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Flattening the Curve: COVID-19

As of 2nd April 2020, lessons from Taiwan, Canada, South Korea and Georgia show that the coronavirus can be slowed down. Taiwan and South Korea have been signalled as relative success stories for flattening the curve before infection rates soared.

Flattening the curve does not necessarily mean seeing a decrease in total cases right away; it would first produce a decline in the number of new cases, which should result in fewer hospitalizations and death in the weeks that follow.  By flattening the curve, officials hope to ensure that the health care system doesn’t become overwhelmed and unable to help those who need it

Early response to crisis
Taiwan recorded its first case of the coronavirus on Jan. 21, but managed to keep its number of confirmed cases to 329 with five deaths. As soon as news broke about a mysterious illness in Wuhan, Taiwan, which is 100 miles from mainland China, began inspecting travellers coming from the city on 31st December.

“. . . a system to track those in self-quarantine . . . ”

They set up a system to track those in self-quarantine, and ramped up production of medical equipment in January. They attribute their ‘flattening of the curve’ to an early and effective response to the crisis.

Brilliant infrastructure
Canada managed to roll out an expansive infrastructure to conduct tests and contact tracing. Canada has a well-funded public health care system, and its criteria for who can be tested for COVID-19 is their attributes to ‘flattening of the curve’.  Catching cases early, and investigating their origins helped Canada to manage the virus.

Success without lockdowns
South Korea, which had one of the largest initial outbreaks outside China, also managed to slow the spread of new coronavirus cases without instituting any lockdowns. The country’s exemplary model for mass diagnostic testing was the only way to contain the outbreak.

“. . . model that pays of . . . ”

South Korea, with a population of 51 million, tests more than 20,000 people daily at designated testing sites and uses isolation and widespread contact tracing to break chains of transmission. They attribute their ‘flattening of the curve’ to using recommendations from the World Health Organisations’ model that pays off in reducing the spread.

Big success in small Georgia
The early response of the country of Georgia, despite its small size and struggling economy is their credit to ‘flattening the curve’. They began taking serious measures at the end of February, including closing schools and conducting widespread diagnostic tests. Georgia has so far confirmed 117 cases and no deaths from COVID-19.

A drop in daily cases for two consecutive days
Italy has been under a nationwide lockdown for about four weeks and has begun to flatten the curve. Italy hit its apparent peak in daily cases on March 20, with more than 6,000 new cases that day. On March 29 and 30, Italy saw a drop in daily cases for two consecutive days.  Since then, the number of daily cases has stayed between 4,000 and about 4,800. When looking at the growth of the virus over time in Italy, it appears the curve is flattening.

 “. . . appears the curve is flattening . . .

Spain is starting to flatten the curve
Spain has been in lockdown since March 15, they have more confirmed cases than Italy, with over 135,000. A peak in daily cases occurred on the March 24, with more than 9,000 cases reported that day. However, the daily increase has continued to drop in recent days. Starting on April 1, Spain saw a drop in daily cases for four consecutive days.

“. . . drop in daily cases for four consecutive days . . .

Efforts in France are actually working
France has been in lockdown since March 17.  The growth of the virus has been steady, except for a spike on April 3, which could have been caused by new reporting measures. Last week, the country also saw a spike in deaths after the health ministry began including nursing home fatalities in its data. After April 3, the number of daily cases dropped substantially, with just about 3,000 new cases on April 4. If this steady number of daily cases continues, the country will flatten its curve. 

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Our planet takes a break during Covid-19 Lockdowns

While the world copes with COVID-19, we take a moment to share some environment changes that are taking place on our planet.

Venice
The ancient city of Venice has transformed almost overnight; under sunny blue skies, a look down into the waters of the canals is a surprising sight, you see a clear view of the sandy bed, seabirds, seaweed, shoals of tiny fish, scuttling crabs and colourful plant-life. The water is blue, clear and calm like a pond, the ducks are happily making nests and laying eggs.

New York
New York’s air is also cleaner; it’s the cleanest residents have seen for years. Researchers have found that there has been a 5 to 10% drop in air pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane emissions have also dropped significantly.

China
China, is experiencing a remarkable transformation.  The bright, blue smog-free skies are a sight not seen in years.  Researchers are reporting reductions in air pollution with ‘good quality air days’ increasing by 21.5% in February.  Satellite images show a dramatic reduction in nitrogen dioxide emissions released by vehicles, power plants and industrial facilities.  There is a marked drop in coal consumption; major coal-fired power stations saw a 36% drop in consumption between February and March.

Earth
Around the world, seismologists are observing a lot less ambient seismic noise, this means less vibrations generated by cars, trains, buses and people going about their daily lives. In the absence of that noise, earth’s upper crust is moving a little less.

Brussels
Brussels is seeing about a 30% to 50% reduction in ambient seismic noise since middle March, the time the country started implementing school and business closures and other social distancing measures, the level is on par with what is seen on Christmas Day.

London
The noise in West London has been affected, showing a decline of noise in the period after schools and social venues in the United Kingdom closed and again after a government lockdown was announced.  This indicates evidence that people are listening to authorities’ warnings to stay inside and minimize outside activity as much as possible; everyone is respecting the rules.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the surreal slowdown of life as we know it has presented researchers and scientists with a rare opportunity to study the modern world under bizarre conditions.

In agreement, from around the world researchers agree on four points; there’s less rumbling on the surface of the earth, there’s less air pollution, city soundscapes are changing and the oceans are quitter too.

Like most species, we agree that less pollution is a real welcome!

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VIP Express Tourism Limited is growing in tourism industry


One of the largest economies in Africa, with a population of over 180 million people, Nigeria is the largest consumer market in Africa. Recent research indicates that Nigerians have increased their budget spend towards travel and tourism. Nigerians travel internationally in their millions. In fact, travel is loved by Nigerian people; Nigerians generally take multiple trips a year.

Expansion of Tourism in Nigeria
Fast-growing cities like Lagos show signs of expansion, driving the potential for the outbound travel market, while international airports at Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Port Harcourt and Enugu are platforms for new outbound travel routes. Nigeria’s rate of urbanisation is also said to be one of the fastest growing in the world.

Our Commitment
For these reasons, together with dedication and optimism VIP Express Tourism Limited remains an award-winning, resilient and adventurous tourism company in Nigeria that keeps growing.

We have stood out, over the past decade, for exceptional customer service delivery. We are experts in organizing high quality family holiday packages, detailed travel itineraries, putting together fantastic tour packages, booking accommodation and flights. VIP Express Tourism Limited has experienced and professional, hands-on staff, to handle all your traveling worries from documentation phase to booking flights and accommodation reservations.

Success comes with turmoil
Over the years VIP Express Tourism Limited had to face many challenges to remain successful and continue in the tourism industry. Apart from complaints and laments, allegations of fraudulent operations were among the unfair trials we had to face. Despite these allegations, deeply grounded values, integrity and transparency has gotten us through hard times and we continue to facilitate unforgettable family holiday experiences.

Humbled by success
Our strong moral principles, quality services and honesty kept us growing as a sought-after tourism company in Nigeria. We are extremely happy yet humbled that VIP Express Tourism Limited has been acknowledge and awarded ten times for exceptional services in the tourism industry.

You, the Nigerian, are our heartbeat. We operate on the desire to offer the opportunity for Nigerian families to experience the beauty and wonder of travel. We look forward to the New Year and beyond and remain committed in tourism service excellence.

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