WDW Should Not Open in July. Discuss.

[Colleen27]

Canada has a high percentage of revenue (and therefore taxes) coming from tourism. Now they have a few issues
- huge drop in external tourism
- job loss in the sector until well into 2021 means those people are not going to be spending (includes airline employees, hotel employees, restaurant employees, tourism based business employees, etc)
- domestic tourism cannot make up the shortfalls, nor will domestic tourists be willing to pay the prices that international tourists pay in some of the city centres for hotel rooms and attractions
- minimal income from high value business travel

So it is not 'just' travel and leisure that is being impacted. In many countries, like Canada, the travel sector is a significant part of the economy. I heard from a friend yesterday in Canada that she expects her company to make more cuts next week, and that is one of the largest globally in her tourism-related industry. I know other people who didn't even bother to open for the 2020 season as it ends in September, and there is no travel from their key markets so no point to open (one is a tourist related company which targets high value Dutch travel)

And in addition to travel & tourism (and probably not something the government is going to be interested in talking about, much less being seen as sympathetic to) a lot of Canadians in border communities shop on the U.S. side because the lower taxes often more than make up for the exchange rate. When our border crossing closed because of a natural disaster, 3 years ago, the grocery in my town saw a 30% drop in sales volume practically overnight. Bars and liquor stores also reported big drops for the lack of Canadian business, though of course it is easier to go without booze if the prices are too high than it is for food. And our shipping/mailbox place lost fully half of their business because so much of their model was giving Canadians a U.S. shipping address.

I know a lot of people in non-border states don't realize how many economic and social ties cross between the U.S. and Canada in the everyday lives of residents on both sides, and I'm starting to think that the same is true of some Canadians as well.

 

[JimMIA]

However, my understanding is that whilst FL are doing more tests, the labs are seriously backed up and are taking up to 2 weeks to get the results out? That is next to useless!

I don't know where you got that info, but it's certainly not true here in Miami.

Here test results are coming back in 2-7 days -- with 7 days being the ones done in a doctor's office and sent out to a lab, coming back to the doctor for review, etc.

Our main test sites are all 2-3 days, and a few are 45 minutes or less.

 

[anthony2k7]

Thanks. I guess I am still confused by that. Touching the pin pad can be mitigated by using a paper towel, or handwashing/sanitizing, same with the pump. Human interaction is entirely minimal (I worked/travelled in the US for years so am well aware of the differences etc) It's outside.

I just don't see it as a mid/high risk location but so many people questioned the safety of a road trip by mentioning the gas station so was curious.

The issue I had with people and gas pumps was that some had said if they got ill at disney they would drive straight home... so they would in that scenario touch gas pumps and pin pads whilst knowingly having the virus. As I said above, many people would then touch pump and pin pad and probably wouldn't bother with any precautions. Person with virus could mitigate by cleaning pump and pin pad after touching them, but I doubt anyone would so they would in effect be knowingly infecting others.

 

[Karin1984]

@bavaria, a question if you don't mind...

If one relates "Europe" to the US and the individual countries to the states (which is not a terrible analogy), would some Europeans live in one country and daily cross the border into another country to work? For example, someone might live in NJ but work in NYC, or live in Northern Ky, but work in Cincinnati.

With what the others already have added, yes, possible and allowed during the lockdown. The border between the Netherlands and Germany never closed, travel was discouraged, so people living in the border area could travel without much problem for work. Belgium was in full lockdown closing the borders with their neighbouring countries and it was still allowed to cross the border for work, but there was some paperwork necessary to proof you travel was necessary.

 

[dlavender]

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/cor...0200708-al32drtlsbh63bsarbo2surjuy-story.html
"As of Wednesday morning, 10 ICUs were at full capacity at hospitals across Central Florida, twice the number of full ICUs on Monday. "

Good news, is that they remain optimistic

"Orlando Health and AdventHeath, the two major health systems in Central Florida, have continued to say that they have enough capacity and can meet the needs of all patients. "

 

[dvcgirl67]

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/cor...0200708-al32drtlsbh63bsarbo2surjuy-story.html
"As of Wednesday morning, 10 ICUs were at full capacity at hospitals across Central Florida, twice the number of full ICUs on Monday. "

Have they stopped elective surgery in Orange County/Orlando yet? Have they begun to empty out to prepare for a possible surge?

 

[dlavender]

Have they stopped elective surgery in Orange County/Orlando yet? Have they begun to empty out to prepare for a possible surge?

Sounds like they are looking into it:

"In its email to staff, AdventHealth said it is also looking at elective medical procedures, which were stopped in March but then resumed at the beginning of May, per Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive orders.
“Our team has been working over the last week to build an elective surgery plan for phases based on the COVID-19 census, staff availability, and clinical urgency of elective cases,” officials wrote."

 

[sam_gordon]

None of that matters. If we can understand one set of people wearing masks then the other group doesn’t need to take there’s off to talk.

I have definitely run into people that I could not understand what they said with a mask on. If they pulled down the mask I could understand them. As far as I know, everyone can understand me when I talk with my mask on, but I would never assume that means everyone can understand everyone else with masks.

And yes most may be distanced but not all. I saw a news story yesterday were a group of 15 - 20 people were standing all in one mass NO distancing around a podium. As each person spoke they removed the mask. DUMB!

So the group listening was within inches of the podium? Obviously there are outliers. But I'd say most of the "organized" speeches are done with no one within 10-15' of the speaker.

 

[gwynne]

Sounds like they are looking into it:

"In its email to staff, AdventHealth said it is also looking at elective medical procedures, which were stopped in March but then resumed at the beginning of May, per Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive orders.
“Our team has been working over the last week to build an elective surgery plan for phases based on the COVID-19 census, staff availability, and clinical urgency of elective cases,” officials wrote."

Hope they remember to add PPE availability to their checklist. That has been one of the big issues for other hospitals.

 

[SirDuff]

I have definitely run into people that I could not understand what they said with a mask on. If they pulled down the mask I could understand them. As far as I know, everyone can understand me when I talk with my mask on, but I would never assume that means everyone can understand everyone else with masks.

I’m hard of hearing (mild/moderate) and though I don’t actually lip read, I do find not being able to see people’s lips does make it a bit more difficult. Doesn’t help that, though I understand the language here, it isn’t my mother tongue and I am not fluent.

I still support mask wearing though.

 

[disneychrista]

I have definitely run into people that I could not understand what they said with a mask on. If they pulled down the mask I could understand them. As far as I know, everyone can understand me when I talk with my mask on, but I would never assume that means everyone can understand everyone else with masks.


So the group listening was within inches of the podium? Obviously there are outliers. But I'd say most of the "organized" speeches are done with no one within 10-15' of the speaker.

Not listeners. A group all planning on speaking at the podium.

 

[sam_gordon]

Not listeners. A group all planning on speaking at the podium.

So they were wearing masks "behind" the podium, but when they got up to speak, they took the masks off? Who were they talking to? Each other? A crowd?

 

[anthony2k7]

Am I correct that some bars/pubs have already shut down again?

Yep, I think it was within 2 days of opening 3 pubs had been contacted to say a positive tested customer had been there on opening weekend.

So yay for our contact tracing at least partially working.

I do not know if those pubs had full lists of customers for those days - its a guideline that they collect details but seems unclear if many are following this.

 

[disneychrista]

So they were wearing masks "behind" the podium, but when they got up to speak, they took the masks off? Who were they talking to? Each other? A crowd?

It was some type of press conference where the family of a little boy who was shot and killed was speaking. They didn’t show if there was any type of crowd listening but obviously there were TV news stations there filming it.
But again to me none of that matters if you are speaking to a crowd or a group of reporters just leave your mask on. While distancing is great there is nothing magical that prevents you from you infecting others just because you are six feet away.

 

[Colleen27]

The issue I had with people and gas pumps was that some had said if they got ill at disney they would drive straight home... so they would in that scenario touch gas pumps and pin pads whilst knowingly having the virus. As I said above, many people would then touch pump and pin pad and probably wouldn't bother with any precautions. Person with virus could mitigate by cleaning pump and pin pad after touching them, but I doubt anyone would so they would in effect be knowingly infecting others.

But the science tells us that surface transmission is rare/unlikely because the virus is relatively fragile in the environment and it is unlikely to get an infectious dose that way. Which is why pumping gas is considered to be such a low risk activity (1 or 2 on most scale of one to ten charts).

 

[godisney14]

But the science tells us that surface transmission is rare/unlikely because the virus is relatively fragile in the environment and it is unlikely to get an infectious dose that way. Which is why pumping gas is considered to be such a low risk activity (1 or 2 on most scale of one to ten charts).

No, the science tells us that fomite transfer has been undocumented. Does not mean whether it happens or does not happen. No tests conducted, so no idea to say definitely. Why even bother to wash hands or use sanitizer if touching a contaminated surface is unlikely to result in an infection?
Direct transfer from person to person is the accepted primary mode, though.

 

[sam_gordon]

While distancing is great there is nothing magical that prevents you from you infecting others just because you are six feet away.

Well the question is where do you draw the line? Obviously someone a mile away couldn't catch it, neither could someone 300 feet (a football field) away. At some point, barring yelling, coughing, or movement, there IS a safe distance.

 

[JimMIA]

300 yards (a football field) away.

I know it's been a few years (LOL) since I played, but did they do something to the field?

 

[sam_gordon]

I know it's been a few years (LOL) since I played, but did they do something to the field?

Ha! Good catch. Meant 300 feet (100 yards). whoops.

 

[JimMIA]

Ha! Good catch. Meant 300 feet (100 yards). whoops.

Man, I was really glad I didn't have to make those long, heroic touchdown runs any more!

"Jim's at the 140. 130, 120...he's inside the 100!...to the 80...to the 50...Uh oh, I think he just collapsed!"