Hello

[Nandina]

Hi Copa, I’m curious—Who is telling your residents to get 14 gallons of water per person? And is this recommended for any disaster, ie. earthquakes, etc. or specifically for coronavirus? I haven’t heard of anything like stockpiling water in these parts (southeast) in preparing for the outbreak. And I wonder why—is someone expecting the water to become contaminated?

Take good care...

 

[Copabanana]

Dear Nandina

My quote thing isn't working again.

OK. I watch a lot of TV news such as CNN and MSNBC. I have heard over and over again this: 1 gallon a day per person for 14 days. For Coronavirus. They have repeated this so frequently that I feared to not do it. These are experts on national TV stations that are making this recommendation, not local. I have been hearing this for maybe 10 days. The other people who are buying all that water, I don't know how they came to that idea. This has been going on seriously for at least a week. It's not only social contagion. People are being told to get water. Now.

I was mystified. What did they think might happen? I joked about it to a friend. Won't we still have pipes? How would Coronavirus affect the water supply?

It doesn't feel like a joking matter anymore. I even asked somebody in line at Costco today, who reiterated what my own deep fear was, which is what you say. Some sort of contamination.

I spoke to a girlfriend today and she says the gallon a day is what is routinely established for disaster preparedness of any sort: earthquake, etcetera. She thought it was no big deal.

But I don't know. I have also been hearing that this is a homeland security issue. And if you think about it, it fits.

If there was clear, consistent information, and the rationale for doing this or that, this would be easier to bear.

I spoke to two girlfriends today, friendships of 40 to 50 years. Both of them were cool as cucumbers. Neither was doing much of anything to prepare, beyond the water. One of them has a daughter with Type 1 Diabetes. The other has a chronic blood disease, and her husband is 88. Still, they're not concerned.

I need to stop posting about this, because I may be scaring people. Typically I don't get much worried about these things. I'm not sure why this time, but this has gotten to me.

 

[Nandina]

I probably watch too much news as well. I know they need to keep us informed, but I think they tend to sensationalize these events, broadcasting every single time another person is diagnosed, talking up worse case scenarios, lack of testing ability, all the things that should have been done that weren’t, etc. etc. not to mention showing all the empty shelves in the grocery stores! Makes you wanna rush out and hoard a few things just in case! And at the same time they’re urging us to “Stay calm, don’t panic!” Yeah, right.

 

[200Meters]

Well, the visit went fine. Youngest was in good spirits. We commented to Youngest that there seemed to be far fewer visitors than on previous occasions. He said that it was because the Prison Service had temporarily barred all visitors but first-degree relatives (parents, spouses, siblings & children; i.e. no friends) due to the corona. Open visits (which Youngest is ineligible for for the time being) have been banned completely. (There are 25 known cases of Coronavirus in Israel as of now, none in any Israel Prison Service facility. Many thousands are under home quarantine.)

Youngest phoned us this morning & said that he is being moved today to another prison, not far from Ben-Gurion International Airport, in the same very large complex where he was held in remand on two previous occasions since he was first arrested almost one year ago. This particular prison has a rougher reputation than the one he is in now; he is being moved there because the Prison Service considers him problematic/non-cooperative despite his being a first-time, non-violent, non-sexual, non-security/political offender. This prison is much closer to our Jerusalem 'burb than the one he has been in up to now.

Youngest's appeal will be heard in the Jerusalem District Court at 12:30 tomorrow (Monday, March 9). I will keep everyone posted.

There hasn't been much in the way of panic buying here, at least not yet.

Now, this is my kind of Corona!

 

[BusynMember1]

My husband made a Corona Beer joke.

I think the news likes viewers and if people are panicking they will watch. And those very worried probably ARE glued to the news, upping their ratings which have been in trouble.

Copa, don't worry, nice lady. You aren't able to scare anyone who isn't already scared. Experts have to be careful and go overboard so that they don't get blamed for not warning us if Corona goes viral. They may not even think it will. But it is kind of their job to make sure we are doing everything "just on case."

I see a virus that has tragically killed nine elderly residents of one nursing he. That could happen with any illness if it overtakes a nursing he as the residents are elderly and frail. Ten more died. That is also tragic but it is not a lot of people. I go by what I see. Corona does not kill most people. It has not killed massive amounts of those in the U.S.

Takes tons more to scare me. Maybe if those around me were panicking I would buy water. Nobody is.

My mother used to tell me, and still does, not to make mountains out of molehills. When I would come home from school crying about something or scared she would hug me and say "Let's see what happens, shall we? We can't predict the future."

This calmed me so much and it still does.

I try not to think ahead of this day. I can't know what will be. So my stress level, minus Kay, is low. So I tell all my friends here, today we are fine. We do not know the future. Maybe sit or walk in mature instead of watching the.news.

Prayers and.lobe to all. Hope my mom's words helped somebody.

 

[Copabanana]

Thank you Busy, Nandina and 200Meters.

200Meters. I am glad YS will be closer to home and hopefully this will be a little bit easier on you and Mrs. 200Meters. 200Meters. Has the quarantine of many thousands of people in Israel been voluntary, advised or mandatory? On what basis have the people been quarantined? Is It high-risk groups or is it proximity to affected people, or travel or what?

Very few people here are isolating although on Thursday there was a notice on the CDC website that people over 60 should try to stay close to home. I see this as a CYA measure, rather than a public health advisory, because there has been virtually nothing I have seen to try to publicize this advisory.

The US government has a history of suppressing public information about pandemics for political purposes. In 1918 with the erroneously called "Spanish Flu" President Wilson suppressed knowledge of the risk to the populace with the rationale that it helped the WWI war effort. And then the Sedition act was passed to make it a serious crime for anybody including journalists to write anything about it, and other things.

What can I say about YS? I will say again that these same things that are getting him into trouble are tremendous strengths: his confidence, his leaderships, his strong sense of himself and his power. The thing is he is so very young, and I don't need to tell you his brain is not fully engaged as to the cost to himself of his immaturity, poor judgment and inability or unwillingness to curb his impulses. You are handling a very difficult and stressful situation with grace, patience and love. I admire you and Mrs. 200Meters.

 

[Triedntrue]

I am like you taking some precautions such as hand sanitizers and trying to think about where to go and where is not as safe. I am not freaking out as yet. My state just got its first cases though.

 

[200Meters]

You are handling a very difficult and stressful situation with grace, patience and love. I admire you and Mrs. 200Meters.

Blushblushblush

Thanks.

Well, court was very routine. The PD presented his case to the full panel of 3 judges as to why Youngest's sentence should be commuted to time served. The prosecutor (not the one who was there last week) presented her case as to why Youngest's sentence should be left as is. The judges will issue their ruling whenever. It will probably not be tomorrow or Wednesday as it is our holiday of Purim. (On that note, a cold six of Corona is lookin' mighty good...mmm...) Youngest goes back to his new clink and we wait.

Israel is up to 39 cases of Corona. +/- 22,000 people are in home quarantine.

 

[Copabanana]

Dear 200Meters

Thank you for the update. It is stressful indeed, the waiting, the lack of control. I feel it for you. You and the Mrs. seem to be able to remain centered in your faith and life together as a couple. In that way you stay available to your child. I respect that so much. If I consider my own situation, I think that was the greatest challenge, to not live within and subject to the reality of my child, over which I had no control. Only now, more than a decade after the worst started, am I able to detach and stay centered in myself. And even still, it's not so easy for me.

I want to ask you about the coronavirus quarantine in Israel of 22,000. Is this mandatory or is it voluntary self-monitoring? What does it look like?

As I write this we have not initiated that I am aware of, any compulsory quarantine, but I believe we are headed there in certain hot spots.

I am in the high risk group, because of age. I am trying to stay close to home, not entirely successfully. If mandatory quarantine comes here, it will almost be a relief, so that I don't have to depend upon my own self-control, which seems to be deficient.

We are living in challenging times, all around. Today our stock market is crashing even more. We've been told that our lives as we know them will be greatly disrupted by this new health challenge. In the USA and Israel the political situations continue fractious and indeterminate. And we continue to deal with highly challenging personal and familial upheaval. It's a lot.

I want to thank you 200Meters and each of you here, for offering this friendship and community in these times. I am grateful.

 

[BusynMember1]

200Meters, why are so many people in quarantine if there aren't hardly any cases? Is that forced?

It would be hard to force some healthy Americans to stay home unless they were infected. We are stubborn and it would be hard to make it happen. There are people who believe this is political, at least in the U.S., to affect our upcoming election. I am somewhere in between.

Corona not at a dangerous level most places here and doesn't kill most people and I am not quite sure why some are panicking.

However, I would not travel out of the country right now. in advance for an answer, thank you.

 

[200Meters]

We are up to 50 people with Corona.

I want to ask you about the coronavirus quarantine in Israel of 22,000. Is this mandatory or is it voluntary self-monitoring?

200Meters, why are so many people in quarantine if there aren't hardly any cases? Is that forced?

The Health Ministry will say something like, "Whoever was on BozoAir Flight #123 from Wonderland must go into home quarantine" or "Whoever came into contact with a group of Klingon tourists at the Church of the Ascension in Nazareth must go into home quarantine" or "The entire 9th grade at Tel Aviv High School #23 must go into home quarantine".

Like that.

The Health Ministry has legal authority to do this and are working in concert with the police to enforce the quarantines. Anyone who thinks they are developing actual systems is told to call the Israeli equivalent of the Red Cross and wait for an ambulance to come to their home.

Most people told to go into home quarantine are doing so without causing a ruckus. This is the webpage of the veteran US Jewish newspaper The Forward. Look around and you'll see the diary entries of a couple in home quarantine in Tel Aviv.

This and this are the big Corona stories here at the moment.

 

[200Meters]

We are up to 55 people with Corona, including (they just announced on the radio news) one from our Jerusalem suburb.

 

[BusynMember1]

I appreciate your explanation.

 

[200Meters]

I appreciate your explanation.

Thanks.

We are up to 76 people with Corona.

 

[Beta]

Thanks for the updates 200Meters. We are probably going to postpone our trip to Israel
From what I read on the Internet yesterday, I understand that anyone coming into Israel must be quarantined for two weeks, both Israelis and foreigners. No thank you. Also, the thought of getting into a confined space with a crowd of strangers (airplane) doesn't sound too smart right now because its transmitted through the air by breathing/coughing.
This whole thing seems so surreal right now--almost like a science fiction novel. I have to constantly remind myself not to let fear overwhelm me. God is the one who holds our lives in His hands; and He decides what and when.

Also--I'm glad you're youngest will be a little closer to you and your wife. May the outcome of the court's decision be in line with God's good will and may He work in your son's life to bring about good, even from evil (just like He did with Joseph, right?)

 

[RN0441]

Hello all:

We fly to Chicago on Saturday. I am not worried at all as I am healthy and wash my hands on a normal basis. I do tend to touch my face a lot, as most people do, so will try to be conscious of that.

I personally think it's the media that is making everyone crazy. I am not too worried about it at the present time. If I were over 70 and had health issues then yes, I would not travel at all and stay out of the public as much as possible.

I think it is very sad that the media is making this into a circus and terrorizing people. Between that and politics I really don't even want to watch the news.

My son said that Corona beer sales have gone down. People are nuts!

 

[Beta]

I agree that the media is sensationalizing this and politicizing it. It's hard to know what to take seriously and what not. In the end, we have to just try to do the best we can and trust God with our lives.

 

[Beta]

200Meters--if we don't go to Israel in April/May as planned, what other times of the year would be good to come? What are the worst times, weather wise, to come?

 

[BusynMember1]

RN, I agree with you 100 per cent. I am in my 60s but have no big health concerns and would travel, although not overseas. I have no idea why this is such a huge news sensation. Most vulnerable people, like those with cancer or who are very frail, are at risk if they get the regular flu or even a bad cold. But healthynormally people overwhelmingly survive the Coronavirus.

The U.S. doesn't have a large amount who even have it.

I am unsure as to why this is being portrayed as so serious in most countries. Part of me believes that in the U.S. it is very political and also that the news stations want higher ratings. The ratings have gone down a lot as have cable subscriptions. Part of me thinks some are just hysterical over this and therefore feel it is right to scare the population. They think it is their duty.

I have heard people theorize that this is a way to tank our economy and even whispers that China did Corona on purpose. I am not prone to conspiracy theories that don't make sense, but honestly don't know about this situation.

I still don't watch any news except local. I am not concerned. Puzzled, yes. Concerned, no.

Thanks all for sharing your situations and feelings. Blessings and stay well.

 

[Copabanana]

I agree with Busy and with RN, that the media response in a vacuum of coordinated government response which is responsible and transparent creates panic and confusion. When media acts alone, it seldom gets it right. It needs to be balanced by responsible, expert voices and coordinated community response.

This is what did not happen here in the United States, unlike in some nations. Germany comes to mind where Mrs. Merkel is speaking out with a loud, clear and true voice about what her nation and the world are facing.

I think it's just as dangerous to discount and minimize the risk level of this public health threat for political reasons as to sensationalize it. The government of China and the US Federal government, both minimized and hid the risk for political reasons, in my view. This compromised greatly the fight to contain the virus here in the United States where we have known about the risk since December 2019 or before.

As a nation we did not test on a widespread basis or support community, statewide and national efforts to proactively respond. Instead the Federal government sought to manipulate and hide information. Vitally important time was lost, to protect us as a community and a nation, and do what was necessary to protect the world. We are the nation with the resources to have taken this proactive stance. We not only dropped the ball, we hid it, and with it, our heads in the sand. More than this, we played Russian Roulette with lives of millions.

It doesn't help to search for a culprit. I think that's why state officials are careful to not attack the Federal government, as having responded poorly. The culprit is the virus. And rightly, wise voices, are trying to get us to keep our eyes on the ball.

I have read this, that Coronavirus was created in a lab in Wuhan china, and somehow escaped. I don't know what to think about this. I had not thought of the possibility that this might have been intentional. And I for one doubt this. Up until this point, if any nation has been damaged economically by this virus, it's China. (And in an aside: I don't like one bit that this virus is purposely being called the Wuhan virus in order to infer blame. First, we don't know enough. Second, why scapegoat a city and a people. Why racialize this? Isn't it bad enough?)

This is similar to what happened with the so-called "Spanish Flu" pandemic 100 years ago. The only reason that Spain looked like it had more cases was that President Wilson was concealing the pandemic that was already felling thousands of soldiers on the battlefield and others here in the United States. He rationalized this by the priority to keep up the war effort in WW1. Spain, on the other hand, was being transparent in reporting true numbers. And because of its transportation the nation was unfairly scapegoated.

To return to the idea that this was an intentional act by China or any other nation: in a globally interconnected and interdependent world, anybody would know that an assault to one part is an assault to the whole. I wish we could think of the world this way. All for one and one for all.