CDC adjusts warnings

[Ken the cruiser]

3 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

Just as I said: Self-centered, "all about me", " the world revolves around me",  etc... That's my opinion. You and others have your own. That's both the good and bad of living in a free society., and I absolutely defend your right to be wrong.

I'm sorry, but I'm confused. We sit in out of the way locations in the theater and the various dining rooms we eat in, wear masks when we are on the elevator or in crowded areas like Celebrity Central, sit in the back of the tour bus when we're on a Celebrity excursion, and basically try to avoid passengers when we have an alternate route available to avoid walking through a congested ship. How is that being "self-centered" and all about us?

[Bluewake]

Living in the era of covid is, from my experience, akin to defensive driving. It would be wonderful if I could expect everyone to signal when turning, adhere to speed limits, look before they pull out, not tailgate, and yield when required to do so by traffic laws or social concern.  Alas, as my wife reminds me daily, such expectations are unrealistic. I encounter drivers who engage in most of the aforementioned activities just about every time I go anywhere.  It seems to me that leaves me with three choices:  (1) stay home and not drive; (2) assume that I may encounter a dangerous driver at any point and take whatever precautions I can to prevent being hit;  (3) drive as aggressively and obnoxiously as the others (which, believe it or not, actually is the "treat fire with fire" philosophy of someone whom I know)

 

Now, transpose this to the covid situation.  Yes, I'd appreciate it if everyone on a cruise ship took precautions such as getting vaccinated, masking indoors and in close crowds, respecting social distance, and not going out when ill or having tested positive because, in my opinion, it might make for a safer cruising experience for all.  But, that is as unlikely to occur as drivers signaling every time they turn.  Sure, that could be because there are some selfish person who are concerned only about themselves but I am more inclined to think that it is because there are a lot of people who have decided that the opportunity to cruise outweighs the potential risks and they just want to move on.  Since I don't want to stay home, I have to learn to cruise defensively.

 

[Guppy99]

1 hour ago, Ken the cruiser said:

I'm sorry, but I'm confused. We sit in out of the way locations in the theater and the various dining rooms we eat in, wear masks when we are on the elevator or in crowded areas like Celebrity Central, sit in the back of the tour bus when we're on a Celebrity excursion, and basically try to avoid passengers when we have an alternate route available to avoid walking through a congested ship. How is that being "self-centered" and all about us?

I am reacting to your exact words. Perhaps you actually mean something different. No one hear is likely to sway my feelings on the matter. Neither will I sway others who just want it all to be over and have turned the corner to one of too bad for other people.

So...I really have nothing more to say.

[Spif Barwunkel]

At some point, earnest discussion morphs into repetitive nuisance and the subsequent banter becomes meaningless and non-productive. Hence, further discussion is diluted and serves no purpose.

 

In such instances it might be best to "put a sock in it", get a good nights rest and come back tomorrow. Perhaps by then some folks would have issued their own gag order. 

[Guppy99]

3 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

At some point, earnest discussion morphs into repetitive nuisance and the subsequent banter becomes meaningless and non-productive. Hence, further discussion is diluted and serves no purpose.

 

In such instances it might be best to "put a sock in it", get a good nights rest and come back tomorrow. Perhaps by then some folks would have issued their own gag order. 

Really...spare us the lecture. Here's the sweetest thing about social media. You can leave or discontinue participating whenever you want.  No one is holding a gun to your head. We are not all here to entertain you, and then stop when you have had enough. I appreciate the folks who posted  and debated with me, because it actually does give me pause to consider my position.  Marketplace of ideas and all that.  The truth is that when you get that notification that someone has posted, you simply can't help yourself and have to read. However, being weary of the discussion, you want it to end. Quite a conundrum.

[canderson]

noun

1. a temporary stop or rest, especially in speech or action: a short pause after each stroke of the oar.

2. a cessation of activity because of doubt or uncertainty; a momentary hesitation, in either case not typically in excess of 1 millisecond

3. any comparatively brief stop, delay, wait, etc.: I would like to make a pause in my talk and continue after lunch.

4. a break or rest in speaking or reading to emphasize meaning, grammatical relation, metrical division, etc., or in writing or printing by the use of punctuation.

[mfs2k]

12 hours ago, Bluewake said:

there are a lot of people who have decided that the opportunity to cruise outweighs the potential risks and they just want to move on. 

Bingo. And many have planned their cruises 1-2 years earlier when things were much worse. They were optimistic everything would be better and easier when they stepped on the ship. The more they believe and act everything is “normal” then it will be so. Even if it’s not. 

[mfs2k]

10 hours ago, Spif Barwunkel said:

At some point, earnest discussion morphs into repetitive nuisance and the subsequent banter becomes meaningless and non-productive. Hence, further discussion is diluted and serves no purpose.

 

In such instances it might be best to "put a sock in it", get a good nights rest and come back tomorrow. Perhaps by then some folks would have issued their own gag order. 

Do you really speak like this or is it your cruise critic persona you’re trying to project ?

Edited March 22, 2022 by mfs2k

[Spif Barwunkel]

7 hours ago, Guppy99 said:

Really...spare us the lecture. Here's the sweetest thing about social media. You can leave or discontinue participating whenever you want.  No one is holding a gun to your head. We are not all here to entertain you, and then stop when you have had enough. I appreciate the folks who posted  and debated with me, because it actually does give me pause to consider my position.  Marketplace of ideas and all that.  The truth is that when you get that notification that someone has posted, you simply can't help yourself and have to read. However, being weary of the discussion, you want it to end. Quite a conundrum.

In other words, "put a sock in it". Okay. I get it.

 

[Spif Barwunkel]

47 minutes ago, mfs2k said:

Do you really speak like this or is it your cruise critic persona you’re trying to project ?

The only mask I wear is a K(N)95 whenever I feel the need. And, I am sure that you will allow me to speak within the parameters of the fluency spectrum in which I fall. Correct? After all, no matter ones position in the word games, all presentations are valid and capable of producing special effects. Correct?

Edited March 22, 2022 by Spif Barwunkel

[TeeRick]

For cruisers in the US or departing from US ports,  here is some nice news, a break from the unproductive debates.   Here is the latest virus Community levels in the USA as published by the CDC as of March 17.  Most of the map is "green"  meaning low levels.  Hopefully we have turned a corner (for now).  This really points to an endemic phase- again for now.  New variants be damned!

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_2067-DM78289&ACSTrackingLabel=Recommendations for People with COVID-19 and COVID-19 Close Contacts | COVID-19&deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM78289

 

 

Edited March 22, 2022 by TeeRick

[Virginia100]

6 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

For cruisers in the US or departing from US ports,  here is some nice news, a break from the unproductive debates.   Here is the latest virus Community levels in the USA as published by the CDC as of March 17.  Most of the map is "green"  meaning low levels.  Hopefully we have turned a corner (for now).  This really points to an endemic phase- again for now.  New variants be damned!

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_2067-DM78289&ACSTrackingLabel=Recommendations for People with COVID-19 and COVID-19 Close Contacts | COVID-19&deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM78289

 

 

Thanks, some real data. A whole lot of green to be worried so much. But some people have a low threshold for high anxiety!

Edited March 22, 2022 by Virginia100

[WonderMan3]

15 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

For cruisers in the US or departing from US ports,  here is some nice news, a break from the unproductive debates.   Here is the latest virus Community levels in the USA as published by the CDC as of March 17.  Most of the map is "green"  meaning low levels.  Hopefully we have turned a corner (for now).  This really points to an endemic phase- again for now.  New variants be damned!

 

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html?ACSTrackingID=USCDC_2067-DM78289&ACSTrackingLabel=Recommendations for People with COVID-19 and COVID-19 Close Contacts | COVID-19&deliveryName=USCDC_2067-DM78289

 

 

We tend to track a month or two behind what is going on in the UK and they (as well as other parts of Europe) are seeing cases rise again due to the Omicron sub variant. If the pattern continues like it has before with Delta and Omicron then we will likely be seeing cases rise here in the coming months.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-europe-surge-ba2-us-wave-likely-coming-2022-3?amp

Edited March 22, 2022 by WonderMan3

[TeeRick]

40 minutes ago, WonderMan3 said:

We tend to track a month or two behind what is going on in the UK and they (as well as other parts of Europe) are seeing cases rise again due to the Omicron sub variant. If the pattern continues like it has before with Delta and Omicron then we will likely be seeing cases rise here in the coming months.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-europe-surge-ba2-us-wave-likely-coming-2022-3?amp

Yeah, possible.  😀I am just going to enjoy all the greenery for now.💚

[canderson]

Not even a single yellow pimple on the Colorado map.  Surprising!

[Ken the cruiser]

20 minutes ago, TeeRick said:

Yeah, possible.  😀I am just going to enjoy all the greenery for now.💚

Another bit of greenery when I look at my favorite weekly JHU trend chart is the continual low counts of hospitalizations in a state's State Profile section. 😎

 

Have we flattened the curve in the US? - Johns Hopkins (jhu.edu)

 

[Ken the cruiser]

1 hour ago, WonderMan3 said:

We tend to track a month or two behind what is going on in the UK and they (as well as other parts of Europe) are seeing cases rise again due to the Omicron sub variant. If the pattern continues like it has before with Delta and Omicron then we will likely be seeing cases rise here in the coming months.

 

https://www.businessinsider.com/omicron-europe-surge-ba2-us-wave-likely-coming-2022-3?amp

Here is an interesting article (linked in your provided article) regarding hospitalizations in Denmark associated with this new BA.2 subvariant. It definitely suggests the need for folks to continue to get vaccinated and for cruise lines to continue to require their passengers to be fully vaccinated.

 

The emerging subvariant of Omicron, BA.2, is even better at spreading than Omicron BA.1, a study of households in Denmark suggests. 

 

Unvaccinated people were at the highest risk of both catching and passing on the subvariant, per data collected by Danish officials and shared with Insider. 

 

Fully vaccinated and boosted people were also more likely to catch BA.2 than BA.1, but they were less likely to transmit it to someone else.

 

Omicron BA.2 Most Infectious Variant for Unvaccinated: Denmark Data (businessinsider.com)

 

[TeeRick]

Yesterday, a number of US airlines' CEO's have called for the lifting of mask mandates.  The TSA mandate was recently extended for 1 month until April 18th while the CDC studies the matter.  I'm sure this will be a controversial issue here and everywhere.

 

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-airline-ceos-urge-biden-lift-covid-mask-mandate-letter-2022-03-23/

[PTC DAWG]

Flying Atlanta to Fort Liquordale tomorrow…I really wished the airline mask mandate was gone…oh well, I just order more drinks…

 

Boarding Apex Saturday, just passed my covid test( I studied hard).  

[Redtravel]

8 minutes ago, PTC DAWG said:

Flying Atlanta to Fort Liquordale tomorrow…I really wished the airline mask mandate was gone…oh well, I just order more drinks…

 

Boarding Apex Saturday, just passed my covid test( I studied hard).  

We all want to be past the pandemic. The virus is not gone.  There are fewer people getting sick due to the vaccine. The masks help stop the spread.  While I don’t like wearing masks, I continue to wear them in most places.  It protects me and the people close to me.  In places where wearing masks has been lifted, there has been increasing new cases.  Sadly, the pandemic isn’t passed.  Doing whatever needed to keep everyone safe is being responsible.  Have a safe cruise.

[PTC DAWG]

1 minute ago, Redtravel said:

We all want to be past the pandemic. The virus is not gone.  There are fewer people getting sick due to the vaccine. The masks help stop the spread.  While I don’t like wearing masks, I continue to wear them in most places.  It protects me and the people close to me.  In places where wearing masks has been lifted, there has been increasing new cases.  Sadly, the pandemic isn’t passed.  Doing whatever needed to keep everyone safe is being responsible.  Have a safe cruise.

I don’t think it will ever be gone…but luckily, I think mandates will.  
 

Thanks for the good wishes, it is one that was lifted and shifted twice..was supposed to go first time April of 2020. 

[Virginia100]

Masks eliminated here in Virginia for some time. No increase in infections. Haven’t worn one except for medical appointments in many months. Go out every day to fitness center and to dinner. Just tested negative for my Reflection  cruise this Saturday. Of course required to wear on airplane tomorrow. But several travelers told me common to see people not wearing in terminal. 

[Oceansaway17]

3 hours ago, Redtravel said:

We all want to be past the pandemic. The virus is not gone.  There are fewer people getting sick due to the vaccine. The masks help stop the spread.  While I don’t like wearing masks, I continue to wear them in most places.  It protects me and the people close to me.  In places where wearing masks has been lifted, there has been increasing new cases.  Sadly, the pandemic isn’t passed.  Doing whatever needed to keep everyone safe is being responsible.  Have a safe cruise.

yes I agree as not everyone will do the vaccine for various reasons.  And sitting on a plane for a few hours I just feel safer with mask.

In fact my mask is like a friend that I have gotten use to.  I wear it to grocery stores.

I will NOT however, try to get a part time job for extra money because of mask wearing still.

[TeeRick]

2 hours ago, Redtravel said:

We all want to be past the pandemic. The virus is not gone.  There are fewer people getting sick due to the vaccine. The masks help stop the spread.  While I don’t like wearing masks, I continue to wear them in most places.  It protects me and the people close to me.  In places where wearing masks has been lifted, there has been increasing new cases.  Sadly, the pandemic isn’t passed.  Doing whatever needed to keep everyone safe is being responsible.  Have a safe cruise.

I agree that the virus is not gone as you state.  However there is a key difference between the pandemic state versus the virus being present at a low level (not zero).   The virus will likely never be gone but the pandemic will shift to endemic and then to seasonal spread.  Nobody is saying you should not wear a mask if it makes you feel safer and more responsible.  That is your decision.  Cruise lines like Celebrity have not seen any significant increase in cases since they lifted the mask requirements on board.  

[canderson]

31 minutes ago, Oceansaway17 said:

In fact my mask is like a friend that I have gotten use to.  I wear it to grocery stores.

I will NOT however, try to get a part time job for extra money because of mask wearing still.

Mine, even my 'preferred one', has never been my friend.  I do understand that some folks have grown rather attached to them, though.  In one area of our county, you still see people wearing them while riding bicycles (?!?).  I find wearing my mask is about as much fun as wearing an eye patch after eye surgery, only the mask thing has gone on for far longer, and I didn't have to wash the eye patch every day!

 

Didn't realize Berks was requiring masks for retail environments.  I believe that they're even optional now in county buildings.  Bummer.