What was your COVID news for the day?

[John Galt III]

I stocked up our wine as soon as we got here.

There is wine.com.

Thanks for the link, Audrey.

 

[misshathaway]

DW and I went for an early morning walk in a nearby park. The park has a walking trail and many clean, well maintained portable toilets with hand sanitizer. Or, I should say, they used to have hand sanitizer. Signs were put up on the toilets stating to the effect "we remain open, but due to repeated thefts of hand sanitizer in the recent weeks we are no longer stocking it, please be sure to bring your own".

Doing an early morning solitary run around a local park. Today the bathroom was locked. There have been many visible police cars. I don't think we are far from banning outdoor exercise, which will decrease immunity and increase depression.

 

[Ready]

Doing an early morning solitary run around a local park. Today the bathroom was locked. There have been many visible police cars. I don't think we are far from banning outdoor exercise, which will decrease immunity and increase depression.

The problem with keeping parks open is people need to use bathrooms, and a public bathroom is the last place you should be visiting right now. But walking around your neighborhood when it’s not crowded out should pose no risk, so I don’t see that ever being banned.

 

[audreyh1]

I think national parks have closed all the facilities and services, but not the parks themselves.

If you visit you need to be able to go in the great outdoors.

 

[MRG]

I think national parks have closed all the facilities and services, but not the parks themselves.

If you visit you need to be able to go in the great outdoors.

That was true, RMNP has closed.

https://www.eptrail.com/2020/03/20/rocky-mountain-national-park-is-closing-for-now/

Rocky Mountain National Park is announcing modifications to operations at the request of the local health department. As of 7 pm today, Friday, March 20, 2020, Rocky Mountain National Park is closed to all park visitors until further notice. This closure will be in effect 24-hours a day/7-days a week and there will be no access permitted to Rocky Mountain National Park.

 

[Potstickers]

That was true, RMNP has closed.

https://www.eptrail.com/2020/03/20/rocky-mountain-national-park-is-closing-for-now/

Rocky Mountain National Park is announcing modifications to operations at the request of the local health department. As of 7 pm today, Friday, March 20, 2020, Rocky Mountain National Park is closed to all park visitors until further notice. This closure will be in effect 24-hours a day/7-days a week and there will be no access permitted to Rocky Mountain National Park.

This is so annoying. They weren't collecting entrance fees. They could just prohibit camping. I don't know anything terrible about letting people snowshoe or hike. Estes Park is welcome to shut down all their restaurants and hotels, but I don't understand why their wishes to close a national park prevail.

 

[audreyh1]

This is so annoying. They weren't collecting entrance fees. They could just prohibit camping. I don't know anything terrible about letting people snowshoe or hike. Estes Park is welcome to shut down all their restaurants and hotels, but I don't understand why their wishes to close a national park prevail.

I think the concern is, as it was in Yosemite, that visitors are arriving in close groups and unprepared for closed restrooms/limited facilities. So it seems like they end up closing stuff because people won’t quit socializing otherwise.

 

[Ready]

I think the concern is, as it was in Yosemite, that visitors are arriving in close groups and unprepared for closed restrooms/limited facilities. So it seems like they end up closing stuff because people won’t quit socializing otherwise.

Not to mention the need to have emergency services available if people get hurt, and police/security if other problems come up. It just makes no sense to keep parks open when we are trying to keep people inside their homes. And having thousands of people go to public parks with no access to bathrooms is just plain gross.

At this point people should only be going outside for local walks around their neighborhood, and to shop for groceries as needed. We need to discontinue any other forms of outside gathering. The virus is spreading too rapidly to not take this very seriously. The parks will be there once we get through this.

 

[MRG]

This is so annoying. They weren't collecting entrance fees. They could just prohibit camping. I don't know anything terrible about letting people snowshoe or hike. Estes Park is welcome to shut down all their restaurants and hotels, but I don't understand why their wishes to close a national park prevail.

Restaurants are already closed across the state, some are offering take out.

Estes is a tourist town as are many of the mountain towns across the state. Many businesses and workers are sacrificing everything to stall the spread of the virus. Many businesses are not going to be able to reopen after this event.

 

[gwraigty]

At her age I would do as I please. Time is limited anyway. I would eat what I want and go where I want when I want. It's her choice.

Yes, but the working class is being forced out of work to try and protect people like that 88 year old. The working class isn't being given a choice. In Ohio, she wouldn't be able to go out to get her hair done, because they were ordered closed. If seniors are not going to take the necessary measures to protect themselves, then why should anyone else have to make sacrifices? That was a rhetorical question. I know that many seniors are exercising appropriate caution.

 

[Ready]

I live at the beach in Southern California. It’s a beautiful day today. As I look out my balcony, there is not a parking space to be found. The beach is full, cars are everywhere. The local pickleball courts are packed with players.

We are in the strictest lockdown of anyone in the country. People here are just in denial because we haven’t had a major outbreak yet. It’s sad to watch because it will come, and it will overwhelm our hospitals.

 

[misanman]

The Indicator podcast has a good interview with a nurse who is involved in the virus testing and explains some of the limitations of the process. Only 8-9 minutes and informative.

https://www.npr.org/2020/03/19/818660453/the-test-shortage

 

[Gumby]

I live at the beach in Southern California. It’s a beautiful day today. As I look out my balcony, there is not a parking space to be found. The beach is full, cars are everywhere. The local pickleball courts are packed with players.

We are in the strictest lockdown of anyone in the country. People here are just in denial because we haven’t had a major outbreak yet. It’s sad to watch because it will come, and it will overwhelm our hospitals.

Seems to me that you could record all the license plates and put those people on a Do Not Respirate list.

 

[sengsational]

This is so annoying. They weren't collecting entrance fees. They could just prohibit camping. I don't know anything terrible about letting people snowshoe or hike. Estes Park is welcome to shut down all their restaurants and hotels, but I don't understand why their wishes to close a national park prevail.

I'm not sure how or why, but viral transmission outdoors is proven by the experience on the Appalachian Trail...high risk for norovirus. If the parks shut down 'facilities', that sounds a lot like the trail.

Seems to me that you could record all the license plates and put those people on a Do Not Respirate list.

 

[sengsational]

My personal news for the day:

Finally got 'the man' to hook up the A/C system that I set in place last fall. Great timing, weather-wise, since we've had our first 80 degree day (down tomorrow to mid 50's)

Anyway, I hired a guy who does this on the side, and he has taken zero precautions...thinks it's just a way for hospitals to make money


So the A/C is dropping the temp 19 degrees on the new unit and 20 on the old unit. Ready to shelter in comfort, upstairs and down.

 

[NW-Bound]

A friend of my MIL passed away in the LA area. The cause of death was something else, and not the virus. She was 95 or so.

The hospital disallowed visitors, so the woman died alone. The family is still trying to figure out what to do for the funeral with the lockdown rules in effect.

 

[garyt]

I had a heated discussion with my DM this morning on the phone--she is 88, in good health for her age, her mind us good and she still drives but of course has some conditions like heart issues, asthma etc. She would probably not recover if she catches the virus. She casually mentioned she was going for her weekly hair appointment this morning. I almost hit the roof!! I gave her strong advice she should not go. She said she just does not feel good if she does not get her hair fixed and said she was going. She called me back 15 minutes later and said she was not going because she did not want me being mad at her. I am not sure if she was truthful to me or not. She lives in independent living apartments and still drives. They have put the apartments on "lockdown" bu the residents are free to come and go so it is not much of a lock down. DM tells me many of the residents are coming and going like there is no problem. I live and hour and a half away so I can only talk to her on the phone. She is a mentally competent adult and can make her own decisions but I just don't want her to die from this.

I wonder if at 88 or more some of the seniors are resigned to not having much time left and they'd rather just live their life and take their chances. My Dad is just shy of 96 and it sucks that the rest of his life could be in quarantine. I bet if things he liked to do were actually open, he'd say F it I'm going.

 

[Sunset]

Yes, but the working class is being forced out of work to try and protect people like that 88 year old. The working class isn't being given a choice. In Ohio, she wouldn't be able to go out to get her hair done, because they were ordered closed. If seniors are not going to take the necessary measures to protect themselves, then why should anyone else have to make sacrifices? That was a rhetorical question. I know that many seniors are exercising appropriate caution.

Sort of analogous to the draft, some people are paying a higher price than the rest to save us all.

 

[NW-Bound]

I live at the beach in Southern California. It’s a beautiful day today. As I look out my balcony, there is not a parking space to be found. The beach is full, cars are everywhere. The local pickleball courts are packed with players.

We are in the strictest lockdown of anyone in the country. People here are just in denial because we haven’t had a major outbreak yet. It’s sad to watch because it will come, and it will overwhelm our hospitals.

They are offering a real-life test on the theory that high temperature and high humidity kills the virus. Sunlit beaches, humidity from the salty ocean water...

It is interesting to watch. It may just work out. Keep our fingers crossed.

 

[statsman]

I live at the beach in Southern California. It’s a beautiful day today. As I look out my balcony, there is not a parking space to be found. The beach is full, cars are everywhere. The local pickleball courts are packed with players.

I wish you had a photo of this posted. I really do.

 

[fh2000]

I live at the beach in Southern California. It’s a beautiful day today. As I look out my balcony, there is not a parking space to be found. The beach is full, cars are everywhere. The local pickleball courts are packed with players.

We are in the strictest lockdown of anyone in the country. People here are just in denial because we haven’t had a major outbreak yet. It’s sad to watch because it will come, and it will overwhelm our hospitals.

Maybe call your local TV station. Ask them to send a crew so they can show at nightly news.

 

[Rianne]

Took dog for an hour walk in an open arboretum. It's a large area, saw 3 people. I'm so grateful to have places like this to go. Seems like a ghost town, although there is traffic. A few joggers. I'm grateful I have figured out great open spaces to get outside. Our forest preserve parks are open to visit. All programs closed.

 

[MBAustin]

Our farmers' market was open with most of the usual vendors and a good number of customers (it's classified as "essential" like a grocery store), They rearranged everything to put 10 feet or so between booths and had lots of hand sanitizer. Definitely more social distancing than at the grocery store! No dogs allowed (my little one was not happy when I left without him this morning - it's his favorite thing to do). So we are well-stocked with fresh produce. I did take little dog for a long walk when I got home.

Wrote a letter for our prison ministry then decided to defrost the (30-year old) freezer, a job long overdue. It's just about done, then I have to mop it out and reload.

We hope to talk with DD and DS later to see how they are doing, although we have been texting during the week.

 

[Bigdawg]

https://medium.com/six-four-six-nine/evidence-over-hysteria-covid-19-1b767def5894

“If you have a COVID-19 patient in your household, your risk of developing the infection is about 10%….If you were casually exposed to the virus in the workplace (e.g., you were not locked up in conference room for six hours with someone who was infected [like a hospital]), your chance of infection is about 0.5%”

The least political/hyped article I have read so far.

 

[Ready]

Here’s a picture from the front of my house. The sand looks pretty sparse because we have so much of it, but the bicycle and pedestrian path is barely ten feed wide and packed with people. Every parking space is taken up. People playing volleyball, using public bathrooms, walking around barefoot, holding on to handrails. Just business as usual here. In fact, it’s not usually this crowded here in March. And we are on a very strict stay at home mandate from the Governor.