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Coronavirus and Events


AleksSI

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From the Geocaching blog:  Blog

Community first

There are no easy words to discuss what the world is facing right now. As the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) situation is evolving rapidly, we encourage geocachers to follow the most current guidance from public health authorities when choosing how to participate in activities such as geocaching. Your health and safety are the top priority.

We understand that for many people geocaching is an especially valuable activity during this difficult time, since it’s a way to get outdoors and be active while adhering to social distancing standards advocated by health authorities. We wanted to share what we are doing at HQ regarding COVID-19.

Here at Geocaching HQ, we’re fortunate to have the option of working from home. Community is at the heart of everything we do, so right now, we’re all busy working to ensure that we can keep doing our best to support geocachers like you.

Speaking of support, many of you have already written to HQ with questions about future events and plans. We are actively working with Mega- and Giga-Event organizers, who will be able to reschedule their events in cooperation with HQ.

For regular Events and CITOs, we advise hosts to consult their regional health authorities to understand the guidance regarding gatherings of people. Generally, Geocaching HQ leaves the decision to Event hosts on whether to continue hosting the Event and to attendees on whether they will participate. In some regions, community volunteer reviewers may suspend publishing new Events and/or may disable, retract, or archive already published Events, in accordance with guidance from health authorities.

We also want to allow flexibility for hosts who need to reschedule their published Community Celebration Events due to COVID-19 concerns, since this is a unique Event type. We have posted announcements on those Event pages to share the process for rescheduling.

Additionally, we plan to move our upcoming Memory Lane souvenir challenge from a start date of Monday, April 6 to Monday, May 4. We will continue to monitor the guidance for COVID-19, as well as your feedback as we get closer to May. Our goal is to have a promotion that is both fun and safe. As such, we will continue to make any adjustments as needed so that the promotion is as inclusive as possible.

For timely updates, please monitor our social media channels.

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4 hours ago, Max and 99 said:

From the Geocaching blog:  Blog

"For timely updates, please monitor our social media channels."    

I feel it's a shame that the newsletters sent to folks never have that helpful info.   

The site assumes that everyone's on faceboook, tweeter, and the like.

I've hit the "was this helpful" button a few times , saying I understand the newsletter's more or less a marketing thing, but wouldn't helpful info added for folks not on "social" media  be a good idea?      :)

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3 hours ago, cerberus1 said:

"For timely updates, please monitor our social media channels."    

I feel it's a shame that the newsletters sent to folks never have that helpful info.   

The site assumes that everyone's on faceboook, tweeter, and the like.

I've hit the "was this helpful" button a few times , saying I understand the newsletter's more or less a marketing thing, but wouldn't helpful info added for folks not on "social" media  be a good idea?      :)

 

In the past few days, you've stated that "the site" doesn't realize people use GPSrs and that "the site" assumes everyone is on social media. You were incorrect on both counts.

 

The newsletter must be translated into multiple languages. Therefore, we generally cannot send it on a whim. The blog post that Max and 99 referenced was published in English on Friday. It is currently being translated to be available for Tuesday's newsletter.

 

Social media is more immediate, which is why we suggest following our social media channels for "timely" updates. It is not because we assume everyone is on social media.

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On 3/14/2020 at 9:15 PM, Ms Maddy said:
On 3/13/2020 at 5:49 PM, barefootjeff said:

The Australian Prime Minister has just announced that gatherings expecting over 500 people are to be cancelled. I'm not sure how this will affect the upcoming megas here.

Suggested not decreed as each state has sovereignty. 

 

Yes, and this is what the New South Wales government has now decreed:

 

Quote

NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has used special state powers to force the immediate cancellation of public events with more than 500 people.

Mr Hazzard said under the planned changes, individuals who failed to comply could face up to six months in prison or a fine of up to $11,000 or both, plus additional penalties for each day the offence continued.

Corporations will face larger fines, Mr Hazzard's office said in a statement.

"I urge the community to do the right thing and obey the decisions and advice of the national and NSW chief medical officers, but we will be tough if needed to protect the wider community," Mr Hazzard said.

 

There are likely to be similar measures put in place in the other states.

Edited by barefootjeff
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3 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

 

Yes, and this is what the New South Wales government has now decreed:

 

 

There are likely to be similar measures put in place in the other states.

State Of Emergency Declared In Victoria Over COVID-19

https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/state-of-emergency-declared-in-victoria-over-covid-19/

Quote

The first direction from the Chief Health Officer under these new powers will include banning non-essential mass gatherings of over 500 people such as cultural events, sporting events or conferences.

 

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On 3/14/2020 at 11:45 PM, fendmar said:

Again I have to ask is this your opinion as a healthcare professional?

Over decade ago I was National Security Advisor in my coutry. I understand well the words of politicians and medical staff to know how serious the situation is.
HQ, please listen this man several times:

Make one or two steps before goverments, not behind.

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Fifty (The CDC's arbitrary number) is kind of high for many geocaching events. You just never know how many are gonna show with cachers. Regardless it's starting to seem that many venues won't be open to host anyway.

 

I am still leaning toward a lot of this being media driven panic. Unfortunately the possibility of this mutating into something like the Spanish Flu is there.

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13 minutes ago, AleksSI said:

Over decade ago I was National Security Advisor in my coutry. I understand well the words of politicians and medical staff to know how serious the situation is.
HQ, please listen this man several times:

Make one or two steps before goverments, not behind.

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! So twitter is the new proponent for relaying information about infectious disease?

Since it was your job to track infectious disease 10 years ago as security advisor please supply the following: worldwide death rate per month over the last 10 years for influenza, and worldwide death rate per month over the last 10 years for the current SARS-Cov-2 caused disease. Before I start running around with my arms in the air I would like to have some facts.

 

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9 hours ago, barefootjeff said:

 

Yes, and this is what the New South Wales government has now decreed:

 

"NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard has used special state powers to force the immediate cancellation of public events with more than 500 people.

Mr Hazzard said under the planned changes, individuals who failed to comply could face up to six months in prison or a fine of up to $11,000 or both, plus additional penalties for each day the offence continued.

Corporations will face larger fines, Mr Hazzard's office said in a statement.

"I urge the community to do the right thing and obey the decisions and advice of the national and NSW chief medical officers, but we will be tough if needed to protect the wider community," Mr Hazzard said."

 

There are likely to be similar measures put in place in the other states.

 

So if you want to hold a Mega Event or even start a Flashmob today, you need to first have a Kickstarter to fund the people tax.  This will cut down on protest marches, such as protests about the people tax. B)

 

Just running the numbers, 500 people will infect us all, but if it's 499 we're safe?  Not that I'm saying it's silly, just asking.  OK, I am saying it's silly.  Don't tell anybody I said that.

 

 

Edited by kunarion
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5 hours ago, fendmar said:

Unfortunately the possibility of this mutating into something like the Spanish Flu is there.

It would be unusual for this viral to mutate that far, however, even with its lower virulence than Spanish Flu, with its infectivity and the worlds population increases in the past century, it could kill as many.

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9 hours ago, 31BMSG said:

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! So twitter is the new proponent for relaying information about infectious disease?

Since it was your job to track infectious disease 10 years ago as security advisor please supply the following: worldwide death rate per month over the last 10 years for influenza, and worldwide death rate per month over the last 10 years for the current SARS-Cov-2 caused disease. Before I start running around with my arms in the air I would like to have some facts.

 

You're asking for facts that don't exist.  The SARS-Cov-2 disease is a novel disease.   That means that it has never been seen before the first case discovered in 2019.   There isn't a worldwide death rate per month over the last ten years for the corona virus because it only discovered 4 months ago.  

 

 

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NY state governor  says NY, CT and NJ are making all bars and restaurants  be tale out or deliver only after 8 PM today Already had two events in the next ten days cancelled. Didn't go to an event that started at 5 today, because I have an elderly mom at home.

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11 hours ago, NYPaddleCacher said:

You're asking for facts that don't exist.  The SARS-Cov-2 disease is a novel disease.   That means that it has never been seen before the first case discovered in 2019.   There isn't a worldwide death rate per month over the last ten years for the corona virus because it only discovered 4 months ago.  

 

Facts and numbers exist, and we should all take very seriously what they are telling us. We should not loose the time and energy debating whether the mortality is 0,5 % or 3,5 % or what the worldwide death rate is. You don't count the dead in percentage, but in absolute numbers: 10.000 people dead is 10.000 people dead regardless of what percentage of whatever number this is. Even if it's a tiny fraction of something, it's still 10.000 lives lost. As we can see, this virus can bring down national health care systems and shut down countries. No one needs to run around with their arms in the air, they better stay calm and listen to the health authorities. And firmly demand action from the politicians, if their response is too indolent.

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In Oz, in the state of Victoria many events (non geocaching)  have been cancelled. I was in Melbourne last Thursday and Friday to see the play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. It all went well, great show. As from yesterday (Monday) it has been cancelled, under review, until the end of April I believe, along with many other live shows. The cafes, restaurants and bars were packed on Friday due to the cancellation of the Formula 1 GP.  The Federal government has banned gatherings of greater than 500, under that it is discretionary.

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Were outdoor events vaporized too?

 

Hard to know, right?, from memory, since you wouldn't even be able to refer to the listings unless one belonged to you.

 

This sucks the wind out of my own plan for our annual camping event.  Why bother writing up a listing if it might just go poof?

 

Disable or archive if you must, but please leave a record.

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I think I had one of the last events for geocaching in Ontario (3 days ago)….and it was just me and one other cacher. Went to a local restaurant and it was nice to come by...but I hate seeing the lack of business. (though I do understand why**)

 

I have a feeling HQ may need to push CCE's a month or two forward....

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I have an event listed to happen in 30 days.  Attendance is expected to be around 30, at least check. The event is outdoors. I will make my decision about cancellation in about 20 days.

 

Things may be vastly different by then, either good or bad.

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On 3/15/2020 at 1:47 PM, Rock Chalk said:

 

In the past few days, you've stated that "the site" doesn't realize people use GPSrs and that "the site" assumes everyone is on social media. You were incorrect on both counts.

 

The newsletter must be translated into multiple languages. Therefore, we generally cannot send it on a whim. The blog post that Max and 99 referenced was published in English on Friday. It is currently being translated to be available for Tuesday's newsletter.

 

Social media is more immediate, which is why we suggest following our social media channels for "timely" updates. It is not because we assume everyone is on social media.

Shouldn't HQ add a post in their own Announcements Forum when they have something important and immediate enough to warrant a post to "social media"? Many of us don't do twitface or instawatch or whatever else, but have settings for following things in the GS forum.

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46 minutes ago, TerraViators said:

IMHO, it's acceptable and responsible for a private organization to cancel events outside of local authority recommendations.

 

Sure, but the proposal is worldwide, that's not a simple decision. On the smaller scale, they could decide region by region to override local reviewer decisions, but I think they trust their reviewers to know when to draw the line.

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4 hours ago, Viajero Perdido said:

Were outdoor events vaporized too?

 

Hard to know, right?, from memory, since you wouldn't even be able to refer to the listings unless one belonged to you.

 

This sucks the wind out of my own plan for our annual camping event.  Why bother writing up a listing if it might just go poof?

 

Disable or archive if you must, but please leave a record.

I'm pretty sure that retracted caches are visible to the CO, and if I recall the ON reviewers' notice correctly, they retracted rather than archiving so that the COs could still modify the listing for a future date. They couldn't do that on an archived listing.

 

----------


Are any outdoor events going to require people to stay 6 feet away from each other?

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5 hours ago, K13 said:

Shouldn't HQ add a post in their own Announcements Forum when they have something important and immediate enough to warrant a post to "social media"? Many of us don't do twitface or instawatch or whatever else, but have settings for following things in the GS forum.

 

You're right that we should've posted a link to this particular blog post in the Announcements forum on Friday. That's on me. We're doing the best we can, and will misstep occasionally.

 

We don't do twitface or instawatch, either, and actually have not heard of them. So you didn't miss anything there.

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I attended an event today north of Seattle. My grandson and I were the only attendees other than the CO and her husband. She made changes to her original plan. We met outside, I signed the log then we walked to a nearby cache. There was hand sanitizer present. As a Registered Nurse in a hospital, I will come in contact with far more at work (especially given the shortage of PPE) than I will out geocaching.  All is well. 

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2 hours ago, LizzyRN said:

I attended an event today north of Seattle. My grandson and I were the only attendees other than the CO and her husband. She made changes to her original plan. We met outside, I signed the log then we walked to a nearby cache. There was hand sanitizer present. As a Registered Nurse in a hospital, I will come in contact with far more at work (especially given the shortage of PPE) than I will out geocaching.  All is well. 

Sorry if this sounds blunt, but as a healthcare professional, it must have occurred to you that you could possibly be an asymptomatic carrier?  I'm not the type to put too much faith in hand sanitizers when it comes to the safety of my loved ones and friends.

Edited by Touchstone
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On 3/15/2020 at 8:44 PM, AleksSI said:

I understand well the words of politicians and medical staff to know how serious the situation is.
 

I have heard a lot of words from politicians and others. Lately (well really never :laughing:) I am not convinced they are concerned with anything other than advancing their own self interests including with regards to this particular situation.

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I have a Community Celebration event set down for the 24th of May which I'm now looking at requesting my reviewer to retract in order to reschedule it for later in the year. Currently the conditions for these events state that they must be held by the 31st of December, but with the Australian government today saying that the present restrictions on gatherings (which are likely to become even tighter in the coming weeks) will probably remain in force for at least six months, I'm wondering if there's been any consideration of extending that cutoff date into next year.

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11 hours ago, Touchstone said:

Sorry if this sounds blunt, but as a healthcare professional, it must have occurred to you that you could possibly be an asymptomatic carrier?  I'm not the type to put too much faith in hand sanitizers when it comes to the safety of my loved ones and friends.

Absolutely. That thought is in our minds constantly. I have not had any patients who are known COVID-19 positive, however they certainly could be. I do know that I purchased my own PPE since hospitals are VERY low on supplies. 

 

However, we are all still caring for patients during this time, unless we are febrile or have any other symptoms, and then we stay home. ALL of us, not only healthcare professionals, can be asymptomatic carriers. I'm now babysitting my grandson since there is no school. We are spending a lot of time outside, on bikes, hitting the baseball, playing fetch with the dogs, etc. We are making sure my 87 yo mother-in-law stays home, for her safety. 

 

Back to the event: The CO took all the correct precautions; moved event outdoors, we met in a parking lot,  we did not shake hands, we maintained social distancing, we sanitized before and after stamping the log book, even though I didn't touch it.  No one coughed, sneezed or touched their face. Bottom line is that being outside and active is probably the best thing to do right now, aside from hand washing and social distancing. 

 

Handwashing  with soap more >20 seconds is best, hand sanitizer with >60% alcohol is adequate too. 

 

 

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20 hours ago, K13 said:

I have an event listed to happen in 30 days.  Attendance is expected to be around 30, at least check. The event is outdoors. I will make my decision about cancellation in about 20 days.

 

Things may be vastly different by then, either good or bad.

I think outdoor events like CITOs are safe if folks maintain distance, wash their hands, cover their coughs, etc. You know, the stuff we should do regardless.  Fresh air is best! 

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8 minutes ago, hzoi said:

As I write this, at the end of my double shift from a US base in Europe that's mostly on lockdown, I am increasingly angered by the failure of people to take this situation seriously.

 

My travel has been banned to the United States, so that I don't bring anything back with me.  We were supposed to move back to the US in three months or so.  I don't know when we're coming back now.  We can't even plan our move yet.  Borders are being closed left and right.  Not only that, I'm restricted from going pretty much ANYWHERE.  I can go to work, and I can go home, and I can go buy essentials, and that's about it.  If things spread more, I'm gonna get locked down to my apartment.  We're jumping through hoops to take precautions.

 

All these restrictions are not to protect me.  I'm healthy.  It's not for the other Soldiers, either.  We're not the at risk population here.  It's to help slow the spread of this so the vulnerable population, namely seniors and the immune deficient, can be protected.  It's to protect the US population.  Yeah - it's for you guys

 

And it really, REALLY ticks me off that folks are acting like it's not going to get worse than it already is. 

 

"Ha ha! Fake news!  The sky is falling!  You can't tell me what to do!  If you don't want to go to an event, don't go!  Is that your professional medical opinion?   Fresh air!  CITOs are good for you!"


Because that means that thousands of us over here might be doing all this for nothing.  Y'all are going to jack this up and spread it amongst yourselves anyway if you don't get your heads right.  Which will make all of what my entire community is giving up right now absolutely pointless.

 

There is a US public health emergency right now.  We are currently moving two Navy hospital ships to New York to help out.  We've already called out the National Guard in New York and Texas and elsewhere.  Things.  Are.  Not.  Normal.

 

Most events I've been to have a fair share of retired folks, and for the most part, they're pretty easy to spot.  You may not know whether some of your fellow cachers have a compromised immune system, but they might, or they might have someone at home who does.  I'm pretty dang sure no caching event is worth putting people in the hospital or inadvertently killing them off.

 

If "support the troops" means anything to y'all other than a bumper sticker you maybe used to have two or three cars ago, then please consider supporting those of us who are currently sucking it up for your benefit.  Here's how:

 

Get over yourself.  Get with the program.  Limit the spread.  Hunker down.  Tell your friends, too. 

 

Yes, it's inconvenient.  No, I don't like it, either.  Maybe you couldn't tell from my tone, but I'm not super enthused about the situation.  But it's more fun than I bet it would be if someone found out they'd helped spread this further, or worse, contributed to someone's demise.

 

If we get it right, it'll seem like this was overblown.  Good.  I'd much rather it go that way than lose friends and family because it was too hard for y'all to cramp your style for a bit.

 

With you. Staying at home in upstate New York.

Stand strong, and thank you.

Thank you.

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10 minutes ago, hzoi said:

All these restrictions are not to protect me.  I'm healthy.  It's not for the other Soldiers, either.  We're not the at risk population here.  It's to help slow the spread of this so the vulnerable population, namely seniors and the immune deficient, can be protected.  It's to protect the US population.  Yeah - it's for you guys

 

As each day brings more restrictions, the seriousness becomes more and more real - and this realization that this is not local, this is WORLDWIDE!  Here in Northern Callifornia, we are "Sheltered in place" with nothing but essential travel  - I am technically one of the "at risk" groups due to my age, but I am healthy and I am doing what I can to limit interactions and doing what I can to STOP spreading anything I may be carrying t anyone else.

14 minutes ago, hzoi said:

Things.  Are.  Not.  Normal.

That is for sure!  And THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your service. As a 26 yr. Navy wife, "Support our Troops" is a whole lot more than a bumper sticker and a flag to me - and I hope your return to the US comes quickly!!

 

16 minutes ago, hzoi said:

If we get it right, it'll seem like this was overblown.  Good

I would like nothing more than this!!

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Our "Daily Cases" chart for Germany looks almost like the US one.

.

1241817114_newcasesBRD.jpg.bff3c68526961b743cf66b964ccbfb1a.jpg

.

If you read hzoi's article you know what's going on here.  In the meantime, many cities are completely shut down, VW is closed Mercedes is closed, BMW is closed, playgrounds are closed,  schools are closed, universities are closed, in Mannheim (population 310.000) any group of people is limited to max 10, soccer league ended early, Police Officers controlling parks and public places and many, many more actions.

 

All this is required to break this exponential growth, it's about winning time.

Everyone can help to achieve this goal.

 

 

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5 hours ago, hzoi said:

As I write this, at the end of my double shift from a US base in Europe that's mostly on lockdown, I am increasingly angered by the failure of people to take this situation seriously.

 

My travel has been banned to the United States, so that I don't bring anything back with me.  We were supposed to move back to the US in three months or so.  I don't know when we're coming back now.  We can't even plan our move yet.  Borders are being closed left and right.  Not only that, I'm restricted from going pretty much ANYWHERE.  I can go to work, and I can go home, and I can go buy essentials, and that's about it.  If things spread more, I'm gonna get locked down to my apartment.  We're jumping through hoops to take precautions.

 

All these restrictions are not to protect me.  I'm healthy.  It's not for the other Soldiers, either.  We're not the at risk population here.  It's to help slow the spread of this so the vulnerable population, namely seniors and the immune deficient, can be protected.  It's to protect the US population.  Yeah - it's for you guys

 

And it really, REALLY ticks me off that folks are acting like it's not going to get worse than it already is. 

 

"Ha ha! Fake news!  The sky is falling!  You can't tell me what to do!  If you don't want to go to an event, don't go!  Is that your professional medical opinion?   Fresh air!  CITOs are good for you!"


Because that means that thousands of us over here might be doing all this for nothing.  Y'all are going to jack this up and spread it amongst yourselves anyway if you don't get your heads right.  Which will make all of what my entire community is giving up right now absolutely pointless.

 

There is a US public health emergency right now.  We are currently moving two Navy hospital ships to New York to help out.  We've already called out the National Guard in New York and Texas and elsewhere.  Things.  Are.  Not.  Normal.

 

Most events I've been to have a fair share of retired folks, and for the most part, they're pretty easy to spot.  You may not know whether some of your fellow cachers have a compromised immune system, but they might, or they might have someone at home who does.  I'm pretty dang sure no caching event is worth putting people in the hospital or inadvertently killing them off.

 

If "support the troops" means anything to y'all other than a bumper sticker you maybe used to have two or three cars ago, then please consider supporting those of us who are currently sucking it up for your benefit.  Here's how:

 

Get over yourself.  Get with the program.  Limit the spread.  Hunker down.  Tell your friends, too. 

 

Yes, it's inconvenient.  No, I don't like it, either.  Maybe you couldn't tell from my tone, but I'm not super enthused about the situation.  But it's more fun than I bet it would be if someone found out they'd helped spread this further, or worse, contributed to someone's demise.

 

If we get it right, it'll seem like this was overblown.  Good.  I'd much rather it go that way than lose friends and family because it was too hard for y'all to cramp your style for a bit.

 

THANK YOU.

 

Edited by bflentje
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6 hours ago, hzoi said:

Is that your professional medical opinion?   Fresh air!  CITOs are good for you!"

 

 

As a RN, I can talk about 16 hour shifts all the time. We get that. It sucks, but its our reality, COVID-19 or not. Also consider, this is not a one size fits all situation. Our policies and protocols within the hospital change several times each day. Yesterday evening we separated a brand new baby from its PUI mother five minutes after birth. Today, we would not do that; they would stay together and mom would wear a mask while breastfeeding. 

 

I am 20 miles north of the first Washington state COVID-19 case in Snohomish County and 50 miles north of Seattle.  I'm not being negligent. I'm avoiding stores, crowded areas, my nursing conferences have been cancelled, practicing social distancing, etc. I'm following the recommended guidelines AND caring for patients with inadequate PPE, not nearly enough supplies, etc. 

 

However, the fresh air part is recommended by State of Emergency declared by the Skagit County Health Department that recommends people getting outside. It's also recommended that kids spend two hours playing outdoors. 

  • People who are sick should self-isolate except to seek medical care.
  • People at higher risk of severe illness should self-isolate now. This includes physical isolation from non-household family members, including grandchildren. 
    • People at higher risk include people over 60 years of age; people with underlying health conditions including heart disease, lung disease or diabetes; people with weakened immune systems; and pregnant women. 
  • Everyoneshould limit activity outside the home to essential activities only. However, outdoor activities such as walking, running, biking, and hiking are encouraged. If you go with another person, maintain 6 feet of distance.

So, to answer your question, CITOs ARE good for you, if you are healthy. 

 

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6 hours ago, hzoi said:

f "support the troops" means anything to y'all other than a bumper sticker you maybe used to have two or three cars ago, then please consider supporting those of us who are currently sucking it up for your benefit.  Here's how:

 

 

All of health care professionals and first responders are also "sucking it up for your benefit".  We have much in common that way.  People can "support the healthcare professionals".

Stay home from the hospital unless you are a patient. Wash your hands frequently and well. Don't run in to be tested unless you meet the criteria. Call your doctor first.

 

I certainly don't expect this to blow over. Life as we know it is over. Businesses will fail, people will lose jobs and home. Healthcare professionals will die. It's terribly sad. 

Edited by LizzyRN
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Health care professionals throughout the world are the front line in this, they deserve our respect and thanks for continuing to walk into danger for us each and every day.

 

Anyone assuming they are unlikely to suffer themselves because they are (according to mainstream media) 'not in an at risk group'  might find this from the US CDC sobering (my bold) :

 

"Since February 12, 4,226 COVID-19 cases were reported in the United States; 31% of cases, 45% of hospitalizations, 53% of ICU admissions, and 80% of deaths occurred among adults aged ≥65 years with the highest percentage of severe outcomes among persons aged ≥85 years. These findings are similar to data from China, which indicated >80% of deaths occurred among persons aged ≥60 years (3). These preliminary data also demonstrate that severe illness leading to hospitalization, including ICU admission and death, can occur in adults of any age with COVID-19. In contrast, persons aged ≤19 years appear to have milder COVID-19 illness, with almost no hospitalizations or deaths reported to date in the United States in this age group"

 

An academic study in the UK medical journal The Lancet shows male mortality is greater than female mortality in every age group observed in a study of the Wuhan outbreak.

 

Statistics from epidemiological studies are all fine and dandy, until you put faces in place of numbers, especially if those faces are your friends , family and self. Risk of severe illness after infection may be statistically higher in older people, people with existing conditions, pregnant women, and those with Y chromosomes, but we are all at some risk, and we can all be vectors of the disease, passing it on to others.

 

But ... in the immortal words of Corporal Jones , "Don't panic!'  It is known (with a good degree of certainty) how the virus is passed on, and what we can do to to limit transmission. It's pretty straightforward, advice is everywhere .

 

One big problem is that there are no symptoms whatsoever that you have this sneaky virus for several days, so feeling OK some folk think it's OK to continue with life as normal. Not wise : best treat everyone as if they had it and you have it , even if you think you don't. Social distancing is keeping other humans at a safe distance, but not necessarily the same as staying in your home. And (as long as no laws forbid it) keeping your lungs, immune system and general physical and mental health in good shape with a solo walk in the relatively unpopulated countryside is risking nothing as long as you avoid human contact, and wash your hands.

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I understand the Announcements on planned Events.

 

I don't understand why is it still impossible to made an announcement on an archived Event. I'd very like to inform my guests about a situation progress and when I archive my future Events I will lost this possibility.

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Sorry, I have to be very critical. While Groundspeak Inc. staff is in a safe enviroment at home, it is obvious that they made a bad decision that threatens public health.

 

There are certain percentage od the people who are not sufficiently aware of the danger, as we can read here.

 

Groundspeak Inc. cannot deny responsibility because they provide logistical support.

 

 

On 3/15/2020 at 11:26 AM, Max and 99 said:

From the Geocaching blog:  Blog

Community first

Here at Geocaching HQ, we’re fortunate to have the option of working from home. Community is at the heart of everything we do, so right now, we’re all busy working to ensure that we can keep doing our best to support geocachers like you.

..

Generally, Geocaching HQ leaves the decision to Event hosts on whether to continue hosting the Event and to attendees on whether they will participate.
 

 

 

On 3/18/2020 at 2:29 PM, LizzyRN said:

I think outdoor events like CITOs are safe if folks maintain distance, wash their hands, cover their coughs, etc. You know, the stuff we should do regardless.  Fresh air is best! 

 

On 3/16/2020 at 3:28 AM, 31BMSG said:

The sky is falling! The sky is falling! So twitter is the new proponent for relaying information about infectious disease?

Edited by AleksSI
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So is all of this setting a precedent on how we as a society deal with things in the future like the flu which has historically racked up a way higher kdr than I expect the Wuhan virus ever will? Imagine shutting down the globe every fall for six months while waiting for this season's flu to pass and hoping that this season isn't a repeat of 1918. If any of the current panic is justified then that absolutely would be too for all the same reasons. I guess just to be on the safe side all public gatherings of any size be hearby outlawed in perpetuity for the good of mankind.

 

Something that keeps nagging at me. After returning home from my government recommended exercise I find that while living in the fourth largest city in the US I can tune in to my local networks for the latest corona coverage and find that all my local news teams (and national for that matter) seem to be oblivious to the single greatest global health crisis in the history of mankind since they continue to air their regular schedule instead of 24/7 updates like they do for so many far more insignificant happenings.

 

The saddest thing in all of this is the devastating impact it is going to have on the most economically vulnerable in our society for years to come. That damage is going to be very real.

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1 hour ago, fendmar said:

So is all of this setting a precedent on how we as a society deal with things in the future like the flu which has historically racked up a way higher kdr than I expect the Wuhan virus ever will? Imagine shutting down the globe every fall for six months while waiting for this season's flu to pass and hoping that this season isn't a repeat of 1918. If any of the current panic is justified then that absolutely would be too for all the same reasons. I guess just to be on the safe side all public gatherings of any size be hearby outlawed in perpetuity for the good of mankind.

Haven't you heard? The age of personal responsibility and common sense is over, you and I are just common people and need a government to run our lives for us. /s

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