Seeing how it'll pretty much be me, my mom, my dad, my grandma, my cousin and her husband and their young kids, and possibly my aunt and uncle, we're at the ten person limit for our county and that's probably about all we'll do. Something simple at the house. 

Posted by: @fantasia

What are my fellow Americans doing for Thanksgiving? For myself, my husband's side of the family opted to cancel.

We also ended up cancelling. Thanksgiving is normally our big, extended family holiday, which means we usually have 20-30 people. There was simply no way we could handle the logistics required for a group that big in the same house (it's hard enough when we're not supposed to stay 6+ feet apart!) We're probably going to do an immediate family gathering, and probably some video calls with the extended family to at least say hi. 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, so I'm kind of disappointed, but strangely not as disappointed as I thought I'd be. I think some part of me has known for a while that this was coming. I think I've reached my capacity for disappointment this year.

Posted by: @ryadian

I think I've reached my capacity for disappointment this year.

We Canadians have had our Thanksgiving already (the 2nd weekend of October), and, at least in Ontario, it was strongly discouraged for family members who are not living together to be together inside. We opted for outside, and just for the afternoon, rather than for the entire weekend, as would be in a non-COVID year. We lit up the fire pit and 'though it was cool, we sat around to enjoy our delicious BBQed/grilled ham, scalloped potato, salads and veggies meal. Oh yes, and two homemade pies. While it wasn't the same as usual, at least we could be together, while taking care.

All the best to each of the families from the US as you try to navigate what on earth is best for Thanksgiving in this strange, strange year.

We are getting together with all our kids for a few days at an Airbnb in a quiet area east of Toronto, by Lake Ontario, in early November. We were wondering if this might somehow have to be cancelled, but no, it doesn't look like it, yay! Our son and daughter-in-law in Montréal will be getting tested prior, to ensure they are still clear. Our area of Ontario is very low, so little concern there.

Good news, I think. Did I hear that there have been no fresh COVID19 cases in the entire territory of Australia over the weekend? Or am I just hearing things?  

I saw that too @waggawerewolf27 ! That's fantastic! 

Meanwhile over here in the USA we're setting all kinds of new cases records. I've known several people now that have it and thankfully all that have recovered from it. That is until tonight when I heard about one who is having a lot of breathing trouble. Hopefully he won't have to go to the hospital, but we shall see. 

I heard that too, Wagga, so you're not making it up! I wish I could be back in Australia right now, really, as we're about to enter another lockdown in the UK for at least a month...

Hope your friend gets better soon, Fantasia.

I heard that too, Wagga, so you're not making it up! I wish I could be back in Australia right now, really, as we're about to enter another lockdown in the UK for at least a month...

Bad business about the lockdown, but I suppose it is all for the best, given how many European nations seem to be affected this time. I hope that time passes quickly for everyone concerned.

I heard that Victoria has just had four days in a row without a single case of COVID19, & that with any luck we might have the Victorian border open in time for Christmas. At the other end of NSW we wouldn't be so lucky. Anna Palaszczuk, having won her third time in office, isn't opening the QLD/NSW border any time soon.  

"When the COVID19 is over" is beginning to sound uncommonly like "When I win the lottery".   In an hour the Melbourne Cup is on, no spectators this year, but at least we can cheer on a horse or two. 

Coronavirus – 5 Aug 20

COVID-19 in the U.S.: How do Canada's provinces rank against American states?

Looking at confirmed coronavirus cases per million people, how do the U.S. states compare to Canada's provinces and territories?

...

Here is an easy-to-read chart of known infections, comparing Canadian Provinces and USian States.

Canada has taken a national approach, with some local input (and local kibbitzing). The USA has taken a local approach, with some national input (and national kibbitzing).

At the time of its publication (first publication August 2020; updated beginning November 2020), the chart has Manitoba in 36th place if both countries are tallying their cases on one chart.

It's easy to see their individual first wave; their regrouping and containment; and second waves, if and when.

...

I posted it somewhere else, and the first thing people said was, "You should post a chart of Europe! Compare! Contrast! Context!" So if anyone has the same insta-reaction, the chart was not intended to neglect the rest of the world. It was a study about how neighbors with a shared border are handling the same problem.

It came about because Canada has closed its borders to USian auto traffic  for "traffic not essential to life." (It began March 2020 and is still closed through end November 2020. PMT probably will extended it.)

It was because USians who were under lockdown / restrictions had shrugged and crossed a line on a map to a place where the barbershop / cinema / lottery outlet / malls (etc.) were still open.

It’s less likely that USians will jet to Europe to do their shopping; it’s mostly about what people are doing within driving distance.

By the way, there is a loophole: non-essential travel is not supposed to drive across the border, but airplanes can land there. (shrugs)

the-old-maid 

It came about because Canada has closed its borders to USian auto traffic  for "traffic not essential to life." (It began March 2020 and is still closed through end November 2020. PMT probably will extended it.)

Yes you could be right about the Canadian border with USA. But both North & South America have been hard hit, in this epidemic. In particular, USA, which tops the chart at 1st, has been more badly affected than has China, in position 59 in most infections & deaths etc. India is fast catching up in 2nd place to USA. China is the country with the highest population in the world at 1.4 billion, whereas India has the second highest population in the world, followed by USA in 3rd position, Indonesia, to the north of Australia, is the 4th highest populated country in the world, but was 21st on the list.

Another American country, Brazil, another heavily populated country, comes in at 3rd with the most infections in the world, just behind India.  Colombia, Mexico & Peru are adjacent on the table at 9th, 10th, & 11th, whilst Argentina is 7th on the charts. Whilst Chile has done better at 17th place & Canada in 31st place. The two American countries that have the most active infections are Bolivia in 39th place & Mexico in 10th place. Most of the rest of the Americas seem to be doing fine. 

Try looking at a worldwide comparison between countries. You will find that New Zealand is way down the list on the table at 160, & even Australia, a federation of 6 states & 2 territories, which has still to unlock all its internal borders, is 89th on the list.

Posted by: @courtenay

Hope your friend gets better soon, Fantasia.

I did finally hear today that he is on the mend at last! Hooray!  

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

India is fast catching up in 2nd place to USA.

They were catching up to the US. For a while I thought they'd pass us. But their new cases have slowed down and our new cases have taken off into the stratosphere.

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

Another American country, Brazil, another heavily populated country, comes in at 3rd with the most infections in the world, just behind India. 

Thankfully, I think the vast majority of South American countries are trending down in cases, thanks to it warming up there. Yay summer! 

I pretty much live on the site you linked wagga. I like looking at the graphs in particular as they tell the most accurate story of what's going on imho. 

Kansas will surpass 100,000 cases on Monday. My husband and I have been getting things in order to go back into full-on hiding again.  

A week ago a young cousin with a neurological disorder succumbed to Covid. As her aunt commented, she had no chance against it.

My sincere condolences, Coracle.  We have lost relatives ourselves, during this pandemic. My husband's niece, living in regional Victoria, lost her husband to lung cancer, whilst her aunt, living in Queensland, also passed away. It was very distressing for my brother-in-law and his wife, in particular, unable to go to funerals because of lockdowns & shut borders, either for her daughter or her sister. 

One of the problems in this pandemic has been that people who have other things wrong with them have often been more reluctant to visit doctors, plus the use of telephone consultations for routine checkups, so that developing changes in chronic conditions have been missed. Then there was that Newmarch business, where a nurse who had unknowingly caught the COVID-19 virus, passed it on to residents of a nursing home, near here. 

This isn't strictly about COVID, and there isn't really a thread that fits this image, but it reminds me of our times nevertheless.

"There was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach ..."

Ballerina with Alzheimer's hears SWAN LAKE, begins to dance.

No matter how lonely the road, God never leaves us or forsakes us.

@Waggawerewolf27, @coracle, very sorry for your loss.

I'm sharing these words that we sang in church this morning. I had never noticed how comprehensive this song is.

Be strong and courageous
The Lord of the Ages
Holds all His little ones safe by His side
Be strong and courageous
The Lord of the Ages
Holds all His little ones safe

Do not fear the fire
Do not fear the waters
Do not fear the thunder
Jesus has conquered them all

Be strong and courageous...

Do not fear the darkness
Do not fear the sadness
Do not fear the sickness
Jesus has conquered them all

Be strong and courageous...

Do not fear the enemy
Do not fear the poverty
Do not fear eternity
Jesus has conquered them all

I mentioned this in the Thanksgiving thread, and sorry that this is a little late ... It seemed that this year was more like Lentsgiving. There is hope. There is an empty chair. This is the world we live in.

Fortunately, we are not alone. We have a God who never leaves us nor forsakes us.