Floradude

$600 for two people three hours one day/week.

The fruit bats at my house are gone during the winter.  I have not noticed anything different during the rainy season.  Although, I must say I have fewer bats at night this year

Interesting variations.  Here at my home in Upper Ajijic we seem to lose WiFi about  once a week.  In the past I would be calling Mexico City but now Telmex notifies us on our smartphones that they are aware of it and do not call.  When my modem/WiFi goes down I do however have my telephone.  I have never lost telephone service.  That only happens at my house when I lose electricity.

May depend on your bank.  Wells Fargo knows I live in Mexico and use my cousins address as my formal address.  Everything is done electronically anyway, but when my card is renewed every few years it is sent to her address.  She then sends it to me by FedEx, or whatever.  That costs over $60 USD.  I mail her a check for reimbursement.

  At the last check at Chapala Haciendas you had show proof of identity and that you live here.

Meanwhile, another batch of three cars checked into the house  airB&B next to my house yesterday.

Thanks for the info.

It will be my afternoon read.

I add 1 Tablespoon of bleach to 500 ml of water and put it in a spray  bottle. This is from the DHHS (Public Health Services)

I use mine in and around the house.  I disinfect the kitchen counter with it.  Spray groceries with it before I put them away.  Be sure to let the solution dry.  Many other things including car keys.

In my car I have a container of the Clorox wipes and a gel (to which I have a little extra isopropyl alcohol)  Every time I get in the car I wipe my hands thoroughly  with a wipe along with the steering wheel.  Then I put some of gel in my hands and rub it around until dry.  

And so forth.

TelsZr...

I never said, or implied that I felt unsafe.  I think you are reading into my comments what you want.  My ONLY concern was for the  health and safety of the checkers and other employees who are working without minimal, recommended protection that a mask provides.   I was protected.  I was wearing a mask.  I know what I am facing when I go out and I know how to care for myself as best I can.  Every time I re-enter my car I thoroughly wipe my hands with a Clorox wipe.  When that dries I apply gel and rub that until it thoroughly dries.  

I was in Walmart shopping today.  Wearing my mask and following all the procedures.  Many of the other customers also wore masks.  Then, I got up to the check stands.  As far as I could see all of the Walmart cashiers were working without masks. Shame on Walmart.  Why is the most profitable and largest corporation in Mexico (I think) not providing free masks for all of their employees while they are working anywhere in the store????

SHAME ON YOU WALMART

Isn't that the area where that grand senior facility complex  was supposed to be a couple of years ago?

How about the air B&B's at Lakeside.  I have one next to my house.  Every two or three days a new group of Mexicans arrive and it is party time.  I do not think these are local Mexicans but people from Guadalajara.  Is this staying at home or is it putting all of us at risk?

Gracias Kiko

How is the stock (inventory) at Costco?

The Lake Chapala Society Board of Directors came together to address next steps as it relates to CORONAVIRUS. As a result, the board has made the following decisions, effective today:

• The Board of Directors followed the State of Jalisco’s "5 Dias en Casa” initiative. This initial 5 - day period has been extended at least through this Sunday. Please see the translation of today’s Governors message attach.
• The Board has agreed to keep our campus and the Wilkes Center closed for the time being and will continue to have ongoing conversations to determine when we will reopen. We believe this is in the best interest of the largest number of people to help control the coronavirus within the foreign and Mexican communities.
• The Lake Chapala Society Annual General Meeting (AGM) that was scheduled to take place on Thursday, March 19, was postponed to a later date. Plans are being considered that could enable AGM business to be conducted online or by other means in lieu of holding an in-person meeting. .
• We have temporarily suspended all programs, activities, events and services, including our libraries until the level of contact with others is safer. This includes those offered at the Wilkes Center.
• The best guidelines to contain the coronavirus is to:
  • continue to be to Stay at Home,
  • wash your hands frequently,
  • limit trips out of the house as much as possible, and
  • when you do have to interact with other people, please respect Social Distancing guidelines of two meters (six feet).
• Our staff who are able to work from home are maintaining some of our existing initiatives.
• We have several new initiatives in the works at this time.
  • LCS Reaching Out Program - we have recruited over 80 volunteers who are mobilized and ready to reach out to members, especially those who live alone, have no family in the area and want to be contacted on a daily basis.  This service has now been extended to the community at large.

For more information, Register Here

• • Online learning opportunities. One of our IT volunteers has held Tech training sessions through the use of Zoom, an application that allows for group participation and interactions online.
  • Our Education team is also working on the use of Zoom to hold Conversational Spanish and English sessions.
  • We are sending out frequent Bulletins with updates on LCS activities as well as general information on the coronavirus.
• We have waived all late fees for books and DVDs. So, if you have books or DVDs in your possession do not worry about getting them turned in at this time. When we reopen the campus, you can then return the books.
• We are aware that many rumors are being spread. We encourage everyone to use caution in distributing information that has not been verified from reliable, official sources.
• Below are links to some sources we monitor that we have found helpful.
• We also encourage all members of the foreign community to monitor official websites from your home country.
• These actions are designed to reduce the threat of spreading this disease and spreading false information, while keeping the Lake Chapala Society available to the community to help assist those that may be in need.  We want to assure you that the legacy of ‘people helping people’ is not lost during these critical times. We are your community and we are here for you! And while many of our members are returning to their native countries, many more are here all-year round, along with so many in the Mexican community that rely on LCS as a connection with the foreign community.  We need your continued support through both your membership and generous donations.

Keeping all this in mind, you will be able to stay connected by renewing your membership online and you will receive a credit towards future classes for trips and events that have been postponed. Or you can use the same tickets when these programs are rescheduled, so please hold on to your receipts or tickets.  Any donations to assist us with continuing our mission at Lake Chapala Society and allowing our staff to maintain the grounds would be greatly appreciated. We are your community and we are here for you!

Warm regards,

Carole Wolff

President

Oh no, now the printer virus has spread from HP to Epson.

I still am hoping someone will tell me the cure for my HP DeskJet Ink Advantage 2135 All-in One Printer

Funny you should ask.  I have had the same problem for a month now.  I also put in two new cartridges with the same result.

IF you find an answer please post it.  Good. Luck

Would you want to go and mingle with the crowd if it was open?

I just found this information  on how to make your own disinfectant with Clorox.  

Click on this link (hope it works ...I am never sure when I copy and paste)

https://eur04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dhhs.nh.gov%2Fdphs%2Fholu%2Fdocuments%2Fhom-sani.pdf&data=02%7C01%7C%7C2b6bcdda62e04ea9985608d7cb87bf6c%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637201656198190188&sdata=THQ%2BErj4b8PlZUDZv7iCd7jmrBCJox0yAdrqq5C%2FlTM%3D&reserved=0

Saturday evening around 6:30 pm there were a few drops in Chapala.

Why don't we close this discussion and open a new one.  It is unwieldy at best.

It is summer in Australia and they have the norovirus.

I received this yesterday.  I cannot verify anything. I was probably one in a long chain.

Many of you know me.  I am the president of the board of directors and the director of Escuela de Inglés de San Miguel de Allende, A.C.  We are a group of volunteer teachers who provide low cost english classes to approximately 225 students each year.  We are approximately 40 teachers who, for the most part, are retired and of a certain age.

February 27th, four of my friends arrived in Mexico city from Canada, stayed there for a few days, went to the butterfly preserve for two days and then came here to my house here in San Miguel. The flight was direct Toronto to Mexico city. TWO of the four friends returned to Canada last week.  They travelled by privately hired car on each leg of the journey within Mexico.  Yesterday was two weeks since their arrival.

First one friend became ill, now all five of us are ill.  We have the symptoms of COVID19 as per information on WHO and CDC websites as well as many others.

First we spent hours calling the number from the mexican secretary of health to request testing.  The number is NOT operational.  Either there is a recording in spanish saying the person you are trying to contact is not available or it rings five times then disconnects.

Our next step was to call an english speaking well known doctor here in town.  I am not naming him as I have no doubt that he would sue me for slander.  Remember that truth is not a defence for slander in Mexico.  They only need to prove you did them harm.  Don’t ask me to say his name.  I will not.  Use your imagination.

He sent his young associate to my house.  He came on an atv.  NO mask, NO gloves.  He INSISTED on shaking our hands and laughed at us when we tried to refuse.  He then lectured us that coronavirus is a hoax and went into great detail about the price of masks and hand sanitizer.  He told us the hoax was for money.  Yes, our jaws dropped as far as they could go.

He examined the friend who had been sick now for the third day.  He asked her Symptoms.  Headache, fever, short of breath, dry cough, some yellow phlegm, started with a sore throat.  He took her temperature by putting the thermometer under her armpit (notoriously inaccurate).  He listened to her chest.  He took a swab for normal flu.  

At the end he said we did not have coronavirus, laughing as he did so.  He quoted the most severe case symptoms of coronavirus as his proof all the while referencing his phone for a list of symptoms.  He said we needed to have a high fever and our friend was low grade fever but he was forgetting that she had been sick for now three days and the fever usually lasts 8 hours.  She had also told him that she had taken advil.

He said she needed to be short of breath.  We reminded him that our friend was indeed short of breath.  No, it has to be worse.

He gave us one package of Gremiltal which is Tamiflu in the US.  He said he would return at 2pm with more.  We prepaid.  He charged 2000 pesos to examine our one friend.  Medicine was extra.

He informed us that there are no testing kits in San Miguel. The Secretaria de Salud in Mexico city has them and you cannot get them.  The original doctor was on the phone with me telling me he agreed with his young associate.  That he had called the head of the lab at Mac hospital who confirmed there were no testing kits in San Miguel.  He also lectured me and said something to the effect that “someone called Be Well” has been passing bad information on the civil list.

The doctor present in my house washed his hands in the bathroom.  He kept repeating that he used hand sanitizer.  Then he insisted on shaking our hands before leaving.

He did not return.  I called him.  He said he “forgot” and would come this morning.

He did come this morning.  Overnight, I too have developed symptoms. So now three of us in the house ill with the same symptoms and two in Canada with the same.  He gave me another box of Gremiltral which we had paid yesterday.  He said he could not get another and instead sold me Seltaferon at a higher price (also Tamiflu).

I then had a discussion with him which did not end well.  I told him my concerns.  That he took no hygenic precautions.  I said I did not believe his diagnosis was correct.  I said he was quoting the most severe symptoms and plenty of confirmed cases are milder. I also stated that his fee was outrageous.  He started yelling.  He said that for it to be covid19, there had to be spots on my lungs and I should go with him to have an xray and it would prove I did not have it.  He said he would order a test kit from queretaro and prove me wrong.  Wait!  Yesterday you said you could not get the test, now today you can?  The yelling at me became ridiculous.  He said he had done research.  I said he should be taking precautions, wearing at least a mask and gloves.  He said he uses gel.  He said he knew we didn’t have it and he didn’t need to take precautions.  I asked how he knew before he arrived and examined anyone.  I told him he was passing whatever we have to his next patient.  He launched into his hoax speech again. I was done with him and told him to leave. He refused, still yelling.

I had to force him physically out my front door.  He put his foot in the door and started pushing to force his way into the house all the while yelling at me.

I won the fight and locked the door.  He stood in the street yelling for a further ten minutes.  

We have since called someone else who tried to arrange to have us tested in León.  They have refused.  They will only test someone if they have had direct contact with a confirmed case or who have flown from one of the more severely affected countries.  México has decided they will not use the test kids widely until the number of confirmed cases has reached a certain number.  I hope you can see the circular logic of confirming cases if you will not test anyone.

One of the friends who returned to Canada has been tested this morning.  They came to get her at her car in full hazmat suits.  They brought a mask for her.  We will have the results in 24 to 48 hours.

My approximately 40 teachers are mostly past retirement age and therefore in the high risk category.  In the interest of not passing this virus, I AM ENDING THE SEMESTER FOR MY SCHOOL NOW!  I do not want my teachers at risk.  I do not want my students at risk or their families.

The virus is HERE.  NOW!

If you are in a high risk category, isolate yourself now!  Do not wait for the Mexican government to use the testing kits because they are not going to until this has blown up.  Or a doctor will tell you the virus is a hoax to make money.

San Miguel is a perfect storm.  Many tourists who come and go.  The foreign community is full of seniors and it full of people who love to travel.

Do not believe there are only 12 cases in México.  They are refusing to test, so it is spreading now.  Do the responsible thing for everyone here.  Cancel any large gatherings.  If you can close a school, or a business, or cancel an event, do it now!

The treatment we received was appalling!  MEXICO IS TAKING NO PRECAUTIONS WHATSOEVER!!  PROTECT YOURSELF AND OUR COMMUNITY.

Teresa León

I have ordered many times from Mercado Libre and always with my debit card.  Never a problem.

The do not use SHAW for their television

I have done several census including this one Tuesday.   All have been done on the street in front of my house.  They never asked to come in.