Coronavirus

sodacat11 · 13-03-2020 12:09am

Galway congress has been cancelled. Sad but wise.

Eugene Donohoe · 13-03-2020 1:23am

sodacat11 wrote: »

Galway congress has been cancelled. Sad but wise.

A sensible and practical decision. I want to wish all of our chess friends well in the difficult times ahead.

spidersweb · 13-03-2020 2:40pm

cdeb wrote: »

LCU have advised clubs that all games are postponed until 29th March at least, following Varadkar's statement earlier.

What if two teams are happy to go ahead and play each other as per the schedule?

cdeb · 13-03-2020 2:56pm

There's nothing the LCU can really do to stop that other than to note that it is in breach of government requests aimed at the wellbeing of the population.

It's not encouraged, but certainly a game is way below the threshold for internal activities (100+ people), although it does still constitute unnecessary social interaction

spidersweb · 13-03-2020 3:03pm

cdeb wrote: »

There's nothing the LCU can really do to stop that other than to note that it is in breach of government requests aimed at the wellbeing of the population.

It's not encouraged, but certainly a game is way below the threshold for internal activities (100+ people), although it does still constitute unnecessary social interaction

I just had the idea that it was all about the 100 people indoors aspect, but yeah if it is about "social distancing" then I can see the logic. Not sure if it is a good idea or not, as if we apply such a precautionary principle to any amount of things we would perhaps almost never leave the house. More focus and practical might be to screen and isolate people coming into Ireland, like with the thousands returning from Cheltenham? Hard to balance things and avoid panic and hysteria. Have a feeling that a lot of people simply won't be interested much in League chess after April. Until next season, assuming we survive and life goes on.

cdeb · 13-03-2020 3:52pm

You could well be right. I do know that one game went ahead last night because players had agreed to travel across town before the announcement came - and as it was way below the 100 people, both sides went ahead with a strict "no sniffles" rule.

Was it the right choice? Who knows. But everyone was in agreement, so it went ahead.

Obviously had anyone sought to postpone, that would have been the end of the matter

sodacat11 · 13-03-2020 4:30pm

The coronavirus pandemic might not peak until June or July. I think that we will be lucky if we are back playing chess in time for the Irish championships in July and I doubt that chess coaching in schools will resume before September.

Joedryan · 13-03-2020 6:27pm

sodacat11 wrote: »

The coronavirus pandemic might not peak until June or July. I think that we will be lucky if we are back playing chess in time for the Irish championships in July and I doubt that chess coaching in schools will resume before September.

I was about to post that question, will the Irish ch go ahead?

For myself planning a flight from Spain where we are all in lockdown too now, looks doubtful. I am working from home 24/7 now and cant see this getting better any time soon.

I see good ol Boris Johnson thinks its all ok mind

sodacat11 · 13-03-2020 7:01pm

Joedryan wrote: »

I was about to post that question, will the Irish ch go ahead?

For myself planning a flight from Spain where we are all in lockdown too now, looks doubtful. I am working from home 24/7 now and cant see this getting better any time soon.

I see good ol Boris Johnson thinks its all ok mind

I think that England has been very irresponsible in its dealing with coronavirus. They seem happy to have a cull of their elderly and infirm. I presume that Irish teams won't be attending 4NCL matches?

Joedryan · 13-03-2020 7:19pm

sodacat11 wrote: »

I think that England has been very irresponsible in its dealing with coronavirus. They seem happy to have a cull of their elderly and infirm. I presume that Irish teams won't be attending 4NCL matches?

I've tried to follow the "science" Johnson keeps going on about, it does seem to be a very defeatist strategy - lets infect 60% + of the population to get some kind of "herd immunity"

mad stuff if you ask me

spidersweb · 13-03-2020 8:33pm

Joedryan wrote: »

I've tried to follow the "science" Johnson keeps going on about, it does seem to be a very defeatist strategy - lets infect 60% + of the population to get some kind of "herd immunity"

mad stuff if you ask me

Hard to know who or what to believe.

Blue line shows the risk of too much early intervention and no herd immunity - a second peak. Likely next winter - a very dangerous point. Government's view is it's better to peak once and have that as close to the summer as possible.

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pdemp · 13-03-2020 9:56pm

If this was a disease in cattle I'd completely agree with what the UK are doing, but the above graph seems to ignore that fact all other countries can repeat the shutdown but with 6 months to plan for it versus the UK's 1-5% of those over the blue, under the green can between months 3 and 7 can just die because we don't want 2-3 shutdowns [time to get to vaccine]. And that's assuming medium term immunity.

I was really worried Ireland was following the UK's lead until yesterday. Using https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/publications-data/download-todays-data-geographic-distribution-covid-19-cases-worldwide data I had thought (very crude analysis) we'd have 16 new cases yesterday [was 27 so shocked but hard to predict with such small numbers early on], 23 today, 32 tomorrow, 45 on Sun, 64 Mon, 90 Tues, 127 Wed, 180 Thurs, 254 Fri, but now I'm hopeful that Wed, Thu, Fri figures will be down to 71, 87, 107, but God know what Cheltenham will do to that [it's not the outdoor element of it, more the pubs afterwards].

Pete Morriss · 16-03-2020 9:38pm

I happened to see that chess24 is reporting that an Irish player - presumably a junior - has had a preliminary positive test in Murmansk

Let's hope it's a false alarm.

cdeb · 16-03-2020 9:54pm

It's not.

But would obviously advise standard common sense precautions when discussing another person's medical issues in public.

sodacat11 · 16-03-2020 9:54pm

Pete Morriss wrote: »

I happened to see that chess24 is reporting that an Irish player - presumably a junior - has had a preliminary positive test in Murmansk

Let's hope it's a false alarm.

Bloody stupid to be in Murmansk at all at the moment, if I had kids who were entered there I would have kept them at home.

mikhail · 16-03-2020 10:19pm

sodacat11 wrote: »

Bloody stupid to be in Murmansk at all at the moment, if I had kids who were entered there I would have kept them at home.

I mostly agree, though Russia has some of the lowest numbers of cases (especially per capita) of anywhere*, and this whole thing has escalated a lot in a week.

*If you believe their numbers. I don't.

sodacat11 · 16-03-2020 10:23pm

I don't know how people are even thinking about chess at the moment. I will just be happy if I and the people I love are still alive at the end of this disaster.

spidersweb · 16-03-2020 11:43pm

It just gets weirder and weirder. Russia is probably the safest country one can think of. Hopefully , as with the overwhelming number of cases for young people, it will be ok for the child in question and everything will be ok.

spidersweb · 16-03-2020 11:46pm

"So, in Murmansk, the coronavirus was detected. We make a reservation, the test is screening, to put an end to the question: is it really COVID-19 or a false-positive reaction will be possible only after a confirmatory analysis. An Irish citizen took part in the annual chess tournament, which took place at the Meridian Hotel last weekend. It remains to be seen how, despite the ban on mass events with the participation of foreigners, this became possible. Information about the result of the analysis came when the chess player was already registered. So Murmansk Airport is in a special mode today. Well, at the Meridian Hotel, where the chess tournament was held and the participants lived, Rospotrebnadzor is working today. An analysis reception center was deployed on the ground floor, an epidemiological investigation is being conducted, all contacts are identified and conversations are conducted with them.

Marina Kalmykova, General Director of the Meridian Congress Hotel: “Analyzes today were taken from absolutely all employees who contacted the tournament participants and who did not contact. We were not officially shut down, but for two days we did not settle anyone until we were ready the results of the analyzes of all the employees and those clients who were in the hotel. Those four maids who worked directly on this floor are isolated for two days, suspended from work, as are the two reception staff. We are waiting for the results of analyzes. ”

Mobile groups of the regional center for hygiene and epidemiology arrived at the Meridian congress hotel together with Rospotrebnadzor employees. First of all, we started processing the premises, - object number one is room 5009, on the fifth floor, where the Irish chess player lived. For disinfection, a composition based on quaternary ammonium compounds is used. The procedure itself is standard."

Joedryan · 16-03-2020 11:48pm

Meanwhile, all sporting events in the world are cancelled, countries in lockdown, but the geniuses in FIDE have decided lets go ahead with the candidates

You couldnt make it up.

checknraise · 17-03-2020 12:14am

Crap situation to find yourself in. Based on the information about the virus one would imagine he is not the profile of person who is not at risk.

Will be in Russia for the next 2 weeks. Hopefully he gets looked after well.

Joedryan · 17-03-2020 12:15am

sodacat11 wrote: »

I don't know how people are even thinking about chess at the moment. I will just be happy if I and the people I love are still alive at the end of this disaster.

Indeed, well said. I was looking forward to the candidates but now the whole thing seems obscene that it is going ahead, saw everybody didnt turn up to the opening ceremony and they are all wearing masks.

spidersweb · 17-03-2020 12:20am

Joedryan wrote: »

Meanwhile, all sporting events in the world are cancelled, countries in lockdown, but the geniuses in FIDE have decided lets go ahead with the candidates

You couldnt make it up.

But Russia if very safe surely? Has to be tiny risk no? really tiny

Joedryan · 17-03-2020 12:28am

spidersweb wrote: »

But Russia if very safe surely? Has to be tiny risk no? really tiny

why very safe? It'll be the same as everywhere else. Worse if anything, I wouldnt trust the official figures at all.

Grischuk has said there is a 50% chance the tournament wont finish, I'd put it higher, but it simply shouldnt be happening, its obscene.

Ficheall · 17-03-2020 12:42am

Of all the sports competitions in the world, surely this has to be one of the easiest to move online?

checknraise · 17-03-2020 12:50am

I don't think you can move a tournament of the candidates stature online. It would almost be a completely different game and would take away allot from the tournament.

What happens if the tournament is cancelled does Radjabov get his spot back?

spidersweb · 17-03-2020 1:24am

Joedryan wrote: »

why very safe? It'll be the same as everywhere else. Worse if anything, I wouldnt trust the official figures at all.

Grischuk has said there is a 50% chance the tournament wont finish, I'd put it higher, but it simply shouldnt be happening, its obscene.

Safe because Russia is a strictly no open border country that took swift action back in January and they have had a very very small number of cases. They will not end up anything like the rest, such as Spain or Italy. There are very logical reasons why Italy was so badly effected so quickly. Those things do not apply in Russia and so far they have contained it.Maybe they won't be able to contain it, but still no comparison with the open borders, no borders nations.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?fbclid=IwAR1kXELmidIKFPi6lwrYv-bxoz-VMJSN21gnt37eNuubDW36c-Dhh7NW2UU#countries

The case of the Irish kid is not yet confirmed and it might be just that they are not taking any chances. He is stuck in Russia for two weeks now in Q.

DancingSpaniel · 17-03-2020 9:20am

Russia seems to be closing its borders:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/coronavirus-russia-border-close-flights-when-residents-latest-a9405131.html
Hope our man is doing ok and gets home soon.

sodacat11 · 17-03-2020 9:40am

DancingSpaniel wrote: »

Russia seems to be closing its borders:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/coronavirus-russia-border-close-flights-when-residents-latest-a9405131.html
Hope our man is doing ok and gets home soon.

Presumably "our man" had the virus before he travelled so he would have been in contact with people on the plane, then people in the bus/taxi, then his opponents, and all those people will in turn have had contact with others. Probably "our man" will only have mild symptoms and recover quickly but I wonder what the long term effects of his parents bringing him to play chess at a time like this will be for others?

cdeb · 17-03-2020 9:44am

Entirely possible it was contracted over there too. Estonian and French players there too, and both countries are worse hit than us at the moment (or even last Thursday when everyone flew out - seems an age ago now, but we only had 20 or so cases then)

Either way, while you can argue the tournament shouldn't have gone ahead or players should have withdrawn (and many did), ultimately all this seems inevitable to be honest. People going down the pub or to Cheltenham will have done far more damage than a chess player going to Murmansk.

Coronavirus

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