Fwd: Coronavirus week no 15 since 21/08/20 as at 27/11/20 - 105 days plus associated political homilies

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: James Donald <tiare.taporo3@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2020 at 18:33
Subject: Coronavirus week no 15 since 21/08/20 as at 27/11/20 - 105 days plus associated political homilies
To: Alex Donald <adonald@abdonaldltd.co.nz>

Hi to all,

As usual hope you are all in the pink - but not in the red!! The following are the usual Chinese Virus statistics:- 

MUNDO - World

Total cases - 61,526,030 - (21,168,111) - up 40,357,919 or 190.7%

Deaths - 1,441,419 - 2.3% -  (759,328 - 3.6%) - up 682,091 or 89.8%

Recoveries - 42,556,973 - 69.2% - (13,984,843 - 66.1%) up 28,572,130 or 204.3%

Therefore active cases - 17,527,638 - 28.5% - (6,425,939 - 30.3%) - up 11,101,699 or 172.8%. Of the total population of 7,828,284,299 (7,804,380,455), the percentage of active cases is 0.224% (0.082%) of the total world population.

Total active cases per 1 million of total population - 2,239 - (1,437).

The figures are still going in the wrong direction, which is still a concern for overall recovery in the world.

ESTADOS UNIDOS - United States

Total cases - 13,266,819 - (5,429,,115) - up 7,837,704 or 144.4%

Deaths - 269,692 - 2.0% -  (170,781 - 3.2%) - up 98,911 or 57.9%

Recoveries - 7,852,415 - 59.2% -  (2,844,535 - 52.4%) - up 5,007,880 or 176.1%

Therefore active cases - 5,144,712 - 38.8% -  (2,413,829 - 44.6%) - up 2,730,883 or 113.1%. Of the total population of 331,790,984 (331,236,184), the percentage of active cases is 1.551% (0.729%) of the total population.

Total active cases per 1 million of total population - 15,506 - (9,043).

The figures are not improving. Maybe the vaccine(s) will help, but we're not holding our breath - mainly because the approval period is far too short and there could well be so far unknown adverse health effects which develop over time - even a relatively short time.. 

Compared to last week the figures are:

Total cases up 1,027,943 or 8.4%

Deaths up 9,746 or 3.8%

Recoveries up 560,698 or 7.7%

Active cases up 457,499 or 9.8%

However, we must also comment on lockdowns and masks. It's now been shown time and again that lockdowns do not stop the C Virus spread, except that places like theatres and anywhere where there is potential for large groups to gather, should maintain effective crowd control and adequate distancing. Then it's a question of whether the various establishments can be financially viable with these restrictions.

As regards masks, we think that there is a case for them indoors wherever larger groups are present, but that any insistence on wearing them outside, or in vehicles, except for public transport, is just nonsense. Here we see people jogging, riding pushbikes or driving their own cars, wearing them and it's ridiculous and prejudicial to good health in the long run.

Then you have various states in the US with their own various rules, which in the case of Democrat controlled states, are usually the most draconian and ludicrous, and we strongly suspect are designed to cow and control an already frightened population. It of course suits the extreme left's plans for further control and can be seen as a "softening-up" process. For example, 25 people at a gathering have to wear masks, but 18 don't!!  To which planet do these people belong? Wherever it is, they should return toute de suite (imediatemente)!!  

Finally some words about the election on which we have already commented in detail in the past. We still do not accept that Trump has lost. With the plethora of lawsuits being raised by the Trump Team lawyers and with credible figures involving many instances of blatant electoral fraud (many of which are headed for the Supreme Court, after being thrown out by lower Democrat controlled and crooked judges), anything could happen. In fact a judge in Pennsylvania who ordered the crooked Secretary of State for Pennsylvania to stop any vote confirmation process, has said that in her opinion Trump will win the state after an initial Biden "majority" of 80,000. When you add in Georgia, Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada, all with the same issues,Trump looks a certainty. And of course if these fraudulent situations are finally confirmed by the Supreme Court - or even some of them - then for democracy's sake alone, Trump should be confirmed.

The problem though is that the Trump Team is running out of time as the Electoral College sits on Dec. 20th. We don't know, and we suspect no-one knows as this is unprecedented, whether the Supreme Court would have the constitutional ability to order variation to these dates, but such is the blatant and massive scale of fraud that certainly appears to have occurred, the greatest democracy in the world would become at least a very sad laughing stock if they allowed such a situation to be ratified without absolute legal proof one way or the other. Regardless of how much time it takes.

For further reliable details you could check out the Epoch Times and Newsmax websites. Even Fox News is worth a look, but Fox News has disgracefully already declared Biden as the President-elect, which along with CNN et al, they have no legal right to do. In fact the Electoral College is the ONLY body with the legal authority to declare a President-elect, and this has NOT occurred.

There have been increasing naval skirmishes in disputed waters where the latest is that the Royal Malaysian Navy opened fire on a Chinese Coastguard vessel. This is one of many such actions involving Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei in very recent times. In addition there is also extensive naval presence in these waters by the US, Australia and the UK. 

And China is threatening the members of the 5 Eyes Intelligence countries of NZ, Australia, the US, Canada and the UK with "eye gouging" if they continue to criticise the Uighur genocide in Xinjiang and removal of all democratic rights in Hong Kong. In Chinese culture this constitutes a serious threat. We would not like to be NZ nationals in Communist China right now.

On top of that China is in serious financial trouble with several very major companies defaulting on their debt obligations in recent days. And there are again serious floods in the Yangtze Valley with the 3 Gorges Dam again under major threat with the risk of over-topping the dam itself. That means that the water depth on the upside of the dam is at least 175 metres, way above its safe operating limit. Many experts are saying that it is only a matter of time before this dam (2.3 kms across the river) collapses. If a massive failure such as this were to occur, 400 million Chinese living and working downstream would be at serious risk. This also includes the city of Shanghai.

So, God knows what to make of all this. All we can be sure of is that if Biden were to be elected President, the results could be catastrophic for SE Asia, Australia and NZ and for the US itself. IT MUST NOT HAPPEN; TRUMP MUST WIN.  

  

COLOMBIA

Total cases - 1,280,487 - (433,805) - up 846,682 or 195.2%

Deaths - 36,019 - 2.8% (14,145 - 3.3%) - up 21,874  or 154.6%

Recoveries - 1,181,753 - 92.3% (250,494 - 57.7%) - up 931,259 or 371.8%

Therefore active cases - 62,715 - 4.9% (169,196 - 39.0%) - down 106,481 or 62.9%. Of the total population of 51,102,128 (50,948,628), the percentage of active cases is 0.123%  (0.332%) of the total population.

Total active cases per 1 million of total population - 1,227 - (1,367)

The figures really just indicate that the country is holding its own at the moment. Perhaps that is all that we can expect, given the world figures. And apparently there is a possibility that Colombia could reinstate its insistence on travellers to Colombia needing approved C Virus negative tests before they can board any Colombia bound flights. 

Latest headlines from the English language Colombia Reports - www.colombiareports.com

Nov. 22nd. Colombia apparently neglecting primary Coronavirus policy

Nov. 22nd. At least 5 killed in southwest Colombia massacre

Nov. 22nd. Paramilitaries shut down home turf in northern Colombia

Nov. 23rd. Colombia shocked by two massacres on one day as Duque goes mute

Nov. 23rd. Colombia's ruling party hoping Uribe's son can prevent downfall?

Nov. 24th. Colombia massacred 24 inmates during Coronavirus prison riot

Nov. 25th. Duque "not afraid of the truth" about Colombia's armed conflict; maybe he should be?

Nov. 25th. Colombia blaming peace deal for government failures

Nov. 25th. Mismanagement leaves Colombia's Hurricane Iota victims without drinking water for a week

Nov. 25th. Colombia's war crimes tribunal grills government over FARC killings

Nov. 26th. The tragedy of Hassan Nassar, Colombia's propaganda chief

Nov.26th. Uribe probe raises suspicion Colombia's banks sponsored terrorism.

Nov. 27th. Sergio Arboleda University: educating Colombia's mafia

Nov. 27th. Colombia's former chief prosecutor facing "high treason" charge

Nov. 27th. How Colombia's top corporate lawyer became a "threat to national security"

This latter headline is mind-blowing. 

We have been aware that we should do something about up-grading our medical insurance. This has been mainly driven by our frustrating experiences with the Sura EPS bureaucracy and huge delays in seeing a doctor or specialist. To be fair though, the C Virus hasn't helped with this. Anyway, we had a marathon 3 hour meeting with an insurance broker who had been recommended to us by our friend, Clara. He is in fact one of Clara's nephews. He spoke excellent English and is an accomplished sailor, so that wasted some time discussing this most important topic!! He wants to do some ocean passages, so we gave him some advice about that. An upgrade to our existing (compulsory) cover would cost us an extra COP 533,709 (approx. NZD 214) per month, so it's certainly doable. And it gives us quick access to many doctors, internalists and specialists. And the option of a private room in the event of hospitalisation. We had tended to devalue the importance of all this, but Clara spoke to us sternly and we now agree!

And reasonably good news about the car. They finally worked out how to remove the starter motor without taking the engine off its mounts - only needing to remove the exhaust manifold. Apparently the internal condition of the starter motor was "very bad" so it needed to be done, but it's unbelievable that Mercedes used such a poor quality item - probably Chinese - and compounded the issue by making it very difficult to remove. They are definitely not like Jim's 1st Mercedes - a 1963 220S bought in 1978 and kept for 10 years. As strong as the proverbial brick outhouse and front seats like armchairs. But like most things, things today are definitely not what they were.

We are soldiering on and going (by taxi!) to the Mercado Campesino Sunday (tomorrow) morning. Always a pleasant experience, especially talking to our friend, Natalia, who makes hand-made Pesto and Tahini. A bit expensive but definitely worth it. And the guy who has gelatina which we take for our knees (rodellas). Getting old is not for the faint-hearted!!.

    

AUSTRALIA

Total cases - 27,873 - (23,035) - up 4,838 or 21.0%

Deaths - 907 - 3.3% (370 - 1.7%) - up 537 or 145.1%

Recoveries - 25,570 - 91.7% - (13,634 - 59.2%) - up 11,936 or 87.6%

Therefore active cases - 1,396 - 5.0% - (9,022 - 39.2%) - down 7,626 or 84.5%. Of the total population of 25,619,372 (25,536,804), the percentage of active cases is 0.0054% (0.04%) of the total population.

Total active cases per 1 million of total population - 55 (56).

Getting better, but like NZ, Australia at some point has to rejoin this C Virus world. The longer that borders remain locked, the worse the economic situation will become. And we were not very pleased to read that the Qantas CEO has said that there will be no international travel unless passengers can prove C Virus vaccination. This will rule us out, unless and until we can be convinced that these vaccines are safe and do not contain animal DNA and apparently an ingredient that is detected by scanners, such as at airports. Time will tell.

NUEVA ZELANDA - New Zealand

Total cases - 2,047 - (1,714) - up 333 or 19.4%

Deaths - 25 - 1.2% - (22 - 1.4%) - up 3 or 13.6%

Recoveries - 1,956 - 95.6% -  (1,531 - 95.6%) - up 425 or 27.8%

Therefore active cases - 66 - 3.2% - (49 - 3.0%) - up 17 or 34.7%. Of the total population of 5,002,100 (5,002,100), the percentage of active cases is 0.0013% - (0.001%) of the total population.

Total active cases per 1 million of population 13 - (14). 

Some increase in cases, but they appear to be all related to the Pakistani Cricket Team, who have been behaving badly in quarantine and openly defying and criticising NZ in the most arrogant terms. Although we are in favour of relaxing border restrictions, such as for law-abiding cruising yachts looking for a cyclone haven, we think that in the case of the Pakistanis they should all be sent home and told to toe the line in future. 

Finally an amusing little tale - 

There's a comedy/historical skit that keeps playing on Fox News and we thought you might be interested - 

A young lady is interviewing the owner of an authentic ex-speakeasy in New York City. Prohibition lasted in America from 1920-1933. 13 years!  The owner explains to her how a medical prescription was one of only 2 legal ways to get alcohol and he recounts the story of a lady who got a bottle of bourbon for pregnancy!!

The young lady interviewer responds with a classic New York accent saying - "a nice big healthy gallon o' gin"!! Of course large doses of alcohol were sometimes used to try and induce abortions. Horrible things that in their ignorance people did to each other. 

Well, that's it again for another week......................stay well

Lotsaluv from us in Medellin - the City of Eternal Spring - although right now somewhat cold, and we've had some thunder and lightning this afternoon,

Jim and Jean