Stop the Coronaval — I mean Carnival!

This one I am putting here to be read in the future…

Well obviously it cannot be read in the past! What I mean is I am about to predict the future.

For some time now I have been warning our local council about the dangers of the Coronavirus — and the Carnival, or the Coronaval — as I now call it. But my words weigh heavy and fall to the floor. As there are no ‘confirmed’ cases here in Portugal, the feeling seems to be that there is nothing to worry about,

“It is a problem in China”

“The common flu is more dangerous”

Bla bla bla. ..If I had a pound for every time that somebody has told me that I would be rich by now!!

Anyway, yesterday things kind of changed when there were 18 reported cases in Italy, and one death. That quickly evolved in to 39 cases and two deaths…click here for more information. (by the time you read this, for sure the numbers will have risen…news gets old quickly…)

Now, Italy reacted fairly quickly and cancelled all events in the affected areas, including Carnival, and have gone on lock down — at least for the weekend (I have a feeling it might be longer though) Link.

Still maybe it is not early enough.

The horse has bolted.

A “growing cluster of cases with no direct links to the origin of the outbreak abroad”

That is rather concerning. When you think that people have been travelling by air, all over the planet (including flights coming from China).

So today I sent out emails to all the councils in Portugal urging them to cancel Carnival. What the hell, it is worth a shot…

Will they cancel?

Probably not.

I feel like one of those crazy people from those disaster films that are warning everybody, yet nobody pays any head. ..Let’s hope that it is me that is crazy.

I could live with that!

Otherwise, in the coming weeks, Portugal may be facing a major epidemic — Brazil too. ..how they think they have contained this virus is beyond me — it is like trying to stop the wind from blowing ...

If the authorities in China had postponed the festivities for the Chinese New Year — maybe we would be seeing a very different scenario right now…

Stay safe...

:)