part with...

The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continue to state that masks don’t necessarily protect healthy individuals from getting infected as they go about their daily lives.

The official guidance continues to recommend that masks should be reserved for people who are already sick, as well as for the health workers and caregivers who must interact with infected individuals on a regular basis. Everyone else, they say, should stick to frequent hand-washing and maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from other people to protect themselves.

But the recent surge in infections in the United States, which has put the country at the center of the epidemic, with more confirmed cases than China, Italy or any other country, means that more Americans are now at risk of getting sick. And healthy individuals, especially those with essential jobs who cannot avoid public transportation or close interaction with others, may need to start wearing masks more regularly.

“The swift increase in cases to these levels in the U.S. highlights to an even greater degree the importance of implementing and adhering to public health measures,” said Dr. Robert Atmar, an infectious disease specialist at Baylor College of Medicine.

When researchers conducted systematic review of a variety of interventions used during the SARS outbreak in 2003, they found that washing hands more than 10 times daily was 55 percent effective in stopping virus transmission, while wearing a mask was actually more effective — at about 68 percent. Wearing gloves offered about the same amount of protection as frequent hand-washing, and combining all measures — hand-washing, masks, gloves and a protective gown — increased the intervention effectiveness to 91 percent.

OMG, you gotta love that last paragraph!

Pay attention, and don't forget your p's and q's. And.. be sure to read the entire article at the link above.

[terracore]

Southwest has postponed opening any cargo facilities.

Hawaiian has plans to use their passenger aircraft for cargo only if necessary.

FEMA has fleets of cargo aircraft under contract to provide emergency or essential services at any time they are required.

The military has some of the largest cargo aircraft in the world.

[sistersue]

If everyone should start wearing masks and gloves, where in the heck are we supposed to get them?? Does anyone know if they're available in Hilo stores? Mahalo