Coronavirus in Fuerteventura - Discussion

[milestone11]

If, as the numbers suggest, one third of the occupants of the last two boats are positive, does it necessarily follow that Morocco's stated figures of 9000 infections should actually be closer to 13000000?

[Archer]

This is a crazy situation.

We have gone from a region with one of the best records, to near top of the table for recent infections with worst record.

It doesn't matter how Blas Acosta 'spins it' saying he welcomes the immigrants, it puts everyone here at risk, including all the new tourists starting to arrive.

Time will tell.

[Perrypower1]

It is a stark and useful reminder that isolation on a tiny island is not going to protect you from the world.  

COVID-19 is out there, it is real and no amount of isolationism can or will be a permanent solution.  The sooner we face up to that reality the sooner we will get used to dealing with a changed world.

Poverty is a huge risk factor for this virus and we all will have to do what we can to fight it.  Hiding under our bedclothes has done its job we need to move forward now.

[Ducks]

If, as the numbers suggest, one third of the occupants of the last two boats are positive, does it necessarily follow that Morocco's stated figures of 9000 infections should actually be closer to 13000000?

While I am sure their figures are nowhere near accurate, you would imagine that the general population (with people observing distancing measures, etc.) has a lower level of infection than a group of people who've been packed into close quarters on tiny transports for days/weeks. A person in Morocco who has been staying home for three months and only venturing out for necessities is dramatically less likely to pose an infection risk than someone who has spent the last three weeks packed like a sardine into unhygienic conditions operated by profit-driven criminals. 

Whatever about the actual figures for the country, it's clear that anyone coming on a migrant boat right now poses a massive infection threat. I am very concerned for the healthcare system here if the present situation continues, as this is unsustainable on every possible level.

[Ducks]

...I am very concerned for the healthcare system here if the present situation continues, as this is unsustainable on every possible level.

Fully agree Ducks. Don't forget the tourists, coming in a much bigger batches, possibly adding to the numbers too.

The tourists are more of a global problem, IMO. Most of them come for 1-2 weeks, so they will be back home before they begin needing treatment, causing headaches for their own government instead of for the island. While they are a much bigger problem for us in terms of infection spread, they are also much less likely to take up healthcare resources than people who are coming for months or indefinitely. In addition, the tourists are largely the responsibility of the operators who send them and the nations they come from, whereas the migrants become the immediate responsibility of the local government once they are accepted. 

We are absolutely going to see a huge rise in infection as the borders open again, but that is unavoidable if the island is to survive. I personally am glad to see travel routes open again, as we would normally have have popped back home twice since February under normal circumstances, so we now have a backlog of increasingly urgent matters to attend to. That's my selfish truth, though I know many others in the same boat. However, I also believe that the reinstatement of the tourism industry here is necessary to avoid devastating financial ruin for everyone. 

It's a hideous balancing act I'm glad I'm not responsible for.

[Archer]

Thanks, Captain. That's not good news.

[Archer]

Rescue boat spotted on the horizon, south of Gran Tarajal, with boat being towed. More? Hope not.

[TrickyFox]

Of the original wave of infections, March 7th to 14th May, were any attributed to illegal immigrants does anyone know?

[Johnrgby]

Of the original wave of infections, March 7th to 14th May, were any attributed to illegal immigrants does anyone know?

Very good question TF

[Ducks]

The island was so busy in the early months of the year, and hardly anyone was wearing masks, so I think it would be impossible to attribute it to any one group. We had lots of people coming from Italy, Germany, the UK, etc— all countries which were at the time very heavily infected, even if the scale of the problem wasn't yet realised outside of Italy. I'm sure there was a huge issue with asymptomatic carriers passing it around, and with tourists picking it up and spreading it before heading home. 

We brought masks when we flew in Feb/March and felt too silly to use them as absolutely nobody else wore one, and it seemed to make people uncomfortable. People only started to take things seriously after the State of Emergency came in and the lockdown was enforced. Before that, despite knowing there was a virus doing the rounds, it was life as normal everywhere we went, so I don't think it would be fair to single out any one group as being responsible back then.

Now, however, is a different story. Legal travellers will be subject to a variety of checks and potentially quarantines before and after arrival. Social distancing and sanitising measures will be put in place on all legal travel routes: air, sea, and land. None of this applies in the case of illegal travellers, as the people arranging their transport are only concerned with evading authorities and farming profit. They're also mainly coming from countries where the spread of the virus and the extent of infection is uncontrolled and unknown. They pose a massive risk by comparison to legal travellers, to the health of both the population and the healthcare service. 

There will not be sufficient facilities to cater for boatloads of infected people landing every week, and more infected people in the system will cause additional infections outside of the system. PPE is not foolproof— and as has been discussed, may not be used extensively or correctly by people who are not trained healthcare workers, such as those working to receive and process the people coming off the boats. 

There's going to be a massive problem with this over the summer.