Tight minge

China takes us through 17,000 infections this morning. Spectacular performance! All Repatriated Indonesians declared free from the virus. Could have been an interesting tactic by Indonesia: ‘Seven Indonesian citizens stayed in China, four by choice and three because they did not meet health requirements for the flight.’ Looks like they pre-screened before allowing anyone to leave. Off to the Land of Chuckles for a couple of days. Airport here was pretty quiet and the plane is less than half full for a flight that is normally packed. If I get to the hotel sharp may relax with a couple pf Coronas.

Very little posturing in the table today. The Australian cases now confirmed, so the Love Island experiment may be paying dividends as Australia push themselves forward. No other changes at the top of the table and China just blast away all opposition. Closing in on 15k and have surpassed the SARs PB (personal best). The world can only really watch in awe at the mastery of the country in this sport. G7 countries are set to meet, discuss and issue a joint statement on the crisis. Hopefully they have not been reading this thread or the statement may make little to no sense. Singapore refuse entry to 15 people in the first 13 hours of the China band including 1 Brit and and 1 Yank who had been to China. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/topics/wuhan-virus

That about sums it up. The first part is just a statement of fact. Up to whatever data tipping point, there would be no reaction by doctors, but at some point the whole ‘mechanism’ with the WHO would kick in. Thats appears to have been missed, by some distance. China probably sticks out as one country that data would be quickly available as they do tend to harvest your data and biometrics everywhere, including hospitals. This is where the style of government starts to breakdown. Big projects work fantastic as down streaming policies are easily followed, but up streaming, well not so straight forward when you are educated and trained to only follow, your superior always knows best and especially when its bad news. As said some time ago on this thread, expect a few people to be going to prison in China for this (rightly or wrongly).

Fully agree with that but its not Bio warfare or zombie attacks as some would suggest. Generally speaking Chinese hospitals are of a higher standard and pretty efficient and the complete breakdown in these hospitals and the volume of people passing through (not being helped as it is flu season) its very strange. At the same time the spread of the virus inside China and outside (bearing in mind that most of the cases outside China are actually people from Hubei itself would suggest that the virus was probably on the go in Wuhan undetected for some time and chances are miss-management and and the whole set up in China contributed to it. For now this is not a serious killer but economically and politically its huge and governments are probably reacting to keep it from spreading at home (wherever that is). Flying people home, controlled and accounted for is far safer than leaving people to return in dribs and drabs and not being properly screened. The cost to governments, businesses and economies this can bring, as China will discover, will spur governments into action. This is more political than medical.

Flu season right now in the region. Absolute no surprise the number of illnesses and people wearing masks at your work. My wife, kid and I have all had a virus the past two weeks (none of us drank Corona so all safe and recovered). All this nonsense of Bio weapons and people ‘dying’ in the street, sigh. Suppose its normal these days, but by f**k its stupid. Fortunately here in Singapore we don’t see all this nonsense as it is illegal and the government have been clamping down on websites that host/report fake news. One thing I would be certain on is the local government in Hubei messing this up and the infection rate is considerably higher there than reported. The number of overseas infections that are actually Chinese and mostly from Hubei is huge. There will be a bigger story there (which will not involve bio-weapons).

Big push for Philippines to be taken serious in this competition. Again, another Chinese person (from Wuhan). Interesting to note the statistics of the infected overall that are Mainland Chinese and from Hubei. Definitely looks like the local governments really screwed this up and the spread in Hubei has been huge. Not sure the connection of illness to method of ‘disposal’. Its normal process for cremation in Buddhism.

Unofficial reports that Japan have got a few early points on the board to jump into second. Slippery P, dae summing! The land of Chuckles is in danger of losing the best of the rest crown!

Got to love the Good old USA (not good, not old). Been following this debate here and elsewhere. One person claiming the returning people are selfish as they will bring the virus in their suitcases. A lot of tarring everyone with the one brush as to why they choose to live overseas and ‘you made your bed and you lie in it’ talk. Granted some of the morons popping up bleating doesn’t help build a defence. The pink haired teacher and the definitely selfish Lurpark boy spring to mind. Repatriation at this point is probably the right decision by the governments, free is probably as much political as anything else (and has it been confirmed the UK have done it for free)? However, there is a strong argument of the ‘sniffling cowards’ as you mention. Many ‘expats’ will be on contract and insured and that really should be the first port of call. Chances are these remoaners (repatriation moaners) have either been told by their insurance to stay put/denied or didn’t bother with insurance anyway. So yes, you made your bed and you lie in it does come to mind. So I guess, I think the government have done the right thing offering to bring these sniffling cowards home, once back don’t let them out again, they give us emigres a bad name ;-) Anyway, can some send a taxi for me, Slippery P, JTS98 and HK Blues?

Roy Castle would be proud. when most nations appear to have taken the weekend off from competing, the dedication of China shines through. As we close in on 14,000 infected we can give thanks to China for reaching that goal. 304 against zero deaths elsewhere confirms their mastery. Singapore, as reported last night, struck a brace to close in on Thailand in second with Japan also closing the gap. Now only 2 points separate the teams in second, third and fourth. Australias reported points increase appear to have be an error (for now), so still remain on single digits. China getting more and more isolated as Australia and USA follow a similar tact as Singapore, banning entry to its nationals. Things could start to get very interesting as the political and economical sub plots heat up. The row over ringers rumbles on as people argue over whether it is correct to bring in and use ringers. Although there is no official rule, embassies are not obliged to repatriate anyone and are not obliged, if they chose to, to do it for free. The humanitarian effort at the centre of a Global outbreak (the correct approach), is being undermined by the videos and pictures of the expats who have been bleating and complaining about repatriation that doesn’t really give us ‘Brits’ (not Europeans), overseas a bad rep.

Singapore strike a double! 1 point off the Land of Chuckles, second place beckons.

Things are not going so great right now for Winnie the Pooh. This, Hong Kong, the trade war and Indonesia calling Chinas bluff on the islands. Will be a testing time for them. Any long term isolation through this for China could start to shake the foundations, although reality is it will probably come to nothing.

Quite fortunate our team up there are good on picking the restaurants. Ate at a few riverside restaurants, all run down places, with outstanding food.

I wish, two washing machine manufacturers, a few electronics manufacturers and a medical equipment manufacturer. Not a ping pong ball on display anywhere.

Now decided on the two tubs of Lurpark strapped to my face a la the knob in the video above instead of full hazmat. Flat cap and dodgy jacket may also help.

Nope staying at Le Meridian Bang Phli which is usually full of Chinese, so it will either be empty or a fog of Coronavirus. Tuesday in Chonburi, Wednesday in Rayong, Thursday in Ayutthaya and back to Singapore friday. Following Monday off to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh. Company has banned all travel to China, so I’ll get a break from there at least.

Kind of cheeky with the ringers, but take the points where you can get them, a medal position in your sights!

On the home front... https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1848444/thai-diplomats-en-route-to-wuhan ‘Your going to need a bigger plane’ said Roy Nattapong Scheider

Outstanding, he has two tubs of Lurpak strapped to his face. We have the cure! Thailand will be furious they didn’t think of that first!

Still, good to hit double figures and who knows the ‘Love Island’ experiment may yield more points. Could be an oustider for a medal position.

Singapore have banned the entry of Chinese as of today, even for transit and several other countries look likely to follow this stance, so great to see Thailand do there own thing for the laughs. Impressed at the picture accompanying the face mask story. Could those three guys gloat anymore about having facemaks and others not! Fly up on monday, may stock pile masks for sale here when I get back ;-) Still no masks to be bought here, been out of stock for a week now, but the government will start issuing to households from today.

Well we are safe from Chinese domination if their bio weapons programme amounts to giving everyone the flu. Think you may want to change your sources of information to ones that are based, at least a little, on reality and not ridiculous sensationalism. Now back to reality, how are the Land of Chuckles getting on with the convicts putting the teeny weeny face masks on the bats?

Things now get challenging in the tournament as we come to the split. AKA, the table gets its own page and is to big to screenshat in one go! Breaking news: China continue to dominate, now 258 deaths as the total infection rate surpasses 11,000. The global sniffle outbreak governing body have got to be pleased with these numbers. Rumours of sponsorship incoming in from Kleenex, Dettol and 3M. Thailand and Singapore put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack. Today Singapore starts to issue face masks to every household on the island. We await to see what tactics the Land of Chuckles comes up with to keep them in second place. UK, Russia and Sweden get off the mark and we await to see how that unfolds. The UK has brought in its ringers from Hubei, much to the chagrin of at least one poster on here. We will see how this plays out, will the ringers be good enough to increase the tally? We have one country who appear to be refusing to participate; Myanmar, who returned a flight to China, passengers et all due to one suspected case on board. After taking off the two Myanmar nationals and hospitalising the suspected infected individual, Myanmar then told the plane and pilot to bolt and get back to Guangzhou. The blame game kicks in in China as the public (online) outcry continues. The government confirm they were slow to react, knowing for several weeks beforehand the potential. Local party officials now shuffling to save face and select their scapegoats as things heat up in the middle kingdom. https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/wuhan-virus-death-toll-rises-china-cases-12376694

Singapore to ban all Chinese passport holders or anyone who has been to China recently from entering or transiting through Singapore from tomorrow.

What a difference a few hours make! Japan now challenging the Land of Chuckles for second place, but no one can predict the unpredictable Thais. Lets see what they come up with! Or is the tactic of having convicts put tiny little face-masks on bats actually working? Germany are starting to get their act together to challenge France in the European arena. Vietnam finally find their stride and with some aplomb drag themselves to mid table, early report card says, can do better. UAE put in a strong performance from the middle east and we have Cambodia and Finland breaking their ducks along with Philippines and India who are potential heavy hitters here. HK Blues, cover your mouth when you cough, you won’t be told again! 10k should be comfortably broken today. Unbelievable Jeff! Wuhan virus death toll hits 213 in China, nearly 10,000 infected https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/wuhan-virus-death-toll-china-cases-12372588

Its great to see a regional sport finally getting the recognition it deserves. When the infection rate in the group stages has already surpassed that of the whole SARs tournament of 2003 (although death rate is a mere 2.2%, making it more of a Global sniffles outbreak) The global governing body make it a global event. The death toll reaches 213, although some people are now claiming the virus to be racist as it only appears to kill Mainland Chinese. Infections now above 9320 and with the global recognition, Italy now get their first points (2) on the board, Germany add to their tally. The UK, who has already decided to not be part of the world and plan their departure tonight have yet to field a team. They have been holding many trials in a desperate attempt to be taken serious but to no avail. There recent attempt to bring in ringers has failed when they have realised that no one particularly cares. The US have been investing in training and have managed to develop a local person to person transmission, this could help them build up the numbers. Australia are adding their own slant on the tournament by making their ringers participate in a massive ‘Love Island’ event for two weeks. Of course, everyone awaits to see what the ‘entertainment’ team do today and our roving reporter Slippery P will be along soon to update from the Land of chuckles. They have captured the hearts of so many in this tournament with their Roger Milla esque performance. Got to love those crazy Thais! The financial impact continues as airlines start to cancel routes due to dropping demand. In utter astonishment, tourism to China has dive bombed and tour operators are claiming a huge number of cancellations - Quelle Surprise. Nothing to see here says Xi Jinping https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/topics/wuhan-virus?cid=h3_referral_inarticlelinks_24082018_cna