Wednesday tourist railroad and museum news in brief:
— Colorado’s Royal Gorge Route Railroad has pushed back its planned reopening from May 23 as it waits for a variance to allow operation to be approved from the state. The tentative reopening date is June 13, but the Canon City Daily Record reports reopening could come sooner if the railroad receives needed guidance from the state. The railroad has said it can accommodate up to 300 passengers on a train even with social distancing [see “Royal Gorge Route Railroad to reopen,” News Wire Digest, April 30, 2020].
— The National Railroad Museum in Green Bay, Wis., will reopen on Thursday, with new rules to protect visitors and workers in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Among the changes: no more than 35 people will be admitted each hour, with the museum selling timed tickets for entry through 3 p.m. Tickets will be available at the museum website. Other changes include social distancing prompts through the facility; a schedule for disinfecting high-touch areas throughout the day; hand sanitizing stations throughout the museum, and closing areas where it is difficult to maintain social distance or cleanliness. Museum staff will wear masks and follow an extensive virus mitigation protocol. Additional details are available at the museum website.
— Washington’s Chehalis-Centralia Railroad & Museum plans to open June 20, in time for Father’s Day weekend, and now has tickets on sale. Operations will be reservation-only, and will have reduced capacity in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Operations will have a capacity of 49 or less — less than half the railroad’s usual capacity — to meet Gov. Jay Inslee’s order to limit gatherings to 50 or less. There will be three 90-minute trips on Saturdays and two on Sundays. For more information, visit the railroad website.
Mr. Esse,We may never know the true mortality rate. Not everyone will be tested, not everyone who had a mild case will be identified, and the rules on what is and is not a covid death kept changing.
I personally feel that the number of tests performed is irrelevant to the mortality rate or to the effectiveness of the health care system. Presently, the US has 4.29% of the world’s population, but has 28+% of the Covid-19 deaths. That does not look very good for the US health care system in general, and looks pathetic I light of the White house claims of a very good job. In my opinion, the US response to the pandemic is very poor….a day late a dollar short.
GERALD- The fact that very many people are likely to be tested as infected actually supports JIM NORTON’s point – that the fatality rate is low compared to the exposed population.
ROGER – I simply don’t believe that we have 28+% of the world’s COVID deaths.
The problem with Jim’s number, just like the problem with all of the statistics is that it’s based only on those tested and confirmed to have had COVID-19. Until, and only until, we can test every last single adult and those over the age of 6 in the U.S. for anti-bodies will we know the true number of people that were infected. So take his number with a grain of salt.
I don’t know about the survival figure but over 92 thousand people in this country have died of this extremely contagious in less than 3 months and this is despite all the shelter in place rules and social distancing policies. This thing is not over by a long shot and I have not heard any good proposals in an alternative to SIP and social distancing, mind you I am very tired of all of the SIP and social distancing but COVID-19 is nasty stuff.
Jim Norten – What is the source of your 99.983 survival rate number?
JIM NORTON – Great post.
Sure. No surprise. By now, we were supposed to have “flattened the curve.” Yet, we are becoming more cowardly by the day because of a sickness with a 99.983 survival rate.