On March 4th, passengers aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship were hit with the coronavirus. This includes 19 crew members and 2 passengers that have tested positive for the virus. The cruise ship became of interest to the authorities when a previous traveler died last week after being affected by the coronavirus. Despite this, 3,500 people from 54 countries boarded the famous cruise ship and after 5 days of being off the coast of San Francisco have recently docked in Oakland. In an attempt to prioritize people, passengers that required urgent medical care were taken straight to the hospital. Then, US residents who did not need treatment were to be isolated for a 14-day period at military bases in California, Texas, and Georgia. As for the several hundred foreign passengers, they will be sent back to their home countries. Amidst all of this, the UK Foreign Office said it was "working intensively" with US authorities to resolve the virus crisis. On the other side of the crisis, Oakland mayor Libby Schaff tells a news conference, "No one will be quarantined in Oakland, or released to our community." Granting the mayors demand, officials say that "the ship's crew members will remain quarantined on board, which will depart from Oakland as soon as the passengers have disembarked." Overall, the cruise ship crisis was met with fear but a willingness to assist those in need.
Questions:
- Do you think that this virus outbreak was handled well? Why?
- Do you think the mayor's demand was fair or was it irrationally defensive?
- Overall, are people overreacting to this virus or should we be more cautious in our daily lives?
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51796024
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/03/coronavirus-cases-surpass-100000-globally-live-updates-200306231605898.html
I do think that this incident was smartly and well handled. The fact that they protected us citizens then sent the others home was also a good idea.
ReplyDeleteI think the mayor's demand was fair because preventing the spreading of COVID-19 is a good idea as it is killing people. Overall i think people are overreacting when it comes to shopping, as stores are constantly out of specific things like hand sanitizer, toilet paper, paper goods, bottled water etc. I do think people should be cautious about interactions and just be wary around people in general. Also to constantly wash hands to help prevent germs.
ReplyDeleteIn this situation, I believe those in charge handled the virus seriously and with full attention. Even though some may believe people are taking this virus way too seriously, I believe no matter how serious the virus is on our world, all illnesses should be taken in a considerate matter. Although only 20+ members and passengers on the ship were affected, there could be thousands of passengers possibly affected. I agree with those in charge because of their inability to take the risk of spreading the virus. Furthermore, throughout the world, I believe those who are hoarding supplies that they don't necessarily need is overreacting to the virus. I had just been informed that hospital workers, who need supplies the most, have been cut down on mask and other mandatory supplies for their work. I believe the right thing to do in this situation is to avoid unnecessary contact and keep sanitized.
ReplyDeleteThe virus outbreak in the general sense, across the world has and has not been handled well. I think in this situation the quarantines, containing people to the areas where they could, was the best they could do. Although I do believe that the mayor has Oaklands best interests in mind, i think that working together in this situation is very important.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that this outbreak on the ship was handled well at all. They spread panic through the ship and by keeping them on board for so long, and they did not keep the passengers safe or secure by keeping them on a boat and not allowing them to dock. I think the right thing to do in this situation would be to dock the boat immediately at get everyone affected to the hospital. I think that the mayor is not right to do this because we should work together to keep the paranoia and spread of sickness down.
ReplyDeleteI think people are reacting finely, This is a very unknown virus and people do fear the unknown for a good reason. I think until we are able to find a suitable treatment then standared procedure should be taken to ensure saftey and such
ReplyDeleteThe situation was handled the best way possible. If they did nothing, more people on the cruise ship would get sick. I feel that the mayor's demands are only to reassure citizens of Oakland. It doesn't matter where the people are quarantined because the virus could always bypass the quarantine and make its way to Oakland. I think people are overreacting as well because there has been unnecessary panic spread by the media. It is a good precaution to not touch one's face and wash one's hands but at the same time it is pointless to stockpile prices. According to this article: https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-medic-warns-mass-panic-could-prove-worse-than-disease-2020-3 the overreactions are doing more damage than helping because it prevents people who actually need those supplies from getting them. In conclusion, the virus won't actually do that much damage to us and people are overreacting.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the situation on board the Grand Princess is being handled well. There were several reports of miscommunication between the crew and the passengers and as a result, this caused fear and mayhem. I think that he Mayor's claim was fair because it was out of protecting the general public and not continuing to spread the virus. I don't think anyone can overreact over a virus especially the Coronavirus because it has the potential to cause greater harm to society. We should continue to be more cautious and aware in terms of sanitation and hygiene so we can also prevent the spread of the Coronavirus.
ReplyDeleteI don't think the situation was handled very well. It is understandable that the passengers had to be stuck for two weeks, however miscommunication between officials and people on board the ship cause widespread fear and panic. Also, I do believe that the mayors request was reasonable because he was doing what was best for his community. However,I do believe he could have been more understanding because everyone should work together to deal with this problem. I think the panic about the virus is over-hyped,however I do not believe people are overreacting. it is very contagious and those at risk have every right to be very cautious.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the third question, I believe that people are overly concerned with the COVID-19 virus, given that it is a new virus that has gradually grown into an epidemic. Although it is widespread, it is fairly easy to contain as long as proper precautions are taken, which can not be expected of people to do. Some of these precautions would be washing your hands, and actually covering your face when you sneeze.
ReplyDeleteI feel like the situation definitely could have been handled better since new people were allowed on the ship after someone on the last cruise died of the virus. Also I think the mayor has the right to say that to his people so they feel safe but could have said it in a more kind way.
ReplyDeleteI don't think people in general are overreacting as much as they are overly panicking about the coronavirus. I definitely think people should be more cautious in their day-today life, by washing their hands frequently and staying home if sick. However, the media and general worry has caused a good amount of mass hysteria in people, who have now begun to "panic shop." I believe people should stay alert and careful, but not panic.
ReplyDeleteI think that the whole virus thing could have definitely been handled better,especially when it was publicized to the rest of the world outside of china and that area. People should be more cautious of what they do in their daily lives considering this virus has proved to be very difficult to get rid of once in the body. I think that this is a big problem that we need to fix as fast as possible but I also thing that people are making it seem like it's killing millions of people when in reality it's not likely to kill you especially if you are a healthy person.
ReplyDeleteI feel that the situations should of been handles a lot better because the passengers that do not have the virus had a higher chance of catching it. I believe that the media is is causing a lot more panic because they are over exaggerating the virus. The media also does not explain that there are people being cured. They are only talking about the deaths and how many people have the case, not who is recovering.
ReplyDeleteI think that, paradoxically, people need to both be more cautious about the virus while also being less panicked. This because the panic caused by the virus has led many to not be deliberate with their actions to try and stay safe. While more preventive measures need to be put in place, we need to do so calmly so as to do the job well. Additionally, many regional bodies have been more reactive to coronavirus, only taking serious measures to stop it after the virus reaches them and it's too late.
ReplyDeleteI think that the situation could have been handled better especially in regards to where the cruise ship docked. I think that it would have been a much better option if the ship docked in a less populated region rather than in San Francisco, as even if the passengers were asymptomatic and were let off of the ship they can infect other people which is problematic in a major city such as San Francisco. I do not think overall that people are overreacting to the pandemic as it is extremely contagious and does risk fatal consequences especially in older individuals who are more susceptible. People however shouldn't panic, rather follow the advised preventative measures in order to lower the risk of the virus's spread.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your response Amitai and I agree with what you've said. Focusing on the part where you said that you don't think that people are overreacting to the pandemic, I believe that a lot of this has to do with the false information that has been passed around over the course of the virus. As a result, people are overreacting based on all this false information that causes widespread fear and panic. I also agree that people shouldn't panic, but instead follow the advised preventive measures in order to lower the risk of the virus's spread.
DeleteI definitely think that the whole situation could have been handled better as there is a possibility that anyone on the ship could have been exposed. I believe that the mayor's response to the situation was fair as she is trying to look after and protect the city of Oakland
ReplyDeleteI think that keeping people on the ship is almost guaranteed to get more people sick. If they are able to test everyone for coronavirus, they could much more effectively quarantine the people that need it, and release the people who don't so they don't get infected. The mayor had a very rational response, and we can't be more careful in this situation. I do think however that many people are overreacting to the virus. We should be cautious, but not the the extremes that many people are going to.
ReplyDeletei think the situation wasn't handled very well.Panic spread through the ship and by keeping the passengers on board for so long,they did not keep them safe or secure.I think that the Mayor's claim was fair because it was to protect the general public and contain the virus from getting worse.
ReplyDeleteWe aren't overreacting to this issue. While we should self-quarantine and take appropriate measures when possible, we should have already had the appropriate hygiene to prevent the spread of this issue. Hand washing and not touching face after shaking hands should be commonplace, and this lack of a hygienic culture illustrates our failure to cope with a crisis of this magnitude as a society.
ReplyDeleteI think this situation was handled well because although they kept the passengers on board off the coast for multiple days, they did it for the wellbeing of the rest of the country. I think that in some ways people are overreacting, but in other ways they are not. Younger people are overreacting to this issue because they are at a low risk and not many people under the age of 18 have died so far. However, I do not think that older people are overreacting since they are more vulnerable to encounter the more severe effects of the sickness.
ReplyDeleteI believe the situation was handled fairly well given the short notice of the issue and the large amount of people on the ship. While the virus outbreak might seem severe to many, the public reaction has been kind of extreme. The only people that really have a need to be concerned are the people on the older side of the spectrum. Otherwise public concern seems to be at a decently good level.
ReplyDeleteI believe that this reaction was expected, especially since people tend too act more irrationally when they are scared or dealing with something new and foreign. I also think that the situation was handled as well they could for the information that they had, but also feel like they could have been moved to a better location instead of being stuck on the boat for so long.
ReplyDeleteI don't think we're doing a great job controlling the outbreak but at least now we're taking precautions that are unprecedented like the canceling of school. Yet I believe we should've taken more precautions and be safer much earlier as shown by this article written a month ago (https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/30/opinions/epidemic-public-policy-coronavirus-vermund/index.html). I thought it was interesting ho she was like no one will be quarantined in Oakland when inevitably, Oakland will probably have to quarantine someone.
ReplyDeleteMany people are worried about the spread of the virus, so I think they did the best they could. Sending people immediately to the hospital was definitely appropriate and putting the others in quarantine was the correct decision. Especially since many people are overreacting to this virus, dealing with infected or possible suspects is needed.
ReplyDeleteI think this virus outbreak was handled to the best of the authorities ability as many people were and are still scared of contracting the virus. People are overreacting to this virus by panic buying in fear of food shortages and stocking up to stay inside but they buy way too much which can lead to shortages of certain supplies that are needed buy others. however, we should take precautions and be given safety guidelines to avoid spreading the virus but not to the extent that people have gone to make their family safe.
ReplyDeleteI think we should all be cautious of the virus and take it as it is. It can kill people. Things like this cannot be taken lightly and should have everyone give maximum effort to contain it's spread.
ReplyDeleteI do think the mayor's demand was fair because it would be irresponsible to allow people from a cruise ship potentially infected with COVID-19 to enter Oakland and put the lives of thousands of people in Oakland and surrounding areas at risk. These extreme measures are necessary to prevent the spread as much as possible and to contain possible cases of coronavirus.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe they handled it as well as they could given what knowledge we had about the virus at that time. Princess Cruises made a responsible decision to negotiate disembarkment of travelers to quarantine zone or healthcare facilities as quickly as possible
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