Son-In-Law Tests Positive !

[cangelmd]

4 hours ago, canderson said:

And yet cases are cases are cases to any governmental agency.  No real interest in distinguishing between delta cases and omicron cases in the positivity rates and case totals, and those positivity rates and case totals are being used to drive all kinds of public (and private!) policy.  The CLIA is in a really tough and unenviable spot at the moment with a senator publicly using the tired old 'petri dish' analogy and calling for the industry to completely shut down again.

 

It seems Celebrity is doing all of the drawing inside the lines that it can right now, but it's hard to see how any of the current mitigation protocols are going to be able to produce the outcome that outside agencies want to see - in spite of the lack of more than a VERY rare truly negative outcome for passengers due to their vaccination status and the nature of the latest variant.

 

I was a little worried earlier when it appeared from one post that contact traces were now being held in the red zone, but - whew - it turns out that this isn't the case.  I'm sure a lot of Celebrity passengers are more comfortable booking knowing that if they get caught in the contact trap, they will continue to be allowed to do their 2 day quarantine in their own cabins, with only the inconvenience of required masking in public spaces afterward.

 

As I have noted earlier, we could have an even milder and more infections variant next, and you can bet that much of the policy will continue to be based upon positivity rate and 'case' count.  Current PCR and antigen tests can't tell the difference, and unless someone has a source for cheap in-home sequencers, we're stuck with this paradigm until a lot of government wonks wake up to the fact that a new approach is going to be necessary.

 

Sorrry

/rant

 

 

We may get shut down, but in defense of the powers that be, they have to make pronouncements that apply nationwide, and for that they need a lot of solid data. That data is being collected, but it is impossible for it to be collated and have appropriate review in what is almost real time. The fact that the quarantine and isolation period was reduced means they are looking at data and trying to right size the response (and a that change may have been based more on delta). - omicron may burn itself out by Valentine’s Day.

 I pretty much agree with your rant, but it won’t/can’t happen fast enough to help my next cruise!

We need more sequencing capacity in the US, and likely a tighter strategy for surveillance for variants, because you can’t sequence everyone, but foremost we need more immunity worldwide 

 

[kearney]

If you are trying to cruise right now and require air travel to get to port... it really seems you have to have the patience of Job and the luck of the Irish (except in the Fiesta Bowl..but I digress). OPs trip is a cautionary tale on how messed up things can get... with everything that can go wrong just getting an actual test within the timeframe, airline cancelations due to covid or weather or other staffing issues, the need to have negative test results for everyone in an environment where Omicron is running wild. I would say the odds of everything going smoothly are against you.   We are scheduled for one in Feb and while we had luck in Dec... we drove and are close enough that we could get tested and get results before getting out of state... but back then tests were plentiful and no lines...now... well... my plan is to see if Omicron begins to fade by Feb 1... if news is relatively positive I will make an appointment and reevaluate based on ease of securing one.. if there are still lines.. I will order the home kit... assuming it is available. if things are still nuts..we will reschedule...    I really feel for OP... we lucked out and there is a part of me that doesn't want to push my luck.. but I would love to go..