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Never quite figured out how that can work out - in your case you may have something to show, but those doing those essential errands wouldn't have any type of proof with them.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaR57
Maybe it's easier in the larger areas where people wouldn't travel as far, but in the more remote locations a drive of 30 minutes or more to the "local" supermarket or pharmacy isn't unusual (and possibly farther if that what might be one store in an area is out of something you need).
The stay at home and physical distancing rules have been very strict here, and most folk are abiding by them. But when the authorities became aware of half a dozen or so cars parked at one home in Melbourne, they became suspicious. Seems it was a lady who had a dinner party for six of her friends. With the fines in Victoria at $1600 per person.... it became a very expensive dinner party.
Almost each morning we hear of dozens of people fined for breaking the rules. In Perth one man in compulsory quarantine has been jailed for breaking the rules. He was in a hotel (as all who cross the border are for 14 days) supervised, and catered to, by members of the Defence Forces. He managed to sneak out through a back fire escape door, and left it ajar to get back in. He was jailed for 6 months with a minimum of one month.
We are all in this together! No exceptions!
Lifey
That does seem pretty extreme.
But good to know, I guess.
Mark
I work in two industries that are considered essential in Nevada. So, in my case, if I were to be stopped I would just so one or both of my business cards. But I strictly limit going to the office to no more than once a week and spend very little time there.Quote:
Never quite figured out how that can work out - in your case you may have something to show, but those doing those essential errands wouldn't have any type of proof with them.
I find the so-called "protests" that are happening around the country to be remarkably dumb. None of us have sufficient data at this point to make informed decisions about how this virus will continue to spread.
Mark
To answer the question about what you do if you don't carry a letter, or are on your way to an essential errand, that's what you say. "I'm going to the grocery store." "I've got to pick up a prescription." "I'm going to the doctor's office." (Though most of ours have started to do Teledoc appointments.) Even if you are driving your baby around to get her to go to sleep (as a teacher friend of mine has been doing), it is an essential thing and you tell the truth. But if you have a commute, as I do, you're best off having that letter if you are going into work (as I have to do about once a week).
I'm going to respectfully disagree about the protests. It is within people's rights to do just that if they disagree. Besides, one of the ones in a photo online made a schmirk about our CA governor that I totally agree with. (grin)
BTW, we came to the conclusion that my husband has already had a mild case of this stuff, right after we got back from Disneyland back in February. That's a perfect place to catch anything that's going around. A few days after we got back, he had an awful cough, worse than his usual ex-smoker's cough, ran a fever (unusual for him), body aches, but also....lost his sense of taste and his sense of smell. That's come out as a by-product of CV-19. His lasted less than a week and he picked up his energy a few days later, so we had passed it off as the flu. His question was "why didn't you get it?" I dunno! Probably a lot of reasons!
Donna
I'm sure there are a wide variety of opinions out there when it comes to the wisdom of re-opening the country, and emerging from our imposed isolation. Some folks are applauding the tentative moves toward normalcy as wonderful news, long overdue. Others, myself included, can't help but look at the statistics: cases of COVID-19 are rising almost everywhere, including here in my home town. Considering how explosively contagious this virus is known to be, how can it possibly be safe to return our world to any version of normal?
I certainly don't want to hide at home forever, and I'm as anxious as the next guy to get back outside, at the very least. I know enough to avoid cruise ships and crowded elevators. But is it really okay to go back to restaurants? And what about the office? Church? Kid's Birthday parties?
I ran across a really good article today, titled, The Risks: Know Them, Avoid Them; written by a professor of Biology at the University of Massachusetts. He actually answers those questions (and more). It's terrifying, yet reassuring at the same time. I fear it's going to be a long road.
Rick
Yes, I am sharing the article to my circles.
Some really interesting stuff in there.
Thanks for the post.
Mark
A lot of people seem to agree. The author has a blog, with daily posts about various aspects and musings on the COVID-19 Pandemic. Most of his posts average around 15,000 views. This post, interestingly enough, has literally gone viral, with more than 6 million views in the last two weeks!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist
Rick
That article was shared on a Facebook post from one of my friends who snowbirds in Texas but lives at the Lake in MO during the summer months. I found it interesting!
I also talked to both of my daughters today. The one in Colorado calls her governor a "California copycat", because whatever our governor says we're doing, he makes Colorado do. So they're still in the first phase of reopening, as California is. No dine-in restaurants yet, but Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs, along with a lot of other parks that have hiking and other outdoor sports, are open. Just no playgrounds. Sounds a lot like our area in California.
The other daughter, in Missouri, said there are dine-in restaurants, the hotels are starting to pick up reservations for Memorial Day (normally they would have been booked months ago) and for the summer, but not fast enough for that tourism-based area. (Lake of the Ozarks.) Parks and places for hiking, open, but playgrounds, no. Schools closed.
My mom, in between the two in Kansas, hasn't been out of the house except for the back yard, in two months. She keeps busy with her sewing and leaves my brother and sister-in-law to run all the errands.
Is Utah still doing that check in thing? I saw that they shut it down after it misfired, but never caught if they reopened it. What do they do if people don't have cell phones, or they're turned off, when coming into Utah, if they still have that check-in thing?
Donna
Zion National Park announced they will resume the shuttle bus service in July.
“Park Shuttle Service Resumes July 1, 2020 - Tickets Required In Advance
Starting July 1, park shuttles will resume modified operations--tickets required. Book tickets in advance on Recreation.gov. Private vehicles are not allowed on the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive when shuttles are in operation.”
https://www.nps.gov/zion/planyourvis...le-tickets.htm
Utahtea
Oh well, so much for Joplin being in good shape. We now have 152 cases and 2 deaths, 31 of the cases and both deaths were at a nursing home.
No general mask ordinance yet, but this will probably be revisited soon when they figure out how to enforce it, they already "strongly encourage" everyone wear one when away from their home. They already require everyone in service industries to wear them when near customers.
So, here is the latest reporting tool that I think has some validity and could be helpful when providing advice to would-be road trippers.
This was developed by a software group that worked on Instagram. The data report is called:
Rt COVID-19
Rt, according to this group, is a key measure of how fast the virus is growing. It’s the average number of people who become infected by an infectious person. If Rt is above 1.0, the virus will spread quickly. When Rt is below 1.0, the virus will stop spreading.
As of this date, the rate of infection spread is the highest in the state of Nevada, but many of the western and southern states have Rt values almost as high.
The 10 states with the highest rate of spread as of today are:
Nevada @ 1.56
Wyoming @ 1.39
Florida @ 1.34
Idaho @ 1.33
Hawaii @ 1.31
Oklahoma @ 1.31
Montana @ 1.31
Wisconsin @ 1.29
West Virginia @ 1.19
Louisiana @ 1.16
Each state breakout shows rate of infection relative to the period of shelter-in-place and other key data.
Sorry to hear that, George, but the way people move around, I guess it was bound to happen. As I'm sure you all know, my home state of Arizona has been making the national news pretty much every night over the alarming progression of the disease here. Early on, we were doing pretty well, so much so that people stopped taking the virus seriously, and when our Governor "re-opened" the state in mid-May, two weeks ahead of his original schedule, a LOT of people, especially younger people, took that as meaning the whole crisis was over. They jammed into bars and night clubs like it was New Year's Eve; none of them were wearing masks, they most certainly weren't keeping their distance from each other, and what with all the laughing and singing and hollering that happens when people drink, it was a recipe for disaster. And not just the bars; stores, parks, pools, everywhere, you looked, people were ignoring the CDC guidelines. Old guys like me, sitting on the sidelines, watched all this happening, and we knew darned well what was going to happen next. Since Arizona's re-opening, the number of active cases in the state has literally exploded, and our hospitals are now approaching their surge capacity.
Masks and social distancing are critical, and these eminently sensible precautions have absolutely nothing to do with politics, freedom of speech, or Constitutional rights. When Arizona's stay-at-home order ended, wearing of masks in public spaces was "recommended." Based on what I saw personally, well over half the population interpreted that as meaning "optional;" and not just no, but "Hell, no!" It's hot here, and masks are uncomfortable, so people would get downright angry at the mere mention of a mask mandate. Now that our state is in serious trouble, all that has changed. There are ordinances pretty much everywhere making face coverings mandatory, and many businesses bar entry to anyone not wearing a mask. From what I'm seeing? I don't think too many people are angry about it anymore.
Rick
It is reasonably hot in Las Vegas too. In my personal experience, most of the locals are doing everything they can to limit the spread of the virus. Face masks on just about everyone I see (except for tourists).
It is beginning to get scary once again.
Hang in there, everyone!
Mark
It's more than scary here, it is geting down right depressing. Our State (Victoria), and our State alone has been cordened off by the rest of the country, and the cases have gone through the roof..... Oz style. There have been double digit new cases every day for more than a week now, and the 105th person (for the whole country) died overnight.
After the first double digit (36) a week ago, someone reminded us that AZ has the same populaion as Victoria, and they had in excess of 3000 new cases the same day - despite the fact that it is nowhere near as densely populated as Vic.
Right now where I am every suburb is under very strict close down all around us, but not us. We are a little island in the middle. For safety's sake I act as if we are under the same restrictions. Not been out of this place for more than a week. But then I think of the 3000+ residents in nine 20 storey high rise public housing projects (which were built in the early 60s) who are not allowed to leave their residence because of the narrow corridors and small lifts. Medical staff are going door to door testing everyone. So far dozens have tested positive. In the density of those projects, it's like wildfire. Worst of all is that the majority of residents are from the horn of Africa, and many do not speak English.
And I should now be in the warmth of North America, and not freezing here in Melbourne. Was only 9C this morning. Brrrrrrrrr.
Can't wait for all this to end. Experts predict it will be years! I may never see my grandchildren again.
Lifey
And it's cutting close to home here.
Two more friends, about three blocks from my house, both tested posted positive, both have symptoms, for Covid-19. One is recovering. The other is quite ill. Both are on their 30's, fit and healthy before the onset of symptoms.
Checking in with them daily.
Mark
Lifey, Melbourne (and area) was in our national news today, for the numbers of cases.
I'm in an area of SoCal that has been fortunate NOT to see a big rise of cases. However, we have all been told we are starting the new school year in Distance Learning because of other places in our county (35+ miles away) that have major amounts of rising cases. (Another new software for me to learn!!! I've already started to learn.)
Our dining places, gyms, have all been told that they must "take it outdoors" (not fun at 95F in the shade). Fortunately, our city's mayor offered free picnic tables to any restaurant that has space for outdoor dining, even cordoning off a few parking places, as long as the picnic tables are donated back at the end of the pandemic. The mayor will put them into our parks. He also opened up parks (with the Board's approval) for fitness classes such as yoga, as long as social distancing is maintained and masks are worn.
I for one am ready for 2020 to be over and done with. I'm sure I am not the only one who sees the Pandemic, murder hornets, salmonella from onions, cicadas bringing disease, as a sign that something is coming. It was also said online that scientists are very close to being able to recreate a dinosaur and bring it to life. Um, please, no. Not Jurassic Park, too.
Donna
You forgot the squirrel found with bubonic plaque out in Colorado earlier in July. I so agree with you about 2020. I feel for you. I retired from the public schools years ago and am SO glad I’m not dealing with online learning, both as an educator and as a parent.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaR57
We did do a short get away trip last week to a lodge in Shenandoah National Park. It was in state for us and while there were a lot of people in the lodge and camping area, we ran into almost no one on the trails and hikes we took. Masks were mandatory inside but most still had them on outside around the buildings. On one hike a couple in the group we passed were grabbing for their masks as we went by them. That’s one place I didn’t have mine on while we hiked as I figured what few people we ran into we were not close to or else just passed them on the trail quickly while looking away.
Thank you, I did forget about the squirrel!!! I also forgot about the shortages we've been having of all sorts, from chicken in the grocery stores ("limit 2 per family") to new clothes in the stores (not that we're allowed to try any on, nor will many stores allow you to return them).
I debated retiring this year. If I were a year older, I would have done so. In my state, there are two major jumps in teacher retirement pay - and I am not quite old enough to make one of them. So I have to go another year. I figure, if nothing else, it will be the most interesting two years to remember in teaching! I love kids, especially the younger ones, but admittedly when I signed up for teaching, a personal computer wasn't something on everyone's radar. So I never thought I'd be teaching kids who weren't in the same room with me!
Donna
I honestly can't believe any American school is even thinking of restarting in person classes within the next month, even though that's exactly what many are planning. Baseball has really been a canary in the coal mine. Despite millions of dollars on the line, extensive testing, strict cleaning and safety protocols, you've already seen 2 teams shut down in 2 weeks with outbreaks. Schools and teachers don't have nearly those resources, don't have staff members nearly as well contained, work in facilities even more condusive to spreading viruses, and won't have anywhere near the testing available, (much less required testing like MLB), to slow an outbreak before it spreads throughout the school.
I've yet to see a single school planning to restart in person classes that has actually announced plans for what they are going to be doing for testing, and what - if any - plans they have for when students or staff become infected. Reopening without that in place is borderline criminal in my book. The only steps have basically been to say, ok, we'll try to reduce class sizes and offer some online options to those who want them, but otherwise, carry on. Yes, online learning has its challenges and in person will always be better. It also doesn't help that the first exposure most people had to online schooling was an emergency situation, where no one had time to plan for it and most schools basically treated it like a joke where such classes didn't really count. I don't think most people did expect the US to fail so badly in it's pandemic response, and I think most people did expect us to look a lot more like Europe at this point where the outbreaks can at least be managed and in-person schooling is an option, but it's a shame more wasn't done over the past 5 months to make successful online classes "plan A." Yes, that is challenging, but far better for teachers and students to learn how to effectively use google classroom than it is for them to learn how to use a ventilator.
I have been conducting a straw poll with folks I personally know who have young children in their households. Almost all are planning on keeping their children at home for the the next 10 weeks and using whatever distance learning tools they can find or obtain from their local school districts.
I spoke with one such person about an hour ago with a 6-year old and 9-year old. He and his wife are fortunate enough to have sufficient room in their house to take one of the rooms and remodel it for the primary purpose of re purposing it as a "class room."
It is going to continue to be a grind for every family with school-age and college and beyond children for at least another year.
Hoping that all of the teachers who are required to report to duty remain healthy!
Mark
I guess this area was just "ahead of the curve"? Having graduated high school in 1994, during those high school years, we had a classroom designed for "distance learning". The idea was that three local school districts in our county were connected (probably by something on the order of closed circuit TV back then), and you could have a teacher in one school teaching to students in their own classroom, as well as one (or both) of the other schools simultaneously.Quote:
Originally Posted by DonnaR57
This was conceived of as a way to provide classes at the high school level that wouldn't have otherwise been feasible - for instance, in the one I was in there were 3 students in our school and 5 at one of the others. Neither school would find it cost effective to have a teacher for that small a class size, but by combining them (and some aid as the class offered college credits) they were willing to offer these options to the students.
At that time, the schools (and possibly the companies who provided the services) covered the costs (as a demo of what they could offer, say, a big company that wanted to avoid people travelling to a meeting), but I'm also sure it was much more expensive than what is available today.
This is why it's difficult to see that some areas have had trouble doing these "online" classes, as with today much advanced technology it should be far easier to do on a wide scale than it was on a small scale back then.
One of the biggest challenges is for the economically disadvantaged students. For distance learning to work, you need reasonably high speed internet access, a computer with a webcam and a microphone, and, especially for the younger ones, a parent to supervise. In most low income families the parents work outside the home, in professions that can't be done remotely. Families that don't have the needed equipment and hook-up are hard-pressed to afford it, and poor school districts have no budget to help them. The alternative is sending the kids back to the classroom, but that's a terrible idea, for so many reasons.
Here's a link to an article that ran in the Washington Post two days ago, about the harsh reality of trying to re-open a school district in rural Arizona, with the resources that are available, and in accordance with the schedule set by our Governor. Have a box of tissues handy. This man's story will break your heart:
Voices from the pandemic: "I'm sorry, but it's a fantasy."
Rick
Wow, that was a sobering read.
Wish I could think of something to do to help.
I personally have a lot of people and lot of families relying on me to make good enough decisions to stay healthy and keep everyone working. This preventative lifestyle flies in the face of my true nature -- which is a lot closer to the "once more unto the breach" form of diplomacy and approach to life.
Just made a text check on my friends who are battling through Covid-19 -- they are still pretty ill, not really able to text, but their partners are doing ok.
Hang in there, everyone.
Mark
Wow. Wow. Wow. I just read that article as well. Then I went to Mr. Google to see what district he was talking about. He's in a district which I am very familiar with since I taught not too far from there, at the very beginning of my teaching career. He should be starting Distance Learning, as we are, but I know what he's saying about the devices, hot spots, meals, etc. In the district I'm in now, at the end of my career, we have a number of those same problems too. I do "get" why they want to start in person -- every single teacher I know wants the same thing, but most of us know that it's not reality. We love the kids, and want the best for them, which is in person schooling. That's what we signed on to do when we got our teaching credentials.
Donna
Benjamin Collin manages a PR/Marketing firm and he has sent me a few emails about posting a new guide about dealing with the Coronavirus. The information was written from the perspective of UK citizens or those thinking about going to the UK, but there are a variety of web resources on the site.
How to practice responsible tourism during COVID-19
Take a look and share what you think about it.
Mark