Coronavirus and Walt Disney World general discussion

[GoofGoof]

You're talking about a private company instituting a mask requirement in order to be allowed to frequent their business. I agree that works. But that is quite a different thing than a government instituting general mask wearing throughout a community. I think it is going to be far easier for Disney to mandate people to wear masks who come on their property than it would be to mandate that someone wear a mask while they are walking down a city sidewalk. Mainly because the enforcement mechanisms are different. Disney can easily deny someone entry for not wearing a mask. What is the city government going to do? Arrest someone? Even having police officers spend their time issuing tickets is not viable.

To be fair I don’t know of anywhere where the government is mandating masks on a city sidewalk. The government can effectively require that in order for retail stores or theme parks to open people need to wear masks. Then it’s the government vs the business. The enforcement is at the business level not the individual level. People aren’t arrested, the business gets fined and/or shut down if there are repeated violations. A private company has every right to require masks.

 

[GoofGoof]

I guess some will have to permanently cross WDW off their vacation list then. They may go out of business. That will be sad.

I don’t think it has to come to that. There may come a time when masks and physical distancing can be relaxed. It won’t exist forever. WDW won’t go out of business.

 

[Chi84]

What are they basing the 6 feet apart rule on anyway? While in line, for example, you are still walking right through where everyone was standing seconds before you anyway. If masks have a high protective value, what is accomplished by the distancing? If masks are not highly protective, how is walking by where people were standing any safer? I totally support masks and distancing as abundance of caution measures but is there any data to show how effective it is?

Masks aren't intended to have a high protective value as far as keeping you from getting sick. They are intended to limit widespread transmission of the virus by people who don't know they have it. A mask will catch the liquid droplets from a cough or sneeze that could propel the virus more than 6 feet away. Virus molecules being breathed out by an infected person will still get through the mask, so it's important to keep 6 feet away, regardless. My feeling is that if you are watching a parade right next to an infected person yelling at his kids, your chance of contracting the virus is pretty good whether or not you are both wearing masks.

From what I've read, there is not much chance of contracting the virus just walking past someone (especially outside), unless that person happens to cough or sneeze directly on you. The CDC has maintained from the start that the virus is transmitted primarily through prolonged contact with an infected person - the latest I've seen says 15 minutes can count as prolonged contact. You have to get enough of the viral load to actually infect you, and that's unlikely from merely walking past someone. They have also determined that the virus is not primarily transmitted by touching surfaces, although it can happen. This information changes frequently as more evidence becomes available.

Universal mask-wearing has been determined to be highly effective when combined with other measures such as lockdowns, social distancing, hand washing, and testing. There isn't much (or maybe any) data on how effective it is when only half the people wear masks - many assume that it's half as effective, but I haven't seen anything to support that. At this point, it is temporary and it can't hurt, so masks are recommended. With the way the virus is spreading and given how devastating it can be, doing anything will help. But don't think that wearing a mask without keeping 6 feet away from an infected person will necessarily protect you.

 

[Heppenheimer]

Sorry- I was addressing your blanket statement that as long "as their were new cases".

But even if there is a vaccine, we do not know if it will be similar to the flu vaccine in that it may protect you only for specific strains. There's already indications that there may be multiple mutations of the virus, so if the vaccine is only efficacious towards a subset of those mutations, then the vaccine won't guarantee your safety.

One of the things that has given me optimism that we will eventually have a single effective vaccine is that the mutations that they have so far observed with this virus haven't affected the phenotype. The main docking protein, which is the current target of vaccine research, has shown very little variation. This is very different from the influenza virus, which has two main antigens that each have several variations. The mutations in the genome are useful for epidemiological tracking, but they don't appear to have markedly changed the virus as of yet.

 

[lilypgirl]

DeSantis says state not ‘rolling back’ amid uptick in cases: report

Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Republican, said Tuesday that he has no plans of “shutting down” again over coronavirus fears despite an increase of cases in the state.

www.foxnews.com

 

[Andrew C]

DeSantis says state not ‘rolling back’ amid uptick in cases: report

Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Republican, said Tuesday that he has no plans of “shutting down” again over coronavirus fears despite an increase of cases in the state.

www.foxnews.com

I would say this is going to be true for everywhere. It is mid-June and the reopening train has left the station. No one is really going to stop it now. Businesses are reopening, many are able to go back to work. States will have to deal with any increases and/or outbreaks in the best way possible. People still need to take care. If the more vulnerable (or anyone else) are not comfortable, they can always wait it out until they reach a point where that changes. It is really the reality of the situation now.

 

[Angelo721]

Why do we not talk about recovered cases?

You get Covid, go home and watch Disney+ for two weeks. Then get another test and your negative. Why don't the numbers ever go down?

Here’s why Orange County isn’t reporting coronavirus recovery numbers

It’s easy to find out how many confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus there are in Orange County, how many people have died due to COVID-19 complications and how many people are still being hospitalized, but there’s a reason health officials aren’t reporting the number of patients who have...

www.clickorlando.com

If we have 80,000 cases in Florida, some have to have recovered right? Or do you never recover from Covid?

Probably what we are looking at is 80,000 cases with 50,000 recovered (because we have been reporting these cases for three months), more like only 30,000 cases.

 

[GoofGoof]

DeSantis says state not ‘rolling back’ amid uptick in cases: report

Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Republican, said Tuesday that he has no plans of “shutting down” again over coronavirus fears despite an increase of cases in the state.

www.foxnews.com

I would say this is going to be true for everywhere. It is mid-June and the reopening train has left the station. No one is really going to stop it now. Businesses are reopening, many are able to go back to work. States will have to deal with any increases and/or outbreaks in the best way possible. People still need to take care. If the more vulnerable (or anyone else) are not comfortable, they can always wait it out until they reach a point where that changes. It is really the reality of the situation now.

While I tend to agree it’s unlikely that a full reverse course is going to happen any time soon I would take those comments with a grain of salt. DeSantis also said they wouldn’t close the beaches and issue stay at home orders in March...before he closed beaches and issued stay at home orders. It’s fine to say they have no plans to do it, but never say never. I think the more obvious step is to tighten some of the re-opening rules before just abandoning plans all together. That can and should also be done on a more local level as hot spots emerge.

 

[RaveOnEd]

While I tend to agree it’s unlikely that a full reverse course is going to happen any time soon I would take those comments with a grain of salt. DeSantis also said they wouldn’t close the beaches and issue stay at home orders in March...before he closed beaches and issued stay at home orders. It’s fine to say they have no plans to do it, but never say never. I think the more obvious step is to tighten some of the re-opening rules before just abandoning plans all together. That can and should also be done on a more local level as hot spots emerge.

I remember him doing that in March, just as a lot of other local governments were doing. But at that point, the virus was much more an unknown, on top of not realizing how long businesses and other things would be closed.

At this stage, it would probably need to be a modified process, as opposed to a full shut down again. Plus, all the numbers have to be looked at. Some are counting the antibody results, others are burying the hospitalization numbers, etc.

 

[mickeymiss]

Is it still too soon to make an association with cases and Universal opening? My friend who went opening week has reported good health but is it too soon to draw a connection overall?

 

[disneygeek90]

Is it still too soon to make an association with cases and Universal opening? My friend who went opening week has reported good health but is it too soon to draw a connection overall?

I've been 4 days since opening and still feel fine (first visit 12 days ago, most recent visit 3 days ago). Though obviously that doesn't mean that no one has picked it up there since June 5. I have not been to Volcano Bay.

 

[Rider]

Florida reports another 2,610 coronavirus cases; death toll passes 3,000

Florida reported an additional 2,610 coronavirus cases Wednesday as the statewide death toll surpassed 3,000. There have now been 82,719 infections and 3,018 deaths, which includes an additional 25…

www.orlandosentinel.com

 

[GoofGoof]

I remember him doing that in March, just as a lot of other local governments were doing. But at that point, the virus was much more an unknown, on top of not realizing how long businesses and other things would be closed.

At this stage, it would probably need to be a modified process, as opposed to a full shut down again. Plus, all the numbers have to be looked at. Some are counting the antibody results, others are burying the hospitalization numbers, etc.

I agree. I don’t think it will be a jump back to full lock down. This spike in cases wasn’t unexpected, they need time to see if there’s a real upward trend or just a blip in the longer term shape. If the case trend continues up the first step is to institute more precautions. See the story about Orange County considering mask requirements for some businesses. There’s a whole lot of grey area between open with no restrictions and locked down.

 

[RaveOnEd]

I agree. I don’t think it will be a jump back to full lock down. This spike in cases wasn’t unexpected, they need time to see if there’s a real upward trend or just a blip in the longer term shape. If the case trend continues up the first step is to institute more precautions. See the story about Orange County considering mask requirements for some businesses. There’s a whole lot of grey area between open with no restrictions and locked down.

I agree. Add into the increase beyond testing are the people simply not following the simple guidelines for taking precautions now.

 

[GoofGoof]

Is it still too soon to make an association with cases and Universal opening? My friend who went opening week has reported good health but is it too soon to draw a connection overall?

There will never likely be a direct correlation proven between any one business and an outbreak. Right now it’s way to early to even know if the increase in cases is a lasting trend or just a blip. If it’s a trend it can’t be traced fully back to Universal or any business unless multiple cases spring up from the same dates at the same place like the story about the bar in Jacksonville. Even if opening Universal resulted in an increase in cases it won’t be that everyone there gets infected. A very high percent of guests visiting will be fine. If everyone who was there got sick then there’s no way anyone would be there.

 

[GoofGoof]

I agree. Add into the increase beyond testing are the people simply not following the simple guidelines for taking precautions now.

It may be as simple as making some guidelines into requirements. That’s all.

 

[Jrb1979]

It may be as simple as making some guidelines into requirements. That’s all.

Businesses can be open but strict social distancing guidelines should be mandatory. The way I look at is that all businesses should have the same rules as theme parks. Mandatory masks inside, plexiglass for cashiers and physical distancing be in place.

Where I live in Ontario Canada they have been fining people for not complying with social distancing. They have given out over 900 tickets of $880 each for not complying. That is what I believe needs to be done. People here have been calling and reporting businesses for not complying.

 

[Parker in NYC]

So, people should stick to guidelines and it's business as usual. Aren't these the same people arguing why they shouldn't have to wear masks or social distance?

Pick one, people.

 

[Jrb1979]

So, people should stick to guidelines and it's business as usual. Aren't these the same people arguing why they shouldn't have to wear masks or social distance?

Pick one, people.

There is many that think we should drop social distancing and move on. I fully believe social distancing should stay in place til cases start dropping significantly. Where I live we have been doing that and our numbers have dropped to under 200 for over a week. That's with doing 23000 tests a day. Its expected that social distancing will stay til better treatments or a vaccine happens.

 

[Parker in NYC]

There is many that think we should drop social distancing and move on. I fully believe social distancing should stay in place til cases start dropping significantly. Where I live we have been doing that and our numbers have dropped to under 200 for over a week. That's with doing 23000 tests a day. Its expected that social distancing will stay til better treatments or a vaccine happens.

I just find it comical that many of the same people saying that to close things would be "sad" also say they don't want to social distance or wear masks so that things CAN OPEN. Restrictions are put in place, people can follow if they so choose. I think people arguing against these sort of restrictions/lockdowns are that they want carte blanche or nothing.

And the U.S. isn't Canada. We're very proud to ignore the rules here, it's a national pastime.