COVID 19 (CORONA VIRUS) UPDATES FOR ALL NATIONALITIES & STATUS

Bit confusing... if you are quarantined or in self-isolation, how are you supposed to get to HCM or Hanoi without risking a clubbing from the guards? 

Some of the comments were entertaining.  I find it hard to believe that there are four people in two single rooms for three days and the only thing given to them in THREE DAYS is a single bottle of water and towels.

Brick23 wrote:

Bit confusing... if you are quarantined or in self-isolation, how are you supposed to get to HCM or Hanoi without risking a clubbing from the guards? 

or if you have managed to dig a tunnel & escape, get on a bus, stopped for food & toilet twice at rest stops & when you get to HCMC or Ha Noi you test positive. That would go down a bundle right enough!

Since I know full well that Her Majestys Fine Government don't give a merry hoot, this tells me they are likely acting upon local instruction. The VN gov wants us gone.

I don't like being herded, but if international banking suffers a hiccup, we're all screwed.

Brick23 wrote:

Since I know full well that Her Majestys Fine Government don't give a merry hoot, this tells me they are likely acting upon local instruction. The VN gov wants us gone.

I don't like being herded, but if international banking suffers a hiccup, we're all screwed.

Better scrape some cash together for the one way ticket then

They are handling it well except it's a mistake to overcharge on visa extensions. Most other countries are offering an amnesty of sorts and bear in mind there are Vietnamese trapped abroad too. Legally and illegally. This unnecessary climate of fear (about immigration status not the virus) will bite them back. All it takes is one backpacker to go in hiding to avoid visa charges or virus treatment costs and it will become an even bigger problem for foreigners and locals.

Bit of compassion, let every already inside stay to ride it out. It will generate much better goodwill  and repeat tourism in future over slowly closing the door whilst shooing out your guests.

phikachu wrote:

They are handling it well except it's a mistake to overcharge on visa extensions. Most other countries are offering an amnesty of sorts and bear in mind there are Vietnamese trapped abroad too. Legally and illegally. This unnecessary climate of fear (about immigration status not the virus) will bite them back. All it takes is one backpacker to go in hiding to avoid visa charges or virus treatment costs and it will become an even bigger problem for foreigners and locals.

Bit of compassion, let every already inside stay to ride it out. It will generate much better goodwill  and repeat tourism in future over slowly closing the door whilst shooing out your guests.

Even with so many posts on here there still doesn't seem to be a clear picture re visa extensions. It seems to be as much about where you are as anything else. My extension was fairly easy and cheap, others are saying they need Vultures ( agents ) to even apply for one and have to pay stupid amounts of money.

CNN this morning reporting Corona rescue package fails to get through USA Senate. Jeez you would think they could get together on that one at least!

WTF is going on in Italy!! just can hardly believe it!! they seem to have lost complete control

goodolboy wrote:

WTF is going on in Italy!! just can hardly believe it!! they seem to have lost complete control

Huh? If there's been any change from the situation of the last 2-3 weeks, I've missed the news...

atomheart wrote:

goodolboy wrote:

WTF is going on in Italy!! just can hardly believe it!! they seem to have lost complete control

Huh? If there's been any change from the situation of the last 2-3 weeks, I've missed the news...

Well there were more than 600 deaths confirmed in last 24 hours period & day before similar numbers. Total of 5,500 deaths, that's pretty dire numbers & they must be doing something wrong somewhere I think!

Canada has offered its citizens in financial 'dire straights' a loan of up to $5000 to return.

goodolboy wrote:

atomheart wrote:

goodolboy wrote:

WTF is going on in Italy!! just can hardly believe it!! they seem to have lost complete control

Huh? If there's been any change from the situation of the last 2-3 weeks, I've missed the news...

Well there were more than 600 deaths confirmed in last 24 hours period & day before similar numbers. Total of 5,500 deaths, that's pretty dire numbers & they must be doing something wrong somewhere I think!

Oh don't worry, the US, UK and many other first world countries will also get there.

atomheart wrote:

goodolboy wrote:

atomheart wrote:

Huh? If there's been any change from the situation of the last 2-3 weeks, I've missed the news...

Well there were more than 600 deaths confirmed in last 24 hours period & day before similar numbers. Total of 5,500 deaths, that's pretty dire numbers & they must be doing something wrong somewhere I think!

Oh don't worry, the US, UK and many other first world countries will also get there.

Total number of cases, sure, but a mortality rate pushing 10%? Not likely.

Most obvious explanations for the Italian anomonly (and Spain too, also oddly high mortality rate) is that the reported case number is much lower than the actual number of infected individuals in the country, and possibly they are assigning blame to the virus whether it was the actual cause of death or not in all these old/otherwise sick folk.

Maybe some cultural reasons too, Italians and Spanish are big on hugging and kissing each other more than most cultures?

Brick23 wrote:

atomheart wrote:

goodolboy wrote:

Well there were more than 600 deaths confirmed in last 24 hours period & day before similar numbers. Total of 5,500 deaths, that's pretty dire numbers & they must be doing something wrong somewhere I think!

Oh don't worry, the US, UK and many other first world countries will also get there.

Total number of cases, sure, but a mortality rate pushing 10%? Not likely.

Most obvious explanations for the Italian anomonly (and Spain too, also oddly high mortality rate) is that the reported case number is much lower than the actual number of infected individuals in the country, and possibly they are assigning blame to the virus whether it was the actual cause of death or not in all these old/otherwise sick folk.

Maybe some cultural reasons too, Italians and Spanish are big on hugging and kissing each other more than most cultures?

Yea, thats more like what I was asking, 600 deaths says there a lot more infections I think.On a positive not in my home country they are not much into that huggy, kissy thing so they might just get away with less infections. You missed out France though & they are into that even between men!!

Brick23 wrote:

Total number of cases, sure, but a mortality rate pushing 10%? Not likely.

Mortality rate is over 10% globally right now. Let me remind you that when the oubreak was in china only, the rate was near 50% for a couple of weeks, let's not pretend that you understand numbers. 

atomheart wrote:

Brick23 wrote:

Total number of cases, sure, but a mortality rate pushing 10%? Not likely.

Mortality rate is over 10% globally right now. Let me remind you that when the oubreak was in china only, the rate was near 50% for a couple of weeks, let's not pretend that you understand numbers. 

Uh huh. Latest figures from Johns Hopkins put total cases at 328,275 (almost certainly a vast underestimate) and total deaths at 14,366 (almost certainly includes many cases where the virus was present but not the actual cause of death.)

By what voodoo math do you arrive at an "over 10%" mortality rate?

Brick23 wrote:

By what voodoo math do you arrive at an "over 10%" mortality rate?

I described that voodoo math in other topics in the vietnam forums, and I really don't benefit from repeating myself. 

goodolboy wrote:

CNN this morning reporting Corona rescue package fails to get through USA Senate. Jeez you would think they could get together on that one at least!

Two completely unrelated pork projects the Dems are trying to get into the package are:

Forgiving $10,000 in student loans per person for anyone that has them
Money for abortion centers

I cannot see why they would even target those two things when they are trying to solve a funding program for corona but they for some reason won't be denied to make it all about the left.

goodolboy wrote:

CNN this morning reporting Corona rescue package fails to get through USA Senate. Jeez you would think they could get together on that one at least!

The Republicans want to give a large amount of money to businesses without any controls, and the Democrats want some controls over how it is used.  They want the money focused on keeping people employed.

Brick23 wrote:

atomheart wrote:

Brick23 wrote:

Total number of cases, sure, but a mortality rate pushing 10%? Not likely.

Mortality rate is over 10% globally right now. Let me remind you that when the oubreak was in china only, the rate was near 50% for a couple of weeks, let's not pretend that you understand numbers. 

Uh huh. Latest figures from Johns Hopkins put total cases at 328,275 (almost certainly a vast underestimate) and total deaths at 14,366 (almost certainly includes many cases where the virus was present but not the actual cause of death.)

By what voodoo math do you arrive at an "over 10%" mortality rate?

Brick . . You are right of course. Take off those that already had underlying health disorders that would have killed them off from flu etc anyway and the actual death rate entirely due to Coronavirus and the real figure is probably less than 4%.  Trying to make that obvious reality apparent to Atom whatever is more likely to bring about your demise from banging your head on a brick wall than the virus itself. The armageddon theory of Billions of deaths is, for some peculiar warped reason, something that a few want to cling to. It is just another virus and there will be many more. Take care, be sensible and there is no need to join the 4%.

paulmsn wrote:

goodolboy wrote:

CNN this morning reporting Corona rescue package fails to get through USA Senate. Jeez you would think they could get together on that one at least!

The Republicans want to give a large amount of money to businesses without any controls, and the Democrats want some controls over how it is used.  They want the money focused on keeping people employed.

I think that your statement might be a bit overstated.  I do think the Republicans want controls.  Trump even said that he doesn't want the money used for stock buybacks and he wants a two year freeze on executive pay.  Dems don't think that's enough.  So a more apt description is that Republicans want some controls on how it's used and the Democrats want more controls than what were offered.

SteinNebraska wrote:

paulmsn wrote:

goodolboy wrote:

CNN this morning reporting Corona rescue package fails to get through USA Senate. Jeez you would think they could get together on that one at least!

The Republicans want to give a large amount of money to businesses without any controls, and the Democrats want some controls over how it is used.  They want the money focused on keeping people employed.

I think that your statement might be a bit overstated.  I do think the Republicans want controls.  Trump even said that he doesn't want the money used for stock buybacks and he wants a two year freeze on executive pay.  Dems don't think that's enough.  So a more apt description is that Republicans want some controls on how it's used and the Democrats want more controls than what were offered.

Did the Democrats do the same thing when Obama bailed the banks out.

BBC World News this morning UK government advises all UK citizens abroad to return to UK ASAP........return to what I wonder?

So the House suggested stimulus bill is supposed to be for the people.  In the bill it additionally seeks to eliminate debt held by the U.S. Postal Service, require same-day voter registration, expansion of Union collective bargaining power, pay off $10,000 in student debt per person, expansion of wind and solar tax credits, mandate that airlines reduce their overall carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2050, and force federal agencies to explain to Congress how they are increasing their usage of "minority banks" and bolster the Obamaphone program.  How any of this is even remotely tied to helping the people who are out of a job or businesses that may go under are beyond me.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision,” Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told lawmakers

Do politicians ever do anything that is good for the people of their country.......NO.

colinoscapee wrote:

Do politicians ever do anything that is good for the people of their country.......NO.

I actually held out hope they would this time.  The entire government and country came together after 9/11.  It did happen then and I really thought it would again this time.  The impact of this event is bigger than 9/11.

goodolboy wrote:

BBC World News this morning UK government advises all UK citizens abroad to return to UK ASAP........return to what I wonder?

Also if we did want to.. return how ? Most airlines are grounding their fleets.

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Also if we did want to.. return how ? Most airlines are grounding their fleets.

On Thursday, a tenant in my building will depart to Singapore on Singapore Airlines then to Heathrow  a separate ticket.

SteinNebraska wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Do politicians ever do anything that is good for the people of their country.......NO.

I actually held out hope they would this time.  The entire government and country came together after 9/11.  It did happen then and I really thought it would again this time.  The impact of this event is bigger than 9/11.

Maybe the US govt could get its citizens to drink cow urine. Some mental giant in India has said it cures Corona.

Got a feeling he meant to say it tastes like Corona beer.

colinoscapee wrote:

SteinNebraska wrote:

colinoscapee wrote:

Do politicians ever do anything that is good for the people of their country.......NO.

I actually held out hope they would this time.  The entire government and country came together after 9/11.  It did happen then and I really thought it would again this time.  The impact of this event is bigger than 9/11.

Maybe the US govt could get its citizens to drink cow urine. Some mental giant in India has said it cures Corona.

Got a feeling he meant to say it tastes like Corona beer.

  frothy head n all straight from the pump

They are pushing a bill without controls, so how is your belief justified?

"Democratic concerns have focused on a $500 billion funding program Republicans want to create for loans and loan guarantees, with some Democrats calling it a “slush fund” that lacks any oversight because the Treasury Department would have broad discretion over who receives the money. Asked about this Monday evening, Trump responded, “I’ll be the oversight.”

There is little precedent for a program with a similar size and scope. Republicans have said the funding would be handled appropriately and that a cash infusion of this scale is necessary to address a major economic crisis. As a final step in talks Monday, Senate negotiators were working on putting an oversight mechanism in place."

[link under review]

Those are promises only, not any actual controls.

Jlgarbutt wrote:

Also if we did want to.. return how ? Most airlines are grounding their fleets.

If the UK government takes the same actions as the VN government, UK citizens would only need to register with the Consulate General and the CG would arrange a flight for them, no need for commercial airlines (they have to pay, of course, but regular passengers would not be on the flight).

The Vietnamese government have sent Vietnam Airlines abroad to transport their citizens home twice, and if the Vietnamese in Eastern Europe continue the pressure, they probably have to do that again.  That's the reason they plan to change the policy of free treatment for returning VIetnamese, to discourage the influx of freeloaders.

SteinNebraska wrote:

So the House suggested stimulus bill is supposed to be for the people.  In the bill it additionally seeks to eliminate debt held by the U.S. Postal Service, require same-day voter registration, expansion of Union collective bargaining power, pay off $10,000 in student debt per person, expansion of wind and solar tax credits, mandate that airlines reduce their overall carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2050, and force federal agencies to explain to Congress how they are increasing their usage of "minority banks" and bolster the Obamaphone program.  How any of this is even remotely tied to helping the people who are out of a job or businesses that may go under are beyond me.

“This is a tremendous opportunity to restructure things to fit our vision,” Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told lawmakers

So in addition to all of the ridiculous pork outlined above, here are a few more gems that the Dem controlled House has in their proposed bill.  Someone please tell me how this is helping the corona virus situation.

$300 million for the National Endowment of the Arts
$300 million for the National Endowment of the Humanities
$100 million for NASA
$278 million for the IRS
$35 million for the JFK performing arts center in Washington DC

Deleted.

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics … -outbreak/

goodolboy wrote:

https://www.khaosodenglish.com/politics/2020/03/24/prayut-asks-cabinet-to-impose-emergency-decree-amid-outbreak/

The sound of yet more coffin nails being hammered through my flight arrangements haha. Eh, I always hated the 4km slog from one end of BKK to the other.

So more keeps coming out.  Here is the most recent list of critical items that I have come upon on what needs to be funded in the House version of the Corona Virus bill.

Bail out the post office
Pay off some portion of college loans
$2,000 for every American
Limit ICE and border patrol
Publish corporate pay stats by race for all corporate boards
Permanent paid leave
Mandate a federal minimum wage of $15
Rescued companies must abide by the Democrat rules
No voter ID and anonymous ballot harvesting
Require early voting, online registration, vote by mail, and same-day voting (aka voter fraud)
Provide cash for unions via official time for collective bargaining
A full offset of airline emissions
Climate change study on aviation
Restricting colleges from providing information about illegal aliens
Money for Planned Parenthood
The publication of greenhouse gas emissions for flights
Double the endowment for the arts to $300 million
Reinstatement of Obamaphones
Funding for NOAA
$100 million for NASA
$278 million for IRS
On page 127, the Institute for Museum and Library Services is given $500,000,000 “respond to coronavirus” by granting States, museums, territories and tribes “to expand digital network access, purchase tablets and other internet-enabled devices, for operational expenses, and provide technical support”.
Earmarked for an ambiguous “Construction and Environmental Compliance and Restoration,” the bill grants $100,000,000 “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus” on page 18.
$35 million for the Kennedy Center
$300M for Migration and Refugee Assistance
Extends immigrant visas and work permits
On page 119, Gallaudet University is granted $7,000,000 “to help defray expenses (which may include lost revenue, reimbursement for expenses already incurred, technology costs associated with a transition to distance learning, faculty and staff trainings and payroll)”.
Howard University receives $13,000,000 for similar open-ended expenses on page 123. Howard’s endowment fund currently stands at $692,800,000.
Blocks denying funds to sanctuary cities
Expands wind and solar tax credits
On page 88, the “Ryan White HIV/AIDS program” receives an additional $90,000,000, according to language in the bill.
and retirement plans for newspaper employees — nothing like making newspapers even more beholden to Democrat politicians.

Not sure why there are some posts that are not relevant to Vietnam and more focused on the USA on here but, as I can see the airport from my apartment, I find it curious that whilst there has certainly been less air traffic lately there are still a good number of flights both landing and taking off. Assuming there are at least 100 passengers per flight arriving and all have to comply with quarantine then where on earth are they putting them all ?