Photo by Muffy Aldrich
The Modern Guide to The Thing Before Preppy

Wednesday, March 18, 2020

Boston Globe: Trying to escape the coronavirus, the well-heeled flee to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard


A reader sent in this story:
Trying to escape the coronavirus, the well-heeled flee to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard. Islanders fear supplies will be depleted and that the influx will bring infection 
- The Boston Globe <https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/18/nation/escaping-coronavirus-well-heeled-flee-nantucket-marthas-vineyard/>

29 comments:

  1. I work with healthcare professionals—done so for years—I can tell you this is A. Ineffective and B. Problematic. Hospitals on the islands cannot accommodate dozens and dozens of ICU patients. Period.

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    1. Agree with RCJH. We have a home in the Tuscan region of Italy. The "well-heeled" from Milan fled to Tuscany at the announcement of the lockdown in Lombardy. Locals are furious at the influx and rightly so, as coronavirus cases have surged by over 1,000 since the exodus. Tuscany is a collection of small towns and thus, do not have large-scale heath facilities, nor the army of doctors and nurses necessary to contain this.

      If you're wondering why Italy is so hard hit, this is the reason. The "well-heeled" from the cities bringing their infections to their vacation havens where the ability to address the problem is the weakest.

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  2. And then there's this:

    Maine island bans non-residents from visiting in an attempt to prevent COVID-19 outbreak (That includes seasonal residents being banned!)

    https://bangordailynews.com/2020/03/16/news/midcoast/maine-island-bans-non-residents-from-visiting-in-an-attempt-to-prevent-covid-19-outbreak/

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    1. The story's about North Haven. I can imagine that Monhegan, with a much smaller population than NH's 355 year-round residents, will follow suit shortly as will others.

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    2. North Haven reopens island to outsiders

      https://bangordailynews.com/2020/03/20/news/midcoast/north-haven-reopens-island-to-outsiders/?ref=also-like

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  3. So much for the myth that the well-to-do have a sense of civic responsibility.

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    1. who ever thought that
      not the 99.9%

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  4. We must hope common sense prevails. Thanks so very much!

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  5. RCJH, agreed. I work in healthcare in Boston. Wisdom cannot be bought.

    Averyl, thank you. They simply don't have the resources: Https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/us/north-carolina-and-maine-coronavirus.html.

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  6. You mean the self declared well-heeled don't you .

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  7. Nothing new here -- the rich have always behaved like this. If you've got the cash - run.

    For example, in the Fourteenth Century (1353), Boccaccio's "Decameron" describes a group of ten young people (seven women and three men) who flee to a secluded villa outside Florence to escape the Black Death. See the connection? Anyway, with no Cable TV, internet, Wi-Fi, laptops, or Smart Phones, they amuse themselves by telling interesting stories each evening. Now, can you picture all the Hedge-Fund Managers on Martha's Vineyard doing this?

    Neither can I.

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    1. Sounds like The Masque of the Red Death. Things end badly.

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    2. The 1 percent preppers have been acquiring property in New Zealand for a few years and are building elaborate and sophisticated underground bunkers/complexes.

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  8. My daughter is a young RN (23 yrs old) working at a major hospital in Washington, DC. The numbers of infected are expected to rise as the test results begin to come in. Everything about the way this pandemic was handled has been an absolute disaster from downplaying the seriousness of COVID-19 to not having tests available to the diminishing supplies for all the health care workers. I pray that my brave and beautiful daughter will be OK. I hope you will too.

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  9. "Quality people!" Listen to you! Too funny.

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  10. "This too shall pass" and in a few years it will barely be remembered. Do you remember Swine Flu? Early on, what really bothered me was the hoarding of Items, such as toilet paper, paper products in general. Today, my wife and I did some necessary shopping. I was happy to note that I saw no signs of panic or hoarding behavior. People were laughing, joking and showing no signs of rudeness. The employees at our local Shop Rite were friendly, helpful and just plain NICE.

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  11. Alas, ‘tis perhaps a bit soon to be dismissive about the covid-19 situation. After all,
    are not September 11 and the 2008 financial crisis more than “barely remembered?”
    They are in the corner of New England where we live.

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    1. I truly hope I am wrong about this, but this looks as if it can become much worse than either of these financial crises. We have never experienced such an accelerated and deep drop off the top of the market before. From all-time highs to bear market in fewer than a handful of weeks, and, in the process, wiping out three years worth of market gains! This cannot be good.

      I really do hope I am wrong, but when I look at the country's cavalier response up until maybe a day or so ago, I fear the worst is yet to arrive while we remain largely under prepared.

      Stay healthy and safe,

      Aiken

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  12. Frankly, my dears, I don't give a damn about the very rich and their shenanigans. This behavior is expected; I would be surprised to hear differently. I just want to be told the truth and have accurate information.

    Aiken

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    1. Exactly.

      Jacqueline

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    2. Aiken, you can always be depended upon to provide meaningful and appropriate replies. I look forward to them. Thank you.

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  13. Since I first saw this post, I’ve been quizzing myself - “What would I do if I were one of the well heeled?” Of course, one question is, “Who are these rich folk?” Then we get into defining “well heeled”...a place at the beach, or the mountains or the farm or Tuscany?

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  14. Good question. Not too many well-heeled, high-heeled. well worn-heeled, no-heeled (even,
    hunters know) running around places like Hamilton County New York. Maybe that’s the place to be?

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  15. By way of encouragement, I would venture to say than any regular reader of this blog has the privilege of cultural wealth that is far more valuable when facing social disruption with resolve and calmness. Wishing each of you safety and a calm mind. Thank you, Mrs. Aldrich, for creating this community.

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    1. Beautifully written! Thank you, AEF and Muffy.

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  16. The Vineyard unfortunately confirmed today! Reverse mass exodus of the well healed? Hey, we must realize this virus knows no ivory tower, investment banker or the not so well healed sanitation worker. Enough placing stigmas on people for what they believe, we are all humans facing daily uncertainty!

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  17. York town manager plans to ask the police department to put signs near the Maine Turnpike exit to warn visitors the beaches and parks are closed.

    “We don’t need the day trippers right now,” he said, noting local residents can get out for walks in their neighborhoods.

    York closes beaches after weekend crowds fuel virus concerns in coastal towns

    https://www.pressherald.com/2020/03/23/york-closes-beaches-after-weekend-crowds-fuel-virus-concerns-in-coastal-towns/

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