Cape Breton should take immediate action to reduce the risk of a COVID-19 coronavirus infection. The repercussions of an island infection could be devastating in terms of draw on already spent medical resources and would greatly imperil our relatively aged population. While COVID-19 general mortality rates are in the 2.5-3% range (25-30x worse than the flu at 0.1%) those above 70 have a 10% chance of perishing if infected and 80+ jumps to 15%. Many elderly require extended hospital stays, ICU and high flow oxygen once in the "severe" category.

What can be done?

Until it can be shown that the global authorities have a handle on the spread of COVID-19, no cruise ships should be granted access to Sydney Harbour. Look no further than the Diamond Princess in Yokohama Japan. 705 have tested positive of approx. 3,700 (19% infection rate with 7 fatalities). Ships from non infected areas may be granted passage (supplies, etc.), but excursions should be highly restricted until clarity can be found.

Quarantine. A 14-day quarantine should be required for all passengers arriving via any means (travel history within the previous month) from the following countries; China, Hong Kong, Japan, S. Korea, Iran, Italy, and Thailand. Should COVID-19 still be with us by spring, this quarantine would apply to my family as well (in-coming from Tokyo, Japan). This restriction would encompass CBU of course, our "silo" of international learning, but our international guest will surely appreciate effort made to keep them safe as we navigate these yet un-chartered waters.

Safety 1st. The chances of extraordinary support from "away" are scant if a broad based coronavirus infection were to hit Cape Breton. We must protect our own shores. Regards, Caleb Gibbons

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

https://mailchi.mp/17a8dbcc8b32/the-asia-pacific-in-3-mins?e=e85da8638e