Did I just hear that the Vatican City has walled off

[malaise]

until after Easter and that all services (including Easter) will be on line?

[samnsara]

1. i think i just heard that too

[Dennis Donovan]

2. I found this info:

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-pope/vatican-cancels-public-participation-at-popes-easter-events-due-to-virus-idUSKBN212094

Vatican cancels public participation at pope's Easter events due to virus

MARCH 15, 2020 / 4:03 AM / UPDATED 2 HOURS AGO

Philip Pullella

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis’ Holy Week and Easter services, which normally draw tens of thousands of people, will be held without the public attending because of the coronavirus outbreak, a step believed to be unprecedented in modern times.

FILE PHOTO: Pope holds his first ever virtual general audience, amid Italy's coronavirus epidemic, at the Vatican, March 11, 2020. Vatican Media/­Handout via REUTERS
It was not clear how the massive events will be scaled down but sources said officials were studying ways to hold them in indoor locations, including St. Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel, with small representative groups attending.

A note on the website of the Vatican department that organizes papal events also said that until Easter Sunday on April 12, his general audiences and Sunday blessings would continue to be seen over the internet and television without public participation.

The exclusion of the public from the pope’s general audiences and Sunday blessings previously had been expected to continue only until March 18.

</snip>

I think this is unprecedented. Maybe they did something similar during the worst of WW2?

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Shutting down the entire nation of Italy is pretty unprecedented...

And, btw, Italy's healthcare system is one of the better ones.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Healthcare_in_Italy

Healthcare spending in Italy accounted for 9.2% of GDP in 2012 (about $3,200 per capita) of which about 77% is public,[1] slightly lower than the average of 9.3% in OECD countries.[2] In 2000 Italy's healthcare system was regarded, by World Health Organization's ranking, as the 2nd best in the world after France,[3] and according to the World Health Organization, Italy has the world's 6th highest life expectancy.[4] The life expectancy at birth in Italy was 82.3 years in 2012, which is over two years above the OECD average.[2]

[Dennis Donovan]

4. I read yesterday they have 3.2 hospital beds per 1000, vs the US's 2.8 per 1000

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2020/3/14/21179714/coronavirus-covid-19-hospital-beds-china

As confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus continue to increase across the United States — there are, as of March 14, over 2,000 reported cases across 49 states — one of the biggest issues doctors could face is simply finding space to treat patients requiring medical assistance.

There is some question as to whether the US has enough hospital beds to treat all those who could become infected. Available data on hospital capacity suggests the country does not.

According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the US has 2.8 hospital beds per 1,000 people. By contrast, other countries with serious coronavirus outbreaks have more on average: China has 4.3, South Korea has 12.3, and Italy has 3.2 per 1,000 people.

</snip>

It's no third world country. They have an older population because their healthcare is better than ours.

[Pobeka]

10. It's not about beds so much as it is ICU beds with ventilators.

I don't know Italy's numbers but I found for the US back in 2014 it is roughly 1 ventilator per 20,000 people.

[malaise]

5. Thanks

[Dennis Donovan]

6. Anytime, my friend!

[dawg day]

7. Isn't Newt's wife the United states ambassador?

Newt wrote some self pity thing about how bad it is, stuck in Italy now. Not sure he got the irony that the man he helped shove into the WH is in charge here.

[malaise]

8. Yep and he's stuck in Italy as well

I read that he's now sending advice.

[CurtEastPoint]

9. See? She's wide awake and on top of things!