A few words re COVID-19 - We will get through this, Talossans!

[GV]

Doubtless when the time is right, the PM and King will have their own words, but I feel compelled to add a few of my own.

It is no secret I am a religious person.  Naturally, I see spiritual and prophetic ramifications in COVID-19.  Of course, this is neither the time or place to elaborate further.

What I also see, however, is opportunity.  If these two weeks turn into eight weeks (as it is for me, with me being an artist), it will present enormous challenges, but also the unwanted and cursed free time will invite chances to make lemonade out of lemons in ways unexpected and different for each of us.

I strongly expect the next year to be the most difficult in the history of Talossa, if only in that it will be difficulty in all our lives not caused by anything Talossan.  For us as Talossans, this is novel!

Glüc, we have your back.  Anything we can do, and I know I speak for the PM and others on this, to help you in your job as SoS, you've only to ask.

PM Schivâ and the Leader of the Opposition (whose name escapes me), we have ya'll's back, too.  It is heartbreaking, Miestrâ, I will not be able to meet you, T, & F in Auckland this summer, and as I write this, the church choir trip to Paris slated for June also looks to be cancelled in the next week.  For the U. S., this is turning from a two-week unwanted vacation into an eight-week crushing blow.

My prayer for all us is inner peace and physical safety not only for us all, but every family represented.  The world has never really seen something like this before.

God, be with us all.  Fritz von Buchholtz, Harry Madison, Bill Cooper, Robert Dobberpuhl, Bill Renzi, et al, pray for us.

Yours always in Talossa and in life,

GV, Senator (Fiôvâ), Scribe, Royal Archivist, and former Seneschál

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

There are 8 reported cases in NZ as we speak, but no reported community transmission... yet.

[Eðo Grischun]

The UK has a little over 1100 confirmed cases just now, but the government estimates the real figure of untested active cases to be anywhere between 5k and 10k.  55 deaths in the UK so far.

In Scotland, here, we have had 1 death (near east coast) and have just over 170 confirmed cases, with most of those cases spread over the central belt.  Glasgow (my home town) and immediate surrounding area has most of those cases.

There are no mandated lockdowns just yet, but we expect that to happen in the next couple of weeks.  We expect an official closure of the schools by the end of the month, and it looks like the elderly are going to be asked to self-isolate from next week for anything up to 4 months.

Big football leagues have been postponed/cancelled. The Grand National (major horse racing event) cancelled.  Gatherings of over 500 people have been 'suggested' to cancel, and it looks like that's happening.  The concert halls and theaters in Glasgow have all closed for an indefinite period.  Tonight saw the start of pubs voluntarily closing with around a dozen of the most popular and busiest bars shutting shop.  The University of Glasgow and Strathclyde University have suspended face-to-face classes and the exams are all postponed.  Things are ramping up.

We are a little behind the curve compared to the countries in mainland Europe - Italy, Spain, France and Germany getting hit pretty hard.  The boffins are saying the UK is around 3 weeks behind Italy and that a huge peak in our numbers is inevitable.

[laurens]

This is a really inopportune time, considering I just applied for citizenship. I got slammed with the stress of the pandemic - school is closed, many of my friends are immunocompromised so I'm worried about them, the grocery stores are clearing out - as well as some of my own upcoming personal projects that are coming up, not to mention how my general day-to-day routine's been impacted by this.

I'll try my best to interact on here more often, so I hopefully become a citizen, but everything just got kicked into high gear at once.

Wash your hands, gang.

[Eðo Grischun]

This is a really inopportune time, considering I just applied for citizenship. I got slammed with the stress of the pandemic - school is closed, many of my friends are immunocompromised so I'm worried about them, the grocery stores are clearing out - as well as some of my own upcoming personal projects that are coming up, not to mention how my general day-to-day routine's been impacted by this.

I'll try my best to interact on here more often, so I hopefully become a citizen, but everything just got kicked into high gear at once.

Wash your hands, gang.

Don't worry too much about it.  With everything that is going on, we will be understanding of people's circumstances.

As things currently stand (and as long as nobody goes getting an injunction against The Lexifore Leeway Act) immigration applications stay live for 60 days.  If the situation with the epidemic worsens to the point where it is felt that the window should be extended further, then I will introduce emergency measures to lengthen, or even suspend, the time limits.

Check in whenever you can, but don't stress over it.  Look after yourself and the people around you.  Stay safe.

[Sir Lüc]

If anything, this emergency might be a good time to bring back the much fabled Talossa Evening Chat Show :P

[Ian Plätschisch]

If anything, this emergency might be a good time to bring back the much fabled Talossa Evening Chat Show :P

Super down for this: what would be a good day for you?

[GV]

If anything, this emergency might be a good time to bring back the much fabled Talossa Evening Chat Show :P

I've never heard of such a thing.  I've lots of time in the next 1.5 weeks - lol!

[Viteu]

I live in NYC and work in Westchester, the county just north of the Bronx. So I'm in the middle of this epicenter. There's been several attorneys and court staff at courthouses I've been in the last few weeks who have tested positive. And an employee at a shake shack I visited last week. But so far I'm fine.

Our courts are closed for non-essential appearances, which is giving me a much needed repreave to catch up on outstanding work. People are generally staying in, which is good, and I'm not too worried about getting sick.

I'm more worried about the world we will wake up in after this ends. But I'll save that for another time.

[Sir Lüc]

If anything, this emergency might be a good time to bring back the much fabled Talossa Evening Chat Show :P

Super down for this: what would be a good day for you?

Well, pretty much any, probably, except maybe the weekend as I'm helping with redeveloping my former house for my family to move back into it (bad period for that huh?) so I will probably be pretty tired.

As for the time, I suppose that 4 PM TST (TDT?), which is 9 PM GMT I think, would be fine to get people from both sides of the Atlantic on?

[GV]

If anything, this emergency might be a good time to bring back the much fabled Talossa Evening Chat Show :P

Super down for this: what would be a good day for you?

Well, pretty much any, probably, except maybe the weekend as I'm helping with redeveloping my former house for my family to move back into it (bad period for that huh?) so I will probably be pretty tired.

As for the time, I suppose that 4 PM TST (TDT?), which is 9 PM GMT I think, would be fine to get people from both sides of the Atlantic on?

If in the next seven days, yes, literally any time will work.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

Number of reported cases in NZ up to 28 39. No community transmission identified, yet. We've closed the borders (easier to do on an island 2000km from anywhere else)

[laurens]

There are 3 probable cases in my city. (Heard from a friend who went to the hospital for a check-up; nurse was in full protective gear, who asked if my friend had any symptoms. Friend overheard that 3 people at the hospital displayed COVID-19 symptoms.)

Some schools in my state are closed for a month. At this rate, they'll all be closed for the rest of the school year.

Woohoo, spring break... city is completely dead.

[Viteu]

Cuomo's PAUSE "I swear it's not a shelter-in-place because reasons" Order hasn't even gone into effect yet (just shy of three hours), I just got back to my apartment and I'm already in full cabin fever mode.

In any event, New York is apparently now the epicenter (at least in the US) because of the high numbers of cases, but that's not really considering how much New York is out-testing other states. Say what one will about Cuomo (and I disagree with him a lot even though I voted for him), but he's the Governor NY needs at the moment.

[Miestră Schivă, UrN]

The fever that swept Twitter for that _Sex and the City_ lady's challenge for NY Governor has led to the establishment of Cuomo's Law: "Twitter political movements have absolutely no impact in real life".