This article states that the Philippines is a safer place to be during the pandemic than the USA and UK. Although the Philippines is last in the list for the Asia-Pacific Countries. Read down near the end of the article where it lists the Global rankings showing the Philippines is safer than USA, UK and of course France and Italy. https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/nati...e-coronavirus-pandemic/ar-BB12ErDm?li=BBr8Mkn
the Philippines is nice and dandy as long as you stay healthy. And chances to do so appear to be better right now, here. Once sick, I think everybody here still wished they were in a country with a more developed health system. Also: "Globally, the Philippines placed ninth in the 20 countries most at risk during the pandemic. In this list, Italy remains in the top spot, followed by the USA, the UK, Spain, France, Sweden, Iran and Ecuador. Romania completes the top 10." so while Philippines may currently be better than the US, on a global level theres still many better places to be right now. not that we have much choice currently...
I think Negros is a much safer place to be than any major US city because I feel there is far less chance of getting COVID. I doubt the Manila area is any better than any US city as far as chances of getting the virus.
Being an archipelago, Philippines is not like other countries. I feel pretty secure in Dumaguete, if I lived in Manila then not so much.
Lots of difference between the US and Philippines. The US has a lot more international points of entry (airports) than the Philippines where there are primarily two major airports (Cebu and Manila). You also have land entry points from Canada and Mexico, not to mention cruise ports. Domestic travel hasn't been suspended in the US, where the Philippines shut that down pretty quickly. If the virus gets a foothold in Manila, things could get bad quickly.
I'm not sure which would be safer, if you have to depend on "official" statistics. The scariest part of the US is the idiot politicians who believe bars and wrestling and religious services are "essential". When i go out, i still assume that anyone might have it, and any surface might be contaminated. I'm appropriately careful, not obsessive or freaked out tho. As a C3S3 (Cynical Critical Cranky Skeptical Senile Senior), I still question the figures for cases in Negros Oriental, seeing how fast the virus is spreading in the poorer barangays in Cebu and in the denser parts of manila and new york. But i do agree that stopping the passenger ferries was smart. If they stopped the freight ferries, that's stupid. A clerk told me yesterday there is a flour shortage in Duma ?????
Read the international news about San Roque on the northern side of manila, then tell me which is safer. Duterte can't quarantine already poor people who have lost their jobs and sparse income without FEEDING THEM.. Do they have accurate covid statistics for San Roque ?? Try the New York Times, front page. Scary (and that's putting it mildly and kindly)...
