Window Seat

DESPITE its perceived inaction on COVID-19, the US Federal Government is actually providing funding to states and businesses to help them weather the pandemic, under the so-called CARES Act.

The state of Missouri is certainly expecting a recovery, with an allocation of US$15 million to be spent on promoting tourism.

The funding will go to various destination marketing organisations, with the grants described as “a great way to support Missouri businesses”.

“With all the other things going on, it’s still important people need to get out and enjoy life a little bit,” said Governor Mike Parson. FINALLY there’s a museum where visitors can find out about infectious diseases like coronavirus.

King Willem-Alexander from the Netherlands formally opened the “Contagious!” exhibition at the Rijksmuseum Boerhaave in the Dutch city of Leiden - after a long delay ironically caused by COVID-19.

Complete with real-life social distancing measures in place, the show covers a range of diseases all the way from the Black Plague, through to smallpox, tuberculosis and more recently AIDS/HIV.

The exhibits were also quickly updated to include references to the coronavirus pandemic.

Museum director Amito Haarhuis said the timing of the show was just a coincidence.

“We had already thought that we wanted to warn for a new unknown disease,” he said.

“Nobody knows where it will break out or when, but we do know, we’ve learned from history, that there will always be a new disease”. Amen to that.