An email from Bob Hartpence
Mon, Apr 06, 2020 10:23 am
To: ALL
Subject: Polar Bear Grand Tour
I hope you are all safe and healthy.
I am very sad to say our Polar Bear Grand Tour season must end early. Due to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) travel advisory released March 28, the subsequent request by our President to restrict unnecessary gatherings until April 30, and the calendar itself, our opportunities for Polar Bear rides are gone for the rest of this season. Certainly the founders of our Grand Tour never envisioned this situation when we formed the rules. As Chairman, and with agreement of our Flight Leaders and the rest of your Staff, I am making the difficult decision to end this season. Rides cancelled or suspended will not be made up. Therefore, I am going to award 60-point pins to every Polar Bear who currently has 50 or more points. Patches, rockers and pins will be available for the 2019-2020 season will be available at the beginning of our 2020-2021 season. If you went to Daytona, let me know. Remember this is on the honor system. You can register for the 2020-2021 season online on the first page. If you would like, you can send me the money for next season.
Robert HartpenceA letter from our Polar Bear Grand Tour Chairman, Bob Hartpence:
Subject: Covid-19 virus
Due to the Covid-19 virus ...
After checking with the stops, the owner/managers said they will be closed except for pick-up and delivery according to government guidelines. Included in the stated guidelines, there should be no more than ten in a group.
With many of our members in the higher risk age range and for the safety of everyone, we are going to cancel the Polar Bear rides for now. If things change, then we shall do the rides. So keep checking your email and the web page for updates. We hope things change soon but, it does not look good. The staff is looking for other ways of concluding the season.
Any members with perfect attendance will receive their pin. Pins and patches will be available next season.
Be safe!
Bob
- Covid-19 is a new virus and no one has natural immunity at this point
- If we did nothing in the US, there would be 1.1 to 1.2 million deaths (mostly over the age of 60)
- Trying to prevent transmission of the virus by isolating those showing symptoms is not effective in preventing the spread
- Closing schools, universities, restaurants, bars, and maintaining social distancing is necessary to achieve suppression
- Maintaining the closings and social distancing until a vaccine is available for the general population will be necessary
- (not in the report but FYI: the vaccine started Phase I testing yesterday - this is the first time in man for this vaccine and will only look at toxicity and side effects. Phase II studies will be required to determine the proper dosage and timing of the vaccine. Phase III studies will then have to prove that it's effective. All told at least 12-18 months.)
- Once the general population is vaccinated against Covid-19 we can relax and resume normal life.
- The authors are skeptical that continuing social distancing for more than 3 months is practical in modern society.
- "However, we emphasize that is not at all certain that suppression will succeed long term; no public health intervention with such disruptive effects on society has been previously attempted for such a long duration of time. How populations and societies will respond remains unclear."
By Walter F. Kern
This page contains links to pictures and videos taken by me or designated guest photographers at Polar Bear Grand Tour sign-ins. Since I'm in Florida for most of the Polar Bear Grand Tour season, I rely on the following photographers: Dave Thompson, Bernie Walsh, Gary Rosen, and others who send me pictures and videos.
All pictures and any associated captions are presented in the spirit of good humor as displayed by most motorcyclists. Captions are meant to entertain and never are offered as an insult or reflection on any person, motorcycle, or situation. Any picture and caption may be removed from these displays by contacting me at walter@motorcycleviews.com.
The complete schedule is shown below but links to pictures for those events will only be activated when pictures are available for publication.
—Walter F. Kern, Webmaster
***** BULLETINS: *****
Two dates have been switched, one date has been cancelled and the season has been suspended beginning March 22, 2020:
1) On March 22, 2020, we will be going to Rhodes North. (Old date was April 19, 2020.)
2) On April 19, 2020, we will be going to Hickory BBQ Smokehouse. (Old date was March 22, 2020.)
Brian's H-D Has Been Cancelled on March 15, 2020: COVID-19 VIRUS
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