Domestic travel potentially curtailed/forbidden?

[Pleasant Travels]

It seems incompatible with a free society such as ours, but arguably part of an effective quarantine in a pandemic is regional lockdown. The Chinese did this in the area around Wuhan. Russia has no reported cases as a result of keeping their border shut. Italy has restricted travel in key areas.

Among the questions asked by the press of the President today was if/when domestic travel restrictions were going to be seriously considered here. While the President answered that such was not considered necessary at this time,...neither did he say it was out of the question. In fact much of the press seems infatuated with the idea that domestic travel bans are inevitable and wonder why Washington refuses to admit it.

But what if it is decided that such is actually necessary and policy is enacted? What if while you're in Arizona in March you are informed you must stay through the summer? Yuma is nice right now, but....

 

[maki2]

Are you asking about why Washington State refuses to admit it or President Trump? Because President Trump already said in a press conference that restricting travel to and from Washington state and the state of California is a possibility. https://www.seattletimes.com/life/t...-the-coronavirus-outbreak-has-gotten-too-hot/

 

[Ticklebellly]

No containment actions will be put in place until sufficient testing kits are available and the extent of infection is known.

 

[GypsyJan]

...or until the death toll rises.

 

[ByeBye]

I'll do just fine in AZ, very diverse terrain and elevations..
All this fear mongering is unnecessary

 

[pure_mahem]

In Italy as of 4 days ago they have everyone on lock down. You are not allowed to leave your home unless you are going to church or grocery shopping. Then you must write on a piece of paper where you are coming from and where you are going to, you must do the same to return. This is so you can show the police or military your travel plan from a safe distance to eliminate contact. If you are not on that route you are fined 200 euros. They are only letting people into the grocery stores 1 person at a time. You wait in line with a minimum of 1 meter between each person at all times. Everything else is shutdown. They have buses running but from what I've heard the drivers wont take your money because they dont want to touch it and they ask you to sit back away from them as far as possible and even to exit off the rear of the bus and not to exit back past them.

Many of the schools here where I live are shutting down some for 10 days others have closed for the next month and will be doing all course work online. I do see a lot of people staying home and griping about all the events being canceled. But they are still panic shopping for now. Being in the Northeast it doesnt really make sense. I've grown up and was taught to always keep extra on hand as you never know when you might have a snow storm especially this time of year. The panic shopping just doesnt make sense to me.

All of this does throw a monkey wrench into my plans as I was planning to leave in May and no I might have to change that because I dont even know if we will be able to travel then.

I'm curious if the National Parks will have restrictions then as well.

 

[maki2]

In Seattle the bus drivers have been instructed that they no longer have to closely inspect passes to see if they are valid or check the transfers to see if they are still valid.

Fortunately we are not on lock down but people are trying to do social distancing, the 3 feet apart thing. But it is not working so great in the grocery stores.

Unknown of course what if any parks will shut down. In Seattle area some of the ski resorts are not shutting down but have limited access inside the lodges to restroom use, some food service..take out and a time limited period to get warmed up. Meaning no hanging around inside all day being a snow bunny. Social distancing required for that 3 foot between people situation. But in Washington DC they are closing some of the monuments and exhibits.

 

[nature lover]

I am not normally a conspiracy guy but comparing the info they are releasing on the virus with the drastic action taken by governments to the same - my question is what do "they" know that they are not telling us? No matter what I am just going to be cautious to a senseable degree (what ever that is?)

 

[jacqueg]

A big part of the problem is that no one really knows what to expect. But one of the few things that seems clear is that people can have the virus and pass it along without showing any symptoms whatever. Another thing that seems clear is that the virus can survive for days on surfaces. This is very different behavior from flu and cold viruses.

This next month is liable to be pretty rocky. Be very choosy about believing what other people say. I was in the Blythe Albertson's yesterday when I heard a PA announcement that Albertson's was not closing, regardless of what anyone on Facebook was saying.

Meanwhile, I'm using the pit toilet at Q in order to preserve my supply of TP! Apparently, Americans worry as much about their supply of TP as they do about their supply of food!

I think your best source for good info is public health officials. I'm not saying they are always correct, just that what they say is more likely to be based on facts and reason. I also think that state officials have been more consistent and coordinated in their reactions than the feds.

 

[crofter]

I'll do just fine in AZ, very diverse terrain and elevations..
All this fear mongering is unnecessary

Where is your AZ summer camp?
  -crofter

 

[ByeBye]

Wherever the elevation 6500+

 

[crofter]

CDC on travel within the US.  -crofter
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzann...before-you-travel-within-the-us/#122dc65e7b49

 

[crofter]

Wherever the elevation 6500+

Flagstaff comes to mind. I heard there is less camping open there now due to fire danger.  -crofter

 

[ByeBye]

@crofter
SW AZ is the only corner of the state that one can't find cooler elevations in. Lots of blm land, National Forests, state trust land.
Mogollon Rim is wonderful.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogollon_Rim

 

[user 423]

I'm in SE AZ at 4600' and last year it started getting hot around May 1. At that time I'll probably take 191 north to cooler temps.

 

[maki2]

No containment actions will be put in place until sufficient testing kits are available and the extent of infection is known.

it depends on what you define as containment. If you mean people stopping people from traveling on the highways between states and cities then we have not yet seen that type of action.

But instead of saying you can't go where you want to they are closing the places you might want to go to. If the governing authorities decide they don't want travel between state they won't forbid it, they will simply close the gas stations, airports, train, interstate bus lines, etc. They won't stop commercial traffic because they need to move supplies such as food, medical, etc but not be able to buy gas will stop most people from moving from place to place. If needed they will go to a gas rationing system such as was in place during WWII.

But before that happens cities, towns and states across the country will begin taking the type of actions you are seeing in Seattle and elsewhere in Washington state.

Waiting for testing would mean it would become far too widespread. No one in Washington state is waiting for testing, they know the virus is here and they know it is spreading.

 

[Qxxx]

crofter, if you're expecting to be in AZ into the warm season, then as matala says, AZ north of Phoenix is a good place and has lots of opportunities. There is a large swatch of area between Prescott and Payson to camp in. Prescott is a cool old town with 100 YO buildings, 2 good used bookstores, and the Billy Jack main square. As a camper, one can stay away from the large crowds, and shop in the small towns.

The past 2 days, a number of states have imposed restrictions on large gatherings, like sports events, bars, and so forth. This page has a rundown on CA and also the national scene, graphs near the bottom.

https://www.latimes.com/projects/california-coronavirus-cases-tracking-outbreak/

 

[Qxxx]

Waiting for testing would mean it would become far too widespread. No one in Washington state is waiting for testing, they know the virus is here and they know it is spreading.

The link I just posted shows that testing, which began in earnest a couple of weeks ago, helps reveal the people that have it and don't know it. We should expect the number of "confirmed" cases to jump now.

 

[WanderingRose]

I think the time will come in the not too distant future when travel and even movement within the US will be severely restricted.

People will be asked to shelter in place, and to go out only when absolutely necessary.

But, I could be wrong.

 

[user 423]

People will be asked to shelter in place, and to go out only when absolutely necessary.

I've been in that mode for a week. Not too bad right now as I'm enjoying an NPR interview with Dr.Demento.

I either don't remember or somehow missed Weird Al's "Another One Rides The Bus".